Following Orders

[Brother J. Heaton]

Excellent ! !

[amy]

Fascinating I say!   Who needs fiction when true lives of commitment and cause are truly this inspiring and interesting.  Thank you! 

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

Another example of the selection process in action would have been the final event surrounding Templar Brother Jakelin de Mailly.

The source for the story is the Itinerarium Peregrinorum or "Pilgrim's Journey" and The Knights Templar by C.G. Addison.

Jakelin de Mailly, Brother of the Temple, performed prodigies of valour. He was mounted on a white horse, and clothed in the white habit of his order, with the blood-red cross, the symbol of martyrdom, on his breast; he became, through his gallant bearing and demeanour, an object of admiration, even to the Moslems. Sources compare the fury and the anger of this warlike monk, as he looked around him upon his slaughtered brethren, to the wrath of the lioness who has lost her whelps; and his position and demeanour in the midst of the throng of infidels, he likens to that of the wild boar when surrounded by dogs whom he is tearing with his tusks, Every blow of this furious man, says the worthy abbot, " despatched an infidel to hell;" but with all his valour Jakelin de Mailly was slain.

The story goes that one Muslim cut Jakelin de Mailly's genitals and kept them safely, hoping that when he gets children, they would be as courageous as the Templar who died as a martyr.

[amy]

So is this the same person that I also know as Jaques DeMolay?  That picture is wonderful too!  When and by whom is that piece?   and I am glad you didn't go into any more detail about the dismemberment of his member!   

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

So is this the same person that I also know as Jaques DeMolay?  That picture is wonderful too!  When and by whom is that piece?  

This is not the same individual as Jacques de Molay. Jakelin de Mailly died in battle prior to the Battle of Hattin in 1187, de Molay died at the stake in 1314. They are 100+ years apart actually.

The picture is by Gustave Dore. He has a whole set covering the Crusades.

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

An interesting find regarding efforts to reign in Military Crusading Orders and place them under Royal authority. Readers will be reminded that France's Philip IV tried to do just this with the Templars. He failed. It should also be noted that Philip had actually tried to gain membership within the Order, but was denied prior to the entire round up and trials.

In Spain, there were many powerful Military Crusading Orders and Ferdinand the Catholic (10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), or the King of the "Ferdinand and Isabel" combination (famous for supporting Columbus' ocean voyage in 1492, also the same year the Reconquista was completed on the Iberian peninsula) managed to pull this feat off without pissing off the church.

He managed to leverage his position as "Crusader in Chief" against the Moors and get the Order of Caltrava to agree not to elect a new Master and fall under his control. A few years later he managed to do the same with the Orders of Santiago and Alcantara.

Part of this success was due to Pope Alexander VI (the Borgia Pope) being in the powerseat and approving these changes to retain his home country's (Valencia) favor.

For those that can't wrap their arms around this concept, it's like Henry VIII taking half the wealth of the monasteries in his country, and retaining the title of Defender of the Faith!

[Hospitaller]

For those that can't wrap their arms around this concept, it's like Henry VIII taking half the wealth of the monasteries in his country, and retaining the title of Defender of the Faith!

And calling it the "REFORMATION".......

[Lady Christina de Pond]

sounds more like stealer of the faith and the money

[Lord Clisto of York]

Where is Martin Luther anyway? LOL....

[Lady Christina de Pond]

he's hiding

[SirMichaelofMentor]

Greetings Brother,

I am happy to report that at the 12 night feast this past Sunday in Painesville, Ohio I took 2nd place in the costume contest. This is very close to the Great Lakes Medieval Faire which is my home faire. Dues Lo Vult.....

Sir Michael of Mentor

[SirMichaelofMentor]

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

Dates and Places used in the movie Season of the Witch during the Age of the Crusades period of the movie:

New Crusade to the East proclaimed (Pope Clement VI). The Ottoman Turks captured Nicaea and renamed it Iznik in 1331. The Crusade League (not mentioned in the movie) is formed in 1332-34. The major military Order participating in these events would have been the Knights of St John!

Location Star #1: Gulf of Edremit 1332- on the west coast of Turkey, not far from the Greek island Lesbos. Ships of the Crusader navy defeat Turkish pirates in Gulf of Adramyttion (Edremit) in 1334 not 32.

Location Star #2a & 2b: Siege of Tripoli 1334- Nothing (The dates would have been for Ottoman invasions- leading one to believe this would be Libya's city and not the one in Lebanon-although this one would have kept the "Crusades" in a geographically confined space for the sake of the movie)

Location Star #3: Battle of Imbros 1337- Nothing (The dates would have been for Ottoman invasions)

Location Star #4: Battle of Artah 1339-Nothing (actually fought in 1105 between Crusader forces and the Seljuk Turks)

Location Star #5: Battle of Smyrna 1344- Crusaders hold the port of Smyrna from 1334-1402. On October 28, 1334, the Crusader force occupies Smyrna. The main body being that of the Knights of St John.

They then depart and land on the "Coast of Styria" (Location Star #6) which just so happens to be a land locked body of water in Austria. Fitting in keeping with the story and focus of Teutonic Knights.....but how!!??

[amy]

Season of the Witch is #2 in my Netflix queue right not.   Will be interesting to see how this story fits.

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

Will be interesting to see how this story fits.

We await your review M'Lady......