Jacques de Molay (Paperback)

English summary: Even today, Jacques de Molay continues to fascinate. Of the twenty-three Grand Masters who succeeded each other as head of the Order of the Temple from 1120 to 1312, he is undoubtedly the only one still recalled by history buffs. Maurice Druon's book, Les Rois maudits, immortalized him, and recent works, from the Da Vinci Code to Assassin's Creed, have spread his name throughout the world. Although he may be rooted in myth, Jacques de Molay has hardly captivated historians. He is an "unknown celebrity," typically disparaged, about whom much is still uncertain, even his key dates: his birth, election, and even his death. Traces of his actions, however, are far from sparse. It is these sources that the author has systematically studied and compared to various existing memoirs, which promise to throw new light on the Grand Master: rid of stereotypes, Jacques de Molay can finally emerge from the shadows.

This book is divided into three parts. The first deals with representations of the dignitary, revealing how, from the early 19th century on, an archetype of him as a tragic hero came about. The second, beyond the character, focuses on the man, and explores the path of his life to establish how he became the leader of the Temple with whose fate-from the Holy Land to the jails of Philippe le Bel-he identified. Lastly, Jacques de Molay's commitments form the core of the third part. His support of the Latin East and the defense of his Order, which he strove to adapt as best he could to a situation fraught with perils, were the priorities of a staunch and enterprising man, one very unlike the inept person that too many authors describe. Thus, even through the torment of the Temple trial, he tried to ward off risk in order to safeguard his institution, and once the latter's destruction was decided and decreed, to preserve its memory as he confronted the judges and death. He did this on March 11, 1314, retracting some of the confessions that had been extracted from him while under torture six-and-one-half years earlier, prepared to face being burned at the stake and to make this ultimate sacrifice of his life, for which posterity avenged him by seeing in his death, with the passing centuries, the compelling case of a martyr.

Philippe Josserand, who holds an agregation in History and is a former member of Ecole Normale Superieure, is today a senior lecturer in the History of the Middle Ages at Universite de Nantes. A recognized expert in the Crusades and military orders, he coordinated, with Nicole Beriou, Prier et combattre. Dictionnaire europeen des ordres militaires au Moyen Age (Fayard, 2009), and recently co-directed The Templars and their Sources (Routledge, 2017), Entre horizons terrestres et marins. Societes, campagnes et littoraux de l'Ouest atlantique (PUR, 2017), and A la rencontre de l'Autre au Moyen Age (PUR, 2017).

French description: Jacques de Molay fascine. Parmi les vingt-trois grands-maitres qui se sont succede a la tete de l'ordre du Temple entre 1120 et 1312, il est sans doute le seul dont le public conserve la memoire. Les Rois maudits de Maurice Druon l'ont immortalise et de recents supports, du Da Vinci Code a Assassin's Creed, ont repandu son nom dans le monde entier. Pourtant, s'il est ancre dans le mythe, Jacques de Molay n'a guere captive les historiens. Il est un inconnu celebre , d'ordinaire deprecie, sur lequel bien des incertitudes persistent jusque pour ses dates essentielles - sa naissance, son election ou meme sa mort. Les traces de son action, toutefois, sont loin d'etre indigentes. Ce sont ces sources, etudiees de facon systematique et confrontees aux differentes memoires existantes, qui offrent de jeter un nouvel eclairage sur le grand-maitre: debarrasse des stereotypes, Jacques de Molay peut enfin sortir de l'ombre. Trois parties structurent le livre. La premiere traite des images du dignitaire, revelant comment, a partir du debut du XIXe siecle, un archetype du heros tragique s'est mis en place. La seconde, par-dela le personnage, s'attache a l'homme et elle analyse son parcours pour etablir la maniere dont il s'est eleve jusqu'au sommet du Temple au sort duquel, de la Terre sainte aux geoles de Philippe le Bel, il s'est identifie. Les engagements de Jacques de Molay, enfin, sont au coeur de la troisieme partie. Le soutien a l'Orient latin et la defense de son ordre, qu'il s'est efforce d'adapter au mieux a une conjoncture lourde de perils, ont ete les priorites d'un homme ferme et entreprenant, bien loin de l'incapable que trop d'auteurs decrivent. Ainsi, jusque dans la tourmente du proces du Temple, il a cherche a parer au risque, a sauvegarder son institution et, une fois resolue puis arretee la perte de celle-ci, a en preserver la memoire face aux juges et a la mort: il le fit, le 11 mars 1314, en retractant des aveux arraches six ans et demi plus tot par la torture, pret a affronter le bucher et a realiser ce sacrifice ultime de sa vie dont la posterite l'a venge en y trouvant, au fil des siecles, l'assurance croissante du martyre.

Contributor Biography - French Agrege d'histoire et ancien membre de l'Ecole Normale Superieure de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud et de la section scientifique de la Casa de Velazquez, Philippe Josserand est maitre de conferences habilite a diriger des recherches en histoire medievale a l'universite de Nantes. Specialiste reconnu de la croisade et des ordres militaires, il a coordonne avec Nicole Beriou Prier et combattre. Dictionnaire europeen des ordres militaires au Moyen Age (2009) et recemment codirige The Templars and their Sources (2017) et A la rencontre de l'Autre. In memoriam Jacques Le Goff (2017).