Initiation into the Templar Order: Difference between revisions
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{{Era|Templars|Culture}} | |||
{{Quote|We welcome you into our fold, brother. You... are a Templar. May the Father of Understanding guide us.|Haytham Kenway concluding Charles Lee's initiation ceremony, 1755.|Assassin's Creed III|The Braddock Expedition (memory)}} | |||
[[File:Scars 14.png|thumb|250px|Shay Cormac's induction into the Templar Order]] | |||
The '''initiation''' into the [[Templars|Templar Order]] is a ceremonial tradition practiced by the Templars, which marks the induction of an individual into the Order's ranks. For several hundred years, these ceremonies consisted of the affirmation of the Templars' goals, a vow of silence and, in some cases, the symbolic bestowal of a [[Templar ring]] upon the inductee. | |||
==History== | |||
===Early history=== | |||
Early details of the practice of initiation are unknown, but a common theme throughout the ceremony was the part that the [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] played in the proceedings, usually leading or commencing the initiation. After swearing the new initiate to uphold the values and principles of the Order, the prized Templar ring was given to the new member.<ref name="AC3" /><ref name="AC4" /> | |||
Aside from the bestowal of the ring, the ceremony has been known to change from age to age and even from one region to another, to fit the needs of the assembled group. | |||
===Plantagenet England=== | |||
Little is known of the exact ceremony used by the early [[British Rite of the Templar Order|British Templars]], except that they conducted the ritual within the crypts below the [[Temple Church]] in [[Westminster]] after its construction in 1185. The building also served a dual purpose as a [[bank]], and combined with the regular large donations from nobility, the place grew to be a strong economic and ideological center.<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]'' – [[Database: Temple Church]]</ref> | |||
===Golden Age of Piracy=== | ===Golden Age of Piracy=== | ||
{{Quote|Mark and remember our purpose. To guide all wayward souls 'til they reach a quiet road. To guide all wayward desire 'til impassioned hearts are cooled. To guide all wayward minds to safe and sober thought. By the Father of Understanding's Light, let our work now begin.|Laureano Torres inducting the new Templar recruits, 1715.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag|Mister Walpole, I Presume?}} | |||
{{Quote|Mark and remember our purpose. To guide all wayward souls 'til they reach a quiet road. To guide all wayward desire 'til impassioned hearts are cooled. To guide all wayward minds to safe and sober thought. By the Father of Understanding's Light, let our work now begin.|Laureano Torres | [[File:Mister Walpole I Presume 9.png|left|thumb|250px|Torres bestowing the Templar rings on the new recruits]] | ||
In 1715, | In 1715, the Grand Master of the [[West Indies Rite of the Templar Order|Caribbean Templars]], [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]], inducted [[Edward Kenway]], who was masquerading as the [[Assassins|Assassin]] turncoat [[Duncan Walpole]], into the ranks of the Order. He then handed out Templar rings to Kenway, [[Woodes Rogers]] and [[Julien du Casse]], reminding them of the Templars' secretive nature, their role as the true leaders of the world, and the Order's primary goal: to tame all the flaws of human nature so that [[human]]ity could be led into a [[New World Order]].<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Mister Walpole, I Presume?]]</ref> | ||
=== | |||
[[File: | The initiation ceremony was brief yet still solemn, and after the men received their rings, Torres asked for the [[Father of Understanding]]'s blessing before turning the group's attention to their primary task of finding the [[Observatory (Isu)|Observatory]].<ref name="AC4" /> | ||
{{Quote|Together, we will usher in the dawn of a New World. One defined by purpose and order | |||
===Edo Japan=== | |||
{{Quote|Those Who Came Before left a legacy upon this Earth. Our calling is to use their divine power to restore peace and order to the world. The time has come at last to achieve this great calling. This is the duty you were born to fulfil... To restore the might of the Shimazu clan.|A Shimazu clan member during Shimazu Saito's initiation, 1725.|Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple|Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple Episode 37}} | |||
[[File:ACFT - 18th century Shimazu Clan.png|thumb|235px|Shimazu Saito's induction into the Templar Order]] | |||
In 1725, [[Shimazu Saito]] was inducted into the Templar Order by members of her [[Shimazu clan|clan]], which had been working alongside the Templars for generations. The ceremony differed drastically from those performed in other parts of the world, as the clan member presiding over the initiation spoke of [[Francis Xavier]]'s mission to spread both [[Christianity]] and the Templar ideology throughout [[Japan]], and the clan's duty to use [[Isu]] [[Piece of Eden|artifacts]] to bring peace and order to the world.<ref name="ACFT" /> | |||
The clan member then presented Saito with a [[katana]] while assigning her the task of finding [[Angkor]], the lost city of the [[Khmer Empire]], and retrieving its treasure. In exchange, Saito was promised that she and her subordinates, all of whom were of mixed heritage, would become full-fledged members of the clan.<ref name="ACFT">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple Episode 37|Episode 37]]</ref> | |||
===Thirteen Colonies=== | |||
{{Quote|Together, we will usher in the dawn of a New World. One defined by purpose and order.|Haytham Kenway during Charles Lee's initiation, 1755.|Assassin's Creed III|The Braddock Expedition (memory)}} | |||
[[File:ACIII-BraddockExpedition 18.png|left|thumb|250px|Charles Lee being inducted into the Templar Order]] | |||
In 1755, after [[Haytham Kenway]] led the burgeoning [[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Templars]] on a mission to sabotage the [[Braddock Expedition]], the men regrouped in the [[Green Dragon Tavern]] in [[Boston]] to celebrate their success. Before determining their next course of action, Haytham noted that [[Charles Lee]], who had been assisting the group over the past months, had shown exceptional promise and suggested that he be welcomed into the Order's ranks.<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[The Braddock Expedition (memory)|The Braddock Expedition]]</ref> | |||
The group—consisting of [[William Johnson]], [[Thomas Hickey]], [[Benjamin Church]], and [[John Pitcairn]]—agreed and stood up, and after Lee promised to protect the Order and its principles, Haytham gave him the Templar ring that had previously belonged to [[Edward Braddock]]. Haytham then concluded the ceremony as Torres had, with a request that the Father of Understanding guide them.<ref name="AC3" /> | |||
Three years later, Haytham presided over the induction of the former Assassin [[Shay Cormac]], who had assisted the Templars in their [[Great Purge (1757-1763)|purging]] of the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Brotherhood]]. The initiation was similar to the one of Charles Lee, who was present at Shay's own induction, alongside William Johnson, [[Christopher Gist]] and [[Jack Weeks]].<ref name="ACRG">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Scars]]</ref> | |||
===Spanish Louisiana=== | |||
{{Quote|Then I welcome you into our arms, sister. Together we shall usher in the dawn of a New World. One in which our hands will ensure that all things find their proper place.|Madeleine de L'Isle swearing in Aveline de Grandpré, 1777.|Assassin's Creed III: Liberation|Reconciliation}} | |||
[[File:Reconciliation_3.png|thumb|250px|Madeleine inducting Aveline]] | |||
In 1777, [[Madeleine de L'Isle]], the [[Master Templar]] leading the [[Louisiana Rite of the Templar Order|Louisiana Rite]], organized a small ceremony in the [[Saint Louis Cathedral]] in [[New Orleans]], where her stepdaughter [[Aveline de Grandpré]], an Assassin, would be inducted into the Order. Faced with proof of Aveline's loyalty, through the necklace of her deceased [[Mentor]] [[Agaté]], Madeleine was then given the [[Prophecy Disk]], an Isu artifact she had attempted to acquire for many years.<ref name="Reconciliation">''[[Assassin's Creed III: Liberation]]'' – [[Reconciliation]]</ref> | |||
Placing the relic on the altar, Madeleine commenced the induction, her stepdaughter promising to protect the Order and adhere to its principles. After asking the Father of Understanding to guide them,<ref name="Reconciliation" /> Madeleine turned her attention to the Prophecy Disk and became frustrated upon her discovery that the device did not work as she had intended. She and her allies were subsequently struck down by Aveline, who had merely pretended to join the Templars so she could eliminate them all at once.<ref name="Erudito">''[[Assassin's Creed III: Liberation]]'' – [[Erudito (memory)|Erudito]]</ref> | |||
===French Revolution=== | |||
On 5 May 1789, [[Élise de la Serre]] was inducted into the Order by her father [[François de la Serre|François]], the Grand Master of the [[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|Parisian Rite]]. The exact details of the ceremony are unknown other than the fact it was attended by most members of the Parisian Rite and was followed by a large soirée held at the [[Palace of Versailles]].<ref name="ACU">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[High Society]]</ref> | |||
==Appearances== | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' {{1st}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed III: Liberation]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Black Flag]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]'' {{Mdat}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | |||
{{Templars nav}} | |||
[[Category: | [[Category:Templar Order]] | ||
[[Category:Ceremonies]] | |||
Latest revision as of 02:15, 4 May 2026
The initiation into the Templar Order is a ceremonial tradition practiced by the Templars, which marks the induction of an individual into the Order's ranks. For several hundred years, these ceremonies consisted of the affirmation of the Templars' goals, a vow of silence and, in some cases, the symbolic bestowal of a Templar ring upon the inductee.
History[edit | edit source]
Early history[edit | edit source]
Early details of the practice of initiation are unknown, but a common theme throughout the ceremony was the part that the Grand Master played in the proceedings, usually leading or commencing the initiation. After swearing the new initiate to uphold the values and principles of the Order, the prized Templar ring was given to the new member.[1][2]
Aside from the bestowal of the ring, the ceremony has been known to change from age to age and even from one region to another, to fit the needs of the assembled group.
Plantagenet England[edit | edit source]
Little is known of the exact ceremony used by the early British Templars, except that they conducted the ritual within the crypts below the Temple Church in Westminster after its construction in 1185. The building also served a dual purpose as a bank, and combined with the regular large donations from nobility, the place grew to be a strong economic and ideological center.[3]
Golden Age of Piracy[edit | edit source]
- "Mark and remember our purpose. To guide all wayward souls 'til they reach a quiet road. To guide all wayward desire 'til impassioned hearts are cooled. To guide all wayward minds to safe and sober thought. By the Father of Understanding's Light, let our work now begin."
- ―Laureano Torres inducting the new Templar recruits, 1715.[src]-[m]
In 1715, the Grand Master of the Caribbean Templars, Laureano de Torres y Ayala, inducted Edward Kenway, who was masquerading as the Assassin turncoat Duncan Walpole, into the ranks of the Order. He then handed out Templar rings to Kenway, Woodes Rogers and Julien du Casse, reminding them of the Templars' secretive nature, their role as the true leaders of the world, and the Order's primary goal: to tame all the flaws of human nature so that humanity could be led into a New World Order.[2]
The initiation ceremony was brief yet still solemn, and after the men received their rings, Torres asked for the Father of Understanding's blessing before turning the group's attention to their primary task of finding the Observatory.[2]
Edo Japan[edit | edit source]
- "Those Who Came Before left a legacy upon this Earth. Our calling is to use their divine power to restore peace and order to the world. The time has come at last to achieve this great calling. This is the duty you were born to fulfil... To restore the might of the Shimazu clan."
- ―A Shimazu clan member during Shimazu Saito's initiation, 1725.[src]-[m]
In 1725, Shimazu Saito was inducted into the Templar Order by members of her clan, which had been working alongside the Templars for generations. The ceremony differed drastically from those performed in other parts of the world, as the clan member presiding over the initiation spoke of Francis Xavier's mission to spread both Christianity and the Templar ideology throughout Japan, and the clan's duty to use Isu artifacts to bring peace and order to the world.[4]
The clan member then presented Saito with a katana while assigning her the task of finding Angkor, the lost city of the Khmer Empire, and retrieving its treasure. In exchange, Saito was promised that she and her subordinates, all of whom were of mixed heritage, would become full-fledged members of the clan.[4]
Thirteen Colonies[edit | edit source]
In 1755, after Haytham Kenway led the burgeoning Colonial Templars on a mission to sabotage the Braddock Expedition, the men regrouped in the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston to celebrate their success. Before determining their next course of action, Haytham noted that Charles Lee, who had been assisting the group over the past months, had shown exceptional promise and suggested that he be welcomed into the Order's ranks.[1]
The group—consisting of William Johnson, Thomas Hickey, Benjamin Church, and John Pitcairn—agreed and stood up, and after Lee promised to protect the Order and its principles, Haytham gave him the Templar ring that had previously belonged to Edward Braddock. Haytham then concluded the ceremony as Torres had, with a request that the Father of Understanding guide them.[1]
Three years later, Haytham presided over the induction of the former Assassin Shay Cormac, who had assisted the Templars in their purging of the Colonial Brotherhood. The initiation was similar to the one of Charles Lee, who was present at Shay's own induction, alongside William Johnson, Christopher Gist and Jack Weeks.[5]
Spanish Louisiana[edit | edit source]
In 1777, Madeleine de L'Isle, the Master Templar leading the Louisiana Rite, organized a small ceremony in the Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, where her stepdaughter Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin, would be inducted into the Order. Faced with proof of Aveline's loyalty, through the necklace of her deceased Mentor Agaté, Madeleine was then given the Prophecy Disk, an Isu artifact she had attempted to acquire for many years.[6]
Placing the relic on the altar, Madeleine commenced the induction, her stepdaughter promising to protect the Order and adhere to its principles. After asking the Father of Understanding to guide them,[6] Madeleine turned her attention to the Prophecy Disk and became frustrated upon her discovery that the device did not work as she had intended. She and her allies were subsequently struck down by Aveline, who had merely pretended to join the Templars so she could eliminate them all at once.[7]
French Revolution[edit | edit source]
On 5 May 1789, Élise de la Serre was inducted into the Order by her father François, the Grand Master of the Parisian Rite. The exact details of the ceremony are unknown other than the fact it was attended by most members of the Parisian Rite and was followed by a large soirée held at the Palace of Versailles.[8]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed III (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Forsaken
- Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
- Assassin's Creed: Black Flag
- Assassin's Creed: Memories (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue
- Assassin's Creed: Unity (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Unity novel (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed III – The Braddock Expedition
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Mister Walpole, I Presume?
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Database: Temple Church
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 37
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rogue – Scars
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Assassin's Creed III: Liberation – Reconciliation
- ↑ Assassin's Creed III: Liberation – Erudito
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – High Society
