Rosslyn Chapel: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:RosslynInterior.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Interior of the chapel.]] |
[[Image:RosslynInterior.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Interior of the chapel.]] |
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[[Image:Keystone rosslyn.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Pendant keystone in the roof]] |
[[Image:Keystone rosslyn.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Pendant keystone in the roof]] |
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The original plans for Rosslyn have never been found or recorded, so it is open to speculation whether or not the chapel was intended to be built in its current layout. . It is also claimed sometimes that excavations carried out in the 19th century suggested that the extant chapel was intended to form part of a much larger structure, the building of which was halted when William Sinclair died. {{Fact|date=June 2007}} |
The original plans for Rosslyn have never been found or recorded, so it is open to speculation whether or not the chapel was intended to be built in its current layout. The original building was to have been a cruciform cathedral construction, but was never completed. The basic foundations of the layout were discovered in a 1990 survey showing that the building was to emulate the engrailed Sinclair cross. It is also claimed sometimes that excavations carried out in the 19th century suggested that the extant chapel was intended to form part of a much larger structure, the building of which was halted when William Sinclair died. {{Fact|date=June 2007}} |
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The Chapel stands on fourteen pillars, which form an arcade of twelve pointed arches on three sides of the nave. The three pillars at the east end of the chapel are named, from north to south, the Master Pillar, the Journeyman Pillar, and most famously, the Apprentice Pillar. These names only exist from the late Georgian period. Prior to this period they were called The Earl's Pillar, The Shekinah and the Prince's pillar or Matthew's Staff. |
The Chapel stands on fourteen pillars, which form an arcade of twelve pointed arches on three sides of the nave. The three pillars at the east end of the chapel are named, from north to south, the Master Pillar, the Journeyman Pillar, and most famously, the Apprentice Pillar. These names only exist from the late Georgian period. Prior to this period they were called The Earl's Pillar, The Shekinah and the Prince's pillar or Matthew's Staff. |
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===Apprentice Pillar=== |
===Apprentice Pillar=== |
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[[Image:RoslinChapelAppColJM.jpg|thumb|right|The Apprentice Pillar in 2003.]] |
[[Image:RoslinChapelAppColJM.jpg|thumb|right|The Apprentice Pillar in 2003.]] |
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The "Apprentice Pillar", or "Prentice Pillar", gets its name from a |
The "Apprentice Pillar", or "Prentice Pillar", gets its name from a legend involving the master mason in charge of the stonework in the chapel and his young apprentice. According to the legend, the master mason did not believe that the apprentice could perform the complicated task of carving the column, without seeing the original which formed the inspiration for the design. The master mason travelled to see the original himself, but upon his return was enraged to find that the upstart apprentice had completed the column anyway. In a fit of jealous anger the mason took up his mallet and struck the apprentice on the head, killing him.<ref>Dr Forbes, Bishop of Caithness, ''An Account of the Chapel of Rosslyn,'' 1774; cited in ''Rosslyn Chapel'' (1997) by the Earl of Rosslyn, page 27.</ref> |
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This story or fable seems to originate about the time of the expansion of modern day [[Freemasonry]] circa 1770.It became a popular tale possibly to link speculative Freemasonry to the chapel and promote a tourist attraction. For reference, view the so called apprentice carving, it is originally a man of middle years who was bearded and has had his beard removed, at a much later date, by a vandal not a craftsman. |
This story or fable seems to originate about the time of the expansion of modern day [[Freemasonry]] circa 1770.It became a popular tale possibly to link speculative Freemasonry to the chapel and promote a tourist attraction. For reference, view the so called apprentice carving, it is originally a man of middle years who was bearded and has had his beard removed, at a much later date, by a vandal not a craftsman. |
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===Crypt=== |
===Crypt=== |
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The Chapel has also acted as a burial place for several generations of the Sinclairs -- a crypt was once reachable from a descending stair at the rear of the chapel. However, this crypt has for many years been sealed shut, which may explain the recurrent legends that it is merely a front to a more extensive subterranean vault containing (variously) the body of [[Jesus Christ]], the [[Holy Grail]], the [[treasure]] of the [[Templar]]s, or the original crown jewels of [[Scotland]]. In 1837 when the 2nd Earl of Rosslyn died, his wish was to be buried in the original vault, exhaustive searches over the period of a week were made, but no entrance to the original vault was found and he was buried beside his wife in the Lady Chapel. Reference Donaldson's Guide to Rosslyn Chapel published 1862. |
The Chapel has also acted as a burial place for several generations of the Sinclairs -- a crypt was once reachable from a descending stair at the rear of the chapel. However, this crypt has for many years been sealed shut, which may explain the recurrent legends that it is merely a front to a more extensive subterranean vault containing (variously) the body of [[Jesus Christ]], the [[Holy Grail]], the [[treasure]] of the [[Templar]]s, or the original crown jewels of [[Scotland]]. In 1837 when the 2nd Earl of Rosslyn died, his wish was to be buried in the original vault, exhaustive searches over the period of a week were made, but no entrance to the original vault was found and he was buried beside his wife in the Lady Chapel. Reference Donaldson's Guide to Rosslyn Chapel published 1862. |
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==Templar and Masonic connections== |
==Templar and Masonic connections== |
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Revision as of 05:24, 25 September 2007
Rosslyn Chapel, originally named the Collegiate Chapel of St. Matthew, is a 15th century Episcopal church in the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland. The chapel was designed by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness (also spelled "St. Clair") of the Sinclair family, a noble family descended from Norman knights.
Construction of the chapel began on 20th September 1456, although it is often been recorded as 1446. The confusion over the building date comes from the chapel's receiving its founding charter to build a collegiate chapel in 1446 from Rome. William did not start to build the chapel till he had built houses for his craftsmen. Although the original building was to be a cruciform cathedral, it was never completed; the foundations of the original layout were discovered in a 1990 survey. The carving and decoration work was carried on over a forty-year period. The roof was said to have been completed by William St Clair's son after his father's death circa 1491.(In the Middle Ages, it was common for a cathedral's design to be greatly altered during the course of its construction, due to changes in patronage or—most commonly—running out of money. In some cases, the builders found a new source of funds and expanded a design beyond the original plans.)
It has come to prominence in recent years for the speculative debate over the contents of the crypt, fuelled in part by The Da Vinci Code.
Architecture
The original plans for Rosslyn have never been found or recorded, so it is open to speculation whether or not the chapel was intended to be built in its current layout. The original building was to have been a cruciform cathedral construction, but was never completed. The basic foundations of the layout were discovered in a 1990 survey showing that the building was to emulate the engrailed Sinclair cross. It is also claimed sometimes that excavations carried out in the 19th century suggested that the extant chapel was intended to form part of a much larger structure, the building of which was halted when William Sinclair died. [citation needed]
The Chapel stands on fourteen pillars, which form an arcade of twelve pointed arches on three sides of the nave. The three pillars at the east end of the chapel are named, from north to south, the Master Pillar, the Journeyman Pillar, and most famously, the Apprentice Pillar. These names only exist from the late Georgian period. Prior to this period they were called The Earl's Pillar, The Shekinah and the Prince's pillar or Matthew's Staff. At the west end, another three pillars divide the nave and the Lady Chapel.[1]
Apprentice Pillar
The "Apprentice Pillar", or "Prentice Pillar", gets its name from a legend involving the master mason in charge of the stonework in the chapel and his young apprentice. According to the legend, the master mason did not believe that the apprentice could perform the complicated task of carving the column, without seeing the original which formed the inspiration for the design. The master mason travelled to see the original himself, but upon his return was enraged to find that the upstart apprentice had completed the column anyway. In a fit of jealous anger the mason took up his mallet and struck the apprentice on the head, killing him.[2] This story or fable seems to originate about the time of the expansion of modern day Freemasonry circa 1770.It became a popular tale possibly to link speculative Freemasonry to the chapel and promote a tourist attraction. For reference, view the so called apprentice carving, it is originally a man of middle years who was bearded and has had his beard removed, at a much later date, by a vandal not a craftsman.
It is also referred to as the "Princes Pillar" in An Account of the Chapel of Roslin (1778). On the architrave joining the pillar, there is the inscription Forte est vinum fortior est rex fortiores sunt mulieres super omnia vincit veritas: "Wine is strong, a king is stronger, women are stronger still, but truth conquers all" (1 Esdras, chapters 3 & 4)
'Musical' boxes
Among Rosslyn's many intricate carvings are a sequence of 213 cubes or boxes protruding from pillars and arches with a selection of patterns on them. It is unknown whether these patterns have any particular meaning attached to them — many people have attempted to find information coded into them, but no interpretation has yet proven conclusive.
One recent attempt to make sense of the boxes has been to interpret them as a musical score. The motifs on the boxes somewhat resemble geometric patterns seen in the study of cymatics. The patterns are formed by placing powder upon a flat surface and vibrating the surface at different frequencies. By matching these Chladni patterns with musical notes corresponding to the same frequencies, the father-and-son team of Thomas and Stuart Mitchell produced a tune which Stuart calls the Rosslyn Motet.
Green Men
Another notable feature of Rosslyn's architecture is the presence of 'Green Men'. These are carvings of human faces with greenery all around them, often growing out of their mouths. They are commonly thought to be a symbol of rebirth or fertility, pre-Christian in origin. In Rosslyn they are found in all areas of the chapel, with one excellent example in the Lady Chapel, between the two middle altars of the east wall. The green men in Rosslyn symbolise the months of the year in progression from East to West in the Chapel. Young faces are seen in the East symbolising Spring and as we progress towards the setting sun in the West the carvings age as in Autumn of man's years. There are in excess of 110 carvings of Green men in and around the Chapel.
'Ears of corn'
In addition to the boxes, there are carvings of what the authors Robert Lomas and Christopher Knight believe could be ears of new world corn or maize in the chapel.[3] This crop was unknown in Europe at the time of the chapel's construction, and was not cultivated there until several hundred years later. Knight and Lomas view these carvings as evidence supporting the idea that Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, travelled to the Americas well before Columbus, however mediaeval scholars interpret these carvings as stylised depictions of wheat, strawberries or lilies.[4]
Crypt
The Chapel has also acted as a burial place for several generations of the Sinclairs -- a crypt was once reachable from a descending stair at the rear of the chapel. However, this crypt has for many years been sealed shut, which may explain the recurrent legends that it is merely a front to a more extensive subterranean vault containing (variously) the body of Jesus Christ, the Holy Grail, the treasure of the Templars, or the original crown jewels of Scotland. In 1837 when the 2nd Earl of Rosslyn died, his wish was to be buried in the original vault, exhaustive searches over the period of a week were made, but no entrance to the original vault was found and he was buried beside his wife in the Lady Chapel. Reference Donaldson's Guide to Rosslyn Chapel published 1862.
Templar and Masonic connections
The chapel, built 150 years after the dissolution of the Knights Templar, supposedly has many Templar symbols, such as the "Two riders on a single horse" that appear on the Seal of the Knights Templar. The layout of the chapel is cited as echoing the layout of the Temple of Solomon.[5]
With regards to a possible connection between the St. Clairs and the Knights Templar, the family testified against the Templars when that Order was put on trial in Edinburgh in 1309.[6] Historian Dr. Louise Yeoman, along with other mediaeval scholars, says the Knights Templar connection is false, and points out that Rosslyn Chapel was built by William Sinclair so that Mass could be said for the souls of his family. [7]
It is also claimed that other carvings in the chapel reflect Masonic imagery, such as the way that hands are placed in various figures. One carving may show a blindfolded man being led forward with a noose around his neck -- similar to the way a candidate is prepared for initiation into Freemasonry. However, the carving has been eroded by time and pollution and is difficult to make out clearly. The chapel was built in the 1400s, and the Freemasons were not officially founded until 1717.[8]
William Sinclair 3rd Earl of Orkney, Baron of Roslin and 1st Earl of Caithness, claimed by novelists to be a hereditary Grand Master of the Scottish stone masons, built Rosslyn Chapel.[5] A later William Sinclair of Roslin became the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and, subsequently, several other members of the Sinclair family have held this position.[9]
These connections, to both the Templars and the Freemasons, means that Rosslyn features prominently in romantic conjectures that the Freemasons are direct descendants of the Knights Templar, though, as scholars point out, there is absolutely no historical connection between the two.
Fictional references
The Chapel is a major feature in the last part of Dan Brown's 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code, though many incorrect assertions were made about the structure. For example, Brown's book states that the Chapel was built by the Knights Templar, and contains a six-pointed Star of David worn into the stone floor although no such star has ever been seen in the floor. Many sources say that Dan Brown never visited the Chapel till after the publication of his Da Vinci Code book,and most of his material came from previously published material. Another claim from The Da Vinci Code is that the name "Rosslyn" is a form of the phrase "Rose line", and that a line starting in France also runs through the Chapel. In fact, the name "Rosslyn" comes from two Celtic words: "ros," meaning promontory or point, and "lyn", meaning waterfall.[citation needed]
Notes and references
- ^ Tim Wallace-Murphy & Marilyn Hopkins. Rosslyn: Guardians of the Secrets of the Holy Grail. Element Books, 1999 ISBN 1-86204-493-7.
- ^ Dr Forbes, Bishop of Caithness, An Account of the Chapel of Rosslyn, 1774; cited in Rosslyn Chapel (1997) by the Earl of Rosslyn, page 27.
- ^ Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas. The Hiram Key. Fair Winds Press, 2001 ISBN 1-931412-75-8.
- ^ Mark Oxbrow & I. Robertson. Rosslyn and the Grail. Mainstream Publishing, 2005 ISBN 1-84596-076-9.
- ^ a b Dan Burstein (2004). Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind the Da Vinci Code, p. 248. CDS Books. ISBN 1593150229.
- ^ Oxbrow, Mark, and Ian Robertson. Rosslyn and the Grail. Mainstream Publishing, 2005 ISBN 1-84596-076-9
- ^ Article by Historian Louise Yeoman, The Scotsman
- ^ History page from the website of the United Grand Lodge of England.
- ^ National Geographic Channel. Knights Templar, February 22, 2006 video documentary. Written by Jesse Evans.
- Cooper, Robert L. D. (Ed.) An Account of the Chapel of Roslin. Grand Lodge of Scotland. 2000. ISBN 0-902324-61-6.
- Cooper, Robert L. D. (Ed.) Genealogie of the Sainteclaires of Rosslyn. Grand Lodge of Scotland. 2002. ISBN 0-902324-63-2.
- Cooper, Robert L. D. (Ed.) The Illustrated Guide to Rosslyn Chapel. Masonic Publishing Co. 2003. ISBN 0-9544268-1-9.
- Cooper, Robert L. D. The Rosslyn Hoax?. Lewis Masonic. 2006. ISBN 0-85318-255-8.
- Cooper, Robert L. D. (Ed.) The voyages of the Zeno brothers. Grand Lodge of Scotland. 2004. ISBN 0-9544268-2-7.
- Philip Coppens. The Stone Puzzle of Rosslyn Chapel. Frontier Publishing/Adventures Unlimited Press, 2002 ISBN 1-931882-08-8.
- Alan Butler and John Ritchie Rosslyn Revealed, A Library in Stone 2006. ISBN-13:978 1-905047-92-4
- The Earl of Rosslyn, Rosslyn Chapel, Rosslyn Chapel Trust, 1997.
- Cracking Da Vinci's Code, 2006 documentary
- Da Vinci Declassified, 2006 TLC video documentary
See also
- Clan Sinclair
- Mystery
- Scottish Knights Templar
- Grand Lodge of Scotland
- Knights Templar in Scotland
- Royal Order of Scotland
- Friends of Rosslyn
External links
- Official website
- Tune into the Da Vinci coda — an article on the 'musical' boxes of Rosslyn, from The Scotsman
- The Rosslyn Templars Scottish Freemasonry, Knights Templar and Rosslyn Chapel - Separating fact from fantasy
- The Rosslyn Hoax? Have the public been victims of a massive hoax?
- Scottish Freemasonry Official Website
- Rosslyn Chapel - Sacred Destinations
- Fortean Times: Rosslyn's Frozen Music
- Rosslyn Chapel's extraordinary carvings explained at last — an article on Rosslyn's Green Men, and an associated reading of its carvings, from The Scotsman
- A Group of non Masonic Scottish Knights Templar in Rosslyn Chapel with other Chapel Pictures May 2006
- The Da Vinci Connection, Sunday Herald