KKC Theory Wiki

The Amyr Were Inspired by the Knights Templar

plausible connection · popularity 218 · 1 source thread

The Amyr mirror the Knights Templar: a powerful church order accused of corruption, officially disbanded, yet rumoured to persist in secret.

About: The Amyr

Also involves: The Tehlin Church, Knights Templar

The theory§

The theory holds that Rothfuss modelled the Amyr on the historical Knights Templar. Both are powerful religious-military orders that grew enormously influential, became entangled with accusations of corruption, and were officially dissolved under ecclesiastical pressure, yet were rumoured to persist in secret long after. The parallel sharpens with the dissolution of the Templars by Pope Clement V in 1312, whose papal bulls suppressed the order and turned much of its property over to its rival Hospitallers, echoing the Amyr's suppression and the seizure of their holdings when the Aturan Empire collapsed. The match is not exact, however: the trope of the disbanded-but-surviving secret society is widespread in literature, and the Amyr may instead draw on the broader figure of the holy paladin opposing evil, or even regional emblems such as the Red Hand of Ulster.

Evidence§

  • The histories are very similar, including the part where they became corrupt and were disbanded but are rumored to still be a secret society.
    Core parallel: corrupt, disbanded, yet rumoured to survive secretly. — u/missed_sla
  • Pope Clement V dissolved the Hospitallers' rival order, the Knights Templar, in 1312 with a series of papal bulls, including the Ad providam bull that turned over much of their property to the Hospitallers. … That sounds familiar.
    Specific historical match: dissolution by papal bulls and seizure of property. — u/elihu
  • It is an excellent source of inspiration, provides a very good cover for the need for secrecy, and allows for any necessary macguffins if/when needed
    Argues the Templar model fits the Amyr's narrative need for secrecy. — u/JamesT3R9
  • the "secret society that is apparently disbanded but actually still exists" is a trope that exists throughout literature.
    CounterCounter: the disbanded-but-surviving trope is generic, not uniquely Templar. — u/If-By-Whisky
  • I wouldn't point to the templars specifically. Their histories don't match, for one. And there are many ancient orders we believe have remained active until present.
    CounterCounter: rejects specific Templar link; histories don't match. — u/[deleted]
  • I think the Amyr were more based on the general fantasy idea of a Paladin, a holy warrior that opposes evil, and the look and style and traits/tropes of Paladins were based on the Templars and other crusaders.
    Refinement: Amyr drawn from the broader Paladin figure, itself Templar-derived. — u/CrispyShizzles
  • Certainly a bit in the generic sense, but IMHO heavily mixed with Red Hand of Ulster for a closer inspiration.
    Alternative inspiration proposed: the Red Hand of Ulster. — u/ObliviousAstroturfer

Book refs: NOTW, WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier correct: clear structural parallel but unconfirmed authorial inspiration

Contributors§

Source threads§