THE BATTLE OF TEBA

The village of Teba sits 50 miles from the seaport of Maluga Spain. In 1330 a battle took place which wasn't which wasn't related to the sovereignty of Scotland but contributed to the demise of the temples age old enemy the Muslims.

The events that led to that conflict started on the death bed of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland.  The Bruce had always dreamt of leading a crusade to the Holy Land.

Robert the Bruce was dying from leprosy, unusual to die from natural causes with such a turbulent history as a warrior.  His lifelong friend and chief of his army the “ Good Sir James” was instructed that upon his death he was to remove his heart, embalm it, place it in a silver casket, and deliver it on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and bury his heart at the Holy Sepulcher at Jerusalem.

Sir James Douglas father, Sir William Lord Douglas who had been murdered in the Tower of London by King Edward I.  The Good Sir James had been born into a family whose loyalty to the Scottish crown was beyond reproach.

The Good Sir James was educated in Paris and returned home when he was 18, motivated by his father’s death he immediately laid claims to his lands which King Edward I denied him and was the first nobleman to pledge loyalty to the excommunicated King of Scotland.

He fought along the side of the Bruce all his life and also died in service to his King in 1330 at the battle of Teba. During the battle of Bannockburn he was second in command.  He struck fear into the hearts of the English army by chasing them across the Bannockburn River.   His Templar warrior monks chased them dry-shod across the river and all the way to Berwick without stopping and earning the name of the “Black Douglas”.

Prior to the battle of Bannockburn Sir James along with Sir Robert Keith were co-commanders of a reconnaissance force which made missions over the border of England on Intelligence gathering operations?  His terrorizing of bordering counties and villages to the south of Scotland drove fear into the hearts of English women and children to the point they were afraid to close their eyes at night.

The Good Sir James took the Bruce's heart upon his death in 1329, embalmed it, put it in a small silver casket and along with Templar Master Earl Henry Sinclair, the 7^th Baron of Roslyn,

 Organized a pilgrimage to the Holy Land that departed from N. Berwick and slayed a course fetching Luys Flanders in the spring of 1330.

The Knights that Earl Sir Henry Sinclair selected primarily based upon their lifelong allegiance to the king, their service in the battles of the war of independence, and their unwavering loyalty to the crown of Scotland.

They included Earl Sir Angus Og MacDonald, Earl Sir Alan Cathart, and Sir Symon Locard, who had distinguished himself several times during the war of Scottish independence, for his services he rode to the right of The Good Sir James as the “Key Holder” of the perpetual silver casket containing the heart of Robert the Bruce.  Sir Symon Locard, who claimed the jewel that became known to history as the” Lee Penny”.  Sir William and John Sinclair the sons of Earl Henry Sinclair who was in ill health and was unable to participate in the pilgrimage.  Sir William Sinclair was commander of the Templar’s during the battle of Bannockburn. And his brother John served as his squire. Sir William Keith son of Robert Keith who was a senior General in the army of Robert the Bruce, and was commander of the “fresh force” of Knight Templar's who charged in an assassin strike against King Edward II during the battle of Bannockburn, they were accompanied by 29 Gentlemen of the Temple.

All brother warrior monks of the poor knights of Solomon's Temple. Having been granted save passage by King Edward III of England the pilgrimage set out in the spring of 1330.  They departed N. Berwick and made an uneventful passage to the origins of the Temple in Flanders where they remained for 12 days resting after their journey, and where other warrior monks were arriving from throughout Europe waiting to join the pilgrimage.

They were to set sail for Finnestere in the northwest of Spain; however word reached them that the King of Castile, Alphonso XI, in his efforts to drive the Saracens out of Grenada had laid siege to the (castle of the stars) at Teba, which had been captured by the Saracen army.

The Good Sir James sent word that they were prepared to join forces with King Alphonso.  The King was delighted the Good Sir James reputation had preceded him.  King Alphonso awarded him the right flank of the Castilian army.

On the morning of August 25^th 1330, the Saracen army had assembled below the castle and sounded their trumpets:

The Good Sir James misinterpreted the trumpets as a rally to charge, Sir James charged the Saracens, although not supported by the rest of the Castilian army because of a lack of communication.  He was able to contain the Saracens, unable to withstand the charging Templar’s; the Saracens began fleeing with Sir James true to his reputation giving purist. Shortly a good portion of his mounted Calvary fell off, to rejoin the main army.  History is unclear whether this was by command of Sir James, standard operating procedure, or a decision made by subordinate commanders.

Soon after Sir James turned his horse to join the Knights and observed Sir William Sinclair surrounded by the enemy, immediately Sir John Sinclair, Earl Sir Angus Og MacDonald, Earl Sir William Cathart. Sir Robert & John Logan, with most of the 29 Gentlemen of the Temple in close route. 

The Good Sir James, the Black Douglas removed the silver casket that was hung around his neck shouting the words  “A Bruce—A Bruce” and hurled the silver casket into the massing Saracens shouting “Be thou in the van brave heart as thou wast ever wont and Douglas will follow or Die”.

The Good Sir James and the entire Templar contingent were all slaughtered, but they were able to divert enough Saracens away from the main thrust to enable King Alphonso Castilian army to overrun the remainder of the Saracens and capture the castle.

Sir William Keith had broken his arm the day before the battle so wasn't in the conflict, Sir Symon Locard, survived the battle, history doesn't show why, both these knights were the only Scottish survivors of the battle.

Sir Symon Locard took an Emir “prince” captive and put him up for ransom.  The emir's mother came to pay ransom with gold, silver, and a jewel.  History indicates that the Jewel wasn't part of the ransom and was taken against her will, but she allowed it to same her son’s life.

The Jewel was said to have magical powers, it was said to stop bleeding, reduce fevers, reduce inflammation from animal bites, and was able to be used in the veterinary sciences.  This is the tradition of the Lee Penny.

The jewel or stone is dark red in color and triangular in shape. It is mounted on a silver coin which hangs from a silver chain. The coin has been identified as a silver penny piece from the reign of King Edward IV (1422-1483).

The penny is dipped in water; the water is drunk to reduce fevers, and used as an irrigation fluid to cleanse wounds animal bites, and also to bathe patients in. During the use of the solution, it must be administered without speech, under the Latin rule or it will be ineffective.  If words are used a person could be accused of sorcery!

The ability of the stone spread throughout Europe like wild fire and there were many recorded occasions where it was successful.  It was common practice right into the 19^th century to be commonly used in many dispensaries and by veterinarians.

Sir William Keith is credited with retrieving the remains of the fallen Knights and the silver casket containing the heart of Robert the Bruce. Although Bruce never achieved leading a crusade in his lifetime he was at the battle of Teba in spirit.

As was the custom in the middle ages Sir William boiled the bodies in vinegar, separating the flesh from the bones, as in Templar tradition placing the bones in a small bone box or casket with the femur crossed under the skull and the rest of the bones at the bottom of the casket.

Sir William then delivered the casket to the Royal Families, with the dreadful news and the Caskets for burial.  Robert the Bruce was buried at Melrose Chapel.  Sir James Douglas was interred in St. Bride’s chapel in Lancashire Scotland; Angus Og MacDonald was interred at Iona in the Herbicides Islands. Sir William & John Sinclair were interred at the family property Roslyn castle not to be confused with Roslyn Chapel which wasn’t built yet.