Templar Mottos: Meaning of the Phrases Associated with the Knights Templar

Templar mottos occupy an important place in the imagery of the Order of the Temple. Expressions such as Non Nobis Domine or Deus Vult appear today on books, jewelry, clothing, and numerous representations inspired by the knights of the Middle Ages.

But not all these formulas have the same historical status. Some come directly from the Bible, others belong to the tradition of the Crusades, and some inscriptions are actually attested on objects used by the Order of the Temple.

It is therefore misleading to place them all under the same label of "official Templar mottos."

What was the Templars' actual motto? What does Non Nobis Domine mean? Did Deus Vult belong to the Order? And why is Sigillum Militum Christi historically very interesting without being a motto?

What is a "Templar motto"?

In common parlance, a motto refers to a short phrase associated with a person, an institution, or a group, intended to express its identity, principles, or mission.

Applying this modern definition directly to the Order of the Temple, however, is delicate.

When we speak of "Templar mottos" today, we are actually grouping together several very different categories:

• biblical verses traditionally associated with the Templars;
• cries or formulas linked to the Crusades;
• inscriptions actually attested on seals or documents;
• expressions whose association with the Order has primarily developed over time.

Understanding this difference is essential for distinguishing documented history from tradition and contemporary usage.

Did the Templars actually have an official motto?

The historical sources used here do not allow us to establish the existence of a single official motto, fixed and used everywhere in the Order of the Temple in the way a modern institution might have an official motto.

We do, however, have numerous other types of sources:

• the Rule of the Temple;
• administrative acts;
• seals;
• medieval chronicles;
• religious texts;
• documents related to the Crusades and the history of the Order.

Some formulas have become extremely linked to Templar memory, but their origin and use must be studied separately.

To discover the general history of the institution: Order of the Temple: origin, history, and fall of the Templars .

What are the main formulas associated with the Templars?

Three expressions are particularly useful for understanding why the term "Templar motto" requires caution.

Non Nobis Domine: the formula most associated with the Templars

Non Nobis Domine is probably the formula most immediately associated with the Order of the Temple today.

The complete Latin version begins as follows:

Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.

It can be translated as:

"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give glory."

This phrase was not, however, created by the Templars. It comes from a biblical psalm.

In the numbering used by the AELF, it is Psalm 113B. In the Nova Vulgata, the same text appears as Psalm 115 (113B).

Why is Non Nobis Domine associated with the Temple?

The formula expresses an idea of renouncing personal glory: glory must be rendered to God rather than to man.

This idea corresponds very well to the spirituality of a religious order based on obedience, communal life, and commitment to the service of a Christian institution.

But this spiritual coherence is not enough, on its own, to automatically turn the verse into an official institutional motto used everywhere by the Templars.

It is therefore safer to speak of a biblical formula traditionally and strongly associated with the Order of the Temple.

To explore its biblical origin and the limits of this attribution: Non Nobis Domine: meaning of the Templar motto .

Deus Vult: a cry of the Crusades, not a Temple motto

Deus Vult generally means:

"God wills it."

Its history is different from that of Non Nobis Domine.

The formula is primarily linked to the tradition of the First Crusade and the famous account of the Council of Clermont in 1095.

In the version by Robert the Monk, the crowd gathered around Pope Urban II responds to his call with the equivalent of "God wills it," and the Pope requests that this cry accompany the fighters.

This source must be read with caution, however: Robert's account was written about twenty-five years after the event and does not constitute a word-for-word transcription of the speech at Clermont.

Why is Deus Vult not a Templar motto in the strict sense?

Chronology is key.

The call of Clermont took place in 1095, while the National Archives place the foundation of the Order of the Temple in 1120.

The Templars did not yet exist when the tradition of Deus Vult appeared in the context of the First Crusade.

The formula belongs first to the general history of the Crusades. Its modern association with the Templars comes later from the major role played by the Order in the Latin East.

To learn more: Deus Vult: meaning of the Crusaders' motto .

Sigillum Militum Christi: an authentic Templar inscription, but not a motto

This third formula is particularly interesting because its historical status is almost the opposite of that of Deus Vult.

The Sigilla scientific database documents a seal of the Order of the Temple used in 1259.

The legend borne by this seal is:

+ SIGILLVM MILITVM XPISTI

developed in the form:

Sigillum militum Christi

which can be translated as:

"Seal of the soldiers of Christ"

We have here a formula directly attested on an institutional object of the Order of the Temple.

However, Sigillum Militum Christi is not a motto. It is the legend of a seal, intended to identify the authority represented by it.

This distinction is important: a formula can be perfectly authentic and directly Templar without necessarily being a "motto."

To discover the two-rider seal and its inscription: Templar seal: meaning of the symbol of the Order of the Temple .

Motto, cry, verse, and inscription: what are the differences?

A large part of the confusion surrounding "Templar mottos" comes from the fact that texts of different natures are now placed in the same category.

This classification makes it possible to understand why a search for "Templar mottos" leads to historically very different expressions.

Non Nobis Domine and Deus Vult: what is the difference?

These two expressions are frequently grouped together today in the Templar world, but their origin is not the same.

The essential distinction can therefore be summarized as follows:

Non Nobis Domine is a biblical verse traditionally associated with the Temple; Deus Vult belongs first to the tradition of the First Crusade.

Why are these formulas called "Templar mottos" today?

Over time, the history of the Crusades, that of the Order of the Temple, and chivalric culture have been progressively brought together in the collective imagination.

Latin also plays an important role. Short expressions like Non Nobis Domine or Deus Vult are easily memorable and immediately evoke a religious and medieval universe.

Books, novels, films, decorative objects, and contemporary creations have since reinforced these associations.

The general term "Templar mottos" therefore remains practical for referring to this group today, provided one does not erase the historical differences between the formulas.

To place these expressions among the other signs associated with the Order: Templar symbols: meaning of crosses, seals, and mottos .

Templar mottos in contemporary creations

Expressions associated with the Temple and the Crusades are used today on numerous creations inspired by the Middle Ages: clothing, rings, pendants, bracelets, patches, or decorative objects.

These are contemporary creations. The fact that a T-shirt, ring, or pendant bears Non Nobis Domine or Deus Vult today does not mean that the knights of the Temple historically wore an identical object.

The link is primarily one of a modern reinterpretation of historical formulas or those traditionally associated with the Templar universe.

Frequently asked questions about Templar mottos

What was the Templars' motto?

Non Nobis Domine is today the phrase most traditionally associated with the Templars. However, the sources used here do not allow us to present it simply as a single official motto used uniformly by the entire Order in the modern sense.

What does Non Nobis Domine mean?

The phrase comes from a biblical psalm and means: "Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory." It expresses the idea that glory belongs to God rather than to man.

Was Non Nobis Domine really the official motto of the Templars?

It is safer to speak of a biblical phrase traditionally associated with the Order of the Temple. Its biblical origin is certain, but its exact status as an "official" Templar motto is much harder to establish.

Was Deus Vult a Templar motto?

No, not as a motto specific to the Order. Deus Vult belongs first and foremost to the tradition of the First Crusade, which began before the founding of the Order of the Temple.

What is the difference between Non Nobis Domine and Deus Vult?

Non Nobis Domine comes from a biblical psalm and expresses the glorification of God. Deus Vult means "God wills it" and belongs primarily to the tradition of the Crusades.

What does Sigillum Militum Christi mean?

Sigillum militum Christi means "seal of the soldiers of Christ." The phrase is directly attested on a seal of the Order of the Temple dated 1259.

Was Sigillum Militum Christi a Templar motto?

No. It is a seal inscription. It is historically directly linked to the Order, but its function was to identify the seal rather than to serve as a motto.

Did the Templars have several mottos?

It is best not to imagine an official catalog of several Templar mottos. The expressions now gathered under this heading come from different sources and contexts.

Why are Templar mottos often in Latin?

Latin was a major language of the religious, scholarly, and documentary culture of the medieval West. Some phrases now associated with the Templars are therefore passed down to us in a Latin form.

What to remember about Templar mottos?

"Templar mottos" form less of an official catalog of phrases than a set of texts gradually associated with the Order of the Temple and the world of the Crusades.

Non Nobis Domine comes from a biblical psalm and constitutes the expression most traditionally linked to the Templars today.

Deus Vult belongs first to the tradition of the First Crusade and historically precedes the creation of the Order.

Sigillum Militum Christi offers an even different case: the phrase is directly attested on a 13th-century Templar seal, but it constitutes a sigillographic inscription rather than a motto.

This distinction between verse, cry, inscription, and motto helps to better understand the sources and avoid turning modern tradition into medieval certainty.

Historical sources and further reading

• AELF – Psalm 113B: biblical origin of Non Nobis Domine
• Vatican – Nova Vulgata, Psalm 115 (113B): Latin text Non nobis, Domine
• Fordham University – Urban II's speech at Clermont, version by Robert the Monk
• Sigilla / IRHT – Order of the Temple, 1259 seal and SIGILLVM MILITVM XPISTI
• National Archives – The Templars: history and archives of the Order of the Temple