Templar's symbolism in Dürer's engraving
Knight, Death, and Devil
 |
| Albrecht Durer, Knight, Death and Devil, 1513, dim. 25x19.2 cm |
Albrecht Dürer's engravings are like enigmas or a multi layered artworks pulsating different contents. They offer several possible interpretations at the same time like all the greatest artworks. Some express a deeply gnostic apprehension of the world known to Dürer, some convey important historical facts, others reveal Dürer's specifically brilliant mind that could be offensive and even politically dangerous at the time.
The third engraving, in the context of three 'Meisterstiche', Knight, Death, and Devil was created in 1513 according to the tablet in the lower left corner of the engraving. Dürer's 'tablets' always look suspiciously, since they are always bearing a hint to the content initially concealed by the artist. The date on the tablet is precisely 200 years after the official dissolution of the Templars in tragic year 1313. Before the number 1513 on the tablet stands a mysterious 'S' whose meaning is for Panofsky obscure. But the secret is hidden in a Greek equivalent of Latin letter S, which is Σ, a Greek Sigma with the gematrical value 200. If Albrecht Dürer's engraving Knight, Death, and Devilhas anything to do with the Templars than this number could allude to the 200th anniversary of Templar's official end.
The most important date in the history of the persecution of Knights Templar is Friday, 13th of October 1307, when most of French Knights of the Order were simultaneously arrested at dawn. The memory of 13. 10. is preserved in the ratio of the main dimensions of the engraving. The dimensions of the engraving are 25 x 19.2 cm which is almost exactly the ratio of 13:102 commemorating the 13th of October 1307. The width of the engraving - 19.2 cm - is exactly 8 inches from Frankfurt, a measure that Durer used many times for the basic dimensions of his artworks. If the height is calculated according to the ratio 13 : 10, a diagonal of 13 inches is obtained, which is again emphasizing a symbolism of number 13.
It seems that Albrecht Dürer was fond of commemorating his masterpieces to some important historical event, mostly from his perspective of a Renaissance man. A remembrance of the events that happened in 1313, particularly the end of the Order of the Temple and the murder of the grand master of Templars Jacques de Molay, is preserved in the engraving Knight, Death, and Devil executed by Dürer, exactly two hundred years later. Another such case of memento is The Fall of Man from 1504.
The main protagonists in the destruction of the Templars were French king Philip IV, also known as Philip le Bel (surely an expression of his vanity not mercifulness), and pope Clement V, the first in the line of 'Avignon popes', vassals under French royal influence. The goal was political and religious, since Templars represented an important political force mostly because of vast financial resources at disposal and land ownership. Practically, they functioned as a system within a system, which is obviously irritating from the ruling position. Religiously they posed a threat to official dogma, since the nature of their endeavors enabled them to gain a contact with various sources of knowledge, and their belief is closer to a gnostic perception of Christianity than official dogma sustained by some questionable popes ...
Three main characters of the engraving metaphorically represent the three players in the historic drama: Templars are represented by the Knight, the king Philip Le Bel is disguised as Death wearing a regal crown, and Pope Clement V is concealed in the shape of Devil.
An allusion to Le Bel's vanity is his head wreathed in snakes, which invokes the myth of Medusa, the most famous and the only mortal of the three Gorgones. A beautiful maiden made a mistake comparing herself to the goddess Athena who jealously turned Medusa's beautiful curls into hissing snakes. No living being could look at her without being turned into stone. Finally, Perseus cut her head while sleeping and brought it to Athena.
In 1314, was the Grand Master Jacques (Jacob) de Molay burnt at the stake in Paris thus making an apparent end to the most prominent chivalric and initiatic order in the history of Europe. A myth claims, that before his death, Jacob de Molay prophesied the soon end of both opponents - Philip and Clement both died the same year. Strangely, they all share the 'letter of Death'3 if their values are calculated in masonic code:
JACOB DE MOLAY = (10+1+3+15+2)+(4+5)+(13+15+12+1+25) = 106
PAPA CLEMENT = (16+1+16+1)+(3+12+5+13+5+14+20) = 106
PHILIP LE BEL = (16+8+9+12+9+16)+(12+5)+(2+5+12) = 106
Number 106 is also a gematrical value of the name of Hebrew letter נ, Nun, which is also the attribute of Trump XIII, Death.
Heb: נון, Nun = 50+6+50 = 106
In accordance with Tarot correspondences is the year when the engraving was printed, 15-13, a direct signature of Devil and Death, since Devil in Tarot is XV (15), and Death is XIII (13).
| NUMBER |
NAME |
Eng |
Heb |
|
ZODICAL SIGN |
| XIII |
Death |
N |
נ |
Nun, fish |
Scorpio |
| XV |
Devil |
O |
ע |
Ayin, eye |
Sagittarius |
The signature on the table in the lower left corner of the engraving consists of the letter S, date 1513 and a monogram AD. If we substitute the numbers from the date with corresponding letters: 15 into O, and 13 into N, a word SONAD is obtained. Backwardly, it is the Greek word DANOS, meaning 'burnt', an epitaph in remembrance of the death on the stake of the Grand Master, Jacob de Molay. Highly unlikely, but a nice coincidence.
 |
| inverted pentagram rules composition |
Another allusion to the chivalric order long abolished before Dürer’s time is almost to obviously visible underlying geometry of the inverted pentagram as described elsewhere. One of the main accusations of the inquisition versus Templars was also 'Devil-worship' in the image of the egregore Baphometh. The inverted pentagram is vulgarly associated as the supreme signifier of evil and works of Devil. The last allusion to the Order of the Temple is the skull6 placed above the tablet with the date and monogram, a symbol marking an event, a memory of life and the expression of Gnostic tradition of the Templars.
|
 "Knight Death Devil-Knight Templars")
 "Knight Death Devil-Knight Templars")
