Hugues de Payens, the first Great Master of the Knights Templar, created the Order in the year 1118 when he forged an alliance with eight other Templars, of whom Godefroi de Saint-Omer was one. One of their symbols, which depicted two people riding a single horse, recalled the fact that Templars Hugues and Godefroi were once so poor that they had to share a single horse when traveling.

Although their original mission had been to protect Pilgrims this evolved over the centuries until they had become little more than bankers of the day. The Order of the Knights Templar declined following this change in values, and was brought to an end by the King of France in the year 1312.