(CNN) -- A bright red cross marked the cover of a manifesto purportedly written by the suspect in last week's terror attacks in Norway.
Nearly 6,000 miles away, Mexican police seized white robes emblazoned with the same symbol in a series of raids aimed at cracking down on one of the country's newest drug cartels.The Knights Templar -- warriors during the medieval holy wars known as the Crusades -- wore the cross insignia as they went into battle. Its red color represented the blood of Christian martyrs.
The recent modern-day interpretations of the crusaders' ancient cause wouldn't sit well with the original Knights Templar, according to British historian and novelist Piers Paul Read."They'd have been horrified. ... They were very devout people," said Read, who detailed the knights' history in his book "The Templars."The knights began in the 12th century as a religious order fighting Muslims and protecting Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land.They mostly came from Western Europe and took strict vows of poverty, Read said. But over time, their organization amassed significant wealth and property, drawing ire from citizens and royalty alike.Amid accusations of heresy and devil-worship from France's king, the pope dissolved the order in 1312, Read said.
The group's last leader was burned at the stake, but the story of the Knights Templar lives on, portrayed in films and popular fiction such as "The Da Vinci Code."
Nearly 6,000 miles away, Mexican police seized white robes emblazoned with the same symbol in a series of raids aimed at cracking down on one of the country's newest drug cartels.The Knights Templar -- warriors during the medieval holy wars known as the Crusades -- wore the cross insignia as they went into battle. Its red color represented the blood of Christian martyrs.
The recent modern-day interpretations of the crusaders' ancient cause wouldn't sit well with the original Knights Templar, according to British historian and novelist Piers Paul Read."They'd have been horrified. ... They were very devout people," said Read, who detailed the knights' history in his book "The Templars."The knights began in the 12th century as a religious order fighting Muslims and protecting Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land.They mostly came from Western Europe and took strict vows of poverty, Read said. But over time, their organization amassed significant wealth and property, drawing ire from citizens and royalty alike.Amid accusations of heresy and devil-worship from France's king, the pope dissolved the order in 1312, Read said.
The group's last leader was burned at the stake, but the story of the Knights Templar lives on, portrayed in films and popular fiction such as "The Da Vinci Code."
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