大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn mu na Ridirean Teampallach. Tha cuid ag r脿dh gun robh iad an l脿thair aig Bl脿r Allt a鈥� Bhonnaich, air taobh na h-Alba.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ann an tr矛 cheud deug 鈥檚 a seachd (1307), rinn am P脿p m矛-laghail iad. Chaidh na rudan aca 鈥� togalaichean, fearann, ionmhas 鈥� a chur an gr猫im.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 D猫 thachair do na ridirean fh猫in, ge-t脿? Tha e coltach gun t脿inig feadhainn a dh鈥橝lba. Bha Alba taobh a-muigh smachd a鈥� Ph脿pa. Bha am P脿p air R矛gh na h-Alba 鈥� Raibeart Brus 鈥� ascaointeachadh 鈥� sin a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air 鈥渆xcommunication鈥�. Mhuirt am Brusach an Cuimeanach Ruadh ann an eaglais. 鈥橲 e sin as coireach gun robh e air ascaointeachadh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha na Ridirean Teampallach air a bhith ann an Alba fad 霉ine. Bha am pr矛omh 脿ite aca deas air D霉n 脠ideann ann an Temple. Anns an t-seann aimsir bha ainm G脿idhlig air a鈥� bhaile sin. B鈥� e sin Baile nan Trodach 鈥渢he settlement of the warriors鈥�. B鈥� iad na 鈥渢rodaich鈥� na Ridirean Teampallach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Faisg air l脿imh, tha Ros Linn. Tha an caibeal an sin ainmeil. Bha e anns an leabhar aig Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gu bheil ceangal eadar Caibeal Ros Linne agus na Ridirean Teampallach. Ach tha cuid de dh鈥檈貌laichean ag r脿dh nach eil sin f矛or.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Leis nach robh Alba fo smachd spioradail a鈥� Ph脿pa, chaidh ridirean 脿s an Fhraing agus d霉thchannan eile a dh鈥橝lba. Bha na Ridirean Teampallach cumhachd-ach ann an Alba an uair sin. Agus, leis gun d鈥� fhuair iad t猫armann ann an Alba, thug iad taic do dh鈥檃rmailt a鈥� Bhrusaich aig Bl脿r Allt a鈥� Bhonnaich.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ge-t脿, cha robh am Brusach airson sin fhoillseachadh. Carson? Uill, bha e an d貌chas gun robh am P脿p a鈥� dol a chur 脿s don ascaointeachadh. Chaidh a chumail d矛omhair gun robh na Ridirean Teampall-ach aig Bl脿r Allt a鈥� Bhonnaich.

I was talking about the Knights Templar. Some people say that they were present at the Battle of Bannockburn on the Scottish side.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In 1307, the Pope declared them illegal. Their things 鈥� buildings, land, finance 鈥� were confiscated.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 What happened to the knights themselves, however? It appears that some of them came to Scotland. Scotland was outside the Pope鈥檚 control. The Pope had excommunicated the King of Scotland, Robert Bruce; ascaointeachadh 鈥� that鈥檚 the Gaelic for 鈥渆xcommunication鈥�. Bruce murdered the Red Comyn in a church. That was the reason for his excommunication.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Knights Templar had been in Scotland for a long time. Their headquarters were south of Edinburgh at Temple. In the old days, the settlement had a Gaelic name. That was Baile nan Trodach 鈥渢he settlement of the warriors鈥�. The 鈥渨arriors鈥� were the Knights Templar.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Roslynn (Roslin) is close by. The chapel there is famous. It was in the book by Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code. Some people think there is a link between the Rosslyn Chapel and the Knights Templar. But some experts say that is not true.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Because Scotland was not under the spiritual control of the Pope, knights from France and other countries went to Scotland. The Knights Templar were then poweful in Scotland. And, as they [had] obtained sanctuary in scotland, they supported Bruce鈥檚 army at Bannockburn.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 However, Bruce was not keen to let this be known. Why? Well, he was hoping the Pope would overturn the excommunication. It was kept secret that the Knights Templar were at Bannockburn.