From the Arthurian epic poem Parzival to Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and the Assassin’s Creed video game series, the Knights Templar have captivated artists and audiences alike for centuries. In modern times, the Templars have featured in many narrative contexts, evolving in a range of contrasting story roles: the grail guardian, the heroic knight, the villainous knight, and the keeper of conspiracies. This study explores why these gone but not forgotten warrior monks remain prominent in popular culture; how history influenced the myth; and how the myth has influenced literature, film and video games.

Patrick Masters has published writings on the Knights Templar in The Conversation and The Independent. He lives in the UK.

Patrick Masters

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 216
Bibliographic Info: photo, appendix, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8197-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4571-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction 3
Chapter 1: The Templar Knight in Medieval Film: Archetypal Hero and Villain 25
Chapter 2: Playing the Templar: Evolution Through Participatory Media 61
Chapter 3: The Mythical Quest: From Fictional Medieval Origins to Conspiracy Narrative 103
Chapter 4: The Quest for Truth: Play, Performance and Participation Within the Tourist Site 146
Conclusion 179
Appendix: Knights Templar Films, Television and Video Games 185
Bibliography 193
Index 205