This entire thread is ASB... sorry. Danwild, there is just no way short of ASBs to get the Templars to America. Most pre-Columbian contact theories I have read are bunk, easily disproven by scholars with actual knowledge in the field. Greenland and Iceland were barely known in the era, and no one would send the Templars there for any reason. IIRC, even the Norse just knew Greenland as a vague territory that had been converted to Catholicism at some time in the past. If the Norse couldn't colonize and conquer the Americas, why do you think a small group of fugitive knights would have any more luck?
Even ignoring the numerous flaws in your posts, let's assume the Templars get lucky in God's throw of the dice. They make it to America.
So what?
They are less numerous than any other native tribe, even the Massachusett. Furthermore, there is no one else coming. To Europe, the Templars died somewhere between Iceland and the endless sea to the west. No Templar empire, no contact with the Old World, nothing. Just a group of heretics who met there maker in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.
I am afraid I must respectfully disagree with nearly every statement made above.
First: An ASB thread requires actual magic, different physical laws, etc. What we are talking about here requires one or more incidents of low probablility to occur. That is not ASB, OTL history is full of improbable things happening.
Second: "Greenland and Iceland were barely known in this era." This is simply nonsense. While serfs in central Europe may not have heard of such places, anyone who engaged in commerce in northern or western costal Europe would have heard of them.
In Norway/Sweden they were taxable territories, and while interest in Greenland waned later, after the narwhal horn trade declined, they always knew where they had Iceland. Adam of Bremen wrote of both Greenland and Vinland, and the areas had bishops and sent tithes to the church.
The Royal Greenland Knarr ran until 1369.
Speaking of Bishops, it is worth noting that when Bishop Arnald were told that he was selected to be the Bishop of Greenland, he immediately fell to his knees and begged off because "I am no good with difficult people!"
Which shows that he not only had heard of Greenland, but also had some knowledge of the people.
Also note that during this particular time, Norway was
not a minor power.
The problem faced here is that knowledge of the areas were not great, or particularly interesting in the areas where the Templars operated. AND we need the Templars to acquire more knowledge about the area beyond Greenland than that which was available.
There are also a couple of fairly solid indications of Europe-Vinland contact during the approximate period 1050-1300. Although none dating after the little climatic optimum ended.
Of particular interest to get this knowledge to the right people might be the 1278 mission to Greenland to collect Crusading Tithes.
Or we may note the long list of bishops going to Greenland. While the names indicate that they were mainly of Nordic extraction, is it impossible that a close relative (younger brother?) of someone who later became Grand Master could have ended up in this position?
(The last Bishop of Greenland to actually live in Greenland died around 1378. Suprisingly, I had thought it much earlier.)
Thirdly, "IIRC, even the Norse just knew Greenland as a vague territory that had been converted to Catholicism at some time in the past"
The Norse knew Greenland as a territory that joined the Kingdom of Norway in the 1200s, produced some rather valuable commodities, had a Royal shipping vessel dedicated to it, was settled by a mix of pagans and Christians (it was never converted, paganism supposedly died out. The first settlers in Greenland built a church.)
Fourth; "If the Norse couldn't colonize and conquer the Americas, why do you think a small group of fugitive knights would have any more luck?"
The primary reason the Norse failed is probably that they were at the end of a very long supply chain with a dwindling number of people and resources at every link. The Norse attempts we know of consisted of individual ventures by only a few score people.
It is not comparable to an organized attempt by several thousand people of a military order. Given a number of ships, and settling a defensible territory such as an island...this is a very different business from 20 people raising a longhouse.
Finally; "...let's assume the Templars get lucky in God's throw of the dice. They make it to America.
So what?
They are less numerous than
any other native tribe, even the Massachusett. Furthermore, there is
no one else coming. To Europe, the Templars died somewhere between Iceland and the endless sea to the west. No Templar empire, no contact with the Old World, nothing. Just a group of heretics who met there maker in the mid-Atlantic Ocean."
It is certainly possible that they vanish without a trace. It is, I find, a rather boring option, and I do not believe it to be the most probable one.
However, even if they are gone by the time the Europeans return to the Americas, just the disease shock and cultural contamination to the natives will have changed things.
Also, as pointed out earlier, there is a rather good chance of the Greenlanders migrating down.