Knights Templar: Understanding Their Real Lives Through Historical Reenactment
Who were the Templars really? How did they live? What did their equipment look like? And what remains behind the legends of treasure, esotericism, or secret societies? Jean-Marc Grangé, president of Fantassins de France, offers us a different approach: confronting historical sources with the practice of historical reenactment.
The Templars are among those medieval figures whose image sometimes seems to have taken precedence over history.
Knights dressed in white, red crosses, battles in the Orient, lost treasure, secret societies, the Grail... Over the centuries, the Order of the Temple has accumulated representations, some of which are far removed from what the sources actually establish.
For Jean-Marc Grangé, president of the Fantassins de France association, understanding an era requires precisely moving beyond this static image.
His approach is based on a simple idea: study, compare sources, experiment whenever possible, and then convey to the public what the practice actually reveals.
“Always learning more, to better understand, to better experiment, and to better reenact in order to better transmit.”
For him, reenactment is therefore not just a spectacle. It is also a way to confront certain historical interpretations with material realities.
From the Cathars to the Crusades, then to the Templars
Jean-Marc Grangé’s interest in the Order of the Temple did not begin directly with the Templars.
He recounts that more than thirty years ago, during a stay in Carcassonne, he visited a museum dedicated to the Inquisition. Since his father was from the Pyrenees, he already knew several sites associated with the Cathars, but this visit made him want to understand the Albigensian Crusade and the period in which it took place much more deeply.
From one search to another, the subject gradually led him toward the Crusades and then to the Order of the Temple.
A reenactor friend then challenged him with a new goal: to reenact a Templar.
But for Jean-Marc, simply putting on an outfit is not enough.
One must understand the context, the gestures, the equipment, the physical constraints, and above all, the mentality of the era.
Practicing combat in armor, wearing chainmail, or handling weapons allows him, in his view, to perceive certain realities described in ancient texts and depictions in a different light.
Reenactment as an extension of research
Jean-Marc readily compares History to a vast puzzle with some pieces still missing.
Every answer can lead to a new question.
In this context, reenactment becomes a complementary tool: when a hypothesis can be tested, he seeks to determine if it works, how it works, and, if it does not work, why.
Practice obviously does not replace historical sources. In his approach, it serves instead to confront certain interpretations with their concrete constraints.
Jean-Marc also insists on the necessity of cross-referencing sources, even when they are contradictory, in order to avoid becoming trapped in a single interpretation.
“To understand a period of History, it is absolutely necessary to think with the mentality of the time.”
This is one of the essential principles of his approach.
A Templar was first and foremost a religious man
One of the most frequent misconceptions is to reduce the Templars to an army of knights.
Jean-Marc insists, on the contrary, on the religious dimension of their commitment.
The knights who joined the Order underwent a probationary period before taking monastic vows. They were therefore not merely warriors subject to religious authority: they became members of a military monastic order.
These men were not merely fighters who had adopted a cross on their clothing. Their existence was also structured by community life, discipline, religious obligations, and prayer.
The context of the 12th and 13th centuries was profoundly marked by the question of the salvation of the soul, the defense of Christendom, and the defense of the Holy Land.
In this context, joining a military religious order allowed for the union of spiritual commitment and a warrior vocation. This religious dimension also makes it easier to understand why phrases like Non Nobis Domine are so strongly associated today with the memory of the Temple.
“Monk-soldier” or “monk-warrior”?
The expression “monk-soldier” is ubiquitous today when referring to the Templars.
Jean-Marc, however, considers it imperfect.
He points out that a soldier, in the strict sense of the term, is a man who receives pay. Yet, the Templars took a vow of poverty and did not personally own their equipment: what they needed was provided to them by the Order.
He therefore prefers to use the expression “monk-warrior”.
This association between religious life and warrior activity may have already seemed paradoxical in the 12th century. To understand this new conception of chivalry, Jean-Marc recommends in particular returning to Bernard of Clairvaux’s De Laude novae militiae.
He also reminds us that one should not reduce the Order to its fighting knights.
Around them existed an entire organization that allowed the institution to function. Jean-Marc also believes that some modern reenactments tend to over-represent knights dressed in white, thus offering an unbalanced view of the reality of the Order.
Templars and “assassins”: where does the confusion come from?
At historical events, Jean-Marc says that visitors sometimes ask whether the Templars were “assassins”.
He attributes this confusion largely to popular culture, cinema and legends that have gradually displaced historical knowledge in the public imagination.
Misrepresenting the Templars is not purely a modern phenomenon. King Philip IV of France himself employed a political propaganda strategy to weaken and discredit the Order.
Jean-Marc prefers to return to established facts and historical sources. In his view, the Rule of the Order of the Temple is particularly important for understanding its organisation, discipline and values.
A “Temple House”, not a commandery
When describing Templar daily life, people often use the term “commandery”. Jean-Marc makes a terminological distinction.
He prefers “Temple House” for a Templar establishment, reserving “commandery” for institutions connected with the Order of the Hospital.
He explains the confusion partly through the transfer of many Templar properties to the Hospitallers following the suppression of the Order.
The end of the institution is inseparable from the fate of its last grand master, Jacques de Molay, executed in 1314 following the trial of the Order.
A Templar day governed above all by prayer
Jean-Marc insists on one essential point: a brother of the Temple was first and foremost a monk.
In his reading of the Rule, the twenty-four hours of the day were structured primarily around periods of prayer:
- Around midnight: vigils
- Around 2 a.m.: matins
- Around 4 a.m.: lauds
- Around 6 a.m.: prime
- Around 9 a.m.: terce
- Around noon: sext
- Around 3 p.m.: none
- Around 6 p.m.: vespers
- Around 9 p.m.: compline
He also mentions morning mass and the tasks carried out between religious observances.
Work, repairs, maintenance of equipment and weapons, charitable activities, training and caring for horses were all part of everyday life. A knight was expected to look after his warhorse each day.
In the East, these responsibilities could be supplemented by guard duties, patrols, escorts and the surveillance of strongholds.
Meals were taken in silence as a brother read a religious text.
This routine demonstrates how misleading it is to imagine Templars as men constantly engaged in combat.
What practical reenactment helps us understand
Why engage in historical reenactment when books and archives already exist? For Jean-Marc, the answer is physical reality.
Performing a gesture allows academic knowledge to be tested against its material and physical consequences.
Wearing mail armour, moving with equipment, fighting, handling a weapon or reproducing certain conditions inevitably changes how one understands historical sources.
Such experiments do not automatically establish historical truth. They can, however, raise new questions and sometimes rule out interpretations that prove impractical.
Jean-Marc also notes that knowledge of the Order continues to evolve through historians' work and the study of documents not yet fully explored.
One example he cites is the Chinon Parchment, rediscovered in the Vatican archives in 2002 and published several years later following scholarly examination.
What did a Templar really look like?
Popular culture has largely standardized the image of the Templar.
A knight in white, a huge red cross, a hooded cloak, sometimes jewelry or richly decorated equipment.
Jean-Marc identifies several precise errors in these modern depictions.
First, he reminds us that in the time of the Order of the Temple, full plate armor as we often associate with the medieval knight did not yet exist.
Defensive equipment relied heavily on chainmail. He describes a hauberk that could incorporate a hood and hand protection, with certain elements only gradually becoming independent during the 13th century.
A Templar’s weapons and protective gear were not entirely different from those used by other combatants of the same status and era.
What distinguished the brothers of the Order was the house clothing, certain elements worn over military equipment, and the sartorial discipline imposed by the Rule.
Jean-Marc also points out that the pope authorised the red cross on Templar clothing in 1147; it was not worn from the Order's very beginnings. For more on this emblem, see our article on the cross pattée and its association with the Templars.
Sobriety rather than ostentation
Jean-Marc strongly insists on an element often forgotten in modern depictions: the Templars were religious men, and sobriety was part of their way of life.
Jewelry, decorative chains, ornate brooches, richly adorned sword belts, or weapons encrusted with precious stones seem to him incompatible with the spirit of the Rule he seeks to recreate.
He also points out that the red cross was not worn from the very origins of the Order: its wearing was authorized in the middle of the 12th century, long after the Temple had already existed for several decades.
Among other errors frequently encountered in reenactment or popular imagery, Jean-Marc cites hooded cloaks, certain anachronistic shoes, or the disproportionately large red crosses affixed to clothing.
To better understand the history of this emblem and distinguish medieval usage from modern representations, you can also consult our article dedicated to the meaning of the cross pattée and its link to the Templars.
Medieval depictions can also be compared with the seal of the Knights Templar and its two riders, one of the best-known symbols of the Order.
The Templar treasure: a legend that refuses to die
On one subject, Jean-Marc does not hide his skepticism: the famous Templar treasure.
He readily compares it to great legends like the philosopher’s stone or the fountain of youth.
The sudden disappearance of the Order, its economic power, its trial, and the gray areas surrounding certain events obviously offer an ideal breeding ground for speculation.
But for Jean-Marc, studying the history of the Temple does not provide justification for the extraordinary constructions developed around a hypothetical hidden treasure.
He also rejects the connections established with Freemasonry, the clandestine survival of the Order to the present day, or the guarding of the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant.
“In all things one must remain reasonable; this is particularly necessary in History.”
The persistent success of these stories likely reflects as much of our fascination with mystery as it does the real history of the Order.
How to distinguish history from fiction?
Today, the internet provides immediate access to a considerable amount of content dedicated to the Templars.
But this abundance also makes it more difficult to distinguish between historical research, serious popularization, and narratives belonging primarily to esotericism or fiction.
Jean-Marc recommends starting by identifying researchers who have actually worked on the Order of the Temple.
He mentions in particular Alain Demurger, whom he considers a major reference, as well as Simonetta Cerrini and Philippe Josserand.
For the study of the Rule, he mentions the work of Laurent Dailliez.
His general recommendation is clear: start with historians, sources, and context before letting yourself be seduced by the most spectacular narratives.
Books recommended by Jean-Marc Grangé
Asked to suggest only three to five books, Jean-Marc admits that narrowing down the choice is difficult: his own library contains dozens of works on this period. He nevertheless suggests several levels of reading.
Alain Demurger — Les Templiers
For Jean-Marc, this is a major historical reference on the Order: a comprehensive work of more than 600 pages for readers seeking a deeper understanding.
Marie Delclos and Jean-Luc Caradeau — Histoire de l’Ordre du Temple
A more accessible general introduction to the principal stages in the Order's history.
Thierry do Espirito — Les Templiers pour les Nuls
A deliberately simple introduction, organised into short chapters for those seeking an overview.
Georges Bordonove — La vie quotidienne des Templiers au XIIIe siècle
Particularly useful for understanding the everyday lives of the brothers beyond battles and major dates.
Damien Carraz — Les Templiers et la guerre
A work focusing specifically on the Order's military dimension.
Miguel Gómez — Les Templiers, les légendaires moines-guerriers
A short, richly illustrated work for readers who prefer a visual approach.
Laurent Dailliez — Les Templiers et les Règles de l’Ordre du Temple
An accessible introduction to the Rule and the principles governing life within the Order.
Henri de Curzon — La Règle du Temple
Jean-Marc also cites Henri de Curzon's translation as an important way to engage directly with the Rule.
Understanding the Crusades in a broader context
To understand the Templars, Jean-Marc argues, the Order must be placed within the broader history of the Crusades and the medieval Mediterranean world. He recommends:
Sébastien Mamerot — Une Chronique des Croisades
A richly illuminated reproduction of a 15th-century manuscript, especially appealing to those interested in fine books and medieval imagery.
Jean Richard — Histoire des Croisades
A general reference for putting the different Crusades into their historical context.
Chronique anonyme de la Première Croisade
An illuminating medieval narrative that offers a contemporary perspective on the events.
Amin Maalouf — Les Croisades vues par les Arabes
Jean-Marc recommends changing perspectives by examining the Crusades through accounts and sources from the Arab world.
Sylvie Denoix and Hélène Renel — Atlas des Mondes Musulmans Médiévaux
An extensively illustrated volume of maps, diagrams and documents that situates the medieval Near East within a wider setting.
Understanding history rather than repeating a legend
Jean-Marc Grangé's approach can ultimately be described as a method: start from the sources, compare them, understand the outlook of the time, experiment where possible and accept that history is more complex than the images we have created around it.
The Templars are no less fascinating as a result. Quite the opposite.
Behind imaginary treasures, secret societies and idealised knights stands a medieval organisation shaped by religion, discipline, warfare, communal life and the concrete realities of its age.
Perhaps abandoning some of the legends is exactly what makes the Order of the Temple even more interesting.
About Fantassins de France
Jean-Marc Grangé is president of the association Fantassins de France.
Through historical reenactment, the association aims to share history with the public by drawing on documentary research, experimentation and practical experience.
You can follow its activities on the Fantassins de France page.