"They with the prince sent a messenger to the king, who was on a little windmill hill.
Then the knight said to the king: 'Sir, the earl of Warwick and the earl of Oxford, Sir Raynold Cobham and other, such as be about the prince, your son, are fiercely fought withal and are sore handled; wherefore they desire you that you and your battle will come and aid them; for if the Frenchmen increase, as they doubt they will, your son and they shall have much ado.'
Then the king said: 'Is my son dead or hurt or on the earth felled?'
'No, sir,' quoth the knight, 'but he is hardly matched; wherefore he hath need of your aid.'
'Well" said the king, 'return to him and to them that sent you hither, and say to them that they send no more to me for any adventure that falleth, as long as my son is alive: and also say to them that they suffer him this day to win his spurs; for if God be pleased, I will this journey be his and the honour thereof, and to them that be about him.'
Then the knight returned again to them and shewed the king's words, the which greatly encouraged them."
-Quoted from Froissart's chronicle of the legendary episode during the Battle of Crecy in 1346. Such was the response of King Edward III to his son Prince Edward's (the Black Prince)
www.flickr.com/photos/8765199@N07/2281761340/in/set-72157...
plight while being hard pressed in the battle. Good chest thumping, warlike, manly stuff that has served to bolster the fighting English spirit in the nearly 700 years since.
I quote this recounting here because the sword pictured is my reworking of the Albion Crecy, named after this most celebrated English victory in the Hundred Years War.
On a related note, see my photo of the Black Prince's funeral achievments that hung above his tomb in Canterbury Cathedral at: www.flickr.com/photos/8765199@N07/2281761284/in/set-72157...
The Victorian equestrian statue of him in the city of Leeds: www.flickr.com/photos/8765199@N07/2281760526/in/set-72157...
Tags: middle ages chivalry medieval gothic knight sword helm great helm knights armor reenactment history soldier through time arms and armor military weapons warfare shield plantagenet coat of arms hundred years war crecy edward the black prince King Edward III Froissart chronicles mug chest trunk oak steel iron spurs
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Not all Templar Knights were holy brothers of the Order. It was possible for men to join for short periods of time and serve as "brothers for a term". Were I truly a knight I would be a Templar in this capacity since I am married and have a beautiful wife to return home to. No oath of chastity for this knight just yet!
From what I understand most men joined the Templar Order in their twenties, but some teens and older men joined as well. Children brought up in an Order's house were not obligated to join when they grew up. Adult men who were capable and willing to fight were who the Order wanted.
There is all kinds of occult mysteria about the Templars swirling with rumors of heresy, sodomy, demon worship, and lost treasure. My knowledge about them is fairly limited. I am not a Templar or Freemason. I would say that most of that stuff makes for a good story but it is complete nonsense.
I would argue that most men who joined the Order did so out of sincere conviction and religious fervor. We may see them as brutal and intolerant, but remember that they were acting according to the beliefs of their time. The idea of a warrior monk is confusing to us nowadays, but made complete sense to people 800 years ago. No doubt these guys were idolized as ultimate heroes by many in medieval Christendom.
Bottom line is this. The King of France was bankrupt in 1307. The Crusades were done after Acre fell in 1291. The original purpose of the Templars protecting pilgrims in the Holy Land had become irrelevant, but they were extremely rich from the efficient banking system they developed. The Pope was weak and easily swayed by King Phillip. Friday October 13, 1307 the Templars are all rounded up and put in prison for two years to be tortured and ultimately burned for heretics.
And the King of France got their treasure. But did he get it all? Hmmm....
Tags: knight reenactment history medieval armor mail sword crusader chain mail surcoat costume thirteenth century cross steel chausses ventail coif hauberk man guy baron noble feudalism templar belt scabbard leather buckle dagger helm soldier through time arms military weapons warfare middle ages banner spear flag
The same woman in the same coat in 2004 on the left and 2021 on the right.
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Tags: black leather coat woman beautiful wife button figure necklace turtle neck sweater chain
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