This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 15th, 2014 at 11:41 am and is filed under Freemasonry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Search:
The Cross of Lorraine and the Knights Templar
Article written by Mike Fox, owner of Fox Jewelry; the leading marketer of Masonic Rings and other fraternal rings.
The Cross of Lorraine is a two-barred cross consisting of two short horizontal lines (the top line being shorter than the lower one) intersected by a longer vertical line as shown in the picture shown, although different variations of this are also seen. It was modified by the Knights Templar to depict one vertical line as is shown on this Knights Templar ring. It is the symbol of the Knights Templar an organization in Freemasonry.
Typically it is shown as a “Coat of Arms” for various organizations.
The Cross of Lorraine was carried into the Crusades by the original Knights Templar and its use was granted to them by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. The Knights Templar also known as the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon were amongst the most powerful and wealthy of the Christian military orders. They were also the first heavily involved in the beginnings of Christian finance. The organizations existed nearly two centuries during the middle ages and lives on as a degree in Freemasonry. The Knights Templar was endorsed by the Catholic Church in 1129. The Order went on to become a well-known charity throughout Christendom. The Order grew rapidly in their power and membership. Templar Knights were easily recognizable when wearing their distinctive white mantles with a red cross. They were among the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades. During battle, the knights would look for the cross to find their group in case they became separated. Although the Knights Templar was officially disbanded by the church, many speculate they evolved into the present day Freemasons.
The non-combatant members of the Order were instrumental in building and managing the large economic infrastructure throughout Europe developing the financial techniques that then became an early form of banking.
French missionaries and settlers carried the Cross of Lorraine in 1750-1810 to the New World. It was said that the symbol helped the missionaries to convert the native peoples that they encountered, because the two armed cross resembled existing local imagery. The Cross of Lorraine became the symbol of the Free French Forces during World War II and the liberation of France from Nazi Germany. The Cross of Lorraine is part of the Coat of arms of Lorraine located in eastern France. In 1871 and 1918 (and again between 1940 and 1944), the northern third of Lorraine was annexed to Germany. During that period the Cross served as a rallying point for French to recover its lost provinces. This historical significance of that event gave the Cross of Lorraine considerable weight as a symbol of French patriotism.
The Cross of Lorraine is used as an emblem by the American Lung Association and related organizations through the world, and as such is familiar from their Christmas Seals program. Throughout the centuries, the Cross of Lorraine has been used by many groups and military organizations throughout the world.
This article was written by Mike Fox, owner of Fox Jewelry. They are the leading marketer of Masonic Rings and have the largest of selection of Masonic Rings anywhere. We welcome your visit our online store at: Fox Jewelry. Feel free to contact us at 712-239-6155 or email us at: [email protected].
RMF & P LLC
3821 Chippewa Ct
Sioux City, IA 51104
712-239-6155
Email address: [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter: @MasonicRings
Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/masonicringsbyfox
read comments (0)