The three chapels of Perillos

 

Some anachronistic observations

The church that is now known as the church of St Michael, in Perillos, originally must have been the chapel of the castle of the lords of Perillos. Both are separated by only a few metres of what is now the church’s forecourt. We have already made a number of architectural observations underlining this likelihood. One question does remain: did, in medieval times, the inhabitants of the village have access to this place of worship? Or was it purely the place of worship for the lords? If the latter was the case, it leaves us with the question as to where the place of worship for the villagers was located. It is equally possible that there was a small oratory in the keep of the castle, and that the church was largely as we know it today – open to the villagers. There is no record either in the locals’ memory or the official files that suggests the presence of an oratory inside the castle. That a small village would have two churches so close to each other would be enigmatic. Perhaps the church was of such a structure that lords and villagers were nevertheless separated – or perhaps the church was built over two floors.
Whatever scenario corresponds to reality, the question for the moment has to remain open. The most likely suggestion is that the chapel of the lords became the church of the town when the Treaty of the Pyrenees came into effect. The presence of the cemetery to the side of the church suggests that this is indeed the oldest place of worship in Perillos – because if there were other locations, then it would be likely that the cemetery was located there.

Strange sitings of three chapels

The territory of Perillos has three chapels:
- There is the above mentioned chapel of the lords, which became the village church, under the patronage of St Michael. It is the only place of active worship.
- There is the chapel just outside the village, along the road in the valley, placed under the protection of St Barbara, whose statue is represented in the church. Though recently restored and open to the public, it is no longer a site of worship.
- Finally, there is a third chapel, in the hamlet of “Bel Auriole”, formerly known as “Vall Oriole”. The chapel sits on private property and does not seem to be the focus of any specific worship.
From the above list, we have excluded the oratories and martyrdoms that were once part of the territory. There remain no traces on the ground of the oratories and there are not enough written elements that allow the known constructions to be located. As to the martyrdoms, those have all been destroyed at the end of the 18th century, though it is still possible to locate some of the sites from a register of the church of Perillos, to find nothing but a scattered base or vestige on the site where they were erected.

Multiple owners and chapels

The old chapel-church of Perillos seems to be a normal building – no immediate questions are raised concerning its locality. St Michael is normally the protector of elevated points in the landscape, and hence is a logical choice as the patron saint.
The dedication of the chapel to Saint Barbara is a little more delicate. She is usually venerated by mining corporations, the artillery and trades connected with fire (such as firemen). She was killed by lightning, and hence she can also be called upon against accidents that are caused by weather phenomena. Still, some authors claim that she was worshipped here as she protected shepherds, and that this is the reason why she was chosen as the patron saint. But any observation of the topography of the site will make it clear that there is little chance that shepherds preferred it as the grazing grounds for their herds. On the other hand, several official documents attest to the existence of old mines in the immediate vicinity of this chapel. It would thus be logical to assume that the site was a ritual place for the protection of the workmen that worked in dangerous conditions nearby.
Finally, the small chapel of “Vall Oriole”, under the protection of Saint Theresa, was reserved for services that were held in the hamlet itself. At one point, it sheltered more than 60 inhabitants and can thus be compared – size-wise – with the village of Perillos itself. It is now the only inhabited site on Perillos’ territory. Normally, it would be smaller service or urgent matters that would have occurred in this sanctuary – the more important religious aspects would have occurred in the main church of the village.

Worship from the past?

It is clear that worship in the village of Perillos goes back to the first centuries of the Christian era. The church, in its current still, still comprises architectural elements that allow it to be dated from pre-Roman times, as well as Roman. It would be not too contentious to argue that the site may have been a place of worship in pre-Christian times, which was then converted into a Christian site with the arrival of that religion. Possibly, it was a site once marked by a standing stone or a dolmen or another megalithic construction.
A document dating from the 15th century mentions the existence of St Barbara’s chapel. The current construction thus seems to be built on top of an older building. Once again, the site may have prehistoric origins.
Finally, shards of pottery and other remains can be found in and around Vall Oriole, scattered in the vineyards. Once again, it is proof of Mankind’s ancient occupation of this sector. Moreover, the presence of three Visigothic tombs, found in ca. 1890, is proof of Mankind’s continued presence.
Let us also add that the three sites had natural water points, which is underlined by the presence of bronze and other ceramic pottery found in or near the sites.

Anachronistic axes

So far, nothing about these places of worship seems controversial. But some aspects of these chapels are a little less ordinary, such as the orientation of these places of worship.
The main church is aligned on the East-West axis, perfectly conforming to the standard of Christian churches. However, when one carefully observes certain details of the building, specifically the ancient walls and the arch, one comes to two conclusions. The first is that the church must have been part of the castle. The second is that the church was aligned north-south. It means that at some point, possibly with the annexation of Roussillon to the French crown (in the 16th century), that chapel and castle were split apart, and the chapel was realigned to the standard east-west orientation.
If this was an isolated case, it would not be exceptional – just worthy of a mention. But in Perillos, it seems that the exception is the norm…

Eccentric chapels

The chapel of St Barbara is that of a nave with direct access, finished by a semicircle. Its general axis is also north-south, with the entrance in the south.
The chapel of Vall Oriole is a small and rather recent building, but its orientation is also north-south. The entrance is once again in the south. Though of recent date, it is more than likely that the present building sits on top of an older construction, whose derelict status required the erection of the new structure. Documents from the 17th century mention the presence of a « d’un chaspel hours les bâtis », a chapel outside the buildings.
Thus we have three chapels, all built on a north-south axis. This is a major deviation from the standard. Most often, such deviations are rare. Most likely, the deviation from the east-west axis is a result of the terrain, whereby the traditional alignment is impossible. This is not the case in Perillos. Even though off-set buildings are normally remnants from pre-Christian monuments, they are seldom orientated north-south. The question therefore needs to be posed why all three chapels belonging to the lords of Perillos thus have an extra-ordinary orientation, and why it is not merely “not east-west”, but specifically north-south?

Under the control of the lords

The old chapel of the castle was inevitably a realization that was entirely under the control of the lords of Perillos: the builders would act upon their directives. And as it was within their fortress, all their desires could be realized, without any opposition from anyone.
The chapel of St Barbara sits within a short distance of the medieval village, close to the ancient mounds. It sits on feudal grounds of the lords of Perillos. The same situation applies to the Vall Oriole hamlet, which sits less than 2 kilometres from the village.
It is unimaginable to assume that the whole group of buildings (more than ten hearths) was owned by the local people, or another lord, but not the lords of Perillos. This hamlet belongs to the lords of Perillos, as is attested in documents by Courtade, the royal notary who indexed the territory for the annexation of the Roussillon to the Crown of France.
This merely to underline that it is virtually impossible to claim that the lords of Perillos did not know what was happening on their domains, certainly not when the distances involved were so short.

Ridiculed criteria…

The construction of a chapel always answers to precise criteria as regards its orientation. One might suppose that the stonemasons employed in Perillos were particularly ignorant of these simple rules, but then it seems that they were perfectly familiar as to how to align these monuments north-south. Furthermore, it is clear that the construction of these chapels is spread over many centuries, and thus it would mean that it was not just one craftsman, but an entire series of craftsmen that got it wrong. Furthermore, these craftsmen only ever seemed to get it wrong in Perillos, and nowhere else in the vicinity.
Even if the craftsmen were particularly stupid, one cannot imagine that these of buildings never received a visit of the lord during their construction. Or from a chaplain or anyone else who had even the most basic understanding of church design and orientation. Even if it was an error once, it would not have been tolerated to occur three times, in three different locations and times.
It leaves one likelihood: that the north-south orientation on all occasions was the specific intent of the Masters – most likely the lords of Perillos. But why would he have wanted such a divergence from the norm?

Lines of sight

This north-southern orientation is not the only anomaly. The IGN map of Durban Corbières-Leucate gives the most detailed overview of the site that is commercially available. The scale is 1 centimeter to 250 metres.
When we have identified all three points on the map, we note another anomaly: all sit on a straight line. For sure, any two points will sit on a straight line. But that three points sit on a straight line is already more interesting. That these three points are furthermore three chapels – and the only chapels – is most likely not a coincidence. But the possible coincidence turns into an even bigger oddity when we extend the line further north, to see that the line crosses the top of Montoullié de Périllou, the highest peak in the region. The site is also known as the Mount of Olives, even though olives never grew there. But the mountain is distinguished, as it now has a very visible radar station, operated by Météo France. It was the northernmost part of the Roussillon, as beyond it had always belonged to the crown of France. Beyond that point, it left the jurisdiction of the lords of Perillos.

The existence of this line might seem odd. Yet it does not need satellite technology to know that these three sites sit on one line. Such observations could have occurred by chance, or by careful observation of the land, which so often occurred in megalithic times – as can be seen with all the other megalithic monuments that were not substituted with Christian churches. To guarantee a perfect alignment, such simple devices as a fire on a breezeless day or night would be able to validate whether or not the sites were aligned.
If we continue the line beyond the territory of Perillos, it crosses “Mas Farines” and the ruins of the “Convent of St Cecile”. Mas Farines sat on the defensive line of Perillos and thus presented an outpost of Vall Oriole.

Incorporating Vall Oriole

Why would Vall Oriole have been incorporated into this line? It might have been an advanced position for the defense of the village. It is impossible to circumvent the hamlet on one’s travels from that direction towards the territory of Perillos, or even the castle of Opoul on the plateau. From Vall Oriole, there are magnificent views towards that plateau, as well as to the enigmatic Roc Redon that rests in the valley below the plateau. It is this feature that was incorporated by Bérenger Saunière, the village priest of Rennes-le-Château, in his enigmatic model. We can only wonder whether Saunière himself might have stumbled on the Roc on some of his travels through the region, coming from this direction.

When coincidence is design

If one takes the following details into account, can one still speak about coincidence?
- Three chapels on the territory of Périllos are built, inevitably under the supervision of the lords of Perillos.
- Three chapels that are installed on points that are related to very old worship.
- All are aligned north-south, contrary to the Christian standard.
- The three chapels are located on a line, incorporating the Mount of Olives, continuing to the ruins of an old, forgotten convent.
It indeed seems difficult to regard these facts as the fruit of chance. However, this accumulation of elements must have a precise significance. It cannot be a question of a momentary whim of a local lord.So why do it?

Is the secret of Perillos “on line”?

Obviously, at the origin of this anachronism that is repeated with a frightening precision, there must be an imperative, known or imposed by the Lords of Périllos. But why? And how was it retained throughout the ages? Did each lord pass it on to his successor? And if so, would they all have done this without knowing the reason why generation after generation their heirs were told that if ever they constructed a chapel, it had to be aligned north-south?
Furthermore, does it have any bearing on the enigma that resides within their territory? Did they use it as ingredients in a soup that they were mixing, leaving little clues that would underline the importance of something that was present on their territory? But what can we learn from an alignment of four sites that seems to have been forgotten about? What could anyone else learn from this?

Dangers and knowledge from the North

North-south is the standard orientation, based on the poles. It is the fixed point around which the Earth revolves. As a consequence, the stars in the sky that sit near the poles possess a specific quality: they seem not to move. Many cultures thus attached special significance to them. We have the legends of Hyperboria, a mythical island in the North. We know of the swastika, which illustrates the movement around the centre. There is the plumb line that indicates the cosmic axis and there is the imagery of the constellation of the Great Bear and its connections to the Afterworld and King Arthur.
Bringing this symbolism back to Perillos, let us note that in the not too distant past, there was a procession that left from the main church in Perillos, in which the village priest walked to a nearby cavity (possibly in the vicinity of St Barbara’s chapel), where one priest has left a written record that the site had a reproduction of the constellation of the Great Bear, close to a cup or receptacle.
If the axes of these chapels were orientated because of the pole star, we have the imagery of the incorruptible center. In legend, this is normally identified with the king, or God… it is the centre of the world; centres such as Jerusalem and Mecca are the best known examples. Symbolically, it is also linked with the throne of God, who ruled Mankind from the centre – from the middle of all of his creation. We can only wonder whether the Lords of Perillos were somehow trying to indicate that it was the Throne of God that was linked with their territory…

André Douzet