Hugues de Payens was the 1st Grandmaster of the Order of the Knights Templar, as well as a co-founder in its formation. With a dream to protect the defenseless, he took a bold step and attempted to create a group that can do exactly that. An influential figure within the foundation of the order, he assembled 8 other capable individuals who shared his dream, forged a philosophy that all church militant organization followed, as well as responsible for the order's continent-wide fame within several years.
Born in around 1070, Hugues was from a house of minor nobility within the town of Champagne. Since youth, he held the same idealistic dream as other children of his youth: to become a defender of the weak. While all others eventually dropped this dream as a childish one, he held onto it; believing that with enough persistence, being a protector won't be such an impossible dream. As such, he dedicated all that he had in his training as a proper knight; while it was grueling, Hugues eventually came to be the efficient and reliable vassal of the Count of Champagne.
A veteran of the First Crusade, he was one of the few noble souls who marched towards Jerusalem with the goal to reclaim the Holy City. But on the path to the Holy City, Hugues witnessed the slaughter of countless pilgrims shook him to his core; the need was there, to offer protection. But alas, there is little he can do at this time. Shaken by war, Hugues retreated and served in the Dome of the Rock for a period of time. But with his dream of being a protector reawakened, he eventually left for France the following year only to revisit the Holy Land in 1114 with other secular knights, supported by the Count of Champagne.
Upon returning to the Holy City, Hugues and his companions entered the service of the Holy Sepulchre Canon to defend and protect pilgrims who came to meditate in Jerusalem. To this end, one of their first actions was to build the tower of Destroit, on the road from Cesaree to Haifa. In 1118, they created the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ which in 1119, after having taken their monastic vows in front of Jerusalem’s Patriarch they assumed the name “Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon,” or more simply, Knights of the Temple, or just the Templars. Hugues became the first Grandmaster of this burgeoning Order.
Until 1127, Hugues and his companions provided protection for pilgrims going to Jerusalem. In autumn of this year, Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem, and the Patriarch Goromond decided to send Hugues and five of his companions West to ask for help. At the same time, Baldwin II sent a missive to Bernard of Clairvaux for two reasons. First, it was important to establish recognition for the Templars. Second, the new Order required a Rule to live by, and therefore someone to write it. After a year of editing, the founding members created The Latin Rule, where it contains 72 articles on the responsibilities and laws that all Templars have to abide.
Aside from protecting pilgrims and innocents, the Knights Templar also had a keen interest in finding artifacts. It was said that within the very site of where the temple once stood, the knights uncovered a vault that contained vast amounts of relics and riches, among them was supposedly the Spear of Destiny and the Holy Grail. Of course, these were mostly rumors; but it was no lie that the the Knights Templars gained massive amounts of wealth and knowledge from the ruins of the temple. What these secrets and knowledge, however, was never revealed. One one thing was certain: whatever they found underneath the site, it brought enough importance to become renown from across Europe.
During the next two years, Hugues and his companions travelled through France developing their burgeoning Militia. Their travels also served to secure provisions indispensable to their functioning in the Holy Land. In the spring of 1129, Hugues embarked from Marseille for the journey back to the Holy Land. His companions and numerous new Knights accompanied him. After several more years, his work paid off; with allies and connections from the Papacy to even the Hassans themselves, the small group of formerly nine exploded to a continent-wide organization spanning thousands along with massive tracts of land.
According to chronicles, Hugues died in 1136. At a respectable age of 66 years. His longevity leads many historians to think that he simply died of old age. Even though he had passed, Grandmaster after Grandmaster took his sword in hand, hoping to continue his legacy.
Originally Posted by sherlock1110
*wink wink, nudge nudge*
