The Knights Templar banner
Elo Andersen
Does anyone know the meaning af the word "Beauseant", which I have been
told was the name of the black/white banner of the Knights Templars?
--
Kind regards
Elo Andersen
Thazy
<01bdc16a$2c4d4ec0$b48b08c3@gpgzqmga>...
"Baussant" or "Beaucent" from the ancient french "Vaucent" that means "I
value one hundred", this meaning seems confirmed by the italian name of the
black and white banner :"Valcento".
Hoping been useful...
Thazy...
Non ti fidar di me se il cuor ti manca....
David Read
<th...@tin.it> writes
"...Bauceant.... usually corrupted to Beau Séant or Beauséant, derives
from the Low Latin for a piebald horse, and Jacques de Vitry describes
how it signified ' that they are fair and kindly towards their friends,
but black and terrible to their enemies.' "
_Armies and Enemies of the Crusades 1096-1291_ by Ian Heath
cheers,
--
David Read
D. Provost
Another explanation is cited at the Templar info website
http://intranet.ca/~magicworks/knights/beausant.html
The word beau is now generally conceived to mean beautiful, but it
means much more than that. In medieval French it meant a lofty state,
for which translators have offered such terms as "noble," "glorious,"
and even "magnificent" As a battle cry then, "Beau Seant" was a charge
to "Be noble" or "Be Glorious"
From the book Born In Blood by John J. Robinson
M Evans and Company
regards,
Darren Provost
wil...@hotmail.com
Sir Stephen Runciman (hisotry of Crusades Pt2)
also favours the Latin slang origin.
Also, the banner itself was black & white, either two
squares, 1 black, 1 white with the black above the wite to form
a vertical rectangle OR the black could be only the top qtr
of the flag.
Their seal was two knights on the one horse, i suppose
representing the poverty of "The poor knights of Christ
and the Temple of Jerusalem." or it could respresent their
original charter of guarding the roads from the coast to
jerusalem.
Another thing I have read, (dubious source)
is that the black & white sections together formed
a representation of phi. ( I cant remember the definition
of this constant although I think it is referred to as
"the golden Section). Anyway this constant is found
throughout the pyramids in Egypt.
from the eidence IMO the Low Latin for a piebald horse
is the best explanation.
Bill.