RHEDESIUM - Blog

The archaeological site of Croux, dating from the 3rd century house the oldest "mikveh" of Europe (the baptismal pool for Jewish ritual baths)

14/10/2016

"The archaeological site of Croux, dating from the 3rd century house the oldest" mikveh "of Europe (the baptismal pool for Jewish ritual baths).

The conference (Serge Bismuth Ed) held on the occasion of the Heritage Days on Saturday and Sunday at Croux regarding the baptismal pool has given an exceptional dimension to this village which now has about twenty barely inhabitants. Indeed, blending Heritage and Citizenship, it was easy to restore the "Mikveh" & discover its importance. President Pierre de Croux, Serge Bismuth and other members do not hesitate to date from the 3rd century, the archaeological site of Croux as, clearly, its an older monument currently found in Europe. " (Cathy Mercier)

See HERE

Dr.Malacan and the missing skull

11/10/2016

In April 1956, just a few months after the publication of the first articles about " the cure with billions " appeared in the Dépêche du Midi, written by Albert Salamon under the auspices of Noel Corbu, a group of researchers from Carcassonne conducted various surveys in the church, the rectory and the cemetery with the mayor of the time Mr. Etienne Delmas. The fruit of these investigations was due to the intervention of Antoine Fages, who was a contemporary of Sauniere and led investigators to the steps of the choir of the Church, across the hall, where a skeleton buried in lime was found with the skull showing a split in the parietal bone by a blunt object.

This skull was missing for decades, and in 1970 Mr. Germain Blanc-Delmas warned in the press about the fact that the 1956 researchers had stolen a skull found in the church of Rennes-le-Château.

The investigator who took the skull was Dr. André Malacan, who kept it secret until the day of his death in 1997. The skull was taken to Paris and it was not until 2002 that the grandson of Dr. Malacan, Julien Saddier met the adopted son of the mayor, Mr. Germain Blanc-Delmas. From this date they worked intensely with the authorities of RLC for the return and the Carbon14 dating of the lost skull ... In 2013, authorities warned the owner of the skull he should return it - after some time this was presented to a Quillan priest on May 22, 2014 who delivered it to the authorities of RLC.

After a few months the C14 test was performed:

The skeleton is "a man in his fifties, sturdily built and who died between 1281 and 1396. His teeth were in good condition. As visible in the parietal vault wound, the Dr. Zammit (Anthropologist) considers that it is not a trepanation, but could have been hit with a long gun, halberd type ...It seems that he would be an important person, given where he was buried, in the central hall, next to the stairs of the choir".

After all these years, from August 7, 2016, the skull is now in the Museum at Rennes where now everyone can see it ...

See more HERE.

A major archaeological discovery attests to the establishment of a Jewish community in the region of Rennes-Les-Bains / Rennes-Le-Château

20/9/2016

Source: Claudia Procula, épouse de Ponce Pilate et amie de Marie-Madeleine

More on the heads of Rennes-les-Bains ...

21/8/2016

When talking of the tourist trap that Rennes-les-Bains was - in a 1913 article - by a journalist when he visited there - he wrote; thirty rustic houses, well built, welcome visitors and provide them food and shelter following the wide price range: each according to his convenience is your accommodation and food according to your pocket and pleasures; numerous customers come from all around, this year we have more than 20. Three come from Switzerland, another is a famous musician emerita in Geneva, another is American, many living in Nice; among them, a lady of the court of England, not least, the Marquesa S .., whose beauty was really impressive, and in which her ego emphasized the elegance of a profile and a distinction without precedent; the Hôtel Griffe, a type of good modern family hotel, built and furnished again, not too big, and maintained by a team led by Mr. and Mrs. Griffe. Mr. Griffe, cheerful, long - time resident in London, where he was head of the Traveller's Club & Mme. Griffe, a native of Luxembourg and one of the great dressmakers of London. Mr. and Mrs. Griffe come every year to spend the bathing season at Rennes, and they contribute to the construction, development and maintenance of the hotel, and good treatment and English comfort : good food, English for those who wish specialties".

An interesting observation re: the Londoners GRIFFE and their hotel at RLB is linked to the priest Boudet. "Boudet, that strange archaeologist priest who abhorred the finding of a naked statue of Venus in Maison Chalaleu and who was obsessed by an imaginary 'head' and an imaginary cromleck wrote: "the “tête du sauveur” [is] a menhir [i.e. a standing stone] preserved on this site [a hill above Rennes-les-Bains] and it is a [head] which is carved, in high relief, and represents a magnificent head of the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of Mankind. This sculpture, which has seen approximately 18 centuries, has given its name to this part of the plateau, Cap de l’Homme, the Head of Man, referring to the man par excellence, filius hominis. It is deplorable that we were obliged, in December 1884, to remove this beautiful sculpture from the location it occupied, to remove it from the ravages of a pick-ax of an unfortunate young man, who was far removed from being able to understand the significance and its value.”

This seemed to be confused with another head found on land owned by the Fleury family; "Madame TIFFOUS, born Alys GRIFFE, in 1886, at Rennes-les-Bains, said: "Mr De GROSSOUVRE mining engineer in Bourges, Colonel TOUCAS, Périgueux, and my father Joseph GRIFFE of Rennes sought the veins of ore at the Pla de la Côte or Pla des Bruyères, on land owned by Count H. De Fleury. They found a boulder which seemed interesting, brought it to my father and the Abbe Boudet [of Rennes les Bains] to have it cleaned up and [we] saw it was a head. MARTIN, mason, on the order of Abbe Boudet placed the head at the place where it is still, [and] this happened around my twelfth year, i.e. about 1898".

There is even more confusion though! There is the Boudet 'head' - which Boudet himself says he gave to Mr. CAILHOL of Alet. Then there is the 'boulder' head found on land owned by the Count Fleury in the region of Pla de la Côte or Pla des Bruyères.

However Gourdon seems to refer to a head - he even gives us a diagram - which he says was found along with much other archaeology. He says: in several points of the village today, mainly in the part between Bain-Fort and the hamlet of Le Cercle, it has been recognized, at various depths, a great quantity of remains of Roman buildings: constructions of buildings, fragments of mosaics, etc, which may have been part, either of private houses/villas or monuments of another order. The literal space occupied by these objects indicates an extended and fairly large city, in the Valley, spread out to the broader and more Southern area of the village. In this Valley, there was seen, in the middle of a cultivated field, the site of a square house, recognizable from the lines and 'crop marks' found in the vegetation where it was much less bushy than in the corresponding parts of older buildings. It is at this point especially there have been found, in the ground raised by agricultural implements, a huge amount of debris of all kinds, most covered with a layer of ash and charred fragments, testifying to the destiny of this ancient city, which, at the time when the whole country was ravaged by barbarians, was destroyed by fire. .... Among the items discovered in the above cited circumstances, are objects of architecture, sculpture, pottery and various interior utensils, etc. The objects of architecture seem to be the most significant - they were found on the site of a house that actually forms the last house of the village of Bains, to the South; they consist of several sizable fragments of capitals, columns, etc., of remarkable work, in which it is easy to recognize the debris of a temple, dedicated either to Aesculapius or Hygeia. One of these fragments is the base of a column that can be currently seen at the fountain of the Cercle, where it has been used as a capital/cornice, and that its dimensions allow us to consider that it formed the base of a column of more than 10 meters in height. Also an antefixe [?] in white terracotta, of an an elegant model".

An antéfixe is an architectural term describing an ornament of sculpture which was used in antiquity, which decorated the bottom and sometimes the top if the roofs of buildings whether public or private. From my reading this means the 'Gourdon' head was found among the other archaeology in the valley around the hamlet of Le Cercle. So to me it seems that this female head [local Goddess?] was an ornament that probably adorned a large - i suspect- public building in the south of the village between Bain Fort and Le Cercle.

Gourdon never says that the head was sealed in the presbytery at Rennes, he never provides pictures or diagrams of the 'head' in the presybytery and he never says the head was found in the region of Pla de la Côte or Pla des Bruyères.

However, on the wall of the presbytery at Rennes-les-Bains, under the carved head placed there - it reads "sculpture of a detached standing stone located on the extreme edge of Pla des Bruyères, facing the parish church’. [sculpture détachée d'un menhir placé sur l'extrême rebord du Pla des Bruyères, faisant face à l'église paroissiale".]

Gourdon goes on: These various objects are kept in the cabinet of M. de Fleury, owner of the Bains and the discoveries - which date back various eras, are only a very small part of what has been found in the country during the course of the last few centuries. It would have been interesting to keep them as souvenirs and as historical evidence of the village's ancient splendour as a spa town, but they have unfortunately disappeared, and is extant only in the writings that we have made mention.

He refers to the work of Abbe Delmas - who by the way, never cites this 'head' in the presbytery. Therefore it seems it was found after 1709, but before 1874 [when Gourdon mentioned the antefix head]. This would also suggest another head because the testimony of Mme TIFFOUS, born Alys GRIFFE of the finding of " a boulder which seemed interesting, brought it to my father and the Abbe Boudet [of Rennes les Bains] to have it cleaned up and [we] saw it was a head. MARTIN, mason, on the order of Abbe Boudet placed the head at the place where it is still, [and] this happened around my twelfth year, i.e. about 1898." As you can see the date of 1898 is much too late. The head is pictured below.

Two archaeologists mention Gourdon, saying "As we said ...the location of the find as antefixes eliminates its allocation or as a decorative element placed on a building used for public worship. It seems that the size and shape prohibit this: it is either a votive or a fragment of tombstone, or the character is represented in bust or foot. We think we see in this representation one of the innumerable minor goddesses, more or less Romanized Gallic pantheon".

It seems there is a dispute about where this Gourdon 'head' was found - it had nothing to do with the land owned by Count Fleury but more to do with the hamlet of Le Cercle. And in fact, Boudet's second cromlech, inside the more famous larger cromlech is based around Le Cercle.

Perhaps Gourdon is right, the head was originally found in the vicinity of the valley of Le Cercle, and perhaps represented a local Goddess and divinity of the spa waters, and was indeed an antefix found on a public Temple building found in Le Cercle? Below are some illustrations and examples of these antefixes:

Sacred Geometry Taught in a Donald Duck Cartoon...

15/8/2016

For all you geometry buffs out there in Rennes-le-Chateau land :)

The skull found in 1956 in the church of Rennes-le-Château, and 'missing' for nearly sixty years .....has today, Sunday, August 7, arrived at the museum...

7/8/2016

HERE Michel Valet reports that the skull found in 1956 under the church at RLC is now to be found as a display object in the Museum there. This is great news. Valet writes:

" ...the skull found in 1956 in the church of Rennes-le-Château, and 'missing' for nearly sixty years .....has today, Sunday, August 7, arrived at the museum[in the old presbytère].

It is now accepted that the relic dates from the medieval period, between 1281 and 1396. The deep cut that stands out in [the skulls] upper part, [is thought to be] the result of a hard blow of a heavy object with a cutting edge. In his book, published in 2010, The skull pierced with a hole of St. Mary Magdalene in Rennes-le-Château, Germain Blanc-Delmas offers some leads on this scenario"

Two tidbits from the work of Jean Markale ...

4/7/2016

In his book - The Church of Mary Magdalene - Markale makes two statements. Does anyone have any more information on them? They are as follows:

On p46 - "There was a consequence to the Gelis affair that did not appear immediately ... from precise testimonies we know that someone was blackmailing him: the tutor Jamet, who was also the town clerk. It has been proved that Beranger paid him in money and jewelry to keep silent'. Is this correct?

And on page 193 - 'The only time she [Marie Denarnaud] betrayed the confidence of Sauniere was when she revealed a hiding place to the new owner of the home, Noel Corbu. It was empty however.'

If anyone has any information i would love to read it ....

CAILHOL and the 'Head of the Saviour'...

9/6/2016

Research carried out by Peter O'Reilly (in the Rennes Observer April 2005) confirms that Monsieur Cailhol of Alet indeed knew Henri Boudet, and was perhaps an intermediary for him. In the "Mémoires de l'Académie royale des sciences, inscriptions et belles-lettres de Toulouse", 1877 (SER7,T9): we find the following entry:

"MEDAILLE D’ARGENT DE RE CLASSE. M Cailhol, à Toulouse (Collection de fossiles)." [Silver medal, first class. M. Cailhol, Toulouse (Collection of fossils).]

"M. Cailhol, avocat à Toulouse, a profité d’un séjour de quatre mois à Rennes-les-Bains pour   recueillir les fossiles de cette station bien connue des géologues. [...] M. Cailhol se propose d’augmenter encore cette année sa belle collection et de faire une étude suivie de la région qu’il a si heureusement explorée."

[“M. Cailhol, a barrister (attorney) in Toulouse, has made the most of a four month stay at Rennes-les-Bains to collect fossils from this resort that is well-known to geologists. [...] M. Cailhol intends to increase his collection again this year and to make a sustained study of this region that he has investigated so successfully.” See HERE]

     Monsieur Cailhol, collecting fossils and stones in the area of Rennes-les-Bains is also mixed up with another bizarre stone given to him. This is the now famous 'Head of the Saviour'. CAILHOL is alleged to have taken possession of the 'Head of the Saviour' according to Boudet in his 'La Vrai Langue Celtique' - where he writes; "[towards] the spa and the parish church, are the ......rocks carrying the name "Cap de l'homme’ .... A menhir was kept [preserved] at this place and it was on its top, that a carved relief of a magnificent head of the Lord Jesus the Saviour of mankind was found. This statue which saw nearly 18 centuries has given to this part of the plateau the name ‘Cap de l’homme’ (head man: man par excellence, filius hominis). It is deplorable that we have been obliged, in the month of December 1884 to remove the beautiful sculpture of the place - it was to save it from the ravages produced by the pick-axe of an unfortunate young man, who was far from suspecting its meaning and value. (Note: "This carved head of Christ is in the hands of Mr. CAILHOL Alet).

     Does it seem odd that this Monsieur Cailhol is in posession of two bizarre stones as given to him by Boudet? U. Gibert and G. Rancoule discuss this 'Head of the Saviour'. (See here). They say that the "sculptured head,....is currently sealed in the presbytery of Rennes les Bains". It seems - however - on further investigation that this head was one of two, and that the two heads have been completely confused with each other. The above authors say:

"Even taking into account the fragility of human testimony after such a period, it seems likely that we are dealing with two different heads: Year of discovery 1884 and 1898 , an interval of 14 years - One head male, the other female. Head fixed on top of a rock, the other a block. First head went to Mr. CAILHOL, the second head was sealed in the wall of the presbytery by the mason MARTIN.

       But the location of the finds are the same: the rock called "Cap de l’homme’ on the boundary and along the Pla de la Côte or Bruyères. We have checked that the sandstones forming the rocks of the Pla are similar to that of the head. It seems reasonable to conclude positively".

Christian ATTARD, on his excellent website refers to another head and wonders if this is the 'real head' of the Saviour. It is found in the cave at Galamus and what is more it is associated with a SATOR square, a point added by Plantard and Cherisey years down the line. Attard writes:

"... this head [of the Saviour] was ... extracted from the rock where it was carved and there is no doubt here that we are dealing with a man with a beard [perhaps carved as a representation of Christ] and it could well be mistaken for the Saviour. ... Boudet tells us that this head of the Saviour was given at some point to Constantin Cailhol of Alet. He was a skilled explorer, says Boudet, and the discovery, says the priest of Rennes-les-Bains, seems to be associated with a cave of Bize (Aude), and he mentioned a few times in his book "The true Celtic language." On page 241 Boudet talks about a wheel and he reiterated that the wheel fragment of which he speaks is also in the possession of Mr. Constantin Cailhol. Knowing the way Boudet used certain explanations to describe the etymological meaning of words many saw his explanation as a repeated reference to the key: cai / key and the cave, the cave hole".

Cave, key, head of the Saviour, Cailhol, two stones - a head and a wheel/millstone? The name of Constantine also opened multiple hypotheses too - a cave where we find a 'head' that could be mistaken for the Saviour with a SATOR square?

Back to our wheel. Here is what Boudet said:"What determines our thought is the millstone fragments - cast iron, removed from the ground during November 26, 1884, by workmen, below Borde-Neuve while the construction of the road from Rennes-les-Bains to Sougraigne was taking place. " Boudet then notes that this millstone fragment is in the possession of M.Constantin Cailhol, of Alet!

Exhibited in the main cave at Galamus - there are several fragments of ancient wheels marked with the famous monogram of Christ! Can it be that Mr. Constantin Cailhol or his family have donated the most cumbersome parts of the wheel come millstone to the hermits at Galamus? The question is not negligible because to my knowledge, I have not seen anywhere else these type of wheels on show next to a portrait of a 'Saviour' [which was originally engraved out of rock]. And it must be recognized here that we have many recurring elements in our history in the Galamus hermit cave, that of St Antoine, Teniers, the chrism and thus sign by which you will conquer ... as well as a millstone shaped in a circle/wheel with a a carved relief of a magnificent head of the Lord Jesus the Saviour sitting on top of a SATOR square!

See more here at Christian Attards excellent website HERE

... the heroic era of Rennes-les-Bains, in an article dated 13.9.1913.

7/6/2016

I keep up to date with the news on Johan's site and he doesnt disappoint once again. He has posted the following information;

"The researcher and librarian Xavi Bonet has published on his website an article called "... the heroic era of Rennes-les-Bains", which is a contemporary article dated 13.9.1913 written by a reporter "from" "La Bataille républicaine" newspaper. He paints a portrait of a conservative and monarchist middle class that frequent the spa at Rennes-les-Bains. There is also mention of the sympathy shown for the local "old cure" M. Boudet, who is described as 'so friendly and always willing to share his Celtic theories (or megalithic theories?)'. This "archaeologist" has indeed released a distinguished book on the subject (we are guessing True Celtic Language - 1886) and even put on the wall of his vicarage a bust of a woman larger than life (sic), saved from destruction and described as an anthropomorphic menhir. The visitor is unaware at that time that Boudet had previously been inspired to evoke a beautiful Saviour's head looking out over the valley".

You will find the original article HERE.

Xavi Bonet - who found the article - writes:

"On September 13, 1913 there was published in La Bataille Republicaine, a radical and socialist paper, an excellent article entitled "Les Bains de Rennes" which mentions many of the elements that involve the myth we now know about the whole area, Rennes-les-Bains, Rennes-le-Château ... but this time without myth, in the best pure journalistic style of a travel magazine.

[The two Rennes are] described as definitely a great place to go - giving us an inkling of the tourism framework [at the time] which included Rennes-le-Château long before the appearance of Noel Corbu, or the "Gold of Rennes" and 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail' or the " da Vinci Code". In the text we find references to places and issues well known in the mystery, the source de Magdalene, Lake Barenc, Rennes-le-Château and surprisingly fascinating ... like a tourist attraction we are invited to know the priest Henri Boudet, always ready to enlighten tourists with his knowledge.

The article talks about selling books at the gates of the hotels [which] referred to the wealth of the area which depends largely on tourism to attract people. The local response to this is why there are postcards of the famous Boudet "cromleck", why Saunière was selling postcards explaining with great enthusiasm the history of Rennes-le-Château and it's Visigoth inheritance, tourists filled the church with donations - that later served to justify the income [of Saunière?] against which there was a court sentence against him. Already in 1905, during the visit where SESA discovers for the first time the tombstone of the Marquise, those of the expedition have the option to stay and eat in a restaurant at Rennes-le-Château ... Did you know that in 1905 in Rennes-le-Château, in the waste and the construction of Villa Bethania by Sauniere, there was a restaurant that served tourists while he sold them postcards and filled the church?"

It's very interesting to read this article written by someone who was there at the time, reporting in ordinary journalistic ways about the interesting aspects of Rennes-les-Bains. It's also interesting that the two Rennes were full of tourists and in fact i'm sure somewhere i read that Sauniere made a comment about his postcards being sold at the Spa village [i'll try and locate the source of the quote]. What is interesting is that all this activity in the villages suggest that they were not really backwater villages.

I bought a copy of Jean Girou's book several years ago, where he reports the locals referring to 'treasure' as being the source of Sauniere's wealth ... then on Johans site [http://www.portail-rennes-le-chateau.com/gazette/] where i saw the article by Roger Crouquet - he talked of a desolate and empty village - essentially dying. Between 1936 and 1948 the world went through WWII. It must have been the devastation of the War which upturned everything. The youngsters of the villages probably left as soldiers - called up for the war effort, pretty much like it happened in England.

That will explain the vast difference in how the villages of the two Rennes were and what they became in 1948. It is clear that there were interesting 'things' to see and explore and explain - before and after these events. The whole of the article from 1913 is translated HERE.

Notice concerning Mr Abbé Saunière...

22/5/2016

The announcement regarding Sauniere's ban is relayed here:

"Bishopric Announcements
Notice concerning Mr Abbé Saunière, former parish priest of Rennes-le Château
Following a note published December 14th 1910 as a supplement to issue N° 13 of « Veillées des Chaumières », thus written : « Toujours en avant » informs « Violette de l’Aisne » that Abbé Saunière, in retirement at Rennes-le Château by Couiza, Aude, France, says masses for 1 franc and will accept with gratitude - for church charities - serials, brochures, post stamps, etc. »
The diocesan authority of Carcassonne sees it fit to warn its congregation and – should it be within its powers - those of other dioceses :
1.- That Mr Abbé Saunière, former parish priest of Rennes-le Château, has no authority to sollicit mass honoraria outside the diocese, nor to receive same from foreign dioceses ;
2.- That he has received no assignment nor authorisation to initiate or to conduct any church charity whatsover.
Carcassonne, February 1st 1911".

The same ban was repeated in various other Journals, but with an extra paragraph added on by the reporters, with their own spin on what was happening, in their opinion!

"Merchants in the Temple

The Bishopric of Carcassonne publishes the following notice :
Following a note published December 14th 1910 as a supplement to issue N° 13 of « Veillées des Chaumières », thus written : « Toujours en avant » informs « Violette de l’Aisne » that Abbé Saunière, in retirement at Rennes-le Château by Couiza, Aude, France, says masses for 1 franc and will accept with gratitude - for church charities - serials, brochures, post stamps, etc. »
The diocesan authority of Carcassonne sees it fit to warn its congregation and – should it be within its powers - those of other dioceses :
1.- That Mr Abbé Saunière, former parish priest of Rennes-le Château, has no authority to sollicit mass honoraria outside the diocese, nor to receive same from foreign dioceses ;
2.- That he has received no assignment nor authorisation to initiate or to conduct any church charity whatsover".

« Save the tillbox !»

Abbé Saunière is spoiling the trade by underselling masses, and now - for unlawful trade practices – he sees himself boycotted by the prayer merchants’ union of his département.
Evangelical times are long gone!"

With my grateful thanks to Paul Saussez for the translations ...

Claudia Procula in the country of the 'Rhedons!'

20/5/2016

photo used "avec aimable autorisation Kris Darquis".

A new edition (third) of "Pontius Pilate's wife - wife of Pontius Pilate and friend of Mary Magdalene" - by author Kris Darquis has just been published including extracts from the letter that Claudia wrote to her friend Fulvia Hersilia and which was published by the archdiocese of Carcassonne in 1886.

On this occasion, the author reveals an excerpt of the letter!
"The letter that Pontius Pilate's wife had written to her friend Fulvia Hersilia was published in three parts by the Archdiocese of Carcassonne in religious Week in 1886. It was specified that this letter was found among ancient manuscripts and carefully preserved as having been written by the hand of Pilate's wife - the Greeks honored [her] as a saint .... Claudia [speaks] movingly of her childhood in Narbonne, her marriage to Pontius, her arrival in Judea, her proximity to some members of the Jewish community receptive to the teachings of the Nazarene, of meeting him, the scene of the Judgment and finally her exile in Gaul. It is obvious that this letter does not date from the first century [from] certain terms but the fact [was] that [these letter?] were regularly read in some Catholic circles, and it was published by the archdiocese of Carcassonne at the time [when it was] officiated by Monsignor Billard when the figure of Pontius Pilate's wife was not put forward by the Roman Catholic church as noteworthy. " (Kris Darquis)

I have spoken to my French colleague and researcher Johan Netchacovitch & he also confirms that the term 'country of the Rhedons' is mentioned as the place where Procula ended up [as found in the Archdiocese of Carcassonne's publication] - this term was only used by Henri Boudet at this time in his La Vrai Langue Celtique'. Co-incidence or design?

Johan also assures me, rather teasingly, that Christian Doumergue's next book will be explosive. It was Doumergue who first mentioned the Procula text and the Carcassonne diocese publication -- so i [and the rest of the interested English] await with bated breath the new French research :)

With many thanks to Kris Darquis and to Johan for their generosity in reproducing their research and links on this blog. Read more HERE.

Interesting interview with Kris Darquis ...

20/5/2016

...regarding her book called 'Pontius Pilate's wife - Wife of Pontius Pilate & friend of Marie-Madeleine'. Her research this ties in with research i am doing into the 8th century manuscript Christian Doumergue found - which refers to Pilate building a monument/tomb for Christ in Septimania. This information comes from the cycles of the Gospel of Nicodemus/the Acts of Pilate & the Avenging of the Saviour. These documents are New Testament apocrypha - with some of them being dated at their earliest to the end of the 2nd century AD.

The whole root matter of the apocrypha is what became of an image of Christ, or several relics from the Crucifixion. They are the root matter of what later became the Grail legends. They involve the characters as taking 'a vessel to Southern Gaul'. One wonders if they are a cycle of conversion legends of these areas to Christianity, or whether these documents and the milieu that they were written in - do indeed suggest a separate tradition based on some long lost memories of these characters coming to Gaul ... read more HERE.

One point of interest is that Kris suggests in relation to Pilate that there may be a correlation between this and the burial of a Great Roman in the vicinity of Rennes-les-Bains, first mentioned by Abbe Delmas [that's if i understand her correctly from my translations of French of course!].

Rennes & the Pierre de LYS ...

17/5/2016

See HERE

The Merchants of the Temple!

16/5/2016

An article by a Pierre Sourbès in L'Indépendant talked of the 'treasure of Sauniere". A researcher said this article "... concluded that Saunière did not discover a treasure, but that his wealth originated from the selling of masses. Journalist Pierre Sourbès ..... concluded that the explanation for Saunière's activities lay in the trafficking in masses and nothing else. An interesting fact – ... during the 1960s in the Tour Magdala – there existed religious journals and magazines containing their advertisement supplements showing Saunière's advertisements for masses".

Examples of the magazines given are: La Semaine de Suzette, & Veillées des Chaumières for example. Apparently the adverts contained block advertisements saying ‘Poor curé stuck on a mountain-top in the Corbières seeks masses to celebrate'.

It didnt take long to see that the first magazine was really Sauniere advertising to swap postcards [not money for masses] and as for the second magazine there is this:

"On December 11, number 13 of the local magazine The veilles des Chaumières, there appears an advertisement signed by Sauniere in which he is advertising for a mass for 1 franc. The priest will deny ever having sent the ad to the magazine - and in fact the operation has the air of a maneuver of libel against Sauniere".

This seems related to something raised in Sauniere's trial - where Sauniere feels someone [is] against him in the pages of Les veilles des Chaumières, & refers to "an advertisement which was totally foreign"; in a later article published in La Semaine Religieuse de Carcassonne, written without even summoning him to clarify it: Sauniere said "I was first and foremost a priest, I would have asked the civil court to exonerate me - they would have certainly granted [this?]. I preferred to keep silent and suffer, preferring to wait for an [exoneration?] to come from Rome that I am confident will be granted'"

Further, there is a strange entry in the paper Le XIXe siècle published on the 11th February 1911 which seems to be related to the response of Sauniere to the advertisement in the veilles des Chaumières which he denied having sent.

The front of this paper is shown below [source Gallica] with the excerpt in red. I actually found it when trying to locate any copies of the magazine called the veilles des Chaumières :

This newspaper clipping that appeared on February 11, 1911 in the newspaper Le XIXe siècle, an openly revolutionary newspaper that says, satirically, of the news that Sauniere has been suspended from office and can not say Masses, and the journalist sarcastically mocks the news of the Diocese and the guilt of Saunière's suspension is because of "unfair competition to sell masses at a low price".

If i interpret correctly [and any of my French friends please correct me if i am wrong]; the title is THE MERCHANTS OF THE TEMPLE [with the author suggesting that the events with Sauniere were on a par with the Gospel story of the holy anger of Jesus driving the merchants from the temple in Jerusalem. But in the case of the diocese of Carcassonne who were the Merchants?]

"The bishopric of Carcassonne published the following note:"In response to a published note, dated December 14, 1910, in the supplement No. 13 Veillees des Chaumières which reads: "Always inform Violette de l'Aisne " [a person?], that Monsieur Abbe Sauniere, retired/on retreat in Rennes-le-Château, Couiza (Aude), France, says Masses of 1 franc and receives recognition for works of worship, serials, brochures, stamps, etc."

"The diocesan authority Carcassonne feels obliged to warn the faithful of the diocese and, in its power, from those of other dioceses:

"1st, That the abbe Saunière, former parish priest of Rennes-le-Chateau is by no means authorized to request form outside the diocese, or receive from foreign diocese, fees masses;
"2, he has not received any mission or authorization to officiate for any task that is aimed at worship."
Save the takings!
"Saunière spoils the business by selling discounted masses, and here, unfair competition, is [then] boycotted by " the union of traders prayers " from his department.
How far are the evangelical times!"

or perhaps:

"The Guild temple

The bishopric of Carcassonne publishes the following notice:

"In continuation of a publication to come out, as of December 14, 1910, in the supplement at 13 des Veillees Chaumières and also conceive/ read: "Always on "report" Violette de l'Aisne " Mr. abbe Sauniere, retired to Rennes-le-Château, in Couiza (Aude), France, said Mass at 1 franc and works for recognition with the cult, serials, brochures, stamps, etc. "

"The Diocesan authority of Carcassonne believes its duty to warn the diocese and the faithful, and in their power as those of other dioceses:

"1 that Mr. l'Abbe Sauniere, former priest of Rennes-le-Château, is not allowed to request outside the diocese, or receiving of foreign dioceses, the masses of fees;
"2nd, That he has no mission or received authorization to conduct or undertake a work whose purpose is worship.

Save your cash! "The Abbe Sauniere spoils business by selling the professional masses at a discount, and here, for Unfair Competition, boycotted by the Union of merchants of prayers of his department.

As times are far evangelical!"

Visite a une ville morte: Rennes-le-Château, autrefois Capitale du Comte de Razès, Aujourd'hui bourgade abandonne

16/5/2016

The first known popular article about Father Bérenger Saunière was written by Roger Crouquet in the Belgian magazine Le Soir illustré, published in 1948. The author was visiting the Aude to meet his friend Monsieur Jean Mauhin, who originated from Belgium and had moved to Quillan to open a factory making bells and hats, and at his suggestion decided it would be a good idea to visit Rennes-le-Château.

Some observers think that "the inhabitants did not refer to any treasure discovery but to gifts and to trafficking in masses, indicating that the source of Saunière’s wealth was an open secret to the villagers in 1948. Neither Noël Corbu or Marie Dénarnaud were mentioned in this article". But of course this isn't strictly true. For starters, if it was such a dead town why did Monsieur Jean Mauhin feel it would be a good place to visit with his friend visiting from Belgium? Of course, it is because they had heard of the rumours of treasure. For in 1936 - 12 years before this article - there is the testimony of Dr Jean Girou (1889-1972):

“We are now in the heart of Visigoth country. It remains to us only to visit the capital of the Razès, the former Rhédé, known to the Romans as Rhedae. At the exit from Couiza a road rises steeply to the left – that’s the road to Rennes-le-Château. Outlined against the ridge of the plateau is a most unusual sight: ruined houses and a dilapidated feudal castle overhang – and are partly mixed up with – the chalk-cliff. Then we see villas and towers with verandahs, which are new and modern and which form a strange contrast with the ruins. This is the house of a priest who built these sumptuous living-quarters with the money from a discovered treasure – or so the locals say anyway!” (L’itinéraire en Terre d’Aude; Causse, Graille & Castelnau, Montpellier; 1936).

Read the translation HERE.

Ask always who they are and on whose behalf do they come....

15/5/2016

At this website HERE one reads a letter from Grassaud about the arrival of a potential buyer for Saunière’s Estate.He writes;

"Mademoiselle Marie,
It was not possible for me to make the promised visit at Easter. When you have to tell me something important, you could come yourself if the health of your parents permits it.
A month ago I received from the same person who passed on my letter to you another letter in which it is said you are going to have a visit from one or two people about the purchase of the château.
1. Ask for 200,000 francs, apart from coming down later to 190,000 francs if that is necessary: hold firm, deal with it yourself without using the solicitor of C. who should have sorted it out earlier.
2. Furniture has become very expensive.
3. At the present time the newly rich English and Americans are looking out for good furniture.
4. It would be better to put in your own house what you want to keep.
5. Hold firm on the price.
6. As soon as you have had a visit write to me and except at the full price do not commit yourself in writing without writing first to me.
7. Ask always who they are and on whose behalf do they come and put it in writing.

Yours devotedly,
Grassaud "

No.7 always seemed strange to me. I mean, i never asked people when i was selling my flat in London 'who they are and on whose behalf do they come ' -- seems like more than a little paranoia there! Yes, they want a good price and Graussaud doesnt want Marie to be ripped off ... but still ....

Did Saunière fake his list of donors & masses?

11/5/2016

Ever one to play the Devils advocate, a fellow researcher discussed with me the possibility of Saunière faking the list of donors and other information to essentially 'cover-up' where his money was coming from. Viz read the comments below:

Buchholtzer said:

"It is true that the diaries of Sauniere cover the "request for Masses", "Sending masses", "acknowledgment", "no longer masses," and "promises of Masses". I counted 4660 "mass mailings" from 1896 to 1908, an average of one per day. That's a lot but it is far from the reported "hundreds of orders he received every day."

&:

"The number of "donors" of the Abbe's amounts to tens or hundreds. That's a lot, but at the same time, it is less than what I initially feared. How has the Abbe got in touch with them, and how did he convince [them to send money] ..."

&:

"The same people finance Sauniere - largely from beginning to
end ."

Corjan de Raaf said:

"Did anyone ever wonder why Saunière received all his mass requests in alphabetical order? Rather odd don't you think? The priest literally copied an annuaire (the Yellow Pages of the age) to fake a justification for all the money he received. Yes Saunière put adverts in papers, but not the hundreds or thousands that are claimed. I have been a fanatical document searcher for many years and never have I come across one of these adverts".

On December 11, number 13 of the local magazine The veilles des Chaumières, there appears an advertisement signed by Sauniere in which he is advertising for a mass for 1 franc. The priest will deny ever having sent the ad to the magazine - and in fact the operation has the air of a maneuver of libel against Sauniere".

Corjan de Raaf also reported: "Curiously enough, although hords of researchers have been looking for it for a long time, no-one has ever found an advert in any magazine of paper from Saunière in which he requests money to say mass. Nor has there been found one written request to any of his benefactors".

But the main witness is Saunière himself. Had he lied and prepared fake documents in the past? On some websites it is reported that: In February 1903, the Mayor of Rennes-le-Château wrote an official complaint to the Prefect of the Aude saying Estieu was a very bad teacher – the Sub-Prefect later suspected (on 15 February) whether or not that letter, not in the Mayor's handwriting, had really been written by Saunière."

If Sauniere did fake that complaint letter - one must ask, if he has done it once, could he have done it again?

...a bloodline from Jesus and Mary Magdalene?

6/5/2016

Along side religious mainstream doubt regarding the biblical texts at the time of Sauniere there was at this time a concurrent occult stream running adjacent to it. Christian Doumergue mentions names such as Doctor Fugairon. Fugairon "asserted his conviction that the grave of Jesus was in the South of France..." A more surprising text..... is .... a work signed by a certain Louis Martin. This work was published in 1886. Its title is: “Les Evangiles sans Dieu” (“Gospels without God”). Louis Martin asserts too that Magdalene brought back the body of Jesus to the South of France. He says where the body of Christ still rests. He describes his grave. He also asserts that Magdalene was the wife of Jesus. And that she has had a son by Jesus, born in the South of France. Some of these assertions were taken up by several members of the Gnostic Church such as Doctor Fugairon. The Gnostic Church was a parallel church established at the end of the XIXth century. It was much implanted in the region of Rennes-les-Bains at the time of the Boudet... Some of its members carried out field work... For example, in the caves which sheltered formerly the Cathars. It is likely that Plantard had access to archives emanating from this group... ".

Perhaps Plantard developed his idea of a bloodline, which Lincoln et al turned into a bloodline from Jesus and Mary Magdalene from this? It would appear that some art work from the time may also carry this 'message'. Two of them are shown below:

Descent from the Cross, Marc Chagall, 1876

The women find Jesus' Tomb Empty - Maurice Denis, 1894 - Musee Maurice Denis-Le Prieuré, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France

The land owned by Marie Denarnaud...

14/4/2016

Noted by a French researcher on a forum was the following information about the land owned by Marie Denarnaud. "Thanks to the cadastre [map] of 1831 we can know the number of parcels that are assigned to Mary .... Green shows that which was owned by the Town Hall, blue is the "Domaine de Sauniere" & red which is in the name of Denarnaud ..."

Further, we have the numbers of parcels 7 and confirmation that Villa Bethany is built on two parcels that were originally the location of 2 barns ... And also confirmation that plots 11 and 14 belonged to the Mayor ... for parcel 14 Sauniere was authorized to use it but it was not his .... In terms of plot 11 we remember the difficulty posed for the "half-plots" but we see on the map that there were 3 lots .... the rightmost one is called "stable" to be made available to BS ... and which now serves as the museum. The Villa Bethany has always belonged to Marie Denarnaud, it can also be considered outside the "Domain".

Cercle Catholique de Narbonne...

14/4/2016

Laurent Buchholtzer (aka Octonovo) talked about his investigation into the trafficking of Masses organized by a local Catholic network of which Berenger Sauniere would have been in league with ..... at Rennes-le-Chateau. Here it should be noted that this is not a fact but a theory that Octonovo advances. He says " My feeling is that the abbe addresses his requests for Masses to members of a large group (several hundred people). This group has no profile of an initiatory society but rather evokes a monarcho- ultra royalist movement in resistance against the rapprochement with the Republic then advocated by the Catholic hierarchy. I would see the entry of a pious union type association, an ultra-conservative group, a radical monarchist group. The fact is that this theory would explain many things. The regularity of the donations even in the absence of demand, the very low failure rate that appears to save his demands, achievements and a number of contradictions that appear at the trial, some of his achievements ... But for now I have not been able to put a name to this potential organization".

However, this group may now have been identified by Christian Doumergue - the Catholic Cercle of Narbonne, of which Sauniere's brother was an important member. Read more HERE.

Bon anniversaire Bérenger, né le 11 avril 1852 !

11/4/2016

Bon anniversaire Bérenger, né le 11 avril 1852 !

Bérenger Saunière and his Mass Trafficking ...

11/4/2016

Visigothic Cemetery of Cubillejo de la Sierra (Guadalajara) - excavation in September 2016.

5/4/2016

Many of you will know i have an interest in the Visigothic archaeology - for those interested there is a chance to excavate a Visigothic cemetery from Guadalajara. Might see you there :)

More info: "The discovery of the Visigothic Cemetery of Cubillejo de la Sierra (Guadalajara) ocurred in the context of a larger entity archaeological project focused primarily on the Celtibero-Roman hillfort of Los Rodiles. Surronding this archaeological site, there are several sites of the past whose study can document a large cultural sequence, since the beginning of the first millenium before the era until late antiquity (Cerde?o et al. 2008). One of these sites was an early Celtiberian Iron Age hillfort wich abundant pottery. After the prospection of the place on summer of the year 2006, appeared this new cemetery. The absence of adequate fuding to undertake the excavation with this characteristics on this archaeological site, including the essential anthropological study of the remains, it was covered up waiting for the propitious occasion to make its study. The time pass since its discovery and the almost surface position of the burials, was very neccesary to turn the attention on the them, before they could suffer irreparable damage by natural or intentional causes. In the splanade that surrounds the Virgen de la Vega chapel, people of nearbay towns celebrates a religious pilgrimage every year and always that is a potential danger for the cemetery.

In 2014 we had the opportunity to organize an excavation campaing in collaboration with the Professor of Anthropology Dr. Jesus Herrerin (Faculty of Biological Sciences of the Complutense University of Madrid) and Prof. Dr. Manuel Retuerce (Faculty of Histoy of the Complutense University of Madrid) designed as a nine days practical archaeological anthropology fieldwork, which ensured the self-funding. Despite of the success of the intervention, and reflected the archaeological report, it was a short excavation campaing and its necessary give a new impetus to the study of the cemetery, as the best way to protect the burials that are not exhumed. For this reason we have proposed a one month excavation and forensic analysis campaing that we believe is the final. The main goal is the excation of the prospected area pending of archaeological intervention. Apart of the research side, we always consider our educational perspective, we believe the site could be good for students who want to specialize in Archaeology and Anthropology, also ensuring the rigor and the accuracy of the work. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The visigothic cemtery extends over a small hill with abundant emergence of limestone along the eastern side of the Virgen de la Vega chapel, bult in the Middle Age and rebuilt in later centuries, but the original plant was clearly linked to the visigothic cemetery. The burials were discovered at a very shallow depth soundings and they allow to delimit the possible extent and the number of graves: almost 450 which could contain more than 100 burials. All the graves discovered offer similar features: a rater shallow grave bounded by stone slabs with human bones inside. The skeletons are buried in supne position, with the hands on the abdomen or in paralell with the trunk and oriented to north-east or south-east. The cemetery indicates that the region continued inhabited during the Late Antiquity, following the abandonment of the nearby roman village, as documented in other sites such as Carranque or Saucedo, both sites locatd in Toledo. In the surrounding of Cubillejo, in the same region of Molina de Aragon, there are some references of another ancient cemetery of the same period in Establ?s and Villel de Mesa, and in other like and in Aguilar de Anguita and Corduente. The dwelling places are worst known. The only excavated in the province is El Tesoro-Carramantiel in Gualda. It has been identified as a small village linked to the livestock activities, but its possible that every cemetery has its corresponding settlement. This aspect that there was a predominantly rural visigoth settelement, still poorly understood, but more abundant that previously thought. The urban life was scarce in these parts of the Kingdom of Toledo, apart the cities of Recopolis and Segontia, identified Sig?enza, old roman village and epicospal see whose bishops appear appointment from the Third Council of Toledo, held in 589 and in subsequent until the Council XVI. STUDIES: From of a methodological point of view, the small hill that occupies the chapel and the cemetery were included in the georeference analysis that it has taken place at the beginig of the archaeological works in Los Rodiles hillfort. It was desinged an artificial mesh 4x4 oriented from an axis North-South and in the point of the land that the cemetery sits, two points of basic georeferencing were placed to allow the identification of each susceptible orderly grid designed. The geodetic works were carried by Prof. Dr. Rodr?guez-Caderot of the Faculty of Mathematics at the Complutense University of Madrid. After the discovery of the first burial in 2006, we conducted some surveys to see if it was an isolated case or trurly was a well organizted complete cemetery. Finally, this last condition like an intact visigothic cemetery was confirmed so we believed that it was necessary study of those first data and present them in specialized forums: A poster at the First International Congress on "Urban Spaces in the West Mediterranean, VI-VIII Centuries" (Toledo, 2009 September 30-October 3) and a longer oral communication in the II Congresso sobre "Arqueolog?a de Tansi?ao: O Mundo Funerario." (Evora, 2013 April 29-May 1).

NEXT STUDIES: After the first surveys and the excavation campaign of 2014, has demonstrated the obvious interest of the cemetery and therefore urgently consider the finalization of the field work to prevent the possible destruction of the site and with it the disappearance of very important documentation. The excavation of this cemetery is perhaps the best way to preserve its content, given its existence is well known in the environment, their position is very shallow and the space it occupies, together to the chapel, it is used every year as a place of pilgrimage on August 15.

The actions should be developed are:
Excavation extension of well-defined as a cemetery, to get the full perspective of necropolitano whole space.
Having identified the graves, detailed floor plans at scales 1:20 and 1:10, which are then digitized to be processed is lifted. It also aims to study possible topoastron?micas orientations of individuals buried in line with the guidelines of the current archaeoastronomical studies.
Exhumation of skeletal remains in archaeological and anthropological methodology for further study in the laboratory. Techniques archaeological record be made by stratigraphic units and Harris method for extracting skeletal remains applying standardized anthropological record and appropriate treatments for cleaning and maintenance.
Upon the finalization of the fieldwork, we will proceed to the global study of the data obtained and the immediate composition of the relevant publication, so it could be known by the scientific community.
In the same way, the place of burial can be incorporated into the draft musealization hillfort of Los Rodiles, because different sites that can demonstrate continuity in the population of the area from the stages of Early Celtiberian (First Iron Age seventh century. C.) to the Late Antiquity, sixth century. C ."

See the website HERE

Pont de Bugarach (Aude)

4/4/2016

Pont de Bugarach (Aude)
Posted by L'Arc de Roseline, le secret templier de Rennes-le-Château on Sunday, 3 April 2016

By L'Arc de Roseline, le secret templier de Rennes-le-Château - a beautiful video of the area of Rennes-les-Bains ...

The Roman road which connects Rennes-les-Bains to Rennes-le-Château

22/3/2016

The Roman road which connects Rennes-les-Bains to Rennes-le-Château via the locality "La Cabanasse". The secondary Roman road comes from the chateau of Bezu, through Lavaldieu and rises to Rennes-le-Château. That of Rennes-les-Bains joined it.

Thank you to Johan Netchacovitch for the photo and the information :)

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RHEDESIUM BLOG

"Lettre de Granes - Découverte d'un tombeau - Le soir pluie"
(Bérenger Saunière, 21 septembre 1891)

"Vu Curé de Névian - Chez Gélis - Chez Carrière - Vu Cros et Secret."

(Bérenger Saunière, 29 septembre 1891)

"Marie, of course yes, after the death of Bérenger, used to teach Catholicism in
Sunday school, and once after an hour of class, once she had finished, she
closed the book, looked at them and said, ‘my poor kids, if you only knew’ . What did she mean?"
(Jean-Luc Robin, 2006)

But this traffic [in masses], although significant, did not produce amounts sufficient to allow him [Sauniere] to erect such buildings, and at the same time to live so grandly. Therefore, there was something else.'
(Rene Descedailles 1962)

"The Abbe Boudet knows a secret that could lead to major upheavals ......."
(Letter from Abbe Vannier).

"Villagers told me, 'Bérenger Saunière
and a friend, burrowed
a tunnel, which led them from Espéraza to RLC, are
these statements true? There is no smoke without fire! What is certain is that
Bérenger Saunière had
been, since childhood, attracted by this mystery
and riddle....".
(Chantal Buthion, www.rennes-le-chateau.org/pdf/c-buthion)

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