What Lies Beneath Rosslyn Chapel?

Article Reprinted From A Fourth Part Of A Circle Vol. 2 No. 1

Fortunate Freemasons from around the world have had the opportunity to visit the legendary and enigmatic Rosslyn Chapel in the village of Roslin, near Edinburgh, Scotland. For any Freemason who has had the pleasure of stepping into this medieval marvel of architecture and art, they are aware of the intricate carvings she contains. They are also equally aware of the multitude of theories that abound regarding what may reside under the chapel.

Recent popular books have put forth theories that the treasures this 15th century structure may contain include: the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, the lost teaching of Jesus; even one author went so far as to suggest the mummified head of Christ Himself. Very soon these speculations may finally be put to rest and a five-century-old puzzle solved.

A group of Scottish Knights Templar, led by John Ritchie, whom many Masons will be familiar with from his many television documentary appearances, is about to make a "non-invasive" survey of the land around the chapel. Using the latest ultrasound and thermal imaging technology, the group shall soon conduct tests in the hope of finding evidence of the existence of the legendary vaults so often rumored to exist under and around the chapel.

"The plan is to investigate the land around the chapel to a depth of at least 20ft," said Mr. Ritchie, Grand Herald and spokesman for the Knights Templar in a recent interview with the Scottish press.

Ritchie informed the press that the machine they will use is the most sophisticated in the world and can take readings up to a mile beneath the surface.

Rosslyn Chapel is also known by the name of the Collegiate Chapel of St. Matthew and was built in 1446 by Sir William St. Clair, the third and last Prince of Orkney. Among the many intricate carvings found in the chapel is the depiction of cacti and sweet corn, carved decades before Columbus' famed voyage of 1492. Indeed legend has it; and fairly well documented legend at that, that Henry St. Clair voyaged to America in 1398, a full century ahead of Columbus' voyage, which never made it to North American soil.

Mr. Ritchie claims that in order to understand these and other enigmatic sculptures contained in this "Medieval book cast in stone," one needs to go back to the 15th century and endeavor to read it with a medieval eye.

The ground scans will start in the very near future and we will report more on the matter once the work commences. Our spring 2003 issue of Templar History Magazine (Vol. 2 No. 3) will cover the story in greater detail than the space here permits us to do.