Seven hundred and ten years ago today, Friday, 13 October 1307, King Philip IV ordered the arrest of Jacques de Molay and scores of other French Knights Templar. The arrest warrant claimed that during Templar admissions ceremonies, recruits spat on the Cross, denied Christ, and engaged in “indecent kissing.” Further accusations against the brethren also included worshipping idols, homosexual practices, financial corruption, fraud, and secrecy. Although these charges were no doubt false, many of the brethren confessed under torture and despite recanting, were put to death.
The Primitive Rule of the Templars states that “It should be sufficient for you to eat meat three times a week, except at Christmas, All Saints, the Assumption and the feast of the twelve apostles. …Mondays, Wednesdays and even Saturdays, the brothers shall have two or three meals of vegetables or other dishes eaten with bread; and we intend that this should be sufficient and command that it should be adhered to.” It’s safe to assume that the Templars ate fairly well for their time, compared to the average Medieval commoner for whom meat was a rare treat.
In honor of the Knights Templar, here is a meal they might have enjoyed on a non-fasting day:
- Caudell – a frothy wine or ale-based drink.
- Gehalbirte ayer – stuffed eggs.
- French iowtes – peas porridge with onions.
- Cabochis – a simple cabbage dish.
- Potage for somer season – a pottage of pork, veal, & almond milk, coloured with violets.
More about the Knights Templar:
- Templar Cave Discovered in Shropshire?
- Where the Templar Knights Were Not Outlawed
- Facsimile Edition of “Papal Inquiry Into the Trial of the Templars” for Sale
- Why the Templar Secret Rituals Were So Controversial
- How the Knights Templar Came to Be
- Busting the Myth of Friday the 13th and the Knights Templar
