Geoffroi de Charney facts for kids
Geoffroi de Charney (died March 11 or 18, 1314) was an important leader of the Knights Templar in Normandy, a region in France. In 1307, he was arrested along with all the other Knights Templar in France. He was later executed by burning in 1314.
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Early Life
We don't know much about Geoffroi de Charney's early life. He joined the Knights Templar when he was quite young. He was accepted into the Order by Amaury de la Roche, who was a high-ranking Templar leader in France.
The Knights Templar and Their Arrest
The Knights Templar were a powerful group of Christian knights. They were first created to protect pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. Later, their job grew to include fighting in the Crusades.
The Templars faced serious trouble in France. King Philip IV wanted to get rid of them. He worked with Pope Clement V to make this happen. On October 13, 1307, the King ordered that all Templars in France be arrested.
A month later, Pope Clement V, pressured by the King, sent out an order to all Christian rulers. This order told them to arrest any Templars and take their lands. Even though this order went to many countries, the Grand Master of the Templars, Jacques de Molay, Geoffroi de Charney, and many other Templars were in France. They were arrested and held until they confessed to crimes they were accused of.
In 1307, the Pope sent two cardinals to talk to Jacques de Molay and Hugues de Pairaud. These Templar leaders took back their confessions. They told other Templars to do the same. Many Templars tried to take back their confessions. However, those who did often faced harsh punishments.
False Accusations
Geoffroi de Charney and the other Templars in France were arrested on October 13, 1307. Many charges were made against them. These charges were very similar to those made against other people King Philip disliked.
Some of the charges were that the Templars worshipped an idol. This idol was said to be a cat or a head with three faces. Many other charges were added later. These accusations were mostly made up to give the King a reason to arrest the Templars.
Taking Back Confessions and Execution
Eventually, King Philip's investigators forced Jacques de Molay to confess to the charges. But on March 18, 1314, de Molay and de Charney took back their confessions. They said they were innocent of the crimes. They stated they had only confessed because they were forced to. They felt guilty for betraying their Order by lying.
Because they took back their confessions, they were immediately found guilty of being "relapsed heretics." This meant they were seen as people who had gone back to false beliefs after confessing. The punishment for this was death. This act made other Templars afraid to speak out. King Philip continued to pressure the Pope to officially close down the Templar Order. This led to the public execution of Jacques de Molay and Geoffroi de Charney by burning.
Death
The exact day Geoffroi de Charney died is debated by historians. One account says that on March 19, 1314, de Molay and de Charney were brought before a crowd in Paris. They had been in prison for almost seven years. They were told they would be imprisoned for life.
However, de Molay and de Charney surprised everyone. They stood up and declared they were innocent. They said the charges were false and their confessions were lies. They stated their Order was pure and holy.
The cardinals quickly handed them over to the city official. King Philip was very angry when he heard this. He ordered that both de Molay and de Charney be burned to death right away. That same day, a large fire was built on a small island in the Seine River in Paris. There, de Molay and de Charney were slowly burned. They refused to take back their words, even for a pardon. They faced their terrible end with courage. Many people who watched believed they were martyrs, meaning they died for their beliefs. People even collected their ashes as special keepsakes.
A Lasting Legend
Just over a month after their deaths, Pope Clement V died from an illness. Eight months later, King Philip IV died at age forty-six in a hunting accident. These deaths led to a famous legend. People said that de Molay had called them to face God's judgment before he died.
These stories became very popular. Even in faraway Germany, people said King Philip's death was punishment for destroying the Templars. Pope Clement was said to have cried with regret on his deathbed for three big mistakes, including ruining the Templars.
A historian named Malcolm Barber has studied this legend. He found that it likely came from an old French story. This story was written by someone who saw the execution. It describes de Molay as being fearless and saying that God would get revenge for their deaths.
These events are the basis for a famous series of historical novels called Les Rois maudits (The Accursed Kings). These books were written by Maurice Druon. Geoffroi de Charney is a supporting character in these novels. The books were also made into two French television shows.
Images for kids
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Knights Templar being burned at the stake.
