In Wolfram von Eschenbach’s, Parzival, the author directly links the Knights Templar to the Holy Grail, referring to the Templiesen as guardians of the sacred object. This connection was reinforced by the coat of arms attributed to Galahad, a white shield with a vermilion cross, the exact same emblem given to the Knights Templar by Pope Eugene lll. 

Scholars are of the opinion that the character of Galahad may be traced to the influence of the Cistercian Order on the legends. Galahad embodied the ideal Templar Knight as envisioned by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, founder of Cistercians. In the 1890 painting of Edwin Austin Abbey, a white shield with a red cross can be seen on the floor next to ‘Galahad in the Castle of Maidens’. Only the Templars were worthy enough to achieve the Grail and become the mystical Guardians of the most enigmatic symbol in all of Christendom.