Seals of the Knights of the Temple

The Sceau templier has the two following faces: on one is represented the Dôme of the Rock (some opinions would lean more for one representation of the circular dome of the church of the the Holy Sepulchre), and on the other face one finds the symbol of the order, namely two knights assembling the same horse. However, each seal of Master has characteristics which are to him propres.
There was also a seal of smaller size, with only one face representing the dome of the Rock (or the dome of the church of the Holy Sepulchre).
Special measures were taken in order to control the use of it. The seal was preserved in a compartment which required three keys to be open. The Master of the Order itself had a key, and two of the dignitaries kept the two others. The manufacture of a seal was a long and difficult process in the direction where each seal single and was made with the hand.

Origin

The official ones of religious orders had their clean Sceau in order to validate the documents approved by the order. This seal was in fact the equivalent of the modern signature. Moreover, to a time when the majority of the population was illiterate, it guaranteed the authenticity of the document on which it was affixed. It certified that the people represented by this seal had approved the contents of the document, even if they had not signed it of their name. The templiers, like any other owner of seal, needed to color on this one something of positive and fundamental representing their organization.

Distribution of the seals about the temple

Referring to a pontifical Bulle emitted by the pope Innocent IV in 1251, it was currency that successive provincial Masters use the same seal. When the province of Provence and certain parts of the Spain were divided into two, certain changes were made. The Master of Provence continued to use a seal of the Agnus Dei, but the seal of the Master of Aragon Guillaume de Cardona had the following characteristics: round (29mm of diameter), made of black wax or green dark, it represented a knight with horse, armed with a lance and a shield, this last raising a cross carrying the following inscription: S. MINISTRI TEMPLI 1 ARAGON 7 CATALON (" Seal of the Minister for the temple in Aragon and Catalonia "). This shape of seal was also used by the provincial Masters of Aragon following. Sigilum Xpisti (" Seal of Christ")

Topics of inspirations of the seals of the templiers

Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa

. Other seals:

the back of the seal of Bertrand de Blanquefort in 1168.
the back of the seal of Guillaume of Chartres in 1214 shows also the dome of the rock.

Agnus Dei

In Heraldic, a lamb of God (or paschal lamb, or agnus Dei) is a lamb going, a raised leg, capped with a halation, with in background a surmounted stick of the cross of Saint Georges. Seals of the Masters of the temple in England Richard de Hastings in 1160 - 1185, Aimery of Holy-Moor in 1200, Robert de Sandford in 1241 and Guillaume of More in 1304, are equipped with the agnus dei.

Observation of the face of a seal used by the Guillaume Master of joined More what is above detailed. The back on the other hand, beaded on its board, shows on the line the bust of a bearded man carrying a cape, with the legend: testis sum agni (" I am a witness of the agneau" ) and Guillaume of the more, stylized in Willelmus brother of More miliciae . The seal is called common sigillum capituli . The seal symbolic system of their wish of poverty, showing two knights assembling the same horse, appears to be used only in France because no example exists in England.

Some of the seals of the English templiers were alternatives of the above mentioned paschal lamb, in the direction where in the place of the cross of George Saint (and the stick), was sometimes the banner of battle of the order, the Baussant.

Image: Fulcon of montpezat agnus dei seal.png|Seal of Fulcon de Montpezat.

Other seals:

Seal used by Roncelin de Fos. Second half of the 13th century.
Seal templier going back to 1304, round, the paschal lamb with banner.

Two knights

the use of this symbol perduré under the following Masters as long as the order existed, even if there were some modifications. The seal of Renaud de Vichiers, which was Master of the temple of 1250 with 1256, watch the same representation, even if it is not obviously about the same seal.

The Legend

If one pays attention to the text, one can notice notable differences between the various seals of the Masters:

Seal of Bertrand de Blanquefort: sigillum militum on the face, christi of templo on back
Seal of Renaud de Vichiers: sigillum militum xpisti .

Even if the sentence is written in Latin, the first two letters of the name of Christ are Greek letters XP rather than Latin letters CHR. The origin of symbol XP goes back to the roots of Christianity, even if it became popular only after the emperor Constantin I {{er}} had a vision of it, vision which pushed it to convert with Christianity at the beginning of the 4th century. At the time of Constantin, XP became one of the most significant symbols of the Christianity, only exceeded by the cross itself. Its association very early with the army made of it the perfect symbol for the templiers. In fact, symbol XP can be also seen on the shields of the knights on the seal of Renaud de Vichiers.

Eagle

The eagle is a heraldic bird of first order symbolizing courage, the determination, the power and the size. It is about one of the representations most used on the medieval heraldic shields, often indicating an imperial sovereignty. The Romans used the eagle as sign and their example was often followed. It is about the symbol of the imperial Russia, of the empire of Austria-Hungary, the holy Roman empire Germanic, of the the United States of America and the French emperors.

The eagle is generally represented of face, legs and drawn aside feathers of tail, open wings and deployed feathers (deployed flight is said) and head of profile, looking with dextral, as it should be for any animal héraldiquement correct.

A Aigle with two heads (or bicephalous) represents a man of action, occupied by important businesses, as well as a man of sharp, clever, and judicious spirit in its choices.

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