What good books have you read recently?

[Eldora, Oracle of Alchemy]

I am reading a book about pirates and the Templar Knights.  So far it is just doing an overview of the Templars.

[LMNO]

[Just saying]

Pirates < Knights Templar < Big, Gay Cowboys.

[/Just saying]

[Toots]

I am reading a book about pirates and the Templar Knights.  So far it is just doing an overview of the Templars.

The Teutonic Knights Templar wreaked some major havoc in Poland. In Malbork (called Marienburg in the past) there is a huge castle that the Templars built. I'm originally from that area of Poland so I've been to the castle on many a school trip. It's really well preserved, it's fantastic to see.

Two the more quirky things there are bathroom related. You can find little bearded devil sculptures on corridor walls throughout the castle. The beard of the devil points to the direction of the nearest bathroom. Some of the devils have wings, meaning that the next bathroom is far away so if you really have to go you better hurry!

The other was a trick bathroom stall. It looks like a regular bathroom but the floor is a trap door. Apparently this was a fairly popular way of disposing of enemies in that castle--invite them over to a feast, show them to that bathroom and then, bye bye! The bathrooms are built over a huge drop.

I have pics from the trip I took there two years ago, let me know if you're interested and I can send them to you.

[hooplala]

Is it not possible the Templars' actions were not over-exaggerated in Poland as they were all over the rest of Europe?

[Cain]

Teutonic Knights =/= Templars.

And the Teutonic Knights were bloodthirsty bastards by everyones accounts.

[hooplala]

I thought I'd read somewhere that what they supposedly did was drastically over-exaggerated?  I could be completely wrong, I don't know a lot about them.  Just curious.

[Cain]

From what I remember, their own side we worried about them.  The Vatican, that is.  Plus they were building an empire out there, which is always a bloody business.

[hooplala]

True.

I'll go poke around the innernets and see if anything pops up.   Surely there's no false information on the innernets.

[Toots]

Teutonic Knights =/= Templars.

And the Teutonic Knights were bloodthirsty bastards by everyones accounts.

Really? Is there a connection at all? In Polish they are called "The Teutonic Knights Templar." Are the Polish on crack then?

Check it out: http://polandpoland.com/teutonic_knights_templar.html

[LMNO]

Teutonic Knights =/= Templars.

And the Teutonic Knights were bloodthirsty bastards by everyones accounts.

Really? Is there a connection at all? In Polish they are called "The Teutonic Knights Templar." Are the Polish on crack then?

Check it out: http://polandpoland.com/teutonic_knights_templar.html

If you have to ask...

[Toots]

Teutonic Knights =/= Templars.

And the Teutonic Knights were bloodthirsty bastards by everyones accounts.

Really? Is there a connection at all? In Polish they are called "The Teutonic Knights Templar." Are the Polish on crack then?

Check it out: http://polandpoland.com/teutonic_knights_templar.html

If you have to ask...

But I didn't ask you my dearest sweetest love. Why are you following me around the board? Better be more discreet or everyone will know you want to get it on.

[Cain]

OK...

Knights Templar were known as the Knights of the Temple of Soloman.  That was their order, by Papal Bull.  Templars was their nickname.

The Teutonic Knights Templar were a seperate religious/military order, evidenced by their areas of operation and founding documents.  The Templars worked the Middle East and southern Europe, the Teutonic Knights got the Balkans and Germany/Poland.  Also, the Teutonic Knights existed long after the dissolution of the Knights Templar, as any basic fact checking would prove.

[Toots]

Ahh, thanks for clarifying!

[Cain]

[Malaul]

I just finished The Big U by neal stevenson

notta bad read at all