Larmenius Charter

Larmenius Charter (Carta Transmissionis trans: Charter of Transmission)
Created	February 1324
Location	Mark Masons Hall, London
Author(s)	Johannes Marcus Larmenius
Media type	Vellum document
Purpose	Detailing the transfer of leadership of the Knights Templar to Jean Marc Larmenius after the death of Jacques de Molay

Larmenius Charter of Transmission

The Larmenius Charter or Carta Transmissionis ("Charter of Transmission") is a coded Latin manuscript purportedly created by Johannes Marcus Larmenius (Fr.: Jean-Marc Larmenius) in February 1324, detailing the transfer of leadership of the Knights Templar to Larmenius after the death of Jacques de Molay.

It also has appended to it a list of 22 successive grand masters of the Knights Templar after de Molay, ending in 1804, the name of Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat appearing last on the list (who revealed the alleged existence of the charter in 1804). The document is written in a supposed devised ancient Knights Templar codex. ^[1] Currently in Freemason custody, the document is kept at the Mark Masons Hall in London. An English translation of the Larmenius Charter was published in 1830. ^[2]

Some researchers have concluded that it is a forgery. ^[3]

Background

Since its unveiling, the charter has been suspected to be a forgery by some, particularly Masonic researchers, suggesting it was the work of a Jesuit named Father Bonani, who assisted Philippe II, Duke of Orléans in 1705 to fabricate the document; yet no evidence exists for this claim. Other researchers, such as John Yarker, Friedrich Münter, and Henri Grégoire, believed the charter to be authentic. ^{[4] [5]}

Legacy

The Larmenius Charter is still used today by some in the neo-Templar movement as a means to claim legitimacy back to the original order. ^[6] Notably, on October 2, 2021, Ronald S. Mangum, Grandmaster of Ordre Souverain et Militaire du Temple de Jérusalem (OSMTJ), ceremonially signed a copy of the Larmenius Charter at Castle Otttis in St. Augustine, Florida. ^[7]

See also

• Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat
• Johannite Church
• Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani
• Self-styled orders

References

1. Hodapp, Christopher; Von Kannon, Alice (2007). "Part III: After the Fall of the Templars". The Templar code for dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. p. 176. ISBN   9780470127650.
2. Lucas, Henry (1830). Manual of the Knights of the Order of the Temple. Liverpool: David Marples. pp. 38–44. OCLC   85059342.
3. Caillet, Serge (1997). L'Ordre rénové du Temple: Aux racines du Temple solaire (in French). Paris: Dervy. p. 28. ISBN   978-2-85076-924-5.
4. Moseley Brown, William (2003) [1944]. "Chapter V: Theories of Masonic Templar Origins". Highlights of Templar History: Includes The Knights Templar Constitution and Abbreviated By-Laws. San Diego, California: The Book Tree. p. 53. ISBN   9781585092307.
5. Édouard Fraissinet, Karl Gottlob von Anton (1840). Essai sur l'histoire de l'Ordre des Templiers (in French). Brussels. p. 124.
6. "Neo-Templar Watch". Neo-Templar Watch. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
7. "Larmenius Charter Ceremonially Signed - OSMTJ Global". 26 April 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022.

External links

• Ordre Souverain et Militaire du Temple de Jérusalem (OSMTJ)

Further reading

• Clausen, Daniel (2021). "Re-Examining the Larmenius Charter". Templar Succession: Establishing Continuity 1307-Present.
• Waite, A. E. (2010). The Masonic Charter of Larmenius. Whitefish, Montana: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN   9781162835303.Extracted from Volume 1 of his book Waite, A. E. (2002) [1911]. The Secret Tradition in Freemasonry. Whitefish, Montana: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN   9780922802982.
• Lucas, Henry (1830). Manual of the Knights of the Order of the Temple. Liverpool: David Marples. OCLC   85059342.