Behind The Templar Agenda
The Rite of Larmenius
The chief villains of the piece, and almost entirely made up. Over the centuries there have been literally thousands of secret societies whose influence, or alleged influence, on the wider world has led to many a controversial claim. The Rite of Larmenius is effectively an amalgamation of some of these: in particular the conspiracy theories that surround the Freemasons and their high-profile appendant bodies. In the case of this novel, I have extended the theme to hypothetical connections with the Masons. This, quite simply, was inspired by the Masons’ own legends, the order’s alleged connections with famous high-profile figures, particularly George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and, as some readers will undoubtedly already be aware, the probable historical Templar influence on the early Masonic societies in Scotland, such as the Scottish Rite. Everything mentioned in connection with the Masons in this novel is fictitious.
The existence of the Rite of Larmenius depends solely on the premise that a man named Jean-Marc Larmenius became the historical successor to Jacques de Molay as Grand Master of the Knights Templar. Alleged proof of this is mentioned in a document known as the Larmenius Charter, discovered in France in around 1806. This curious piece of writing is almost certainly a forgery, though the names mentioned are interesting. In particular, it lists alleged grand masters including historical people who had a clear link to the Revolutionaries in France. For that reason, I have used it as fodder for the storyline.
