Tour Rosslyn Chapel Scotland
Rosslyn
Chapel, founded in 1446 by William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney,
is situated just South of Edinburgh. It is a popular visitor
site and a place of historical, religious and architectural
interest. Historically, the chapel is the subject of much
controversy. Some historians believe that the chapel had strong
links in the past with the Knights Templar. Many theories
have been proposed as to the supposed existence of religious
relics - some believe this includes the Holy Grail - hidden
within an underground vault beneath the floor of the chapel.
The
most recent theory is the most astonishing - that the chapel
has buried beneath it is the mummified head of Christ, which
was worshiped by the Knights Templar hundreds of years ago.
The trustees of the chapel are under constant pressure to
carry out excavations to find out whether there is any truth
in any of the many theories about it's mysterious past.
Architecturally,
Rosslyn is interesting for several different reasons. The
interior of the chapel is unusually ornate for a Scottish
church and is unique amongst it's contemporaries. Scottish
religious buildings of the time were characteristically very
plain in design, and although Rosslyn is essentially a Gothic
building, it's fanciful decoration and exotic - some would
say eccentric - ornament make it stand apart from all the
others. There is evidence to suggest that many foreign craftsmen
were employed in it's construction, which would account in
part for some of the decorative elements that are in evidence
in the building.
One
piece of particular merit within the chapel is a very ornate
and beautifully carved pillar known as the Apprentice or Prentice
pillar. The Apprentice pillar has a story of it's own to tell.
The story goes that when the chapel was being constructed
a stone mason was requested to carve this pillar in the style
of a particular column in Rome. The mason was finding it difficult
to reproduce the desired effect using the picture he had of
the column as his only inspiration. To prepare himself adequately
for the task, he decided to travel to Rome to see the original
column for himself.
A
journey of this sort was quite an undertaking in those days,
and the mason was away for some weeks. In the absence of his
master, the stonemason's apprentice, who had been left behind,
decided to try to carve the pillar himself. He studied the
picture that his master had been given and set to work. When
the stone mason returned from Italy, he found that the work
his apprentice had done was far superior to anything that
he might have been able to carve himself. In a fit of rage
and jealousy, he killed his apprentice on the spot.
The
story of the murder is given credence by the fact there had
to be a delay between the construction of the chapel and its
eventual consecration, which took place only after an Act
of Reconciliation had been sought from the Archbishop of St
Andrews. The ghostly apprentice returned to haunt the chapel
and the work of which he was so proud. His mournful figure
has been seen standing beside his pillar and the sound of
his weeping has been heard by many people who have visited
the chapel over the years. Another ghostly figure that frequents
the chapel and it's surroundings is the figure of a monk clad
in grey. He has appeared to visitors on quite a few occasions,
both inside and outside the chapel.
"At the South East angle of the chapel is a wreathed column, popularly called the apprentice's pillar. A silly story is told respecting this: that the master mason having received a model of a column from abroad, of a very unusual form and character, thought it necessary to inspect the original before he would execute one after the design; during his absence his apprentice finished the pillar, which was much admired. The master on his return heard many praises bestowed on his boy, and in a fit of envious indignation killed him with a hammer. Two heads in this part of the chapel are also said to represent the master and the apprentice. One having a scar or indentation on the forehead, and the other being marked as an old man frowning, and of savage aspect."
John Britton, 1771-1857.
