The Rosslyn Cipher

© Brian Allan 2005

Word Count: 3,863

Authors Note

I wish to make it clear from he outset that while this article offers a viable hypothesis regarding what the secret of Rosslyn may be, the concept upon which this hypothesis is based relies on earlier pioneering work carried out by the hotelier Steven Prior and others. I am also indebted to Mr Bill Downie for both his assistance and invaluable knowledge of the ancient, esoteric science of Gematria.

Introduction

It is frequently claimed that there is a great and profound secret hidden in Rosslyn Chapel, a secret that has so far remained tantalisingly elusive, and if there is a secret what kind of secret is it?

Some say that it comprises treasure, allegedly the contents of the Templar preceptories hastily removed from France immediately prior to their arrest and imprisonment in October, 1309. Others insist that is consists of the lost gospels of Christ appropriated from beneath Solomon's Temple by the Knights Templar during their lengthy sojourn in the Holy Lands. Another school of thought argues that it is The Holy Grail, the very cup of Christ that lies hidden beneath the floor of this medieval chapel.

Yet others are sure it consists of the Ark of the Covenant, and there are even those who hold that the mummified head of Christ (or indeed John the Baptist) is there. However it does not stop with these astonishing assertions, we are even told that the physical and literal gateway to heaven is hidden in the vaults, which, in one sense is not too far from the truth, and incredibly there are even supposedly the fragments of a crashed UFO. However, finally, another and more likely candidate is the Holy Rood, a fragment of the true cross that carried the agonised and incandescent body of the Christ during his crucifixion on Calvary. So, is this supposed secret worldly or spiritual? The fact of the matter is that no one knows what if any treasure lies secreted far beneath this building whose vaults are allegedly as deep as it is high. The best bet however seems to be some kind of spiritual gnosis, a mystical truth and revelation, but what is it and is it still relevant in the 21st century? This is the vexed question lying at the very core of the puzzle. In this article I shall present a hypothesis suggesting that yes, the secret is indeed spiritual and although its meaning, significance and focus may have altered slightly over the intervening centuries, this does not mean that it is any less valid, far from it, and it is only now that, perhaps, we are more inclined to accept its truth although, sadly, there is no guarantee of this because there is still the matter of faith in the literal truth of The Bible. The search for the truth both spiritual and temporal is a quest that many have embarked upon but very few have tracked it to its source and fewer still have found its ultimate reward. Why this should be is not easy to understand, but perhaps part of the answer lies in the fact that the truth exists both internally and externally and one should know ones self before seeking further enlightenment.

A Brief History of Rosslyn Chapel

This small, medieval sanctuary which lies approximately five miles South of Edinburgh is a functioning Episcopalian church, The Collegiate Church of St. Matthew's, but closer examination reveals that it is more, a great deal more. The reasons for its construction are themselves still unclear although there are several theories. There is a suggestion that the chapel was intended as the retro-choir of a much larger cathedral, but what is certain is that it was built at the instigation of Sir William St.Clair, the third and last Prince of Orkney, between 1440 and 1490. During its construction, St.Clair employed the services of skilled masons from all over Europe and it is alleged that the village of Roslin was created to house the work force. It is a mark of St.Clairs determination to have the best possible work force that he paid the most skilled and talented craftsmen the then princely sum of £40 per annum. Although convention says that the building was only intended as a place for private family worship, even a cursory examination will change your mind. Its present use as the Collegiate Church of St Mathew is attributable to Queen Victoria, who, while visiting the area in the 1880's thought it would be preferable to restore the decaying building, which also just happens to a world class example of the masons' art, to something like its former glory.

While the symbolism inherent in the chapel's sumptuous carvings and geometry may have been solely for the personal edification of Sir William St.Clair and his family it is unlikely. Rather, this building was designed and left as a learning tool for posterity, a book constructed in one of the most durable medium available at the time, stone and intended for those in future generations who could decode the designs and make use of the knowledge locked into them. The connections between Rosslyn, the Knights Templar and the Freemasons are inescapable; the symbolism entrained in the carvings and architecture is unmistakable for those who recognise the enigmatic signs. Bearing in mind that William Sinclair who was a Templar, approved every last detail of the building, it is obvious that nothing is there by accident. His search for perfection was such that each carving was allegedly first created in wood before being sculpted in stone.

If the supposed secret lies in arcane references to the geometric proportions of buildings, (the so called sacred angles and 'golden mean') or an insight into the esoteric workings of certain secret societies, then it is difficult to see why this has any relevance now. On the other hand, if the carvings contain deliberately suppressed information that could prove disastrous to today's established churches, particularly the Christian church, then we are faced with a real and potentially explosive question of choice. Is it better to let well alone and walk away or 'publish and be damned'? However, as we shall see, if the latest hypothesis is valid, then the secret of Rosslyn may be more accessible and wonderful than one might imagine, in fact it may even be hidden in plain sight.

The building itself is redolent with history, even the name; 'Rosslyn' is perhaps significant. According to research conducted by Robert Lomas and Christopher Knight for the book 'The Hiram Key', the word can be broken into its two syllables, 'Ros' and 'lyn' which have their roots in the Gaelic, 'Ros'- ancient knowledge and 'Lyn'- down the ages. It can therefore be argued that even the name of the place is telling us what it is, a library carved in stone ciphers; an attempt to impart arcane knowledge in something more durable than paper, knowledge available only to those with the intellect to decode it. Outstanding amongst the many and wonderful carvings are two items deserving particular mention; these are the two exquisitely worked pillars at the East end of the chapel.

The most impressive of these, 'The Apprentice Pillar,' is a marvellous piece of work, which, according to legend, was supposedly completed by the apprentice of a craftsman who had gone abroad for advice on the project. Upon his return the tradesman saw the finished work and was consumed by jealousy and murdered the apprentice with a blow to the head. This head complete with its deeply scarred forehead can be seen in bas-relief halfway up the wall in the South West corner of the chapel. There is also another head in the opposite corner, which is reputed to be the murderous master mason. This particular story is a direct reference to a specific Masonic degree of initiation, which is itself allegedly interwoven with Templar rituals and beliefs; in fact the two organizations are claimed to be inextricably linked. Indeed some of the higher degrees of Freemasonry specifically deal with certain aspects of the Knights Templar to the extent that the Freemasons can claim ownership of Templar traditions and rites. However it is important to note that there are many diverse groups claiming direct lineage from the Knights Templar, but obviously they cannot all be right.

However, treasure vaults aside, perhaps the single most mysterious aspect of the entire building are the enigmatic 'cubes' located in the ceiling of the Lady Chapel, or retro-choir, which is located at the east end of the chapel. These cubes, which number in their hundreds, are seen emerging from musical instruments played by angels situated at the top of pillars running along the length of the small retro-choir. The cubes rise in silent tribute to the heavens and each cube carries its own set of delicate carvings on all of the exposed faces, what could these carvings mean? It has been suggested that since they emerge from musical instruments, logically, they must represent musical notes, but how can these odd shapes and patterns have any relationship to conventional musical notation? 

The Lady Chapel

Why might Sir William Sinclair have chosen to hide this information in the form of obscure, abstract lines on small sandstone cubes? Could have it been that he wished to express his disapproval and contempt at the summary and draconian treatment visited upon the Knights Templar in 1309 by the Vatican at the behest of King Philip the Fair of France. It is almost certain that Sinclair was sympathetic to the Templar cause and must have had strong views on their murderous suppression. Likewise, he was also probably aware of a curious and proscribed series of musical notes called 'The Devil's Chord' and its eerie effects, and if he intended to use this knowledge to express his dissatisfaction how could he conceal it without attracting unwelcome attention? The answer seems to have been in a form of a code consisting of stress patterns created using fine sand, thin metal plates and a bow of some type. Did Sir William painstakingly create the patterns using this method, transcribing each note revealed in the sand onto the stone cubes? We shall return to this important theory later.

The Lady Chapel also contains a bas-relief representation of an angel suspended upside down; this is often assumed to be Lucifer, but is more likely to represent Shemhazai marooned between heaven and hell. Like Satan, Shemhazai was also one of the fallen angels, but in his case he was one of the so-called 'Watchers' who taught humankind the forbidden arts of chemistry and metallurgy amongst other things. Perhaps Sir William Sinclair, the builder of Rosslyn, had a sense of humour, and deliberately depicted the fallen angel descending to hell while his angelic 'music' soared heavenward in a mocking tribute. Additionally, he probably had access to Templar knowledge of Arab occult traditions, which introduces Sufi mystical influences. It is also likely that through the Templars he had access to other mystery schools and their methods of spiritual enlightenment. Perhaps, like Leonardo da Vinci, to save persecution by the Church he hid his acts of rebellion and defiance by encoding oblique references into his work. 

The Devil's Chord

Is the answer to the enigmatic puzzle music, i.e. sound and therefore frequency? Is this the key to what might or might not be hidden there, and if it is does it make reference to music that came to be called, 'The Devil's Chord'? "In the 12th century, the Catholic Church gave the musical interval of the augmented fourth, for instance from C# to F#, the rather sinister title of 'The Devil's Chord'. Also called a tritone, it is an augmented fourth interval consisting of F natural and the B natural above it, it was banned throughout Christendom and this ban, by extension, covered all contemporary European music secular or otherwise. One must ask why the Church imposed this measure, what possible justification might there have been for this extreme sanction? Was it perhaps because the Church aware that this chord due to its frequency and harmonics, if produced in the correct setting, could induce visions and altered states of consciousness in those present and therefore permit them inadvertent to access the 'divine'? Such an effect would have been anathema to them because it reduced their absolute control over every aspect of the lives of the population; a situation that they would not tolerate. Or perhaps it acted in the genuine belief that such an effect was the work of Satan and the faithful had to be protected from it at all costs, but one way or another it was about maintaining the status quo. This, sadly, was the situation that existed when the church and state were virtually one. Interestingly, it is also claimed that on of the notes, F#, is the natural harmonic of the planet, and the internal resonant frequency of the great pyramid. Perhaps significantly it is the pitch to which shamans still tune their flutes. 

The Solfeggio Frequencies

Before leaving this section it is perhaps appropriate to consider yet another set of frequencies that, presumably, were sanctioned by the church, and these are the Solfeggio Frequencies. Originally these frequencies were apparently incorporated into official Church music e.g. Gregorian Chants, such as the hymn to St. John the Baptist. However, when asked, Catholic Church authorities rather non-committal about this, claiming that along with others styles of sacred music they were lost centuries ago. It is believed that the Solfeggio Frequencies were deliberately harnessed to imbue both those singing them and those listening with feelings of tremendous spiritual awareness when sung in harmony during religious ceremonies. Research into Book of Numbers chapter 7 vs 12 - 83, conducted by one Dr. Joseph Puleo, a naturopathic physician, has revealed that there were six base tones or frequencies. This information was extracted using a form of gematria, an ancient technique for obtaining hidden information by transposing letters into numbers. According to Dr. Puleo the Six Solfeggio frequencies include: 

	1. UT - 396 Hz - Liberating Guilt and Fear
	2. RE - 417 Hz - Undoing Situations and Facilitating Change
	3. MI - 528 Hz - Transformation and Miracles
	4. FA - 639 Hz - Connecting/Relationships
	5. SOL - 741 Hz - Awakening Intuition 6. LA - 852 Hz - Returning to Spiritual Order

It is interesting to note that the third note, at 528 Hz relates to the note MI on the tonic scale and derives from the phrase 'MI-ra gestorum' in Latin meaning 'miracle.' Incredibly, this is the frequency used by genetic biochemists to repair broken DNA strands, i.e. the genetic blueprint upon which life is based. While this is fascinating and apparently corroborating information, it should be viewed with some care.

Although the effects of sound both positive and negative are now much better understood this was not always so. The effect that music, which is of course entirely derived from different frequencies of sound, has on human beings is still not particularly well known. It has been used for millennia as an adjunct to meditative states by various mystical groups, e.g. Cabbalists and Sufi's, but less so by mystical Christian groups like the Cathars because of their ruthless and systematic suppression by the early Catholic Church.

It is also a common technique used by Shamans when inducing altered states of consciousness for magical purposes. Archaeologists have discovered that megalithic structures such as Newgrange in Northern Island and Maes Howe in Orkney appear to have been deliberately constructed to exploit this effect. In the case of Newgrange, which was constructed approx 3,500 years ago, a standing wave of 110Hz has been measured in its long entrance passageway. It has even been suggested that some sets of standing stones were erected to reflect sound from the faces of the monoliths which would act like primitive amplifiers, although the effects would have been much more subtle. If the secret is in fact hidden in the cubes, perhaps we should look at the science behind them.

Chladni Patterns

In an effort to create a visible demonstration of sound, the late Ernst Chladni (1756 - 1827), a German physicist and father of the science of acoustics, succeeded in producing a variety of patterns representing various frequencies of sound using fine sand, thin metal plates and a violin or cello bow. He used the bow to stroke the edges of the thin metal plates, which were lightly covered in fine sand, then observed and recorded the delicate patterns that formed. He discovered that different frequencies formed a variety of patterns depending on the size and shape of the plate. Crucially, this method of producing sound patterns was available to William Sinclair. Nowadays, these experiments are part and parcel of the methods employed in university laboratories to teach the science of acoustics. Although oscillators and vibrating platforms have now replaced the primitive bow and metal plates, the results are identical.

When the patterns produced in laboratories are compared with those on the cubes there are clear similarities. The only consideration is did William Sinclair use this knowledge to encode the information on the stone cubes? Since many of the patterns on the cubes are almost an exact match for the laboratory produced Chladni Patterns, there is every reason so assume that he did. I should make if abundantly clear that this idea has been floated for some years now and most recently by hotelier Steven Prior who employed the services of a musicologist, a computer programmers and a photographer to try to make sense of the carvings, it is not clear if the project was ever completed.

If in fact this is the secret of the cubes, can these notes still be reproduced? The answer is almost certainly yes, but to do so we would have to look at how instruments were tuned in medieval times; perhaps more specifically we would need to learn how middle-eastern musical instruments were tuned and reproduce this tuning. As previously mentioned, the Templars had formed a relationship with their foes based on mutual respect forged in battle. This being the case it is almost certain that given the spiritual core of Templar philosophy, they became privy to certain esoteric practises and customs of Islamic mystical groups and this would almost certainly include music. Current musical tunings are based on an 'equal temperament' system, which was not prevalent in medieval times, and therefore any attempt at reproducing the musical notes carved in the stone patterns would have to take this into account. This not to say that they cannot be reproduced because they can, it has been suggested that the first two notes of the song 'Maria' from 'West Side Story' reproduce the devil's chord, or a very close approximation of it. The chord, or tritone, does not appear on any modern guitar, piano or other contemporary instrument, it is however present in certain Mesopotamian tunings, which, once again, introduces the Middle Eastern element

Conclusion

Over a period of several years, many of the mediums and psychics who have visited Rosslyn Chapel are convinced that the answer to the puzzle is indeed musical, or at least directly related to frequency, which, of course is the framework that carries reality. It is interesting to note that during an evaluation carried out by this author in 1998, (See 'Rosslyn Chapel, a Psychic Evaluation' on www.p-e-g.co.uk), there was a group of singers in the crypt performing some beautiful, unaccompanied music. This music is written by a French monk for voice only with the specific purpose of being sung in Rosslyn Chapel. Is it possible that this man is attempting to unlock the key to the puzzle of the chapel? During the same investigation we encountered an American woman who was, when requested, kind enough to sing pure tones:

 'Her voice reached a plateau of sound and levelled off. "How about that, is that what you need?" she asked. Annemarie [one of the mediums present during the evaluation] nodded her head saying, "Can you try again"? The woman smiled and turned away facing back down to the church again. She opened her mouth and the powerful voice reverberated around the church. Her voice rose in pitch until she once again she achieved the note. The whole chapel seemed to shimmer, almost ringing in sympathy with the tone. Everyone in the building had paused to watch what was happening; abruptly she stopped, shook her head and smiled. In the sudden silence there was a faint resonance, a humming sound emanating from the walls, then slowly the normal background noises picked up again as people turned away, almost embarrassed. (See 'Rosslyn Chapel, a Psychic Evaluation' on www.p-e-g.co.uk).

The following, fascinating piece of information comes from a fellow researcher, Mr. Bill Downie, who is amongst other things, a musician. Bill applied that ancient, esoteric art of Gematria to the notes that comprise the Devils Chord and discovered the following information.

	F# = 370 Hz
	C = 523Hz
	A = 880Hz

These frequencies are very close to the following numbers, 373, 515 & 888 and in Gematria we find that 373 literally means 'word' in Greek, 515 (a) = Jesus and 888 = Iesous which means Jesus in Greek. It becomes obvious that as far as the chord is concerned the slight difference in frequency would make little or no difference to how it was perceived by the human ear. However it would be interesting to see just what the effects were on an audience if each frequency was recreated using electronic equipment to recreate both the frequency of the note and the frequency generated by each word.

There is one final detail to add to the puzzle, one of the cubes missing and according to the chapel management its whereabouts are currently unknown. Does this mean that even if the carvings on the hundreds of other cubes were decoded and transcribed as music with all the appropriate tunings that the missing cube would prevent the completed work from being performed? It this is the case then perhaps the final fragment of the answer is concealed in a small, engraved cube of stone, which in turn is the last key to a greater understanding. In the end we are all creatures of frequency in one way or another and as such there is every likelihood that specific frequencies can and do interact with human consciousness at some level. If this information is what is encoded in the 'cubes' then it is valid and at the time when it was put there, a secret with huge implications for the medieval Catholic Church, It would be genuinely fascinating to decode the patterns and finally listen the music put there by the builder of Rosslyn, frozen in stone for centuries awaiting an intellect that could unlock it.

Sources:

	The Hiram Key by Robert Lomas and Christopher Knight, pub Century
	The Stone Puzzle of Rosslyn Chapel by Philip Coppens pub. 2002 by Frontier Publishing
	The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, by Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln, pub Arrow Books
	'In the Name of the Gods by David Elkington, pub, Green Man Press
	Light Bridge Music
	'Rosslyn Chapel, a Psychic Evaluation', by Brian Allan