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{{Era|Templars}}{{Quote|In hoc signo vinces<br>(In this sign, conquer).|The unidentified CEO of Abstergo Industries, on the Templar's insignia, 2012.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|Rifts}}
{{Era|ACAC|AC|ACBL|AC2|AC2D|ACB|ACR|AC3|AC3L|PL|TF|TC|ACL|ASD|ACE|Templars}}
 
 
[[File:Templars.png|200px|thumb|The Templar insignia]]
{{Stub}}
 
 
The '''Templar insignia''', based on the '''Mark of Cain''', is the symbol of the [[Templars|Templar Order]]. It typically consists of a red {{Wiki|cross pattée}} on a black or white background, and as such, is often called the '''Red Cross''', or simply the '''Cross'''.
{{Youmay|the Templar Order's insignia|the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]]'s [[Assassin insignia|insignia]]}}
 
[[File:Knights.png|150px|thumb|The Templar insignia]]
 
The '''Templar insignia''', based on the '''mark of [[Cain]]''', is the symbol of the [[Templars|Templar Order]]. It consists of a red {{Wiki|cross pattée}}, because of which it is often called the '''Red Cross''', or simply the '''Cross'''.
 
   
 
==History==
 
==History==
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===Prehistory===
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The [[Children of Cain]], the earliest known incarnation of the Knights Templar, used what they believed to be [[Cain]]'s branding mark as their insignia after it was given to him as punishment for killing [[Abel]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Glyphs|Glyph]] #6: "Brothers"</ref>
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===5th century BCE Greece===
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The [[Iran|Persian]] branch of the [[Order of the Ancients]] used the likeness of the {{Wiki|Faravahar}} as their insignia.<ref name="ACOd">''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]''</ref>
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===Ptolemaic Egypt===
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The [[Egypt]]ian branch of Order of the Ancients used a version of the Mark of Cain stylized as an ankh accompanying a [[Snake|serpent]] wearing the {{Wiki|pschent}} double crown as their insignia.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]''</ref>
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===Tang Dynasty China===
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The [[China|Chinese]] branch of the Order used a [[Golden Turtles|Golden Turtle]] as their insignia.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]''</ref>
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===Early Middle Ages===
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The [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] branch of the Order of the Ancients used the symbol of [[Yggdrasil]] as their insignia.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Birthrights]]</ref>
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===High Middle Ages===
 
===High Middle Ages===
During the High Middle Ages, the Templars were a fully public order, and their soldiers wore the insignia freely on their uniforms.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>
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During the High Middle Ages, the Knights Templar were a fully public order as the [[Levant]]ine [[Levantine Rite of the Templar Order|Rite]], and their [[Crusaders|Crusader]] [[soldier]]s wore the insignia freely on their uniforms.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>
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  +
===Golden Age of Piracy===
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During the [[Golden Age of Piracy]]. the Templars had long since developed into a secretive society. The [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]] relied on this near-global ignorance to subtly include a cross on his belt.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref>
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===The Americas===
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During the [[Seven Years' War]]<ref name="ACRG">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''</ref> and subsequent [[United States|American]] [[American Revolution|Revolutionary]] [[American Revolutionary War|War]],<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref> the Templars remained a secretive organization, and as such continued the tradition of displaying their insignia on relatively small and inconspicuous items, like belt buckles, sash ends,<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Rogue'' – [[The Color of Right]]</ref> or [[Templar ring]]s.<ref>''Assassin's Creed III'' – [[The Braddock Expedition (memory)]]</ref> Still, there were exceptions, as [[Shay Cormac]] would occasionally have his {{Wiki|sloop-of-war}} the ''[[Morrigan]]'' proudly fly black sails with a prominent red cross.<ref name="ACRG" />
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===French Revolution===
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By the [[France|French]] [[French Revolution|Revolution]], the Templars maintained their practice of hiding the symbol from the public by limiting its use to small items such as [[Templar pin]]s or only displaying it behind closed doors, such as the secret Templar office in [[François-Thomas Germain]]'s shop. Like in America, 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.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]''</ref>
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===Industrial Revolution===
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During the [[Industrial Revolution]], the Templars once more displayed the insignia in public in the form of the logo for [[Crawford Starrick]]'s corporation [[Starrick Telegraph Company]], which used an ''alésée'' cross pattée, and an alternate sign for the Templar-affiliated [[Blighters]] gang. High-ranking Templars wore the insignia in the form of mantels and arm bands, while Starrick himself kept an jeweled ''alésée'' cross pattée for ceremonial purposes.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]''</ref>
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===Modern times===
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By the [[Modern times|modern era]], the Templars had largely removed themselves from the public eye completely, with only certain members of their [[Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order|Inner Sanctum]] wearing rings with the insignia displayed on them, even when amongst their brethren.<ref name="AC3" />
   
===Renaissance===
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==Renditions==
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<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180">
During the [[Renaissance]] in [[Italy]], the Templars had gone into hiding and adopted more secretive tactics. Due to this, their insignia was no longer displayed publicly, but was instead use more subtly, such as on rings.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>
 
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AssassinsCreed KeeperOfTheOrder.jpg|The flag of the 10th century Knights Templar
===American Revolution===
 
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Knights.png|Levantine Templars insignia
During the American Revolution, the Templars remained a secretive organization, with their insignia displayed on relatively small inconspicuous items such as rings.
 
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In Hoc Signo Vinces.png|A stylized {{Wiki|Maltese cross}} bearing the first letters of the Templar motto
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Mark of Cain.png|The cross as depicted in [[Glyphs|Glyph]] #6
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Cross of the Knights Templar.png|The cross as depicted in Glyph #8
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ACS Starrick Telegraph Company Logo.jpg|Logo of Starrick Telegraph Company
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Templar_necklace.png|Templar necklace
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Starrick's Templar Necklace.png|The necklace worn by Crawford Starrick
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Modern day templars.jpg|Modern Templar insignia
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ACIII Templar Cross.png|Templar cross
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</gallery>
   
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}
  +
{{Templars nav}}
 
[[Category:Templar Order]]
 
[[Category:Templar Order]]
[[Category:Factions]]
 

Latest revision as of 02:07, 21 November 2023

"In hoc signo vinces
(In this sign, conquer)."
―The unidentified CEO of Abstergo Industries, on the Templar's insignia, 2012.[src]-[m]
Templars

The Templar insignia

The Templar insignia, based on the Mark of Cain, is the symbol of the Templar Order. It typically consists of a red cross pattée on a black or white background, and as such, 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 what they believed to be Cain's branding mark as their insignia after it was given to him as punishment for killing Abel.[1]

5th century BCE Greece

The Persian branch of the Order of the Ancients used the likeness of the Faravahar as their insignia.[2]

Ptolemaic Egypt

The Egyptian branch of Order of the Ancients used a version of the Mark of Cain stylized as an ankh accompanying a serpent wearing the pschent double crown as their insignia.[3]

Tang Dynasty China

The Chinese branch of the Order used a Golden Turtle as their insignia.[4]

Early Middle Ages

The Anglo-Saxon branch of the Order of the Ancients used the symbol of Yggdrasil as their insignia.[5]

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.[6]

Golden Age of Piracy

During the Golden Age of Piracy. the Templars had long since developed into a secretive society. The Grand Master Laureano de Torres y Ayala relied on this near-global ignorance to subtly include a cross on his belt.[7]

The Americas

During the Seven Years' War[8] and subsequent American Revolutionary War,[9] the Templars remained a secretive organization, and as such continued the tradition of displaying their insignia on relatively small and inconspicuous items, like belt buckles, sash ends,[10] or Templar rings.[11] Still, there were exceptions, as Shay Cormac would occasionally have his sloop-of-war the Morrigan proudly fly black sails with a prominent red cross.[8]

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. Like in America, 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.[12]

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 corporation Starrick Telegraph Company, which used an alésée cross pattée, and an alternate sign for the Templar-affiliated Blighters gang. High-ranking Templars wore the insignia in the form of mantels and arm bands, while Starrick himself kept an jeweled alésée cross pattée for ceremonial purposes.[13]

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.[9]

Renditions

References