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Primary sources and documents / Secret societies

Charta Transmissionis (a.k.a “The Charter of Larmenius”)

Charta Transmissionis

This charter is believed to be a forgery by most people who do not subscribe to the notion that the Knights Templar somehow managed to survive as a secretive organization after being officially disbanded in the 14th century. The Latin text here is taken from the OSMTH page. I have checked it against Acta Latomorum where it first appears in printed form. A few transcription errors have been fixed.

The only way I can judge the authenticity of this text is by its language. For instance, I am quite surprised to find the phrase “ad majorem Dei gloriam” which was only used once (by pope Gregory the Great), as far as I can tell, before Ignatius Loyola created the the Jesuits’s famous motto. And yet, the author of the charter clearly uses these words as if they are formulaic! Another interesting feature is the phrase “privilegia contuli”.This simply cannot be found in any medieval text that I have access to. This formula, however, is used routinely (usually in the plural – contulimus) in university diplomas of the much later period. Undoubtedly, the creator of the Larmenius Charter had such a diploma!

Ego frater Johannes Marcus Larmenius, hyerosolimitanus, Dei gratia et secretissimo venerandi sanctissimique martyris, supremi templi militiæ magistri (cui honos et gloria) decreto, communi fratrum consilio confirmato, super universum templi ordinem, summo et supremo magisterio insignitus, singulis has decretales litteras visuris, salutem, salutem, salutem.

Primary sources and documents

Original sources regarding the origin of the Knights Templar order

Conditions in Palestine prior to the First Crusade

William of Tyre:

Inter has tam periculosi temporis insidias accedebat tam Graecorum quam Latinorum gratia devotionis ad loca venerabilia multitudo nonnula, quibus per mille mortis genera, perque hostium regions, ad urbem accedentibus negabatur introitus, nisi in porta aureus, qui pro tributo constitutus erat, janitoribus daretur. Sed qui in itinere cuncta perdiderant, et vix cum incolumitate membrorum ad loca pervenerant optata, unde tributum solverent, non habebant. Sic enim fiebat, ut ante urbem ex talibus mille vel plures collecti, et expectantes introeundi licentiam, fame et nuditate consumti deficerent. Guil. Tyr. hist. bell.sacr. l.1. c.10.

Through such treacheries of a dangerous time, considerable throngs of as many Greeks as Latins came to holy sites for the sake of devotion. As they arrived to the city past thousands of modes of death through enemy lands, entry was forbidden to them unless they paid the doorkeepers at the Golden gate which was assigned for tolls. But those who had lost everything during their journey and came to the desired place barely alive did not have anything they could offer as payment. And so it was that in view of the city a thousand or more of such people were dying of hunger and cold while awaiting permission to enter (Guil. Tyr. Hist. Bell. Sacr. 1 I.C.10)
The First Crusade

Nicholas Guertler:

Anno autem nonagesimo quinto Urbanus II. metu Henrici IV. Imperatoris, cujus ingratiis Romanam sedem tenebat, ex Italia in Gallia transgressus, ad Clarum montem, Alverniae civitatem, regnante in Francia Philippo I. Concilium egit, multorum Principum, Episcoporum et Abbatum praesentia decoratum, quibus prolixa oratione suscipiendam in Palaestinam expeditionem persuasit, cumulatam noxarum omnium expiationem pro longinquae militiae aerumnis, cunctis, qui illi nomen darent pollicitus. Quare universus Occidens, Italia excepta, quam Pontifex periculoso hoc itinere non imprudenter exemerat, numerosissimos brevia ad bellum exercitus fudit, anno sequenti diversa via, sub auspiciis praesertim Gothofredi Bullionae Lotharingiae Ducis, (qui Paulo Aemilio teste, ad expianda peccata, signatis cruce militibus hisce se aggregavit) atque Petri Eremitae, per varios casus et multa rerum discrimina in Palaestinam ductos.