Le Serpent Rouge Interpreted
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http://www.dragonkeypress.com/articles/article_2004_10_20_4442.html
Writes Buechner:
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In the sanctuary, nevertheless the font of benediction, fountain of love of the believers, reminds us of these words again: “BY THIS SIGN YOU WILL CONQUER.”
The holy water stoup at Rennes-le-Chateau is marked with the phrase, “By this sign you shall conquer.” This phrase was used by Constantine when he saw his vision of the sun-cross in the sky. The cross above the stoop is of the Celtic type described previously. However, it has been suggested in Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and in the literature published by the Priory of Sion, that the sign which Constantine really envisioned was the Chi Rho. This is a symbol made out of the first two Latin letters in the Latin word for “Christ.” It is pre-Christian in origin, but is now a common Catholic symbol.
From her who I wish to free, steams of perfume that impregnated the sepulcher climbed towards me. Formerly some called her ISIS, queen of the beneficial spring, COME TO ME ALL OF YOU WHO SUFFER AND WHO ARE AFFLICTED, AND I WILL COMFORT YOU. For others: MADGALENE, of the famous vase full of healing balm. The initiates know her true name: OUR LADY OF THE CROSS.
Here the author associates Isis, Venus, Virgo, and Mary Magdalene with the vase full of balm which all of these characters were supposed to have carried, and which can also be linked with the Holy Grail. The use of the term “Our Lady of the Cross” again associates the goddess with the Celtic circle and cross symbol. The idea that she needs to be “freed” from something indicates that she, like her brothers, the Cainites, is imprisoned within her mountain tomb, trapped “in a deathless sleep”, like Sleeping Beauty.
I was like the shepherds of the famous painter POUSSIN, perplexed in front of the enigma: “ET IN ARCADIA EGO…”!
It goes without saying that this is a reference to Nicolas Poussin’s painting, The Shepherds of Arcadia, which was mentioned in the Sauniere parchments, and which depicts the mountains of Rennes-le-Chateau. The painting is a clue indicating the sacred tombs located within the mountains.
The voice of the blood made me form an image of an ancestral past. Yes, the lightening flash of genius cut across my thinking. I saw it again, I understood! I knew now this fabulous secret.
The author is perhaps experiencing ancestral memories pertaining to the secret of the Grail, for he may be of the Grail blood himself.
One must marvel that, during the jumps of the four horsemen, the hooves of one horse left four imprints on the stone.
The imagery of horses brings to mind the “horse of God” that was mentioned in the Sauniere parchments. However, these “four horsemen” are the four knights on the chessboard, and their “jumps” are once again a reference to the Knight’s Tour. They are also reminiscent of the four horsemen of The Revelation of Saint John the Divine.
There is the sign that DELACROIX had given in one of three tableaus in the Chapel of Angels. There is the seventh sentence that a hand had traced: DELIVER ME FROM THE MIRE, SO THAT I WILL NOT STAY HERE SINKING. Twice IS, embalmer and embalmed, miracle vase of the eternal White Lady of the Legends.
“Twice IS” is, of course, Isis, or Venus, the “Eternal White Lady of the Legends.” Here, her vase is associated with the embalming of corpses, both her own and someone else’s. Of course, Mary Magdalene’s balm was supposedly used to “anoint” Jesus for burial. “Deliver me from the mire” is perhaps a prayer from the Ark navigator, asking to be saved from the Flood, to keep him from sinking into the mud that was swallowing up creation all around him. It also may link up with the story of the children of God, Shu and Tefnut, who in Egyptian mythology got lost in the Primeval Waters, and were saved by God’s eye, which was sent out to find them. In the myth, the Eye was personified as female, a precursor to the idea of the goddess Isis.
Begun in darkness, my journey could only be completed in Light.
Here is yet another reference to the opposing but equal powers of good and evil, light and dark.
At the window of the ruined house, I contemplated the trees made bare by the autumn.
This “ruined house”, like the story of the ruined Temple of Solomon, or the ruined Tower of Babel, represents the loss of the Grail wisdom after the Deluge.
At the summit of the mountain, the cross detached itself from the crest under the midday sun. It was the fourteenth and highest of all with 35 centimeters!
I have already discussed the significance of the time of midday, or high noon, in regards to the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery in other Dagobert’s Revenge articles, and in my book The Merovingian Mythos and the Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau.
It is the moment when Hiram Abiff (representing the dead, hidden god within the tomb) was murdered. Dagobert II, to whom the treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau is said to belong, was also murdered at midday, and “midday” is mentioned specifically in the parchments found by Sauniere. As for the rest of this passage, I have been unable thus far to decipher it conclusively.
Here I am, thus, on my knight’s tour, on the circuit of the divine horsemen of the abyss.
Here is an even more overt reference to the Knight’s Tour. The words “divine horsemen” would also seem to correlate with the “horse of God” reference in Sauniere’s second parchment. “Crossing the Abyss” may be analogous to discovering the tomb, and “reassembling the scattered stones” – regaining the Grail.
Celestial vision for him who remembers the four works of E. M. Signol regarding the meridian line;
Emile Signol was a painter who produced four paintings of the old Paris meridian line, which the Priory documents suggest has some geometric relationship to the “Roseline” meridian. Signol also painted a famous portrait of King Dagobert II. All of these works are now on display in the Saint Sulpice church in Paris.
…at the choir of the sanctuary from where this spring of love radiates towards one another, I pivot, looking from the rose from P to that of the S, then from the S to the P…
I believe this line refers to the tombs hidden beneath the mountains of Rennes-le-Chateau: the “sanctuary.” The word “choir” comes from “core”, indicating the inner chamber of that structure, the “heart of the sanctuary.” The word “heart” in French, is “coeur”, and it comes from the Latin “cor” or “cordis”, from whence we get the word “cardia”, designating the heart organ These words are also related to the ancient words “kar” and “gar”, the key syllables in the words “Garral”, or “Grail”, and “Kardo”, the name given in The Book of the Cave of Treasures for the mountain upon which the Ark landed, which I have equated with Mt. Cardou in Rennes-le-Chateau. In my book The Merovingian Mythos I discuss how Cardou/Kardo may have been, as indicated by the Priory of Sion’s own writings, the “zero point” for the ancient prime meridian referred to by the Priory as the “Roseline”, and thus was literally the “center of the Earth” in ancient times.
The “rose” mentioned may be the “hidden sun” said to be within the tomb, which is referred to metaphorically in occult ritual as a rose. It may represent, in this instance, the “heart” of Mt. Cardou. If the prime meridian of the ancient world passes through this point, this may explain why it is called “the Roseline.” The reference to the “heart” which “radiates the source of love for one another” identifies this “rose” with the Sacred Heart symbol as well, which was used by the Priory of Sion under their guise as the Hieron du Val d’Or. The Sacred Heart symbol is further linked with the rose-cross, the Celtic cross, the ankh, and the Venus symbol. All of these represent this concept of the center of the Earth and the prime meridian.
The “P” and “S” represent the Priory of Sion.
…and the spiral in my mind becomes like a monstrous octopus expelling its ink. The tentacles absorb the light, I am dizzy.
The tomb of Marie de Blanchefort, which in its inscription reveals the coded words “Et in Arcadia Ego”, also has the figure of an octopus etched down at the bottom. The octopus is, according to Priory of Sion member Paul Le Cour, a solar symbol used in Atlantis. It also contains the same symbolism as Arachne, the spider goddess, in regards to the number eight and the chessboard.
“The spiral in my mind” may signify the Fibonacci spiral. On the tombstone of Marie de Blanchefort, at the top, we find the letters P and S, linked by a Fibonacci spiral. Furthermore, when an octopus expels ink into water, the ink makes a perfect Fibonacci spiral, another peculiar property of nature. Spirals in general, however, can also be seen as yet another representation of the labyrinth, or maze.
I put my hand to my mouth, instinctively biting my palm, maybe like OLIER in his coffin.
This is the Masonic “Sign of Horror”, made by raising the hand over the mouth and biting the palm, a perfectly apt sign to be made if, for instance, one has just discovered a tomb. In fact, this sign is used in Masonic ritual when reenacting the discovery of Hiram Abiff’s tomb. Jean-Jacques Olier was the founder of the Seminary of Saint Sulpice. “Olier in his coffin” may just be a reinforcement of the image of the divine tombs, and the involvement of the Priory of Sion in the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery.
Curses, I understand the truth, HE HAS PASSED in doing good, as did he of the flowery tomb.
“He has passed” is reminiscent of the phrase “he is there dead” from the Sauniere parchments (below) which in that case referred to the remains of King Dagobert being buried at Rennes-le-Chateau. These bones were probably laid there alongside those of his ancestors, going all the way back to the Cainites. The “flowery tomb” reference is in regards to the supposed “rose (or “hidden sun”) within the tomb of Enoch/Hermes.
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THE ‘DAGOBERT’ PARCHMENT The text on this parchment, the shorter of the two, is a composite of different Gospel accounts of Jesus and his disciples eating corn on the Sabbath. The hidden message was discovered by Henry Lincoln in 1969. Some of the letters are raised above the rest on the line, and simply reading them in order gives the words:A DAGOBERT II ROI ET A SION EST CE TRESOR ET IL EST LA MORT |
THE ‘SHEPHERDESS’ PARCHMENT This had attracted by far the more interest and attempts at interpretation.The Latin text is the account from John’s Gospel (chapter 12) in which Mary of Bethany (believed by many to be one and the same as Mary Magdalene) anoints Jesus. As with the first parchment, certain letters are picked out – this time by being smaller than the rest – which spell the words REX MUNDI, Latin for ‘King of the World’, a term used by Gnostic heretics such as the Cathars. |
There is a grave in the church graveyard at Rennes-le-Bains which appears to links up with this line as well – or rather, two graves. For in this yard there are two gravestones bearing the name of Paul-Urbain de Fleury, grandson of Marie de Blanchefort.(6) Henry Lincoln believes that the reason for the gravestone duplication is to draw attention to the man’s name, which sounds a lot like “fleurie”, the French word for “flowery.”
But how many have plundered the HOUSE, leaving nothing but embalmed cadavers and metal objects that they could not have taken. What strange mystery is concealed within the new temple of SOLOMON, edified by the children of Saint VINCENT?
This is clearly a reference to the sacking of Solomon’s Temple, the loss of the Grail, and the “ruined house” concept discussed earlier. The “new” Temple of Solomon reference alludes to the concept of regaining that which was lost. But it may also refer to Rennes-le-Chateau, linking it symbolically with the Temple of Solomon. In other words, Rennes-le-Chateau is the real “Holy of Holies”, where the real “stone from Heaven”, and the bodies of the real “holy patriarchs” are buried: the real “center of the Earth”, and the ideal location to build a sacred temple, which I believe also exists within the mountains. The writer seems to be describing a tomb that has been partially plundered except for the bodies, and other objects that were too heavy to carry. This may indeed be the case with the tombs beneath Rennes-le-Chateau.
The “Children of Saint Vincent” are a subsection of the Priory of Sion mentioned in the statutes written for the order by Jean Cocteau, who, according to him, number 243, and who “participate neither in the vote, nor in the Convents, but to whom the Priory of Sion accords certain rights and privileges.” This subgroup was created, Cocteau claimed, on January 17, 1681.
Cursing the profaners in their ashes and those who follow their ways, I leave the abyss where I was plunged while making the gesture of horror.
Here we have another reference to the Masonic “Sign of Horror” upon discovering a tomb. The “profaners” are those who have plundered the tombs.
Here is the proof that I knew the secret of the Seal of Solomon, and that I had visited the hidden houses of this queen.
Another reference to the six-pointed star, and to the “Sleeping Beauty” hidden inside of a mountain.
Take heed, dear Friend. Do not add or remove one iota; think and think again.
This indicates that clues are hidden in the precise wording of this poem, which you will understand more clearly every time you examine it. These are very similar words to those used at the end of The Revelation of Saint John the Divine, which may not, in fact, be that last words of that book in its original form. A rumor persists that the Priory of Sion (and, I suspect, specifically Jean Cocteau) was in possession of a twenty-third chapter to The Revelation of Saint John the Divine that contained unknown secrets about the Apocalypse which the Vatican wished to remain secret. This theory is presented in Andre Douzet’s book Sauniere’s Model and the Secret of Rennes-le-Chateau, in which he links it to the mysterious phrase “John 23” uttered by Berenger Sauniere at his death. Just a few years later, Jean Cocteau assumed the title “John 23” when he took office as the Grand Master of the Priory.(7)
The base lead of my writing contains the purest gold.
These words imply that the tomb which the poem describes contains the secrets of alchemy, which it would if it contained the tablet of Enoch (Hermes-Thoth).
Returning to the white hill, the sky has opened its floodgates.
In the Bible, the “floodgates” of the “firmament of Heaven” were opened to let loose the catastrophic Deluge.
There seemed to be a presence nearby, its feet in the water like him who comes to receive the mark of baptism.
Following the Flood reference, here we have yet another reference to water, specifically baptism. This could symbolize the cleansing of the Earth via the Flood. It could also refer in part to Christ’s baptism by John the Baptist. In those days, the ritual was performed not by an emersion of the entire body, but only the feet. Note that Jean Cocteau’s mural at Notre Dame de France in London shows only the feet of Christ. But there is another mural of Cocteau’s that illustrates this principle even more clearly. It is the mural in the Chapel of Saint Peter entitled Saint Peter Walking on Water. The painting shows Peter being held aloft by an angel while his feet are dipped into the water, as though he were being baptized.
I turn again towards the East. Facing me I see rings unrolling without end, the enormous SERPENT ROUGE cited in the parchments. Salty and bitter, the enormous unchained beast became, at the feet of this white mountain, red in color.
This passage could conceal a hidden message regarding the combination of red and white powders in alchemy. The reference to the snake being “bitter” reinforces the association with the sulfurous red element used in that process.
My emotions were rising. “Deliver me from the mire!”, I said, and awoke immediately. My dream is over. I have omitted from telling you in effect that this was a dream I had this JANUARY 17th, feast day of Saint SULPICE.
January 17, as we know, is a date that recurs frequently in this Rennes-le-Chateau mystery. It is the day Marie de Blanchefort is recorded to have died, and the date on which Berenger Sauniere fell ill with a stroke, from which he died five days later. It is also the date on which Nicolas Flamel, one of the Grand Masters of the Priory of Sion, is recorded to have successfully completed his first alchemical transformation of base metal into gold, and the date upon which the Priory of Sion‘s “Children of Saint Vincent“ were created. Furthermore, it is, as the poem notes, the Feast Day of Saint Sulpice, and we know that the Priory of Sion took headquarters in the Seminary of Saint Sulpice for some time.
Recently I have discovered even more interesting connections regarding this date. The Birthday Book of Saints, by Sean Kelly and Rosemary Rogers, says that January 17th is also the feast day of St. Anthony the Hermit, the patron saint of buried treasure has cropped up elsewhere in the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery. But even more astounding is that, in addition, this date marks the feast day of “St. Roseline”, whose name contains an obvious connection to the “Roseline” meridian (which, incidentally, runs through St. Sulpice in Paris). According to Kelly and Rogers, she was:
“… the mind reading prioress of Provence. When she was exhumed in 1334, four years after her death, her body was perfectly incorrupt. The astonished cleric in charge was so impressed by the beauty of her eyes that he scooped them out and took them home.”
The details of this story clearly mimic the legend of Venus lying incorrupt within her tomb. The bit about the eyes being taken out connects with the idea of the “Watchers”, and with the story of the missing eye of Horus.
Afterwards, my trouble persisting, I wanted after some reflection to tell you a fairytale by PERRAULT.
Charles Perrault, a seventeenth century French writer and poet, was the author of the book Sleeping Beauty.
Here then, dear reader, in the pages that follow are the result of a dream that cradled me in the world of the strange and the unknown. To him who PASSES BY, DO GOOD!
Here the writer seems to be suggesting that we use the clues embedded in the poem to explore the “world of the strange and the unknown”, and to “do good” by solving the mysteries of the Grail, and of Rennes-le-Chateau.
There are many riddles still left to be solved within this poem. This may form the basis for a forthcoming book on the subject.
Endnotes:
(1) Albert Pike stated in Morals and Dogma: “The Ancients adored the Sun under the form of a black stone, called Elagabalus, or Heliogabulua. The faithful are promised, in the Apocalypse, a white stone.”
(2) Cocteau decorated the ceiling of the Notre Dame de France with a spiderweb motif.
(3) Remember that Thoth is the same figure as Hermes, or Enoch.
(4) Aleister Crowley insisted that his student magicians construct their altars with two perfect cubes stacked atop one another, “symbolizing the Great Work… The height of the altar is equal to the height above the ground of the navel of the magician. The altar is connected with the Ark of the Covenant, Noah’s Ark, the nave (navis, a ship) of the Church, and many other symbols of antiquity.”
(5) In this context, it is also worth noting that Cocteau was one of the major participants in Hans Richter’s film 8 x 8: A Chess Sonata, and he created one of the film’s most bizarre segments.
(6) Remember that Marie de Blanchefort also had two graves attributed to her.
(7) One should note that, since the Cutting of the Elm, all Priory Grand Masters have taken on the title “John.”