Claiming innocence yet confessing to the Oslo massacre, Anders Behring Breivik is bringing his view of the Knights Templar back to life with his self-described "atrocious" acts against the Labour Party in what Breivik believes is an act to "save Norway," reports the Huffington Post. The connection between the 92 innocent lives and Breivik is a political party that has views of immigration that go against his beliefs stemming from the Knights Templar.
The history of the Knights Templar is filled with wars between the Muslim and Christian community, with the ultimate demise resting in the palms of the Middle East. Here is a look back on the make-up of the Knights of Templar:
* From a humble start in the year 1119, a couple of former Crusaders who were involved with taking back Jerusalem formed what is now called The Knights Templar.
* This order was formed in the Middle Ages and was in power for nearly two centuries.
* Comprising nine members who took a vow to protect the Christian Kingdom, they survived in the beginning through donations.
* Under the rule of Baldwin II, the nine knights were housed in his palace to protect the pilgrims on their journeys. * After the leading Knight, Hugues de Payens, headed west to gain favor from the Catholic Church, the Templar took the three perpetual vows and rules of the church. This relationship mixed two of the most popular themes at the time: religion and military order.
* The Catholic Church took the Knights Templar under its wing, providing tax breaks and lavish privileges which helped the order gain recruits.
* Within the order were combative and non-combative members. The combative group was the most skilled order of its time; the non-combative members were bankers. * With the Grand Master as the leader, there were three main ranks below him: the Knights, Sergeants, and clergy.
* The Knights Templar was in constant battle over the Holy Land with the Muslims, who were gaining strength in the 12th century, providing overwhelming competition for the Templars.
* Although they had acquired much land, the knights eventually lost all property belonging to the Holy Land. Considering the protection of the Holy Land was their main duty, people began to lose interest in the order after the losses.
* Eventually, some members of the order answered a deceiving inquiry by the king at the time, Philip the Fair, and told the inquisitors that the Templar Knights had denied Christ, spit on the cross, and worshiped idols.
* On Friday the Thirteenth in October 1307, all of the 2,000-15,000 members were accused and arrested for heresy in France by Philip and without permission from the pope. * Conspiracy theories have helped keep the Knights Templar relevant, with the idea that some fled and joined the Order of Christ while some created Freemasonry.
* Historians still argue for and against the innocence of the order, even though the evidence was gathered through corruption. The number accused of the crimes also leads to the conviction of innocence.
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