A Short History Explaining The Knights Templar Banners

The Bauceant

Bauceant was the name of the battle flag of the Order used by the Knights Templar in the 12th and 13th centuries.
13th century sources show it as a white gonfanon with a black chief (argent a chief sable).  Jacques de Vitry, writing in the 1220s, mentions the gonfanon bauceant and explains that the symbolises the Templar’s ferocity towards their enemies, whilst the white, their kindness and fairness towards their friends. 

Later in the 13th century, the red cross of the Templar was also added to the banner. In a damaged fresco of the late 13th century in the Templar church of San Bevignate, Perugia, a Templar banner is depicted with the upper half in white and the lower half in black, with the red cross patty attached to the white field. The same fresco also shows a shield and horse-covers in the same design.

Fragment of the fresco at San Bevignate (c. 1290) showing the gonfanon with a red cross patty.

The name bauceant  name was used as a battle cry by the Templars, À moi, beau sire ! Beauséant à la rescousse ! (French for “To me, good sire ! Beauséant to the rescue”).
According to the statutes of the Order, each squadron (or eschielle) of the Order had its own banner.

In battle, the banner-bearer was obliged to avoid direct contact with the enemy, and between five and ten brother Knights were specifically charged with guarding the banner. If any brother were to find himself separated from his banner, he was obliged to try to rally to the nearest Christian banner in the field. No brother was permitted, on pain of expulsion from the order, to leave the field of battle as long as at least one banner of the Order remained flying.

If all of the Templars’ banners had been lost, the Knights were expected to regroup to the nearest banner of the Hospitallers, or any other Christian banner still flying. Only after the last Christian banner had fallen were they permitted to think about saving their own lives. 

After the dissolution of the Order in 1310, and at a much later stage, the Freemasons adopted the banner and now continues as a central part of the Knight making ceremony. Within the Masonic Order of Knights Templar, the Bauceant, is accepted as the senior standard.

The Bauceant on “parade”.

Vexillum Belli

The second standard carried by the Knights Templar was called the “Vexillum Belli” or more simply known as the War Banner. The banner is distinctive by having the red pate cross of the Order emblazoned on a white background.

The Vexillum Belli was unfurled and displayed at the headquarters of the Grand Master during time of war.

Within the Masonic Order of Knights Templar, the Vexillum Belli, is accepted as the junior standard.

Whenever the Masonic Order of Knights Templar are formally “on parade”, both the Bauceant and Vexillum Belli are carried, with the Bauceant always positioned on the right and the Vexillum Belli on the left denoting their seniority.