Tour Jacques DeMolay's Jail Cell

Over this past weekend, I purchased a book that spoke about the history of Freemasonry. One of the plates in the book was a picture of the Chateau du Chinon, in France, where Jacques DeMolay was held captive by the Church and Phillip the Fair, the King. As often as we discuss the life and death of our namesake, I had never thought to look into where his final years were spent.

The first place I hit up was Wikipedia and their article on the Castle. It has a fascinating history, covering several centuries. At one point, the site was visited by Joan of Arc! It also served many masters, including the infamous Cardinal Richeleiu, the villain in the Three Musketeers.

After reading about the facility, I found out that Jacques was held in a prison tower known as the Tour du Courdray. I went on a search to find pictures of this castle, only to find a great video tour of the Tour du Courdray. While the video is in French, it's still worth while to watch, as it gives you a better idea of the layout of the castle.

 

The next time you and your Chapter perform a DeMolay Degree, you can think back to where Jacques was held for some inspiration!

 

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

 

A Hard Day's Knight

It appears that I  haven't posted one of my long winded discussions of some obscure topic in quite some time. I know that some people like my longer posts and today will be one for them. For those who like my short and to the point posts, wait until Thursday, as I'm sure I won't have much to say then as I'll be all typed out from this piece!

As DeMolay International gets ready to debut the Kingdom of DeMolay, we find that the idea of being a knight has come back into vogue in recent times. I myself find great honor in being called a Sir Knight in Commandery and many DeMolays feel as if their organization is sort of a knightly order unto itself. But, there are some strict definitions of what being a knight actually is and when one can truly be called a knight.

Knighthoods started as a way for monarchs to recognize those outstanding warriors that he thought should ride a horse into battle. Horses and armor were expensive commodities, so not every man was able to fight in this manner. As the king was the man with the most money, he would often help finance these early "knights" by giving them the equipment they needed to fight for him. As time went on, men would be forced to purchase these goods on their own, meaning that only wealthy men could be knights. This poses the age old question of "which came noble, the chicken or the knight?"

What do I mean by that? Well, as time went on, the title of Knight became the lowest rank of nobility. To be a noble, one must have money; the same is required to be a knight. So, at some point, the title of "knight" transitioned from one bestowed upon fighters who good soldiers, to that of a title bestowed on nobles who had the money to purchase the required gear (who then became soldiers.) Conversely, the title would be bestowed upon wealthy merchants and civilians, entering them into the realm of nobility by virtue of their money or contributions to the realm. With these changes came the idea of "Chivalry," or the courtly code of honor that a knight must follow. We've discussed chivalry in an earlier post, so I won't go much into that idea here. Go check out that post for more information.

The Queen of England knights Sir
Patrick Stewart for his contributions to art.

So, by definition, a knight has to be created by a king or ruler and placed into his service. This tradition continues today in many countries, especially in England, where the Queen can still honor those who have made important contributions to Great Britain with a knighthood. Similar situations exist in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and other countries. The one unique area of this requirement is religious knightly orders - i.e. the Knights Templar.

The Pope of the Catholic Church is the head of the organization world wide and also the leader of the Vatican - the world's smallest country. As head of this organization / country he also maintains the authority to create and bestow knighthoods. In essence, that is what the pope did when he authorized such groups as the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller. Instead of being created knights by a king, they were created knights by the Pope. This commission from the Pope elevated them to the equivalent level of knighthood offered by a ruler of a country, but it came with some special restrictions - such as not being able to own land and not being able to marry. For those desperate to become knights - such as the third or fourth sons of lower nobility, this would prove to be a way to gain honor, glory, and the title of knight, making it an attractive prospect.

As time went on, becoming a knight was more about having a strong ethical code and upstanding character than one's ability to ride a horse and fight with a lance. In modern times the title of knight is granted by monarchs to recognize public service or outstanding careers instead of military prowess. People like Elton John, Alec Guinness, and Paul McCartney have been knighted for their contributions to the arts. Others, like Tony Blair, Winston Churchill, and Gordon Brown were granted the honor for their political careers. However, one key problem remains - if one is not a citizen of a country with a system of knighthood in place, one cannot become a knight. This is exactly the case in America.

As America is a democracy and has no monarchical ruler, it cannot and does not bestow knighthoods. While there are plenty of prestigious honors given to our citizens, such as the Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, no one is a knight in the eyes of the United States government. This has created an interesting situation in America, as anyone can claim to be a knight. Because of this, there has been growth in what are called "self-styled orders"; these are orders of knighthood that are not bestowed by a monarch, but rather by an organization or other leader. While they may uphold the same values as knighthoods of old, they are considered illegitimate by countries that grant knighthoods as an honor. However, in many cases, these self styled orders are just as prestigious and exclusive here in America as knighthoods granted by monarchs in other countries.

Sir Knight and "Dad" William Howard Koon, II,
Most Eminent Grand Master
Grand Encampment of Knights Templar
of the World

One example of this are the Knights Templar of the Masonic fraternity. While they call themselves knights, they are not recognized as such by any authority other than themselves. However, with thousands of members around the world, one could hardly dismiss them as an insignificant or false order of knighthood. The members of the Grand Encampement of Knights Templar donate millions of dollars each year to charities and continue to uphold the values of their god and country. While their authority may not be derived from a king, their impact on society certainly makes each member worthy of the title of "Sir Knight."

As usual, we're at that point in the article where you are asking "What does this have to do with DeMolay?" Hopefully it is more apparent than usual, but let's recap to make sure. While members of DeMolay aren't knights in the strictest sense, some could consider us a self styled order of knighthood. We believe in the Seven Cardinal Virtues, defend our faith and our country, and seek to aid the poor and suffering. We may not call ourselves knights, but by any definition, the behavior of our members can be downright chivalrous as times.

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

Knights and Damsels

***It's come to my attention that some people are having issues viewing the punctuation in this post when it is viewed as part of the PA DeMolay website. This appears to be an Internet Explorer issue, generally related to version 7. If you are running this version, and are having trouble viewing the punctuation, I encourage you to either update your browser or view the posting on the original feed at demolaypa.blogspot.com. I apologize for any inconvenience.***

I’m always on the look out for interesting articles that relate to DeMolay and what we stand for. Every DeMolay knows the story of Jacques DeMolay, at least to some extent. They know he was a knight, they know he was brave, and they know he died while keeping the faith of his brothers. In DeMolay we’ve become especially attached to the idea of knighthood. There are very few young boys out there who haven’t, at least once, dreamed of donning a fanciful cuirass and riding into battle atop a well barded destrier (Yes, I know. Young guys have no idea what a “cuirass” or “destrier” is. This is one of those “teachable moments.” If you don’t know what those words mean, go look them up!)

I recently finished a novel called “A Storm of Swords.” It’s the third novel, in a much larger series, known as “The Song of Ice and Fire,” which was written by George R.R. Martin. The series comprises a tale of knights and heroes, battles and murders, and general medieval type stuff. One of the recurring themes of the book is how the dreams of the younger characters rarely come true. One little boy has his heart set on being a knight, but he falls out of a window at the age of 8, and never regains use of his legs. Another character, this time a young girl, dreams of being a high born lady and perhaps even queen, but she is later married to a very conniving, and some would say dishonorable, man.

So, what do these two things have in common? Why, another piece of literature of course! Some of you may have read the “Song of Roland” in high school or college. It’s a piece of 12th century French literature that details the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, which occurred in the year 778. More importantly, however, it gives us one of the few complete lists of what was called the “Code of Chivalry,” dated to a period when it was actually being used.

In the “Song of Roland” there are laid out the following components of the knightly code:
1. To fear God and maintain His Church
2. To serve the liege lord in valor and faith
3. To protect the weak and defenseless
4. To give succor to widows and orphans
5. To refrain from the wanton giving of offence
6. To live by honor and for glory
7. To despise pecuniary reward
8. To fight for the welfare of all
9. To obey those placed in authority
10. To guard the honor of fellow knights
11. To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit
12. To keep faith
13. At all times to speak the truth
14. To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun
15. To respect the honor of women
16. Never to refuse a challenge from an equal
17. Never to turn the back upon a foe

Let’s take a harder look at this. Of the 17 aspects listed, 12 of them relate to how one should act when not on the field of battle. Three of them deal with honor, while three others deal with faith. Six of the tenets deal with protecting or defending other people, while several more deal with truth and doing what is right. Now, let’s take those 17 rules and see how they match up to the 7 Cardinal Virtues.

• Filial Love
o To give succor to widows and orphans

• Reverence for Sacred Things
o To fear God and maintain His Church
o To keep faith

• Courtesy
o To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit
o To respect the honor of women

• Comradeship
o To guard the honor of fellow knights
o Never to refuse a challenge from an equal
o Never to turn the back upon a foe

• Fidelity
o To despise pecuniary reward
o To fight for the welfare of all
o To obey those placed in authority
o At all times to speak the truth
o To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun

• Cleanness
o To refrain from the wanton giving of offence
o To live by honor and for glory

• Patriotism
o To serve the liege lord in valor and faith
o To protect the weak and defenseless

Well, now look at that! Funny how all of those old ideas of Chivalry just happen to match up to DeMolay ideals, huh? Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Filial Love, to DeMolays, means loving one's parents. However, in this case, I also believe that it means giving honor to people who are parents themselves, especially widows and orphans, who may not have anyone to help them in a time of need. Reverence for Sacred Things reminds us to have respect for that which is holy, and in the same way, the knights of old were encouraged to be faithful to their church and maintain its teachings. A knight, like a DeMolay, also practiced Courtesy, by being slow to anger, never letting vengeance become a goal, and honoring the fairer sex. They were also strong Comrades, who believed that each knight was a brother, to be protected and listened to, and that even a worthy foe deserved respect. Fidelity, as is apparent, was the key belief of any knight, and therefore of any DeMolay. Knights and DeMolays do what they do without hope for reward, fight the good fight, obey authority, speak the truth, and never quit. Both groups also tried to live clean lives, abhorring offensive things and living for honor and glory rather than for worldly pleasures. Finally, both DeMolays and knights enjoy a sense of patriotism, protecting the weak, and defending their country.

As DeMolays we have a long history of trying to emulate knightly behavior. As men, most of us also have a yearning to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. What you must realize is that the moment a young man becomes a DeMolay he has already found something bigger, and has been “knighted” into a brotherhood of character. It then becomes his responsibility to live up to those standards to the best of his ability, just like the knights of old!

Frat! ~ ”Dad” Seth Anthony