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.
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.
A day in a Temple House
Jean-Marc provides a terminological clarification here that he holds dear: he prefers to speak of a “Temple House” rather than a “commandery” when referring to Templar establishments.
In his view, the widespread use of the term “commandery” for the Templars is largely linked to the transfer of many of the Order’s possessions to the Hospitallers after its suppression.
And what if one could spend a day in a Temple House in the 13th century?
The first element to remember would be prayer.
Jean-Marc describes a day punctuated by several religious offices:
- around midnight: vigils;
- around 2 a.m.: matins;
- around 4 a.m.: lauds;
- around 6 a.m.: prime;
- around 9 a.m.: terce;
- around 12 p.m.: sext;
- around 3 p.m.: none;
- around 6 p.m.: vespers;
- around 9 p.m.: compline.
Mass also held an important place in the morning.
Between these religious times came practical activities: maintenance of equipment, work, charitable deeds, military training, and care of horses.
Jean-Marc points out that a Templar knight had to take care of his warhorse every day.
In the Orient, military obligations could also include guard duty or patrols around the strongholds for which the Order was responsible.
Meals were also part of this collective discipline: they were taken in silence while a brother read religious texts.
To delve deeper into this daily organization, our dossier dedicated to the Templar Rule and the daily life of the brothers of the Temple goes into detail about the prayers, meals, clothing, discipline, and obligations of the Order.
This organization highlights a fundamental reality: combat represented only a part of a Templar’s life.
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.
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.
The Rule of the Temple as an antidote to fantasies
When visitors ask him if the Templars were “assassins,” Jean-Marc first goes back to the facts and the sources.
For him, a large part of these confusions comes from the repetition of depictions from cinema, fiction, or approximate historical content.
He also points out that the image of the Order was shaped as early as the Middle Ages by the accusations and propaganda surrounding its trial and demise under Philip IV the Fair.
This period led a few years later to the disappearance of the Order and the death of its last master. Our article dedicated to Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Templars, reviews in detail this end of the Temple’s history and the legends that subsequently surrounded it.
To better understand the Templars, Jean-Marc especially recommends returning to one essential source: the Rule of the Order of the Temple.
It provides insight into the obligations, prohibitions, discipline, and living conditions of the brothers.
He returns to this several times in his responses: in his opinion, it is difficult to claim to understand the Order seriously without taking an interest in its Rule.
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.
Jean-Marc Grangé’s library corner
Jean-Marc owns nearly 80 books dedicated to this period and considers that a selection of only a few titles is necessarily restrictive.
We have nevertheless selected several references corresponding to different reading levels.
Alain Demurger — Les Templiers
Jean-Marc places this work at the top of his selection and considers it a benchmark for those who wish to study the Order of the Temple seriously.
Marie Delclos and Jean-Luc Caradeau — Histoire de l’Ordre du Temple
A work he presents as a general approach, relatively accessible and effective for starting to explore the history of the Order.
Thierry do Espirito — Les Templiers pour les Nuls
A simple entry point for readers entirely new to the subject, with short chapters and a deliberately accessible presentation.
Georges Bordonove — La vie quotidienne des Templiers au XIIIe siècle
Jean-Marc recommends it in particular to readers who wish to better understand the concrete aspects of the daily existence of the Order’s members.
Damien Carraz — Les Templiers et la guerre
A more targeted work allowing for a deeper look at the military dimension of the Temple.
To discover the Rule of the Temple
Jean-Marc also recommends Laurent Dailliez, Les Templiers et les Règles de l’Ordre du Temple, as well as the various editions of the translation of the Rule by Henri de Curzon.
“A good historian loves books.”
Placing the Templars back into the history of the Crusades
Jean-Marc also refuses to completely dissociate the history of the Temple from that, much broader, of the Crusades.
Among his recommendations are Histoire des Croisades by Jean Richard, the Chronique anonyme de la Première Croisade, and the reproduction of the Chronique des Croisades by Sébastien Mamerot.
He also recommends confronting viewpoints and cites in this regard Les Croisades vues par les Arabes by Amin Maalouf as well as the Atlas des mondes musulmans médiévaux by Sylvie Denoix and Hélène Renel.
This diversity of reading directly aligns with his method: multiplying perspectives allows for a better understanding of an event and avoids an overly narrow vision of history.
A collaboration that could continue
Our exchange with Jean-Marc Grangé will likely not end with this first article.
He himself proposes to continue later on more specific subjects: certain articles of the Rule of the Temple, the hierarchy of the Order, the functions of the different brothers, the Crusades, or even questions directly posed by readers.
Fantassins de France also has photographs, maps, and diagrams that can accompany these future topics.
This approach corresponds precisely to what we wish to develop with Le Journal du Temple: not simply retelling the great Templar legends, but confronting popular representations with sources and giving a voice to those who devote time to understanding and transmitting this history.
Bringing history to life to better understand it
Historical reenactment obviously cannot answer every question left open by the sources.
However, when accompanied by serious documentary research, it allows for asking extremely concrete questions.
How do you move while wearing equipment? How do you maintain a weapon? How do you endure several hours in chainmail? How do certain constraints alter the way one fights or moves? How does a written rule translate into the gestures of daily life?
It is in these details that Jean-Marc Grangé's approach takes on its full meaning.
The goal is not to reinvent the Templars.
On the contrary, it consists of attempting to peel back the layers of legend accumulated around them to return to the men, the constraints, and the realities of their era.
And when history does not allow for a certain answer, acknowledging what we do not know likely remains one of the healthiest approaches to continue searching.
For those who wish to extend this world through contemporary creations inspired by the Templar chivalric heritage, you can also discover our collection of men's Templar rings.
About Fantassins de France
Fantassins de France is a civil and military historical reenactment association presided over by Jean-Marc Grangé. It notably conducts activities of reenactment, demonstration, lecture, exhibition, and commemoration covering various periods of history.
You can follow their activities on the Fantassins de France Facebook page.