Outremer I

by D. N. Carter

  “Are we done with earthly desires and comforts?” the balding English Templar Grand Master said aloud with authority that cut the silence instantly.

  “We are,” the two kneeling noviciates and Stewart replied solemnly together.

  Taqi sniggered and bit his finger to silence himself upon hearing this. Paul nudged him to be silent and nearly knocked him off the crates.

  “Do you three wish to become true knights of our Order?”

  “We do,” they replied.

  “Do you wish to become true knights of our Order?” the question was repeated.

  “We do,” the three replied as tension rose in their voices.

  “Do you wish to become True Knights of our Order!” the English Grand Master asked again louder.

  “We do,” they replied louder also.

  “Dear brothers, some of you have proposed that these three kneeling before us, novices Stewart Plantavalu, Lawrence Monteacute and Nicholas Groby, may be admitted to the Order. If any of you know of any reason to oppose their initiation under our articles and rules of initiation as set down in 1128, say so now,” the English Grand Master asked in English and then repeated in French.

  The chapel remained silent for several minutes before the English Grand Master nodded at three knights standing directly behind the kneeling noviciates. Immediately they moved forward and grabbed the right shoulder of the kneeling man in front of them, hauling them upwards to stand. They quickly placed their drawn swords at the base of their necks whilst three other members blindfolded them and then tied their hands behind their backs with white cords. The noviciates were turned, ushered and pushed into the east wing of the Chapel and forced to kneel again. A false domed roof made from wood and white canvas hung above them. Taqi and Paul struggled to see clearly, as they became partially obscured within the eastern section but could just make out their fathers move in front of the kneeling men and stand side by side next to the English Grand Master. Paul figured quickly he was obviously the Templar Grand Master from England. ‘What an honour that is for Stewart,’ he thought. Three knights stood directly behind the kneeling noviciates and held their swords pointedly against the base of their necks again.

  “Do you all fully understand the hardships that await you if you are admitted to the Order?” he asked aloud.

  “We do,” all three answered solemnly.

  “Are you married, engaged to be married, have links or commitments or indebtedness to other Orders or anyone else?”

  “We are not,” the three answered immediately.

  “Are you of good health and not a slave?” the English Grand Master asked slowly and only just audibly.

  “We are of good health and not slaves,” they replied together.

  Firgany and Philip immediately turned with the English Grand Master and walked back to the main altar where the local Grand Marshal was now standing.

  “We told the candidates of all the hardships awaiting them and our conditions of admission, but they are all insistent on becoming slaves of the Order,” the English Grand Master said directly to the local Grand Marshal.

  Firgany, Philip and the English Grand Master then stood behind him as he simply gave a slight nod towards the east wing. Stewart and the other two noviciates were rough-handled back to the main altar and again forced to kneel, the three knights behind them again placing their swords against the base of their necks.

  “What is happening?” Taqi whispered as he tried to push Paul’s head out of the way so he could get a better view. Paul shrugged and put his finger to his lips to silence him.

  “Do you still wish to be admitted into the Order?” the local Grand Marshal asked.

  “We do,” the three replied in unison.

  “Brothers, you are asking much of us. You have seen only the façade of the Order, and you hope to acquire pureblood horses, honourable neighbours, good food and nice garments. But are you aware of how hard our conditions really are?” the local Grand Marshal continued. “You must not seek admittance for wealth, nor for status. Do you still agree?”

  “We do solemnly agree and swear it,” the three answered.

  No sooner had they replied than they were again hauled to their feet and quickly dragged backwards, each struggling to keep upright and on their feet, to the east wing of the chapel. The local Grand Marshal looked at the remaining knights positioned in a semicircle, all with their swords drawn resting their hands upon their pommels, the blade tips positioned between their feet.

  “Do any of you have anything to say about the candidates you think we should know about? And have any questions that need be asked of them been asked or forgotten?” The local Grand Marshal asked. All shook their heads no and stood in total silence for several minutes before he then moved to stand in front of the noviciates. “Then you shall swear an oath that will remain in force with loyalty to the Order and all your fellow brothers until the day you die. You shall never reveal to the outside world a single word or practice that is spoken within the Temple or Order,” he continued as a knight approached carrying a large simple leather bound Bible and handed it to him. He gently placed it upon the floor in front of the kneeling noviciates as the knights behind them pushed their heads lower, cut loose the cords around their wrists and forced their right arms down so each had his hand placed upon the Bible. The standing knights took up a position behind them with their swords raised as if ready to cut off their heads. Taqi looked at Paul in alarm. Paul shrugged quizzically but certain his father would not allow any harm to come to his own son. “The rules of our Order,” the local Grand Marshal said sternly, “are strict, and you are beginning a life of endurance, not one of ease; one of danger, and one of self-denial. You will have to watch, when perhaps you will be sighing for sleep; to endure fatigue, when you would fain rest; to be hungry and thirsty, when you are longing to eat and to drink; and to leave one country for another without a moment’s hesitation, if your vow requires it. Do you really wish to be a Templar?” he asked each one individually.

  “I do,” the three said in turn, Stewart coughing, his throat dry when he came to answer.

  “Do you swear by our three main guiding principles of poverty, chastity, and obedience?”

  “I do,” came the replies.

  “Then as you have been taught and instructed, recount your oaths of obedience in full to swear it.”

  Nervously Lawrence Monteacute, Nicholas Groby and Stewart started to mumble as they struggled to remember the words to their oaths that they had been taught repeatedly over the past year. Philip coughed just loud enough to be heard, which seemed to remind Stewart and reassure him. As he started to talk, the other two followed suit.

  “I swear to defend with my life, my strength, and my speech, the holy doctrines of the Trinity and the Catholic faith; I promise to be obedient and submissive to the Grandmaster, and to travel by sea or by land if need be, to defend my brother Christians against the Infidels. My right hand and sword shall be dedicated to the service of the king and church against the Muslims and I swear never to shun a combat with any miscreants if only three in number. I will fight them in single combat, and never flee from an enemy.”

  Taqi shot a look of disgust and alarm at Paul as he heard these words. Paul immediately grabbed his arm reassuringly and shook his head no.

  “I hereby further swear, to communicate three times a year, to hear mass and eat meat three times a week. If I so fail in this manner in doing my duty, I expect to be flogged three times in the presence of the whole chapter and if I shall fail in my special duty of fighting the Moslems, I shall suffer banishment for ever from the Order.”

  Taqi was getting angrier and more confused the more he heard. He looked hard at Paul and mouthed in silence ‘but my father’, raising his hand in utter pained confusion.

  “It is but a ritual and words. I am sure our fathers can explain this,” Paul whispered back.

  The local Grand Marshal walked behind each of the three noviciates, knelt down behind La
wrence Monteacute first, and motioned a fake kiss at the base of his spine then pushed away the sword held against his neck and gave a proper kiss upon the man’s exposed neck before untying the blindfold. He repeated this action on Nicholas Groby and Stewart until all three just knelt with their right hands still placed upon the Bible. Their eyes were still closed as they had been taught they must remain until told otherwise.

  The English Grand Master came forwards and knelt opposite the three.

  “You must understand that all you do and swear next is both symbolic and has dual meanings. In some cases, it has many but that you will only learn in the fullness of time and if God wills it. By taking the oath of obedience and denying Christ three times and spitting upon the cross, you are demonstrating your present ignorant state as well as mimicking St Peter’s denial. You also further express your reprobate state and are demonstrating your loyalty to follow the word of your Grand Master. For it is a trial of strength and a demonstration of the obedience you have just sworn to the Order. It teaches that where and when necessary, in the service of God and our Virgin Mary and the Mother Church, you can deny with the mouth but not with the heart. As I officiate as your receiver, I will kiss you three times, if we are content that you have completed this task correctly with genuine intent. Do you understand me?” he explained and asked.

  Stewart nodded his head he understood. The middle noviciate, Nicholas Groby, shook his head from side to side questioningly and apprehensive as the third noviciate, Lawrence Monteacute, nodded his head eagerly repeating “yes, yes, yes” several times before the knight behind him touched his shoulder to calm him. After what seemed an age, Nicholas Groby finally nodded his head yes. The English Grand Master looked back at the local Grand Marshal as they acknowledged the noviciates’ answers. As the English Grand Master stood, the knights behind them hurriedly raised the noviciates to their feet and immediately had their clothes stripped from them leaving them naked. Taqi looked at Paul in amazement and Paul sniggered at the sight of his brother. But as Paul looked on, all the torches within the chapel were extinguished except one small candle placed upon the Bible. A small wooden cross with brass edging was placed in front of the Bible just visible to the three noviciates as all in the room spoke in one voice.

  “Open your eyes those who are blind to see the light of truth,” and cautiously the noviciates opened their eyes.

  “Place your right foot upon the cross and repeat after me,” the English Grand Master said. Hesitantly the three men placed their right foot upon the cross, Nicholas Groby just placing his toes on the base of the cross. “Now hear me very carefully as I explain the four truths in denying Christ, the sin that will not be forgiven,” the English Grand Master said quietly and reverentially, which caused Taqi and Paul to strain to hear. After a pause he continued. “Some believe that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a verbal denial of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 12:31-32, it does indeed talk about the ‘sin that will not be forgiven’, or the statement by Paul from 2 Timothy 2:12 where he writes, ‘If we deny Him, He will also deny us.’ The first truth is the concept of ‘denying Christ’. It is quite vague, as what, I ask you, constitutes a denial of Christ, and what does not? How would one know when they have denied Christ? Do you have to say the words, ‘I deny Christ’? Do words have to be spoken at all? Could denial be some sort of action or thought?” He paused as he studied the noviciates’ faces for some while before continuing. “The second truth is perhaps the most famous example of someone who rejected and denied Christ and that is of course St Peter. He even used profanity and curses in denying any connection to Jesus Christ. Yet we know he was forgiven by Jesus. If denial of Christ was the unpardonable sin, then certainly St Peter was guilty of it, and yet we all fully expect to see him in heaven. The third truth: while the passage in 2 Timothy 2:12 does say that God will deny us if we deny Him, it also says that if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. In other words, whatever the denial of 2 Timothy 2:12 is, it is not taking eternal life from someone who already has it, for this would amount to God denying Himself, which He cannot do. The fourth and final truth of the denial of Christ does not even fit the context here, since such a denial would be a blasphemy against Jesus, which He says will be forgiven. If blasphemy is actually a form of denial, it would have to be against the Holy Spirit. So in light of these four truths, denying Christ cannot be the unforgivable sin. If you have denied Christ, you are forgiven!” he explained.

  Paul looked at Taqi and shook his head in bewilderment and utter confusion before looking back into the darkened chapel, just the single candle casting a dim light upon those nearest to it. The local Grand Marshal came into view, lifted the Bible so it was near the three noviciates and placed their right hands upon it hard.

  “I deny our saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ,” he commanded.

  Stewart choked as he tried to say the words. As he cleared his throat, Lawrence Monteacute rapidly spoke the words before Nicholas Groby started to say it. But in unison they completed saying it three times.

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  “I deny our saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

  Nicholas Groby started to shake gently as he fought to control his emotions after saying it for the third time. All waited in silence until he had composed himself.

  “Now spit upon the cross,” the English Grand Master commanded.

  The first to comply, Lawrence Monteacute, did not hesitate and spat at the cross immediately. Stewart looked around the chapel slowly at all gathered there, then spat on the cross. A good time passed with the standing knight behind Nicholas Groby clenching his raised sword tighter as if preparing to swing it down upon his neck, before he could finally bring himself to do so, and eventually he spat upon the cross too. Both the English Grand Master and the local Grand Marshal moved in front of them as the cross and Bible were removed. The English Grand Master kissed Lawrence Monteacute on his left cheek, then his right and back again to his left.

  “With these three kisses of the Order, we hereby invite you into our higher state of faith, to be clothed with the garb of its holiness,” he said softly then proceeded to do the same on Nicholas Groby. As he did so, the local Grand Marshal repeated the same words and actions on Lawrence Monteacute. As soon as the English Grand Master and local Grand Marshal had kissed Stewart in the same fashion, they moved themselves out of the way as several torches were relit, bathing the chapel in a flutter of shimmering light. A knight walked in front of the three initiates with a large bowl of water, and poured it over their heads each in turn in total silence. They shuddered with the sudden drenching of cold water.

  “This is the Prince of Mercy’s purification by which all of your previous sins are admonished and cleansed for you have been purified this hour and are now as pure as the new born Lamb,” the local Grand Marshal explained. “You must now drink the communion of the Holy Order of High Priesthood to become the warrior Monks of Christ,” he continued and took a wooden box from off of the altar.

  Taqi and Paul strained harder to see what was happening as all the remaining knights moved in closer to form an almost complete circle around the three noviciates now forced to kneel again. As the box opened, Taqi gasped a little too loudly as a large skull was removed and came into view. The top of it was missing and the sides were edged with a silver rim and a wooden bowl inserted. It held a bitter tasting red wine and the local Grand Marshal moved it carefully so as not to spill the contents. The English Grand Marshal came forward with three silver goblet cups and handed one to each of the three noviciates.

  “First you must take this and repeat after me as you must recite our five symbolic libations, the first four of which you must drink from this after each is recited,” he explained. Another knight quickly and efficiently filled the three goblets with water. “To the memory of King Solomon, our ancient Grand Master,” he said and nodded at the three noviciates to take a sip. As soon as they had, they repeated his words then he continued. “To Hiram, King of
Tyre; our ancient Grand Master,” and they repeated and sipped again. “To Hiram Abiff, the widow’s son, who lost his life in defence of his integrity,” they repeated and sipped more. “And to Simon of Cyrene, the friend of our Saviour, who bore his cross, and fell a martyr to his faith.” They repeated and sipped once more and immediately had the goblets taken away. “This is the fifth and most important libation. This fifth, and supreme, Knights Templar libation is made unto ‘the unknown’ and is performed in what some consider the vilest manner imaginable; for you must sup the content of such from this mystic cup, a bitter wine. You need not understand why at this moment, and perhaps you never will for only a handful within our Order ever gain that knowledge, and it is that knowledge that you must forever strive to learn and understand whilst you serve within the Order. This fifth libation is taken in a very solemn way. It is emblematical of the bitter cup of death, of which we all must sooner or later taste. You will know this libation as the ‘Sealed Obligation’. You need not say a word, just sup of the mystic cup and your oath is sworn.”

  Lawrence Monteacute looked on nervously as the skull was offered to him to drink from. Hesitantly he took the skull and sipped a quick drink from it before passing it back. Nicholas Groby looked like he was about to be sick but also took a sip before handing it back. As Stewart was handed the skull, he hesitated, looked up at his father and then Firgany. Firgany smiled and gave a slight nod. This confused Paul and Taqi even more as they looked on. No sooner had Stewart finished his sip than the three were quickly pulled backwards so they sat on their backsides. The soles of their bare feet were now visible and before they could move, the three knights behind them placed a lance in each of their left hands then immediately began to wash the three noviciates’ feet.