Seal of the Knights Templar: Meaning of the Order’s Symbol

The Templar seal depicting two knights on a single horse has become one of the most famous symbols of the Order of the Temple. Today, it is found in books, historical reproductions, jewelry, and numerous contemporary representations of the Templar world.

Its image is immediately recognizable: two armed men sharing a single mount, surrounded on several examples by a Latin inscription evoking the "knights of Christ."

But its meaning is often presented too categorically. Do the two riders really symbolize the poverty of the first Templars? Do they represent their brotherhood? And was it truly the only seal used by the Order?

To understand this symbol, one must first return to what a seal in the Middle Ages really was: not just a simple logo or a decorative emblem, but an instrument used to authenticate documents and manifest the authority of the person who used it.

What is the Templar seal?

When we speak today of the "Templar seal," we generally refer to the famous motif depicting two knights mounted on the same horse.

Several medieval impressions and casts of this type are preserved or documented in French heritage collections. The scientific database Sigilla, dedicated to medieval seals, notably lists several examples attributed to the Order of the Temple.

The Douët d'Arcq 9859 cast is described as representing:

two Templars mounted on a single horse.

Around this depiction is a Latin legend directly associating members of the Order with the knights of Christ.

What was the purpose of a seal in the Middle Ages?

A medieval seal was not just a symbol intended to be visually recognized. It fulfilled a real legal and institutional function.

It could, for instance, be used to:

• authenticate a document;
• identify the authority that had it sealed;
• confirm an agreement or a decision;
• materialize the commitment of an individual or an institution.

The Templars administered lands, received donations, concluded agreements, and maintained relations with religious institutions and secular authorities. The use of seals was therefore fully part of their administrative activity.

A particularly interesting example is kept in the Sigilla database: a seal of the Order of the Temple used in 1259, associated with a document concerning an exchange of tithes between the Templars and the Abbey of Saint-Victor in Paris.

The seal is round and measures approximately 33 millimeters. This serves as a reminder that before becoming a great image of the Templar imagination, the seal was first and foremost a relatively small object attached to actual documents.

What does the famous seal of the two knights look like?

The most well-known type shows two armed knights on a single mount. On some examples, they carry shields and a lance.

The scene is surrounded by a circular inscription. Depending on the copies and their state of preservation, the lettering may vary slightly.

A cast kept in the Douët d'Arcq collection bears, for example:

+ SIGILLVM MILITVM XPISTI

It is this association between the image of the two riders and the Latin legend that gave the seal its particular visual power.

What does SIGILLVM MILITVM XPISTI mean?

The Sigilla database expands the inscription SIGILLVM MILITVM XPISTI as follows:

Sigillum militum Christi

It can be understood as follows:

The formula can therefore be translated as:

"Seal of the knights of Christ"

or, in a more literal translation:

"Seal of the soldiers of Christ."

This inscription directly informs us of the religious and military identity claimed by the institution. It is much more historically certain than the modern interpretations attributed to the two men depicted on the mount.

Why are two knights depicted on a single horse?

This is the question that has sparked the most interpretations.

The image, which is particularly unusual, has given rise to various interpretations over time.

The theory of the poverty of the first Templars

The most famous interpretation considers the two riders sharing the same mount as a representation of the original poverty of the Order.

This reading fits well with the ancient name of the institution, often referred to as the militia of the poor fellow-soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon.

It would thus evoke the modest beginnings of the community and the religious ideal of personal renunciation to which its members were subject.

However, one must distinguish this symbolic interpretation from a literal description of the brothers' daily life.

Brotherhood and communal life

A second reading sees in the two riders a representation of brotherhood, of solidarity between the brothers, and of their belonging to the same community.

The horse would then be less an indication of material lack than a way of showing two men united in the same mission.

This interpretation aligns well with the collective organization of the Order, in which the brother was subject to a rule, a hierarchy, and a community life.

What the seal actually allows us to state

The essential point is that no inscription on the seal directly explains the meaning of the two knights.

The legend identifies the "knights of Christ," but it does not specify:

"the two men represent poverty"

or:

"the two men represent brotherhood."

These readings may be relevant, but they should remain presented as interpretations rather than a certain translation of the motif.

Does the seal really represent the poverty of the Templars?

It is an important traditional interpretation, but it should not be understood too literally.

The Rule of the Temple provides some particularly interesting information here. In the provisions regarding animals and squires, it specifies that a knight brother may have three horses and one squire, unless special permission allows for more mounts.

This does not mean that the Order was always rich or that its first members never experienced a modest material situation.

But it shows that it would be excessive to interpret the seal as a faithful photograph of daily life:

two knights necessarily sharing a horse because the Order could not afford to possess two.

The motif can be understood much better as a symbolic construction recalling religious poverty, the modesty of origins, or the solidarity between brothers.

To understand in concrete terms the rules that governed the mounts, possessions, and lives of the brothers: Rule of the Templars: how did the knights of the Temple live? .

Did the Templars use only one seal?

No.

This is an important distinction. The seal of the two knights is the most famous today, but the Order of the Temple did not use a single identical motif throughout its entire history and across all its territories.

The edition of the Rule of the Temple published by Henri de Curzon notably distinguishes two major types of general seals documented:

• the type showing two knights on the same mount;
• a type representing a domed building, associated with the Temple of Solomon.

In addition to these, there were specific seals used by various dignitaries, officials, or houses of the Order.

It is therefore more accurate to speak of the seals of the Templars when studying the overall sigillographic practices of the Order.

What other Templar seals are known?

The seals associated with the Order show a much greater diversity than the popular image of the two knights might suggest.

Among the motifs documented according to location, period, and official, we notably encounter:

• the two knights on the same mount;
• an architectural representation of the Temple or a domed building;
• crosses;
• heraldic motifs;
• religious or animal figures on certain specific seals.

This diversity reminds us that the Temple was an international organization comprising houses, provinces, and numerous officials.

Who used the seals in the Order of the Temple?

The seals were linked to the exercise of authority or an administrative function.

Depending on the location and the documents, we encounter seals associated with:

• the Order itself;
• its masters;
• preceptors or commanders;
• territorial officials;
• certain houses of the Temple.

They served to provide a legal identity to the documents issued or validated by these authorities.

This reality explains why the diversity of the seals is perfectly compatible with the existence of great common symbols for the Order.

To discover the history of the leaders of the Temple and specifically its last grand master: Jacques de Molay: history of the last grand master of the Templars .

Is the Templar seal the same thing as a coat of arms?

No.

A seal is primarily a device used to authenticate a document. Its impression is produced from a matrix and can include an image, an inscription, or various identifying signs.

A coat of arms, on the other hand, belongs to heraldic language and is based on armorial bearings defined according to specific rules.

A seal can obviously contain heraldic elements, but the two notions are not synonymous.

Why did the seal of the two knights become so famous?

Its fame likely stems first from its immediately recognizable nature. Two knights sharing the same mount form a scene that is much more unique than a simple cross.

The image also seems to condense several dimensions with which the Templars are associated today: chivalry, religion, community, and individual renunciation.

This visual power explains why the seal of the two knights has far exceeded its medieval administrative function to become one of the most well-known emblems of Templar memory.

To discover other symbols associated with the Order: Templar symbols: meaning of crosses, seals, and mottoes .

The Templar seal in contemporary creations

The motif of the two knights and the inscription Sigillum Militum Christi are today featured on numerous creations inspired by the history of the Order of the Temple.

They are notably found on pendants, rings, coins, clothing, and decorative objects.

However, it is important to distinguish these modern creations from genuine medieval seals. A pendant depicting the two knights is a contemporary object inspired by a historical symbol; it is not a reproduction of a piece of jewelry that the brothers of the Temple would necessarily have worn in the Middle Ages.

This distinction allows for the preservation of the symbol's full historical value without attributing to it a use that is not documented.

Frequently asked questions about the Templar seal

What does the Templar seal represent?

The most famous type depicts two knights mounted on a single horse. Several copies bear around the motif a legend corresponding to Sigillum militum Christi, "seal of the knights of Christ."

Why are two knights on a single horse?

Several interpretations exist. The most famous one sees in it a reference to the poverty of the first Templars. Other readings place greater emphasis on brotherhood and community life. The seal itself, however, provides no explicit explanation of the scene.

Does the seal really represent the poverty of the Templars?

Poverty is a traditional interpretation of the motif, but it should be nuanced. The Rule of the Temple provides for several mounts for a knight brother. It is therefore preferable to understand this poverty as a possible religious value or a symbolic evocation of the origins rather than as proof that two Templars usually had to share a horse.

What does Sigillum Militum Xpisti mean?

The Sigilla database expands this inscription as Sigillum militum Christi. It can be translated as "seal of the knights of Christ" or, more literally, "seal of the soldiers of Christ."

What was the purpose of the Templar seal?

It was notably used to authenticate documents and deeds. Seals were therefore legal and administrative instruments as much as they were signs of identity.

Did the Templars have only one seal?

No. The motif of the two knights is the most famous today, but different types of seals were used by the Order, its dignitaries, its territorial leaders, and some of its houses.

What other seals did the Templars use?

Historical sources document, in particular, another major type representing a domed building associated with the Temple, as well as several specific seals featuring crosses, heraldic motifs, religious figures, or other representations depending on the leaders and the territories.

Is the Templar seal a coat of arms?

No. A seal is primarily intended to authenticate a deed. It may contain heraldic elements, but it should not be confused with a coat of arms in the strict sense.

Are there still original Templar seals?

Yes, imprints, documents, and casts of the Order's seals are currently preserved or documented in various heritage collections. The National Archives and the Sigilla database, in particular, allow for the study of several specimens linked to the Templars.

What should we remember about the Templar seal?

The famous seal of the two knights is one of the most immediately recognizable symbols of the Order of the Temple, but its history is richer than the often-repeated interpretation of "two Templars too poor to own two horses."

One must first remember that a medieval seal had an administrative and legal function. Preserved or documented specimens actually show two riders and bear a legend identifying the members of the Order as the knights of Christ.

Poverty, fraternity, or communal life are possible readings of the motif, but no inscription on the seal allows us to present any one of these interpretations as a certain and exclusive explanation.

Finally, the Templars used several types of seals. The famous equestrian motif is therefore not the only historical image of the Order, even if it has become one of the most powerful in contemporary memory.

To place this symbol within the general history of the institution: Order of the Temple: origin, history, and fall of the Templars .

Historical sources and further reading

• Sigilla / IRHT – Order of the Temple: 1259 seal and inscription SIGILLVM MILITVM XPISTI
• Sigilla / Douët d'Arcq Collection – Seal of two Templars on one horse
• National Archives – The Templars: archives and documents of the Order of the Temple
• National Library of France – The Rule of the Temple, edition by Henri de Curzon
• Fordham University – Primitive Rule of the Temple: horses and squires of the knight brothers