A Poor Knight of Christ

A long time ago, in a country far, far away...namely France. There existed a fraternity of knights whose sole purpose was to bring balance to the universe. Who were these courageous warriors? Historians recognize them today as the Knights Templar.

Being the movie buff that I am, on occasion I notice events or story lines that, for one reason or another, I find intriguing. Recently, it occurred to me that if you juxtapose a little European history, the Star Wars saga and modern Freemasonry, you might notice some of the parallels. Admittedly, I've never even heard the least hint that George Lucas has any involvement or interest in Freemasonry, but, a question struck me recently while re-watching my favorite Star Wars chapter, Episode VI, "Return of the Jedi": Could it be that the Jedi are, in actuality, Freemasons?

The legends told by my Masonic brethren of our foundations in the temple of Solomon are, at best, unprovable. Still, there remains evidence that the teachings prescribed by our fraternity were common among the ancient builders of the Temple and that is enough for us to claim a certain brotherhood. More to the point, there is a growing theory, one very prevalent among Masons and even non-Masons today, that Masonry is the descendent of the Knights Templar of old Europe.

Now, you have to understand a few things about the Knights of the Temple to understand their significance in history and their possible relationship to Masonry and the Jedi. Their fraternity was formed to protect pilgrims traveling from the west to the east on the long, hazardous journey to the Holy Land. They were warrior-monks who defended the faithful and weak and prayed for the souls of the heathen.

They built castles/monasteries where beleaguered travelers could find lodging and a safe place to rest their weary heads before continuing the arduous journey to the Holy Land. (All for a nominal fee, of course.) They also acted as emissaries and ambassadors and even, on occasion, mercenaries, (especially so after the Suppression,) but were always faithful to the Catholic church answering only to the Pope himself. In the many countries they occupied, they were not even subject to the law of the land in which they sojourned.

They considered their ultimate home base as the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem, (although it was long since destroyed by the Assyrians,) and lived always to strategize for the next crusade in hopes of bringing our Lord's homeland to full control of the Christian faithful. (Yet, they commonly made place for worshipful, peaceful Muslims at the Temple site.) Their hostels, while thoughout Europe, including, England, Scotland, France and Germany, were overseen by one Grand Master.

These men who had taken oaths of poverty and celibacy, were not personally wealthy, but had acquired great wealth for the brotherhood by, among other things, operating the world's first international banking system. The Templars would hold deposits and write promissory notes, for a fee, that were good at any Temple in Europe or the Middle East. Pilgrims found this much safer and simpler than carrying their life's savings in a box while traveling through the Black Forrest. (Confirmation of the authenticity of these notes would require "secret codes" to ensure their genuineness.) They even occasionally loaned great sums of money to monarchs, like Phillip of France, for use in his wars with England.

Though, as I said, they had no personal wealth, they did have an incredible freedom and autonomy like no other organization in the known world. They answered directly to the Pope and to him alone. Their voluntary oaths of celibacy and poverty allowed them to be bound together in a way that would not have been possible had they been more entrepreneurial in their attitudes. Even the Hospitaller Knights did not enjoy the autonomy or wealth that the Templars did.

Their order lasted only about two centuries, officially ending on Friday, October 13, 1307. (Which is the genesis of Friday the 13th being considered a day of bad luck.) They were arrested and tortured, with many being burned at the stake after half-baked, pardon the pun, accusations of heresy. Those who could, escaped, disappearing into the population, mostly in the British Isles.

Now, "Where is the connection?," you say. "Why do you say the Jedi and the Templars are one in the same?"

Let me point out just some of the similarities: Both are warrior-monks. The Jedi are obviously not Christian, but are very spiritual in respect to the "Force" as a metaphor for the Spirit. Both also, were trained extensively in the fine art of war. Both were soldiers to be reckoned with and were greatly coveted by kings and pontiffs alike to augment their respective armies. Both operated in the world, but not of it.

The Jedi acted independently of each planet where they lived and were obligated exclusively to the central power of the Grand Council: a small cadre of Master Jedi who controlled the aggregate of Jedi life ranging from initiation qualifications and ceremonies to organizing quests in defense of the Republic. The Templars had a Grand Master who was, as I've stated, only superseded by the Pope. (Master Yoda could have qualified, by honor and reputaion, as the default Jedi Grand Master.)

Both societies could be broken down into roughly three rankings or degrees: the Jedi: Padawan Learner, Jedi and Master Jedi; the Templars: apprentices/squires, priests & accountants, (prayer and money was important,) and mounted Knights. As Freemasons, we also have three degrees in our brotherhood: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and, of course, Master Mason.

The loyalty of the Templars was only to the "Church" as the Jedi was only to the Republic. Yet, both were betrayed by the central secular power and by the resident spiritual power of their times. The Chancellor/Emperor beguiled the Jedi as King Phillip along with Pope Clement himself hood-winked the Templars. Ergo, the "Senate" that the Jedi hoped to save betrayed them just as the Church that the Templars swore to protect betrayed them.

Furthermore, both the Jedi and the Templars had a hidden rival that was part and party to the suppression of their respective orders. The Jedi were attacked and ultimately overthrown by the Sith; the Templars were undermined and the Suppression was expedited by rival monk-knights, the Hospitallers. Both the Sith and the Hospitallers sought to usurp the power and prestige of the their rivals and conspired to see them destroyed. Alas, the Hospitallers did fail to inherit the riches of the Templars, much to their chagrin, as the Sith were ultimately unable to hold the power of the Jedi.

Finally, the Jedi knights, like Obi-Wan and Yoda, were driven underground and continued in secret to train those who would continue the traditions of the order; for example: Luke Skywalker. Today, it is more and more accepted that many of the Knights of the Temple fled Europe to places such as Scotland and continued the brotherhood, albeit with more progressive ideas than their founders might ever have imagined.

Whether or not the Jedi would finally return to their former glory is a question, perchance, for Star Wars Episode VII? Whether or not the Templars, in the guise of Freemasonry, would ever attain their former glory is a question that, considering the many Masonic brethren who influenced our Founding Fathers’ ideas of individual freedom and responsibility, was perhaps answered in the establishment of this great nation.

All right, I admit that this is all a bit of a stretch. Still, the correlation, unintentional as it may or may not be, is, bare minimum, entertaining.

May the Force be with you!

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Post Note: Recently and specifically, Friday, October 13, in the year of our Lord, 2006, was the 699th anniversary of the Suppression of the Knights Templar by Pope Clement V and King Phillip IV of France. The anniversary of this event is certainly a momentous occasion.