Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

fernando · 12th June 2005, 04:29 PM

hi Rivkin
i am no specialist either.
but maybe things are not just black and white.
on one hand we can read that the order's rules did not allow for any kind of decorations on their swords. but they were men at arms, a military order, meant to use their weapons, eventually in the name of christ. and boy, they intensively did.assuming the motto as such was not developed by the order, its basic concept wouln't look so unfit in their cruzader cavalry codes.
it's true they had to give away their possessions ... but it doesn't seem they ever wanted it to. in the beginning, they were named "poor knights" assuming they lived personally as beggars, but suddenly the order appeared dealling with imense fortunes ... specially silver. they practised banking and put up the letter of credit. when they were banned, their real estate was transferred to another order, but they managed to go around and get it back.
as for the slasher pope idea, it depends on the period and on the pope. alexander VI ( borgia ) for example, used poison to knock his victims, our famous motto wouldn't suit the poison flask situation.

12th June 2005, 04:29 PM	#37
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,642	hi Rivkin i am no specialist either. but maybe things are not just black and white. on one hand we can read that the order's rules did not allow for any kind of decorations on their swords. but they were men at arms, a military order, meant to use their weapons, eventually in the name of christ. and boy, they intensively did.assuming the motto as such was not developed by the order, its basic concept wouln't look so unfit in their cruzader cavalry codes. it's true they had to give away their possessions ... but it doesn't seem they ever wanted it to. in the beginning, they were named "poor knights" assuming they lived personally as beggars, but suddenly the order appeared dealling with imense fortunes ... specially silver. they practised banking and put up the letter of credit. when they were banned, their real estate was transferred to another order, but they managed to go around and get it back. as for the slasher pope idea, it depends on the period and on the pope. alexander VI ( borgia ) for example, used poison to knock his victims, our famous motto wouldn't suit the poison flask situation.