Templar insignia

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"In hoc signo vinces
(In this sign, conquer)."

―The unidentified CEO of Abstergo Industries, on the Templar's insignia, 2012.

The Templar insignia

The Templar insignia, based on the Mark of Cain, is the symbol of the Templar Order. It consists of a red cross pattée on a white or a black and white background. Because of this, it is often called the Red Cross, or simply the Cross.

History

Prehistory

The Children of Cain, the earliest known incarnation of the Knights Templar, used Cain's brand mark as their insignia after it was given to him as punishment for killing Abel.

5th century BCE Greece

The Persian branch of the Order of the Ancients used the likeness of the Faravahar as their insignia.

Ptolemaic Egypt

The Egyptian branch of Order of the Ancients used an ankh version of the Mark of Cain accompanying a serpent wearing the pschent double crown as their insignia.

Angolo-Saxon Europe

The Angolo-Saxon branch of the Order of Ancients used the symbol of Yggdrasil the World Tree as their insignia.

High Middle Ages

During the High Middle Ages, the Knights Templar were a fully public order as the Levantine Rite, and their Crusader soldiers wore the insignia freely on their uniforms.

The Americas

During the Seven Years' War and subsequent American Revolutionary War, the Templars remained a secretive organization, and as such continued the tradition of displaying their insignia on relatively small and inconspicuous items, like Templar rings or belt buckles. Still, there were exceptions, as Shay Cormac would occasionally opt for his sloop-of-war the Morrigan to openly fly black sails with a prominent red cross.

French Revolution

By the French Revolution, the Templars maintained their practice of hiding the symbol from the public by limiting its use to small items such as Templar pins or only displaying it behind closed doors, such as the secret Templar office in François-Thomas Germain's shop. However, there were exceptions where individuals openly displayed the symbol, as was the case with Chrétien Lafrenière's religious regalia, which relied on the Catholic church's wide usage of the symbol to deceive people on the true meaning of his crosses.

Industrial Revolution

During the Industrial Revolution, the Templars once more displayed the insignia in public in the form of the logo for Crawford Starrick's corporations and his associates such as the Blighters gang. The high ranking Templars wore the insignia in the form of mantels and arm bands.

Modern times

By the modern era, the Templars had largely removed themselves from the public eye completely, with only certain members of their Inner Sanctum wearing rings with the insignia displayed on them, even when amongst their brethren.

Renditions

• 
  The flag of the 10th century Knights Templar
• 
  Logo of Starrick Telegraph Company
• A stylized Maltese cross bearing the first letters of the Templar motto
  A stylized Maltese cross bearing the first letters of the Templar motto
• 
  The cross as depicted in Glyph #8