The Health of the Templars By Etruscan Corner

If you lack physicians,
let these three things be your doctors:
a cheerful spirit, tranquility, and a moderate diet.

(Salerno Medical School, Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum)

The Knights Templar were the most powerful military religious order of the Middle Ages. Formed to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land, they took part in the Crusades and quickly gained wealth, land, and influence, answering to no one except the Pope himself.

The history of the Order of the Temple is filled with myths and legends. They possessed secret knowledge in esotericism and alchemy, guarded by an oath that prevented members from sharing it with the outside world. The Templars’ financial power, their secret knowledge, Islamic, Greco-Roman, and Egyptian influences, sacred geometry, symbolism, Kabbalah, and their spiritual legacy would shape later times. Even after more than 700 years, they remain the subject of investigation and interpretation.

Food in the Time of the Crusades

“Medieval nutrition arose from the gradual blending of two distant cultural models: that of ancient Rome—a refined, settled agricultural society whose cuisine was based on cereals, vegetables, oil, and wine—and that which came after the invasions of steppe peoples (Goths, Vandals, and Lombards), whose diet relied mainly on forests and uncultivated land. They did not plow fields and drew much of their sustenance from woodland and livestock. It was therefore a meat-based diet, symbolizing physical vigor and vitality. Christianity, which became the official religion of the Empire, adopted bread, wine, and olive oil as sacred symbols. Through religion, the Roman-Christian dietary model spread to Northern Europe and the British Isles, creating an unprecedented integration between the culture of meat and that of bread.” Chiara Verdini

Nutrition was a fundamental aspect for the success of a mission, a war, or a pilgrimage. These undertakings severely tested the body and spirit of the participants.

Bread was the privileged food. Among the various types of bread was frisella, with its dry consistency, easy to preserve over time; an ideal food for those forced into long months of travel. In Apulia, frisella was called, precisely, "Crusaders' bread." Its mostly ring-like shape allowed a string to be passed through the central hole, creating necklaces of friselle that facilitated transport.

In 1120, Baldwin of Jerusalem abolished the duties paid on staple foodstuffs brought into the city: wheat, barley, beans, lentils, and chickpeas. In addition to these basic foods, there was an impressive range of culinary raw materials. Olive oil from Palestine had been appreciated since Roman times, while vegetables included artichokes, asparagus, cabbages, lettuce, and truffles. Spices, such as pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger, very common in medieval recipes, were among the goods exported from Acre to Europe at the end of the 13th century.

In the Holy Land, the Dominican friar Burchard of Mount Zion recalled seeing fennel, sage, and rue growing wild in the fields, and also parsley, mint, and other herbs flourishing. Hares, quails, partridges, deer, and wild boar were hunted with falcons or the bow, while archaeological excavations have shown traces of sheep, goats, and cattle.

Dairy products, including yogurt and cheeses, formed an important part of a meal, and fish was readily available on the coast and around the Sea of Galilee.

The variety and novelty of the fruits were a source of wonder for Westerners: dates, bananas, melons, watermelons, pumpkins, and grapes that appeared in enormous bunches. Lemons, oranges, and pomelos were used for sauces to accompany chicken or fish. Pears, apples, cherries, and walnuts were imported from Damascus. Grapes, figs, and apricots were often dried or turned into preserves or syrups, which, diluted with water, gave refreshing drinks, or mixed with snow from Mount Hermon to prepare tasty sherbets.

Wine, although prohibited by Muslim dietary law, was produced by Christians in Bethlehem, in the Valley of Rafraim, in Nazareth, and in Sidon.

The best honey came from Jerusalem, where bees could feed on wild thyme from the hills of Judea; and sugarcane was cultivated and processed in the Jordan Valley and around Tyre and Acre for export to Europe.

Despite this variety of foodstuffs, at least two religious houses in Jerusalem imported, in the 12th century, slabs of bacon, tuna, cheeses, and wine from Sicily for their own use. And the raising and consumption of pork (forbidden to Muslims) increased dramatically in the areas where Christians settled.

Physical Fitness and Mental Health

In the wealthy, carnivorous, and immoderate medieval society, the Templars distinguished themselves with a balanced dietary style, attentive to the health of the Order's members according to the provisions of the Rule.

As with any individual or group of individuals for whom good physical shape is a priority, dietary discipline is a key point in maintaining the necessary level of physical and mental abilities. The need for a disciplined diet did not escape the knights, nor the Church. And as Paul of Tarsus said: Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?...

The Church had strict rules concerning the daily life and conduct of the Templar Brothers. One of these areas in which instructions were given to the knights concerned precisely their diet.
The Primitive Rule of the Templars is the set of rules that the Templars had to follow: not only what the Brothers could eat and when, but also how they should eat it, as well as conduct and prayer during meals. From these Rules, it can be seen that the Church understood that the human body needs a balanced diet to function optimally. Furthermore, they align with the fact that the Christian's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and as such must be well maintained.

Optimal physical and mental conditions depend on a well-balanced and well-portioned diet. Precious factors that helped the Templars become a well-disciplined and reliable fighting force.

The Longevity of the Templars

Contrary to many modern depictions, the Knights seem to have lived a truly humble life, in the service of God. Their dietary choices and obligations reflect this. Although the order grew rich through carefully managed donations and safeguarding the money of traveling pilgrims, the Knights themselves took formal vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. For nearly 200 years, the order thrived across Europe, peaking at about 15,000 members by the end of the 13th century.

According to research conducted on very ancient documents, the extraordinary longevity of the soldier-monks was due to the hygienic and dietary rules codified by Bernard of Clairvaux: little meat and plenty of legumes, as well as fish, cheese, olive oil, and fresh fruit.

The Knights Templar lived 40 years longer than the average in a historical era when life expectancy ranged between 25 and 40 years. According to the historical documents analyzed, Hugues de Payens died at 66; the last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, when he was killed, after 7 years in prison, was 67 years old.

In the Middle Ages, the diet was rich in fats and calories; the wealthier classes consumed a lot of meat, and gout was one of the most common pathologies. It seems that the Templars' diet was, instead, an act of balance between the normal fasting requirements of monks and the fact that these knights led an active, military life.

The Templars ate meat 3 times a week, including pork, even though "the habit of eating meat corrupts the body." On Sundays, everyone ate meat; superiors were allowed to dine and have supper with some roasted animal; they consumed many legumes (three dishes a week) in the form of meatballs, porridges, or fiber-rich stews. The wealthier brothers could add expensive spices, such as cumin; fish was very frequent, dried or salted; they added citrus juices to their drinking water to enrich its antibacterial power and drank almond milk.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, the Knights consumed simpler meals, rich in vegetables. Although the rules describe these meals as "two or three meals of vegetables or other dishes eaten with bread," they often also included milk, eggs, and cheese.
Once a week, on Fridays, they observed a Lenten fast but with some concessions for the weak and sick who received "meat and all other foods that bring good health," to get them back into fighting shape as quickly as possible.
Some wine was also consumed, but rationed and diluted because, as Solomon said, "wine corrupts the wise." It was usually flavored with anise or rosemary, or boiled and spiced with cinnamon and cloves, sweetened with honey or sugar from the Eastern plantations. Beer, one of the oldest beverages produced by man, was also consumed in moderation.

The Templars were also required to eat in pairs, both to save on dishes and to ensure that no one fasted without permission. Meals were eaten in silence. After eating, everyone gave thanks. Leftover bread was collected and given to the poor, while whole loaves were set aside for future meals.

In the Holy Land, the Templars also consumed a powerful cocktail made from antiseptic Aloe Vera, hemp, and palm wine, known as the Elixir of Jerusalem, which accelerated wound healing.

In their gardens, the Templars grew fruit and vegetables, especially Mediterranean produce such as figs, almonds, pomegranates, olives and wheat, mustard, garlic and onions—the famous Palestinian onions from Ascalon, from which they took their name in Italian: scalogno (shallot).

The Order also prohibited hunting for food, while the Templars themselves devoted themselves to fish farming. They considered seafood an excellent substitute for meat; in this way—the research further highlights—they benefited from the positive effect of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as the antioxidant and anti-depressant effect of mollusks.

The Knights Templar also followed behavioral principles to be respected to avoid the spread of infections: it was mandatory to wash hands before eating, the refectory always had to be well-kept, and the tables always clean. The introduction of these innovations might be the result of interactions with Arab physicians, renowned at that time for their superior medical knowledge. By medieval medical standards, the Knights Templar were indeed able to cure many diseases.

Many of these rules resemble modern dietary advice.

Physicians in Attendance

During the Crusades, the Knights Templar had monastic physicians in attendance to care for the sick and wounded. These physicians not only employed the main treatments known in medieval Europe but also methods learned from healers of the Arab tradition, helping to elevate Western medical knowledge through the integration of the wisdom of their Middle Eastern counterparts.

Compared to the knowledge of the Arabs, European medicine was not very advanced. A Syrian writer of the time describes how an Arab doctor and a European one debated how to cure an abscess, an infected lump on a knight's leg. The Arab prepared a dressing with ointment to open the lump and let the infection out. The European insisted that the only thing to do was to amputate his leg!

The Arabs also relied on a medical culture rich in devotion: Make use of medical treatments, for God has not created an illness without also creating a remedy for it, with the sole exception of one infirmity, old age. Many of their methods, such as the use of honey, olive oil, or cupping (hijama), are part of curative or prophylactic practices that have Babylonian characteristics, tracing them back to the 3rd millennium BC. Even today, in many Islamic countries, these practices are still used.

An important part of Arab medicine was the interpretation of dreams (ta'bir al-anam), to which the Prophet himself attached great importance. As early as the 8th century, Ibn Sirin composed the first major Arab work dedicated to this subject, whose main source was the Oneirocritica, a treatise on dream interpretation by the Greek author Artemidorus of Daldis, written eight centuries earlier. The great attention the Arabs paid to the psyche certainly originates from here. The use of spiritual care was more common than one might think; in medical treatises, a world of rituals, rich in symbols, seals, and talismans, sometimes emerges.

Bald's Leechbook

A very well-known manual of medieval European medicine is Bald's Leechbook (also known as Medicinale Anglicum), a medical text in Old English and medieval Latin probably compiled in the mid-10th century. Also known as the Leechbook, it listed a range of ailments that crusaders would encounter and the remedies their physicians would employ, including recipes for many cures and instructions.

The Leechbook was used by first referring to the area of the body where the problem was located; then one looked through the list of individual ailments for the one identified. The physician then selected the cure most suitable for the patient, administered according to the dosage or method described. (The Healing Practices of the Knights Templar and Hospitaller – Plants, Charms, and Amulets of the Healers of the Crusades – Jon G. Hughes)

This particular type of medicine was based on ancient Greco-Roman knowledge, superstitions, and remedies of Germanic origin. The name used to define the Anglo-Saxon physician, The Leech, provides an idea of what was one of the most used remedies for treating various pathologies.

The Leechbook includes a comprehensive herbal list, listing all the medicinal plants and materials needed to create remedies, potions, elixirs, and ointments. It details recipes for many cures and a range of magical-medical applications such as spells and amulets used by the physicians accompanying the Templars to deal with new diseases from foreign lands.

Recipes

To rebalance the mind

Take a single eggshell and fill it with equal parts of sulfur powder (also called flowers of sulfur), and wild sage. Pound it until the herbs release their juices. Gently boil the juice and herb fiber with four of the same measures of Metheglyn (mead with spices and herbs). Strain with a cloth and add honey to sweeten. Leave it in the sun from dawn to dusk for three days. Let it rest one night, the following day, and another night still. This cure will be talked about far and wide for many years to come.

For head wounds

Pound the flower heads of twenty-four gladioli and add them to a pitcher of fresh water. Let the simple rest for at least four hours. Soak a light cloth in the liquid and wrap it not too tightly around the head, covering the wound. Pour the liquid onto the cloth every hour until the pain disappears. Relief will come, and comfort will return.

Headache

Take betony, the leaves, stem, and root, and cut it into small fine pieces. Let it dry in front of the fire and then grind it to a powder. Add the weight of two coins to warm Gruit Ale (herbal beer) and offer it to drink. Add another two coin-weights to warmed fox fat and dab the forehead with the obtained ointment. The headache will disappear.

Head Wounds

Take equal parts of dried grey toad liver reduced to powder, rosemary aromatic herbs, and Red Dock (Rumex sanguineus) and mix with rose oil. Soak a woolen cloth in this mixture and prepare a poultice to wrap around the injured head. This must be repeated once every hour for five hours until the skull is healed. This healing will take two days.

Staphylococcus aureus infections

According to the recipe, the "potion" must contain garlic, onion or leek, wine, and cow bile. The mixture must rest in a brass container for nine days at a temperature of 4 degrees.

The Secrets of the Templars

The Templars knew the most hidden secrets of alchemy. They were the first to use St. John's Wort on burns and wounds as an antiseptic and healing agent and to improve the mood of soldiers who remained immobilized in bed for months.

Very well known, as already mentioned, was the Elixir of Jerusalem, a mixture with Aloe pulp, Hemp pulp, and Palm wine with remarkable therapeutic properties. It was made using Aloe Arborescens for its antiseptic, bactericidal, and fungicidal actions and for its ability to penetrate the deepest layers of the skin.

Robert Anton Wilson, in his book on the Templars, asserts that they used hashish and practiced a form of Arab tantrism; the doctrine of enlightenment as the realization of the unity of one's self and the visible world, combining elements of Hinduism and paganism, including magical and mystical elements.

The Templars often needed to treat wounds and diseases, so much so that they became experts in the use of medicines. They were the first not to consider epilepsy as demonic possession but as a controllable illness, and cannabis is the safest and most effective natural medicine in the treatment of epilepsy.

The esoteric and alchemical legacy was handed down from the Templars to the hospitaller monks, known as the Knights of Malta, experts in treating skin diseases, whose task it was to cure soldiers wounded during the Crusades with their miraculous ointments.

Thus was born the myth of the Templars, who in subsequent centuries have occupied a unique place in European history. Orthodox historians see them as nothing more than soldier-monks whose arrogance was their ultimate downfall, while others see them as occultists and alchemists of the first order.