The Templars and the Freemasons
The connection between the Knights Templar and Freemasonry is one of the most influential and persistent elements of the modern Templar mythology. According to the legend, the Freemasons are the direct heirs of the medieval Templars, and the Knights Templar degree within the York Rite of Freemasonry is a direct continuation of the medieval Order. The connection is now a major part of both modern Masonry and modern Templarism, and it is the basis of much of the popular mythology of the Order.
This cluster page examines the connection between the Templars and the Freemasons. It is a companion to the modern legacy pillar page and to Templar Mythology, Symbolism and Hidden Knowledge.
The Origins of the Legend
The connection between the Templars and the Freemasons was first made in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The first claim of a direct link between the two organizations was made by George Payne, Grand Master Mason of the Premier Grand Lodge of England, in 1721. According to a later report, Payne claimed that the “old records” of the Masons made reference to the Knights Templar and their “ancient” secrets.
The connection was developed in the late eighteenth century by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, which was founded in 1801 in Charleston, South Carolina, by John Mitchell and Frederick Dalcho. The Scottish Rite included a “Knight Templar” degree, and its founders claimed that the Scottish Rite was a direct continuation of the medieval Templar Order.
The connection was further developed in the early nineteenth century by French and British Masonic writers, who elaborated the story of a direct link between the medieval Templars and the Masonic “operative” stonemasons. These accounts, although not supported by the documentary record, established the modern mythology of the connection.
For the broader context of the legend, see Templar Mythology, Symbolism and Hidden Knowledge.
The Masonic Knights Templar
The Knights Templar are now a major part of the York Rite of Freemasonry, one of the two main branches of Anglo-American Freemasonry. The Masonic Knights Templar are organized into Grand Encampments, with the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States being the largest.
The Masonic Knights Templar are not a continuation of the medieval Order, although they do claim a “chivalric” tradition. The Masonic Knights Templar draw on the medieval Order for their symbolism, their regalia, and their ceremony, but the actual historical connection is, at best, indirect.
The Masonic Knights Templar are organized into three degrees:
- Knight of the Red Cross.
- Knight of Malta.
- Knight Templar.
The Knight Templar degree is the most important, and it is the one that most directly draws on the medieval Order. The Masonic Knights Templar meet in commandery buildings, wear a red cross on a white mantle, and use the Beauseant as their battle standard. The story of the Beauseant. See The Meaning of Beauseant.
The Masonic Knights Templar are also associated with Temple Church in London, which is officially under the joint custody of the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple (two of the four Inns of Court in London). The story of Temple Church. See Temple Church in London.
The Scottish Rite
The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, also known as the Rite of Perfection, is the other major branch of Anglo-American Freemasonry that claims a Templar connection. The Scottish Rite includes a “Knight Templar” degree, and its founders claimed that the Rite was a direct continuation of the medieval Order.
The Scottish Rite was developed in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and it includes a series of degrees beyond the basic three degrees of Craft Masonry. The Scottish Rite’s most famous degree is the “Sovereign Grand Inspector General” degree, which is the 33rd degree of the Rite.
The Scottish Rite’s Templar degree is part of a series of “chivalric” degrees, which also include degrees related to the Knights of Malta and the Knights of the East. The Scottish Rite’s Templar degree draws heavily on the medieval Order, with the candidate playing the role of a Crusader knight.
The Historical Evidence
The historical evidence for a direct connection between the Templars and the Freemasons is, in fact, very thin. There is no documentary evidence that the medieval Templars had any direct connection with the medieval operative masons (the actual builders of the medieval cathedrals and castles) who were the ancestors of the speculative masons (the modern Freemasons).
The connection was, in fact, made in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, centuries after the suppression of the Templars, and it was the product of the Enlightenment and of the Romantic movements. The modern Masons of the eighteenth century were interested in ancient and medieval predecessors, and they claimed a connection to the Templars as a way of giving their organization prestige.
Several specific claims have been made:
- The operative masons built the Templar castles: This is true, but it does not establish a connection between the medieval Templars and the modern Freemasons. The medieval operative masons were a trade organization, and the Templars hired them to build their castles. The modern speculative masons are not a continuation of the medieval operative masons, who had largely disappeared by the seventeenth century.
- The Templars preserved a secret tradition: This is a common claim, but there is no evidence for it. The medieval Templars were a military religious order, not a secret society. The supposed “Templar” tradition of secret knowledge is largely a modern invention.
- The Templars fled to Scotland and joined the masons: This is the basis of the Rosslyn Chapel legend, but there is no historical evidence for it. The story. See Rosslyn Chapel and the Sinclair Connection.
Most modern historians reject the idea of a direct link between the Templars and the Freemasons, although the indirect influence of the medieval Order on the modern Masonic tradition is undeniable.
For the historiographical debate, see Templar Mythology, Symbolism and Hidden Knowledge.
The Influence of the Legend
Despite the lack of historical evidence, the connection between the Templars and the Freemasons has had a major influence on both modern Masonry and modern Templarism:
- The Masonic Knights Templar are one of the largest fraternal organizations in the world, with hundreds of thousands of members in the United States alone.
- The Scottish Rite’s Templar degree has been a major part of the Masonic tradition for over two centuries.
- The legend of the Templar-Masonic connection has been a major element of the popular mythology of the Order, and it has been the subject of countless books, documentaries, and conspiracy theories.
The connection is also a major element in the occult and esoteric traditions of the modern West, which often draw on both Masonic and Templar themes. The connection. See Templar Mythology, Symbolism and Hidden Knowledge.
The Modern Controversy
The connection between the Templars and the Freemasons remains controversial. The United Grand Lodge of England, the governing body of English Freemasonry, has distanced itself from the most extravagant claims of the connection. The Catholic Church has also distanced itself from the most extravagant claims, and the Vatican has issued statements warning against the idea of a Masonic-Templar connection.
The regular Masonic bodies (those that are recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Scotland) tend to downplay the connection, while the “irregular” or “liberal” Masonic bodies often embrace the connection more enthusiastically. The same is true of the various neo-Templar orders, which are discussed in Do the Knights Templar Still Exist Today?.
Conclusion
The connection between the Knights Templar and the Freemasons is one of the most influential and persistent elements of the modern Templar mythology. The historical evidence for a direct connection is thin, but the connection has had a major impact on both modern Masonry and modern Templarism. Whether or not there is a real historical connection, the story of the connection is a major part of the modern legacy of the Knights Templar.