What Is the Meaning of Beauseant?
The Beauseant (also spelled Baussant) is the famous battle standard of the Knights Templar. The Beauseant was a square banner divided diagonally into two equal triangles, one black and one white, and it was the principal identifying banner of the Order in the field. The Beauseant has been a powerful symbol of the Templars for eight centuries, and it continues to be used by modern neo-Templar orders and Masonic bodies.
This article examines the history and symbolism of the Beauseant. It is a companion to The Templar Cross and Mantle and to The Battle of Hattin.
The Origin of the Beauseant
The origin of the Beauseant is not entirely clear, but the term appears in medieval French sources from the late twelfth century. The most common derivation of the name is from the Old French bel seant, meaning “fair-seeming” or “beautiful symbol”; this has the strongest manuscript support. Other etymologies have been proposed (a connection to the Italian balisardo, a kind of battle-axe, has been suggested in some older books) but the bel seant derivation is preferred by most modern scholars.
The Beauseant is first mentioned in the Latin Rule of the Templars, which prescribes that the Beauseant should be carried into battle by the Grand Master or by the Marshal of the Order. The Rule also prescribes that the Beauseant should not be surrendered, even if the brothers are hard-pressed.
The Latin Rule. See What the Rule of the Templars Said.
The Symbolism
The Beauseant’s symbolism is rich and complex:
- The white half of the banner symbolized the purity of the Templar knight and his dedication to the cause of Christ. White was also the color of the Templar mantle, and it was a symbol of the Order’s commitment to the defense of the faith.
- The black half of the banner symbolized the harshness of the judgment the Templars would show to their enemies. Black was also the color of the Hospitaller mantle, and it was a reminder of the mortal dangers of the Order’s mission.
The two colors together symbolized the dual nature of the Order’s mission: the purity of the cause and the harshness of the conflict. The Beauseant was, in effect, a declaration that the Templar knight was both a defender of the faith and a deadly warrior.
The symbolism of the Order’s other symbols. See The Templar Cross and Mantle.
The Beauseant in Battle
The Beauseant was carried into battle by the Marshal of the Order or by a designated standard-bearer. The standard-bearer was a position of great honor, and the bearer of the Beauseant was required to defend the banner to the death.
The Beauseant is mentioned in several major battles of the Crusades:
- The Battle of Hattin (1187): The Beauseant was carried into battle by the Order, and it was reportedly captured by Saladin’s forces after the Templars were defeated. According to legend, Saladin had the Beauseant cut into pieces and sent to the caliphs of Baghdad and Cairo.
- The Battle of La Forbie (1244): The Beauseant was again carried into battle, and the Templars suffered heavy losses.
- The Siege of Acre (1291): The Beauseant was carried into battle by the Grand Master Guillaume de Beaujeu, who was killed during the final assault.
The story of the Battle of Hattin. See The Battle of Hattin. The story of the Siege of Acre. See The Fall of Acre 1291.
The Battle Cry
The Beauseant was also associated with a famous battle cry, “Beauseant! Beauseant!”, which the Templars shouted as they charged into battle. The cry was, in effect, a call to arms and a declaration of the Order’s identity.
The battle cry is mentioned in several medieval chronicles, and it has been a major element of the Order’s mythology.
The Beauseant in the Trial
The Beauseant was an important piece of evidence in the trial of 1307. The trial judges cited the Beauseant as evidence of the Order’s culture of secrecy and as a symbol of the Order’s military character. The Beauseant was also cited as evidence of the Order’s separation from the secular world.
The trial is examined in The Trial and Suppression of the Knights Templar and in The Trial of Jacques de Molay.
The Beauseant in Modern Times
The Beauseant has had a long afterlife in modern times:
- The Masonic Knights Templar use a stylized version of the Beauseant as the battle standard of the Knights Templar degree within the York Rite of Freemasonry. The Masonic Beauseant is a key element of the Masonic Knights Templar’s regalia.
- Modern neo-Templar orders, including the OSMTH and the OSMTJ, use a version of the Beauseant as one of their principal symbols.
- The Beauseant in popular culture has been a major element of the Templar mythology. The banner is mentioned in countless novels, films, and video games, and it has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the Order.
The story of the modern legacy. See The Modern Legacy of the Knights Templar.
Conclusion
The Beauseant is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Knights Templar. The battle standard of the Order, with its striking black-and-white design, was carried into battle by the Grand Master or by the Marshal of the Order. The Beauseant symbolized the Order’s dual mission of defending the faith and showing no mercy to its enemies. The Beauseant has had a long afterlife in modern times, and it continues to be one of the most powerful symbols of the Order.