One of many great tales found in “Legends of the Knights Templar.”

Walter Map included in his book “Courtier’s trifles” a story about a certain pious knight by the name of Aimery who was once travelling with his friends to a tournament. He suddenly heard the distant ringing of a bell and wished to stay back and attend the mass. Aimery’s friends tried to dissuade him, but it was no use. He took off, leaving his squires and his armor. In the woods, Aimery came across a community of hermits and attended mass in their midst. When he decided to rejoin his comrades, he could not find the way back to the main road. Only on the third day, accompanied by one of the hermits, Aimery came across his friends returning home. To his great astonishment, they proceeded to praise and congratulate him. At first Aimery suspected that they were being facetious, but after talking to his closest friend, he realized that someone participated in the tournament in his place, with amazing success. This certainly was a case of divine intervention. Moved by this wondrous occurrence, Aimery decided to join the Knights Templar.

Complete Latin story by Walter Map:

Miles quidam, Hamericus nomine, magni patrimonii, famae modicae, petebat exercitium militare, quod torniamentum ducunt. Cumque per nemus altum iter ageret, audivit ad missam matutinam a longe pulsari campanam, sociisque dissuadentibus et invitis ut missam audiret properavit, armigeris et armis relictis in comitatu. Heremitas invenit. Missa celebrata redire festinavit ad socios, sperans eos in secundo vel tertio consequi miliario; sed tota die devius sero reversus est ad locum missae. Similiter et in crastino. Die tertia conductus ab heremita socios invenit redeuntes, ipsique multa laetitia congratulantes. Miratur solito majorem sibi venerationem exhiberi; timeat ironiam. Familiarem ergo socium vocat in partem, quaerit quomodo casus eis in torniamento responderit. Intulit ille, “Bene nobis et manu tua, sed inimicis male, qui tamen hodie reversi sunt ad nos ut te pro tuorum operum admiratione viderent, sed ut heri recessimus ad hospitia, nemo nobis de te quicquam certitudinis dicere potuit; asserunt et armigeri tui quod armis tuis a te receptis ab oculis eorum evanisti cum equo tuo. Si vero cupis audire quod de te loquuntur in via, demissis vultibus audamus.” A transeuntibus igitur secus eos audierunt Hamerici praeconia per singulos et magnas laudes hominis per timiditatem prius infamati. Miratur ipse, nullius meriti conscientiam habens, et vis tandem advertit quod ei dispensaverat Dominus vicarium, ne gaudere socii sui possent de missa despecta, vel ipse dolere de respecta, deditque se cum omnibus quae possederat Deo domuique Templarium, at auxit eos multum, ut dicitur.

The watercolor painting is by James Henry Nixon (1802-57).

Want to read more stories about the Knights Templar? Check this out:
Legends of the Knights Templar

How can I join the Knights Templar? Is it even possible?

This story can be found, along with many other fascinating tales, in the book called Legends of the Knights Templar.

This medieval Spanish legend explains the origins of the Church of Vera Cruz in Segovia.

The Grand Master of the Knights Templar was once captured by the Sultan of Alexandria. The Sultan wanted to demonstrate the Saracens’ respect towards the Templars and perhaps make Islam more appealing to the Grand Master, so he invited the Christian knight to a banquet celebrating the recent victory over the Crusaders. During the feast it did not escape the Sultan’s notice that the Grand Master remained sorrowful. In an attempt to cheer him up, the Sultan offered him to choose any object among the trophies captured from the Christians, saying that this would be a pledge of friendship between the two, regardless of what came to pass later.

The Grand Master agreed. When he was shown a collection of gems, jewelry and relics he immediately pointed a piece of the True Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Its encasement shone brighter than any other object. The Sultan nodded. He personally went to get the True Cross in order to give it to his guest. As he approached the pile of booty a beautiful communion chalice caught his attention and he also took it for himself. When the Sultan ordered to fill the cup with a refreshing drink the Templar warned him that desecrating this holy vessel would not go unpunished. The Sultan was not convinced by this argument. Suddenly the Grand Master got another idea. He suggested to the Sultan to touch the chalice with the True Cross before drinking from it, thus creating protection from divine wrath. The Muslim ruler reluctantly agreed, but as soon as the cross touched the chalice the drink inside it turned into wine, which his religion made it unlawful to drink. At first the Sultan was impressed by this miracle, but after the same process repeated multiple times he began to sense that his faith was being mocked. He abandoned his previous kind disposition towards the Grand Master and ordered his men to pour molten gold into the chalice and give it to the Templar to drink. Would gold be also turned into wine?

But the Lord did not permit such treatment of His holy relics. The moment when the Sultan’s soldiers seized the sacred objects and detained the Templar an even greater miracle happened. The Grand Master, the True Cross, and the chalice along with three guards disappeared in thin air. The suddenly reappeared a great distance away at the Church of Our Lady in Maderuelo in front of many Knights Templar who were gathered there for prayer. In complete astonishment they observed how the Grand Master came out of nowhere, kneeling down and holding the chalice in one hand and the True Cross in another, accompanied by three terrified Muslim soldiers.

Eventually these three Moors converted to Christianity and faithfully served the Grand Master. The church in which he miraculously appeared was renamed to the Church of the True Cross (Vera Cruz). There were many additional miracles, including the story of an unbelieving carpenter who wanted to make a replica of the True Cross, but was unable to do so because the relic kept changing its dimensions.

See also:
How can I become a Templar?

This story can be found, along with many other fascinating tales, in the book called Legends of the Knights Templar.

A forest beekeeper by the name of Maciej (a Polish variation of Matthew) once discovered a wounded Knight Templar lying on a hill slope. Badly wounded, the man was dying. The beekeeper noticed that the knight’s suit of armor was very well made, and greed overcame him. Instead of trying to help the Templar, Maciej just sat nearby, waiting for him to die. As soon as the knight drew his final breath, the beekeeper removed the warrior’s armor and proceeded to put it on himself. As soon as he fastened the last clasp a blazing fever overtook him. Maciej felt as if the armor was also shrinking. He desperately tried to take it off, but could not do it. Finally the greedy beekeeper fell down on the ground next to the Knight Templar. Unable to move, Maciej cried out for help, but no one came. He died a terrible death.

The hill was later named after Maciej. It is known as a place of horrifying sights. In particular, the ghosts of the Knight Templar and the beekeeper can be seen there fiercely fighting over the suit of armor.