happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)

Subject: happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 05 - 11:45 AM

The Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (aka Hospitallers, aka Knights of Malta, etc.) was recognized on 2/15/1113. After being ousted from Jerusalem & Rhodes, Emperor Charles V of Sicily, gave them Malta, Gozo and Comino and the city of Tripoli as a fief of the Kingdom of Sicily 3/24/1530. (The annual rent was one falcon - hence the legend of the Maltese Falcon.)

The Order took possession on 10/26/1530. They surendered Malta to Napoleon's fleet May 10, 1798 and left for Italy.

The Maltese rebelled against the French who left. At that point the knights thought it might be nice to reclaim their fiefdom. The Maltese, however, were now spoiled and preferred freedom to serfdom and wouldn't let them come back.

The Knights were arrogant sons of bitches and professed they had wholly replaced Jews as the subjects of the Bible:

          Come all ye knights, ye knights of Malta,
            In your glittering armour shine,
          Assist your good and worthy Prince
            To protect the ark devine;
                  For we are the true-born sons of Levi,
                    Few on earth with us compare;
                  We are the root and branch of David,
                    That bright and glorious morning star.
  
                          "The Knights of Malta," Ord's Bothy Songs and Ballads, 1930.

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
What are Happy's all about?    See Notes and Index

Subject: RE: happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)
From: Peace
Date: 26 Oct 05 - 11:17 PM

" For we are the true-born sons of Levi,                  
Few on earth with us compare;               
We are the root and branch of David,                  
That bright and glorious morning star."

Interesting lyrics, because the dispute as to the "King of the Jews" remark on Jesus' crucifix can be taken as facetious or as fact. Christ traced his lineage through Joseph to David. That means that Christ's death/murder may have been because he actually WAS a king in the temporal sense. (Kings and queens mean nowt to me, BTW. No offense to those who see Jesus as God or the Son of God.)

Subject: RE: happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)
From: Paul Burke
Date: 27 Oct 05 - 05:37 AM

"Christ traced his lineage through Joseph to David." But she was already pregnant when she was married off to poor old Joe? I always knew the only miracle of the virgin birth was that anyone believed her.

It's an odd sort of song to find in a book of bothy ballads. was it collected somewhere near that chapel that belonged to the Templars?

But, their religious lunacy aside, the story of the Hospitallers' defence of Malta in 1565 is a real swashbuckler. Helped by the fact that the commander on each side had once been a galley slave in the other's fleet. It would make a great film, if it isn't one already.

Subject: RE: happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)
From: GUEST,Weaselbooks
Date: 27 Oct 05 - 09:15 AM

They were also ruthless pirates.

Subject: RE: happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)
From: Snuffy
Date: 27 Oct 05 - 09:16 AM

Compassionate pirates wouldn't last very long.

Subject: RE: happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)
From: GUEST,Scaramouche
Date: 27 Oct 05 - 09:32 AM

Yes, they do. I am a pirate king!

Subject: RE: happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)
From: GUEST,Garst
Date: 27 Dec 05 - 10:00 AM

I think that this is a Masonic song. It is so considered by several others.

Subject: RE: happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)
From: SINSULL
Date: 27 Dec 05 - 11:57 AM

Today the Knights of Malta is a very exclusive club made up of wealthy, powerful Catholics who actively work for the church and donate huge amounts of money to it.

A few years back, Bernadette Castro (Of Castro Convertible Sofas) was inaugurated into the Knights. She was a frequent guest on Don Imus' radio show then. He asked how she could be a practicing Catholic fit to join the illustrious ranks of the Knights of Malta given that she had divorced her first husband. Poor lady nearly died of embarrassment trying to explain that her marriage of several years was annulled - it never existed.

A cruel but amusing moment...

Subject: RE: happy? - Oct 26 (Knights of Malta)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Dec 05 - 02:47 PM

The Knights of Malta (name used since 1530) are a secular, Catholic order; according to the Catholic Encyclopaedia, "the most important of all the military orders."
Gerald (or Girard) was the founder, his position attested by The Bull of Paschal II, dated 1113. Unlike the Templars who were military, the early Hospitallers had no military role.
They became the Knights of Rhodes after fusion with the remaining Knights Templar in the early 14th c.
Because of the depredations by Muslim pirates, the Knights became corsairs, not only to fight the pirates, but to make reprisals on Turkish merchantmen and pillage important Muslim ports such as Alexandria and Smyrna.
Skipping to the present, there are now four priories, three in Italy and one in Bohemia. They still have commanders and several classes of knights, all of whom wear the eight-pointed star of the Order. They own the Convento S. Maria del Priorato in Rome, where many of their archives are housed. There are tombs of some of the Knights in the Convent church.

Catholic Encyclopaedia, Hospitallers

The 'song' in the Bothy ballads is not a Masonic song; probably a street ditty.