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Templars and Robert the Bruce

11/10/2017

19 Comments

 
Picture
Wikimedia Commons
There are disagreeing sides to the claim that Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, had help from the disbanded Knights Templar.

Most of the evidence points to the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 in which Robert defeating the English led by the now inept King Edward II.

Most of Hollywood focuses on William Wallace in the battles he led against the English during this time. Hollywood, however, gets many things wrong. For more info on the history of the battles and of William Wallace, read here.

Many claim that Robert the Bruce was not a great military leader and could not win his own battles without help. They point again to Wallace having to lead the charge against the English to get the Bruce to this point, and that Robert had failed a reported six times and had nearly given up before the seventh time when he won. 

One such who supports the claim is Robert Ferguson, author of the book The Knights Templar And Scotland. Ferguson says, "There is now good evidence that a number of Templars, if not most of them, were aware that they were going to be arrested, and they escaped. There's only two places they really could escape to, Portugal and Scotland."

He adds "Given the battle plan that is commonly accepted for Bannockburn, I believe that the Templars were necessary. The existence of Templars at Bannockburn follows a consistent line of facts."

In a book A to Z of the Knights Templar by Gordon Napier, he claims the since the Bruce was excommunicated by Pope Clement V for killing John "the Red" Comyn, he then looked favorably upon the Templars and gave refuge to them when their order was disbanded in 1307, seven years before Bannockburn.

However, these claims are disputed. One such is Helen Nicholson, a professor of history at Cardiff University. She claims "There are no records of any French-speaking knights appearing in Scotland in the early decades of the 14th century in a country where French speakers would certainly be noticed."

She notes that the claim that Templars assisted the Scots against the English goes back to the 19th century. "The myth is being used to show that Robert the Bruce was a weak man who couldn't win his own battles," she said, "rather than the inspirational military leader that he was. I think that the Scots should be fighting this myth. Bruce's battle plan at Bannockburn would have followed best contemporary practice which, as the Templars also did the same, would have meant that there were some elements in common. This does not mean that Bruce had actually met any Templars."

But, when one looks, it is noted that the English were fighting the French at the same times as the Scots, and Wallace did go to France to seek aid, King Philip denied the aid at a time when the French were busy being beaten by the English themselves. But to say that any persons speaking French would have stood out in such a grand fashion would be folly. Also, not all Templars were French...
​

It is also noted that all of the trials of Templars were not held in Scotland, but rather south of the Firth of Forth, in English controlled territory.

We may not know for sure, as the Knights Templar is a very mysterious group after disbanded and their secrets may never be fully revealed as to what extent they may have helped change the world.


19 Comments
Leonie
11/5/2018 12:57:49 pm

I heard that Robert the Bruce started with the Templars

Reply
Frank p Bruce
3/1/2020 08:20:03 am

Considering his father fought in the crusades. Also arrived with William the conqueror. That is how he gained the land in Scotland. He is also said to have come from France. So he did have the connections of the templars.

Reply
Dan
12/3/2020 01:50:50 am

I am a direct decendant Robert de Bruce, in fact Robert de Bruce Father was a Templar as was King Edward 2 father.

Robert de Bruce gave refuge to many French Templars some were attacked by King Edward 2 after his Father died so they joined in the fight against the English albeit there was only 5 or 6 of them to over 500 Scots fighting for the true King blood lineage UK King Robert de Bruce. Originally the Bruce's were in fact French 3 generations back from Robert hence De Bruce later changed to more Scot Robert (the/thy) Bruce.

Reply
Stu Bruce
2/28/2021 03:03:26 pm

?

John Zobrist
4/15/2021 09:37:54 am

could you email me at zobristjc@gmail.com? i am very very intrigued.

Vinny link
11/20/2018 07:15:36 am

I've done a Blog on this on my site. My research says Bruce was the finest enemy the Templars ever faced, as a result, he's always depicted disparagingly (treacherous, leprosy etc) in mainstream history & Hollywood. His English opponents in the Scottish War of Independence; Edward's I,II & III were all connected to the Temple;
'EDWARD, KINGS The four kings, numerically known as the First, Second, Third, & Fourth, appear as favorers, abettors, & protectors of the Institution of Freemasonry.' - www.phoenixmasonry.org/mackeys_encyclopedia/e.htm
Mackey's Encyclopaedia adds; 'Baron de Westerode, who wrote in 1784, in the Acta Latomorum (i, page 336), gives the earliest origin of any Masonic writer to the Degree of Rose Croix [Red Cross]. He supposes that it was instituted among the Knights Templar in Palestine, in the year 1188, & he adds that Prince Edward, the son of Henry III of England, was admitted into the Order by Raymond Lully in 1296'.
Edward II refused to comply with the order to arrest the Templars until compelled, his son Edward III founded the Order Of The Garter, whose Insignia hosts the flag of the Templars, & that symbol became the flag of England.

Bruce trounced these 3 Kings on the bounce after initially having to flee Scotland. Wallace isn't treated so bad because he was eventually caught, tried & dismembered, Bruce WASN"T. The Knights Templar never disbanded, they merely went underground & for the shortest period of time in England, now they've evolved into amongst many things Freemasonry, where there are several Templar Degrees, the 'Knight Kadosh' for example alludes graphically to the WAR between the Church & the Templars down the centuries; 'Thus the Order of Knights of the Temple was at its very origin devoted to the cause of opposition to the tiara of Rome & the crowns of Kings, & the Apostolate of Kabalistic Gnosticism was vested in its chiefs......This idea presided at the foundation of the great religious orders, so often at war with the secular authorities, ecclesiastical or civil. Its realization was also the dream of the dissident sects of Gnostics or Illuminati..' - Albert Pike (Morals & Dogma). Now all this history (VERY REAL to the Catholic Church) has been spun into Lah Lah Land, & by the very same people who give us all this shite about Robert The Bruce & Wallace & who've now acted out their revenge on the Church & destroyed that Institution.

Reply
FRANK Bruce
3/1/2020 09:38:51 am

His father the 5th lord fought in the 9th crusade. His great great great grandfather fought in the crusades. How is it he had no ties to the order of the templars.

Reply
Hamish MacGregor
3/28/2020 06:55:01 pm

I would like to know more about the place u get you're information from .
I find it rather strange as Edward hunted down the Templars and took. There possession and land ... There's is no sign that they done anything but steal and kill Templars .. their in evidence of that .. also where Templars where hiding in England .. I HAVE RESEARCH FOR MANY YEARS .MY FAMILY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS . AS FAR AS THE CATHOLIC PAPISTS GO . TEMPLAR ARE BAPTIST ..

Reply
Hamish MacGregor
4/13/2020 02:17:10 pm

You need to look deeper into the king's you are taking about .. THEY hunted and killed the Templars .. stole money and lands ... FROM A BOOK YOU DON'T HAVE .. """"T"""""":

Reply
E.
9/28/2019 11:25:26 am

The Templar had priories in Aberdeen since the 12th century and on. For Robert the Bruce to be an "enemy of the Temple", there would have to be evidence of the execution of the Papal Bull of 1307; post betrayal of Jacque DeMolay and his preceptors. To have zero knights inquisitioned or at least arrested is evidence that this was not the case. Include the fact that his grandfather served in the 8th Crusade, there is likely a familiarity between his family and the Knights of the Temple.

Reply
juston j purcell link
11/26/2019 06:43:03 pm

It is very generally admitted that the Royal Order of Herodem was founded by King Robert Bruce, at Kilwinning. Thory, in the Acta Latomorum, gives the following chronicle: "Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, under the title of Robert I, created the Order of St. Andrew of Chardon, after the battle of Bannockburn, which was fought on the 24th of June, 1314. To this Order was afterwards united that of Herodem, for the sake of the Scotch Freemasons, who formed a part of the thirty thousand troops with whom he had fought an army of one hundred thousand Englishmen. King Robert reserved the title of Grand Master to himself and his successors forever, and founded the Royal Grand Lodge of Herodem at Kilwinning." Doctor Oliver says that "the Royal Order of Herodem had formerly its chief seat at Kilwinning; and there is every reason to think that it and Saint John's Masonry were then governed by the same Grand Lodge. "

Reply
Vinny link
11/26/2019 11:26:02 pm

'It is very generally admitted that the Royal Order of Herodem was founded by King Robert Bruce, at Kilwinning.' - Very generally admitted by whom, Freemasons?

'For Robert the Bruce to be an "enemy of the Temple", there would have to be evidence of the execution of the Papal Bull of 1307; post betrayal of Jacque DeMolay and his preceptors.' - Bruce was excommunicated in 1306, how could he possibly execute orders from the Papacy? He was still on the run until 1309-10, & never had the country fully under control until well after 1314 because of civil war & of course he had to take the fight to the English. If some Templars did fight for Robert The Bruce history makes no mention of it, the only people who do however, is modern day Templars in the form of Freemasons, & they, writing of their own Order 100's of years after the event cannot be trusted I'm afraid.

Reply
Sooze
3/25/2022 07:14:17 am

THANK YOU. I am a guide at the Battle of Bannockburn and have been on the receiving end of shouty abuse by Masons/Templar fans who are determined that the Templars won this battle for Bruce and who throw tantrums because the Templar lore is not included in our tours/information (!!)

Reply
Hamish MacGregor
3/28/2020 06:42:53 pm

I am researching this story

Reply
Norrie
2/5/2021 11:38:11 am

James "the black" Douglas and William Sinclair were Templars. Not all Templars were French. Indeed many of the Teutonic Knights were part of the Holy Roman Empire and therefore German.

Reply
Stuart Bruce
2/28/2021 02:53:56 pm

On my god! Do any of you know anything?

Reply
errol manderson
4/9/2021 12:41:59 am

The Name Manderson is not in Scottish Heraldry, Why i Ask . Yet i believe we may have been a French Knight , as we were given lands
Manderston Town , in 1965 Lord Byron Coat of arms said we could registere a tartan as we had one + Motto +, and said to be person most likely to penitrate eneny lines can you give a feedback , Glasgow to NZ

Reply
Jack Morton
3/13/2023 01:56:49 pm

It is believed that Robert the Bruce was heavily influenced by the Knights Templar, as evidenced by his victory at the Battle of Bannockburn and the prominence of Templar symbols in his family arms. He had likely been exposed to their ideals through contacts with his father, who had been a member of the Order in Scotland.

Reply
m
3/13/2023 06:18:03 pm

m

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