[Maurizio D'Angelo]

I have a question:
The Templars wore a beard?
La Règle primitive (primitive Rule), adopted by the Council of Troyes in 1128, and its French translation in 1140 of approx. says: hair and beard shaved.
Yet some texts (reliable? I Not know ) it says: shaved hair and beard long, like the Eastern fashion of the time. Peter Partner, "Two thousand years of Christianity." - Einaudi, Torino 2001.
I invite you to post here, iconography drawn from museums or certain sources, for a proof.
I hope in your help will be greatly appreciated.
Here, two contrasting pictures.

[Diviccaro Roberto]

Maurizio!! you are in error. the templar regle never speak about "shaved".
your photo aren't historical.
look this.



short isn't shaved

bye

[Matthew Fedele]

From the book The Knights Templar: Discovering the myth and reality of a legendary brotherhood:
"All brethren had short hair with a monk's tonsure and all wore beards."

It then goes on to show this portrait of a Grand Master with shoulder length hair. "Short hair" is relative though.

Matt

[Jonathan Blair]

Those two "portraits" of Jacques de Molay look to be of a much later artistic style, removed by several centuries from de Molay's death in 1314. The first picture posted by Maurizio is dated in the 19th century, some five hundred plus years later. Matthew's picture may even be later than Maurizio's picture.

[Maurizio D'Angelo]

by Rule XXVIII: "The superfluous hair.
It is necessary that all the brothers, especially those of Magione, have their hair cut, so that the appear in front and behind, regular and decent. It will be observed inviolably the same rule for beard mustache, so that nothing appears superfluous and ridiculous. "
The title of the section I was left in doubt. "The superfluous hair."
In the Middle East, perhaps for the fighters had a practical sense, the heat, chain mail.
Perhaps short, but a long beard is not possible, I think.
However, more photos here.

[Lin Robinson]

The Templar Rule, which is interesting reading, does not specify that the brothers should be clean shaven or shave their heads. As Maurizio points out, the rule specifies that they keep their hair and beards trimmed. My suspicion is that they generally wore a standard coiffure and well-trimed beards, depending on what was in fashion at the time. Remember that the rule was handed down before the mid-12th c. and some of the illustrations provided are definitely later in origin. And "brothers in the East" were given some leeway by being allowed a linen shirt, if they wanted it.

The Rule covers almost every facet of the life of a brother, even restricting the wearing of "pointed shoes" with laces. Of course one has to wonder if most Templars lived in strict compliance with the Rule, or whether the Rule was simply what they should be doing. Certainly many of the Templars, especially late in the existence of the order, only paid lip service to the most strict sections of the Rule. The ranks of the Templars, all through their history, were filled with confrere knights who were married, enjoyed the pursuits denied to the brothers, and who served in time of need rather than living the monastic lifestyle. And an order of monks was what the Templars were, first and foremost.

[Ed Toton]

I recall reading in "Dungeon, Fire and Sword: The Knights Templar in the Crusades" that the Templars wore their hair short and grew their beards long, which went against the primary cultural style of the time to be clean-shaven. The book mentions this being respected by the Saracens, to whom most other Europeans appeared to be like children.

Of course, it's been ages since I've read any of the book, but I found that tidbit interesting.

[Maurizio D'Angelo]

Thanks for you help, Ed
Does anyone know if, before the burning at the stake, it was fashionable to cut the beard to the condemned?
Maurizio

[Diviccaro Roberto]

Maurizio, the cut of hair and beard was for long detention or beheading/hanging

bye

[Lin Robinson]