The Ledgend of Friday the Thirteenth
October 13, 1307
The Pope issues secret orders to be opened at the same time through out Europe. These orders call for the forceful disbanding and slaugther of the Knights of the Temple of Solomon, Knights Templar, who have grown in power and wealth such that they rival the French King. Many templars were ruthlessly persecuted by french officals, and some highranking members of the order were even burned at the stake. A few of the religous knights escaped this persucution, and along with those nights the detailed records kept by the order and its vast wealth disappeared into history.
Today
The Knights and their virtual disappearance are the topics of heated discussions, books, and a feature film. Many theories have been raised as to what actually became of the knights, and their wealth;and why the pope wanted them gone in the first place is fiecely debated as well. Did they simply disappear into history becoming absorbed by the other crusading orders? Was it merely pressure form an irrate french king that forced the popes hand? Did the knights who escaped slaughter found the freemasons? What happened to all that gold? And was the knight's secret centered around the holy grail and the possibility of a holy blood line? Is there really a need to be superstitious about a friday the thirteenth?
The Knights, their gold, and their secret will be hottly debated for years to come. And as for the Friday the 13th stigma, well they launched Apollo 13 at 13:13 (MT) on the 13th of June, I even think it may have been a friday, and we all know what happened to that. So don't tempt the fates by walking under any ladders. But other then that, just take a minute to contemplate why the date is so unlucky in the first place. Happy Friday the 13th.
(x-posted to my lj, historygrads, and historygeeks)
The Pope issues secret orders to be opened at the same time through out Europe. These orders call for the forceful disbanding and slaugther of the Knights of the Temple of Solomon, Knights Templar, who have grown in power and wealth such that they rival the French King. Many templars were ruthlessly persecuted by french officals, and some highranking members of the order were even burned at the stake. A few of the religous knights escaped this persucution, and along with those nights the detailed records kept by the order and its vast wealth disappeared into history.
Today
The Knights and their virtual disappearance are the topics of heated discussions, books, and a feature film. Many theories have been raised as to what actually became of the knights, and their wealth;and why the pope wanted them gone in the first place is fiecely debated as well. Did they simply disappear into history becoming absorbed by the other crusading orders? Was it merely pressure form an irrate french king that forced the popes hand? Did the knights who escaped slaughter found the freemasons? What happened to all that gold? And was the knight's secret centered around the holy grail and the possibility of a holy blood line? Is there really a need to be superstitious about a friday the thirteenth?
The Knights, their gold, and their secret will be hottly debated for years to come. And as for the Friday the 13th stigma, well they launched Apollo 13 at 13:13 (MT) on the 13th of June, I even think it may have been a friday, and we all know what happened to that. So don't tempt the fates by walking under any ladders. But other then that, just take a minute to contemplate why the date is so unlucky in the first place. Happy Friday the 13th.
(x-posted to my lj, historygrads, and historygeeks)