The
best comprehensive study of the Templars is Richard Barber’s THE NEW
KNIGHTHOOD. Barber covers the entire
history of the order and also discusses the various myths that have grown
around them.
Another
similar book, which is also based on primary documents is Edward Berman’s THE
TEMPLARS; KNIGHTS OF GOD.
The rules and statutes of the Templars, far
from being secret, were written in both Latin and Old French, since many of the
Templars did not have a clerical education. I don’t know of any English translation of these rules, although
one may exist. However, there are
several in modern French. The one I
like best is Laurent Daillez RÈGLE ET STATUTS DE L’ORDRE DU TEMPLE. He includes photos of the original
manuscript and the rules are in two columns, Old French on the left and modern
on the right.
Another
French compilation of texts is Pierre Girard-Augry AUX ORIGINES DE L’ORDRE DU
TEMPLE. This includes the text of St.
Bernard’s endorsement of the order “In Praise of the new Knighthood” and also
letters concerning the early days of the Order. He does discuss the myth, but his strong Catholic bias is
obvious. For an objective, scholarly
assessment, stick with Barber.
Bernard’s
very influential treatise has been translated into English, I just don’t have a
copy handy. The full Latin title is Liber ad Milites Templi De Laude Novae
Militiae, written at the request of Hughes de Payen, the founder of the
order. One of the other charter members
was Bernard’s uncle, André de Montbard.
If
you still feel you’d like to know more, some of the Templar Charters have been
published. They are in Latin, with
French introductions. The two I have in
my library are:
Maurice
D’Albon, CARTULAIRE GÉNÉRAL DE L’ORDRE DU TEMPLE, Paris, 1913 which is mostly from Northern France, and...
Pierre
Gérard et Élisabeth Magnou, CARTULAIRES DES Templiers de Douzens, Paris, 1965, which covers a great deal of
Southern France.
Now,
if you have read all of these books and any other work written before 1200 on
the order, then feel free to write and tell me what you think. If you have only read novels about the
Templars or “popular histories”, then please don’t bother. I have made this list in response to people
who have been lecturing me on various ‘facts’ that they seem to have learned
solely from fiction. That being said,
I’m always happy to hear from serious scholars in or out of academia.