From Saint Angelina to a lost knowledge Part 3: References to La Sanch… and Perillos

 

Prats de Mollo: past and future tense

We have already briefly noted the close relationship that exists between Notre Dame du Coral and Prats de Mollo. The latter is a town that has a direct link with Perillos, its lords, its legends… if not other realities. In the previous part, we also noted a more than usual presence of the number 17, especially the method in which the number is displayed. 17. Though a fine number it is, it is intriguing purely within the context of the mystery of Rennes-le-Château, and as such, we should not straightforwardly ignore the repeated presence of this number within this church.
We also note the presence of a “glass display cabinet” (a coffin?) continuing the statue of a dead Christ. The corpse shows the colour of a cadaver, coming with all the stigmata of the Passion: traces of the crown of thorns in his head, wounds in his feet and hands, traces of blood on his knees from him falling three times to the ground while carrying his cross, and finally the signs of the spear having entered his side. This cabinet was carried on Good Friday, in a procession that is identical to that of La Sanch in Perpignan. We note this organisation’s presence in the town, as can be seen while climbing to the church from the town centre below. We underline as well that it was this organisation that was responsible for sponsoring Saunière… and that it was partially this funding that Saunière wanted to keep from his superiors, the direct cause of much of the later controversy. The statue has an intriguing coiffure, which we are told comes from the hair of a woman that was reused for dressing up this saint. But the specific story states that this was done in imitation of Mary Magdalene, who in the bible washes Christ’s feet with her hair. So this woman emulated Mary Magdalene, she too donating her hair to Christ.

The shadow of Perillos: the fort Périllous

Let us now look into the shadow that the Perillos family has cast upon Prats de Mollo. Their influence is twice in evidence.
First, the original fort that defended the town of Prats de Mollo was constructed by a lord of Perillos – on record here as “Perellos” – in bygone times. This was most likely a fortified enclosure, rather than a “castle” or a “fort” as we know of it today. We know that the present fort that hangs over the town is quite recent, incorporating structures from 1680. What is of interest to us is merely the presence of the name of “Perillos”, in various differing styles of their name (as we find elsewhere, such as in Perillos, too). Each time, it seems the name is linked with the fortification. As late as 1670, we still find references to a “fort de Perella”, which is turned to “Périlloux” in French. Vauban, the main responsible for the present fort, when he became Commissioner General for royal fortifications, wrote in 1679: “castle of Prat de Mouillou and fort of Périllous”. So, how to explain the medieval involvement of the lords of Perillos in this region that is so far from their proper territory?
We find them in the region as the lords of Mantet, a site not too far from Prats de Mollo. This could suffice to explain their presence; perhaps they were called upon, or made themselves available, for the construction of the defences of the old county of Besalù? Perhaps they only showed up when, in 1111, this territory was handed to the count of Barcelona, and thus Aragon. Was it perhaps at this moment in time that the lord of Perillos was called upon? Though we may not know how the link was established, the link is there.

The bone of Babaos

The second link is in a very visual form, visible to anyone who wants to enter the church of Prats de Mollo, dedicated to St Just and St Ruffin. High on its entrance, on the right hand side, sits a bone, known to be that of a whale. But the legend of this bone states that it was one of three such bones, taken by Ramon de Perillos after his combat with the monster known as Babaos, which he was able to kill. The bones were there as a trophy, but also as evidence of his exploit – that the beast was dead. Though it is clear that this is a mythical combat, it is equally clear that this lord was able to procure three whale bones from somewhere. That one of these three bones was given to Prats de Mollo underlines the strong relationship with Perillos, for the other two bones were given to Rivesaltes, and the third to Perpignan.

The zero meridian

In the 17th century, when the castle is being extended, France is also equipped with a new meridian. The project tries to create a meridian that passes through the longest possible distance of French soil, as well as through Paris, and through the location of where the new observatory was located. The work is carried out by the topographer Cassini, who will pass no less than two and a half years in Opoul-Perillos, without anyone knowing why he stayed in this single location for such a long time.
Let us repeat that the line crosses France from Dunkerk to… Prats de Mollo in the South. Indeed, Prats de Mollo is the southern limit of the French meridian, before it disappears into Spain… where it has no further relevancy. As such, the Paris meridian “stops” in Prats de Mollo; it is the last town on the meridian. Let also note the legendary link between the Roussillon and the bear – a constellation which is often linked with the Meridian, for both are connected with “north”. The totem animal of the region, as depicted on its emblem, is the bear, which was seen as the mythical ancestor of the ruling family of the region.

The bear and the Coral

The bear also symbolised the “savage man of the Pyrenees”. The event was celebrated by a carnival in places such as Arles-sur-Tech and Prats de Mollo. The feast makes a direct comparison with the Roman Saturnalia possible. But there is another manifestation of this pagan, ancient link in Prats de Mollo. This is the so-called “el dia de l’Os”, or “The Day of the Bear”, which is an event that has secured the date of February 2 – an important day in the pagan and Christian calendar. Folklore surrounding this legend makes a direct and unique connection between Prats de Mollo and Notre Dame du Coral.
The legend states that a shepherdess was abducted by a bear, which took her to his “cova”, his cave, where he abused her and stole her soul. But when on one occasion she sees the animal arrive, she invokes, aloud, Notre Dame du Coral. This results in the animal uttering chilling sounds, running away from her rather than carrying out another attack. The ninth day, which is February 2, hunters hear these cries and free the captive. The bear is furious and takes vengeance by devastating the sheep herds around the Coral. It requires the intervention of the hermit of Coral to expel the monster from the area. And it is to celebrate this expulsion that Prats de Mollo holds its feast. The feast incorporates two or three “bears” running through the street, down from the fort of Périllous. These creatures, dressed in black and with the clothes of sheep, try to attack their female victims, but they are chased down by hunters who succeed in bringing down the animals to the ground.
There is also the intervention of men, dressed in white, who, with the help of axes, skin the “beasts”, to return them to their original state of men… These “men in white” remind us of the “Fécos de Limoux”, an intriguing display that is held annually in the streets of that town. We also note the link of that town with Notre-Dame de Marceille, which is, like Notre-Dame du Coral, the site of an ancient church that is linked with miracles, and which harbours a Black Madonna. In both case, it was a beast that stumbled upon the statue. We note that Notre-Dame de Marceille is equally part and parcel of the mystery, not so much with Saunière himself, but definitely with his close allies, such as Mgr. Billard and his friend Boudet.
We do not want to overstretch such comparisons, but we note the similarities between the solar beast and the Bear and Babaos, all of which were abusers of both young women and the animals that roamed the countryside – each one of the vanquished, either by the lord of Perillos or the hermit of Notre-Dame de Coral. Both creatures were destroyed by the intervention of a man that was “pure”, or by the intervention of prayers to Our Lady.
Before closing the door of the church of Prats de Mollo behind us, we notice the remarkable lock. It is typically Catalan and reveals numerous spirals, so common for this region. We will soon walk into a church that has a similar door lock.

Our return to Notre Dame du Coral

We are back at Notre Dame du Coral. We are in the presence of its enigmatic statue, an almost perfect copy – though much smaller – which exists in Perillos. We have seen the remarkable correspondences between both. In itself, such a correspondence is “just that”. But we note that this is the second correspondence present: in nearby Prats de Mollo – and technically, Notre Dame du Coral is Prats de Mollo – we find the Babaos bone, which is also linked with Perillos. So we have two potential links between this area and Perillos: one definite and the other, because the other is definite, likely.
And then there is the statue of Saint Angelina. She was the way by which we arrived here in the first place, from a murder scene in Coustaussa, where Gelis was brutally assassinated. It is impossible to solidly forge a link between the murder, this “hint” and Notre Dame du Coral. At the time, the statue to us felt unique, and we were extremely surprised to learn there even was a Christian saint named Angelina. Since that initial observation, we have moved further down the path; we have seen a solid link between Prats de Mollo and Perillos, but one with which we were already familiar. The new ingredient to the mystery is the presence of Notre-Dame du Coral, with two new elements: the statue of Saint Angelina and its statue of Our Lady. On its own merit, we note the existence of a “royal balcony” inside the Church, for visiting royals, though little is known for which royals specifically, or any other details.
Though there is no direct link between this site and Saunière, we know that Saunière was familiar with the region, as close as Arles-sur-Tech, which is literally “down the road” from Notre Dame du Coral. Furthermore, Saunière’s best friend was Grassaud, who lived in Amélie-les-Bains, a bit further down the same road.

Angelina, the secret king and the angelic music

Could this statue of Saint Angelina be contemporaneous to our clique of priests? Perhaps she merely replaced an older one, perhaps even a stolen one… such as the statues of the church of Rennes-le-Château, which were equally replaced by new ones at the time and about whose fate we are never informed. Let us also remember the cruel fate of Gélis and the secret he apparently carried with him to his grave, past his torture that, it is clear, is at least on equal par with the suffering Christ went through on Good Friday. When he finally succumbs, he is laid out in a bizarre fashion… with the enigmatic reference “viva Angeline”. We can only wonder whether there is any direct link not so much to this saint alone, but to this saint and her presence in Notre Dame du Coral. The latter option may seem farfetched, but may not be so far off after all.

Let us remember that the assassin commits a murder, the murder of a priest. The assassin, if at all religious, must realise his soul is in jeopardy, unless he acts in the full knowledge that the act itself will somehow “save” his soul – which virtually implies that the assassin was acting on orders from “high up”, with not merely a local bishop commanding this man, but almost a type of “papal dispensation” policy in place, guaranteeing that no matter what crime he is ordered to commit, the pope – and God – have commanded it, to protect the faith. In short, the assassin will see himself as a martyr.
Before developing this trail further, let us ask a series of questions: which king was it that came here and followed masses, masses which were held “towards him”? Who is it that is entombed in the crypt of Coral, part of a forgotten location and history of the area? Let us note that St Angelina herself was of royal blood, from Serbia, of the Orthodox faith. To this, we need to add the discovery of another statue that was discovered in one of the caves of Perillos, which is dated far older, perhaps as old as 6000 BC, but which equally comes from that general area, archaeologically labelled as “Old Europe”. For sure, perhaps these are mere coincidences, and as such we are “merely” pointing out these correspondences, which may be nothing but that. So let us ask another question: was this statue of this Orthodox saint, out of place in the church, used to illustrate an “angelic secret”?

When the Pyrenean saints turn orthodox

St Angelina was an orthodox saint, but she is not the only Orthodox saint that seems to have wandered too far west. Saints Abdon and Sennen were equally Orthodox saints. They are, furthermore, the patron saints of Arles-sur-Tech. Their feastday is July 30, which falls within the so-called “Dog Days”; they are also present in the church of Prats de Mollo, as well as other churches in the Pyrénées Orientales, as well as the Pilat region. In the Pyrenees, their presence is often linked with the presence of La Sanch, suggesting some correlation.
The type of correlation has scarcely been researched and published, and we furthermore need to ask whether, apart from this correlation, there is a “stand alone” explanation as to why these orthodox saints are so prominent in the region. The presence of the Holy Tomb in Arles-sur-Tech could explain some aspects, but not the total. Let us note that these two saints share their feast day with St Angelina. (In the Catholic calendar, it is the feast of St Peter.)

Of sacred days and ancient calendars

Gélis and Halloween
Let us note a number of “calendrical coincidences”. Gélis is murdered on October 30. This is, in the old calendar, Halloween. Though it is known that he could have left the area the following day, to retire elsewhere, it is equally possible that date was “handpicked”. The date, of course, corresponds to Halloween, key date in the pagan calendar.

Angelina, Abdon, Sennen and the Celtic feasts
The feast of St Angelina, in the old calendar, was July 30 – in the new calendar, when adjustments were made for centuries of astronomical neglect, it was “readjusted” to August 12. Certain rituals were performed on July 30, to do with cleansing, such as burning certain bushes, which would chase away annoying insects that parade about the place in summer. One such ritual, in the Vosges, was directly linked with St Abdon, who was the patron saint of hygiene. We also note that the date of July 30 is very close to the festival of Lammas, with the festival sometimes already started on that day, but for sure on the following day, July 31. We also need to note that in some ancient calendars, the feast of St Abdon and Sennen was held on July 31… as well as on July 30! Confused?

Patrick, the serpent, Babaos and Perillos
In Ireland, the Sunday preceding the festival of Lammas, pilgrims, sometimes on bare feet, hike their way up Croagh Patrick, where St Patrick was said to have entered into combat with the demons, and where he is said to have stayed for forty days. There was a purpose to this action: before, the mountain was dedicated to a pagan saint: Crom Cruach (Crom of the bad odour).
Legend has it that St Patrick chased away all serpents, throughout Ireland – indeed, no serpent exists in Ireland today. The manner in which he conquered this divine serpent is intriguing. Her main residence was, as mentioned, at Croagh Patrick, from which she is chased away. She flees to the north (in the direction of the star Draco, the dragon), but is followed by Patrick. In a celestial combat, apparently taking place in mid air, Patrick slays the serpent, cutting her up in several pieces, which fall towards the earth… and become the islands in Lough Derg. It is one of these islands that becomes the famous “St Patrick’s Purgatory”, where we later see the arrival of Ramon de Perillos, making enquiries about the whereabouts and condition of the soul of his king, Juan I.
There are some intriguing parallels with other dragon slayers, such as St Michael, cherished by many, including Perillos; St Martha, depicted as having conquered the dragon here at Notre Dame du Coral, and one of Ramon’s ancestors, another Ramon de Perillos, conquering Babaos.

Two places, two more, Perillos, Saint Angelina and Pentecost

So: two places in Ireland, two places in France: Perillos and Prats de Mollo. Both places have a direct link with the Perillos family… and one place in Ireland has such a link as well. Together, they seem to “tell” Ramon de Perillos “something”, for upon his return from Ireland, he makes the revelation that he knows about an “opening to another world”, present somewhere on his territories.
Ramon de Perillos went on a pilgrimage to Ireland and many pilgrims make an annual procession from Prats de Mollo towards Notre Dame du Coral. This event occurs on the Monday of Pentecost, which coincides with the only mass still held in Perillos. The procession nevertheless is also held a second time, on August 12, which by a strange “coincidence” is the modern feastday of St Angelina. Another fortuitous coincidence? But it is now time that we too take to the road.

From Notre Dame du Coral to Serralongue

As we already mentioned, the road to the hermitage is not a dead end. From Prats de Mollo, over the col d’Arès, the road takes us to Coral, but continues to the village of Serralongue, which we had previously passed in too much haste. Let us not make the same mistake this time.
The name is derived from “Serra-Llonga”, which means the “long mountain”. Probably inhabited since Neolithic times, even though there is no genuine archaeological evidence found so far, it is nevertheless known that the site was lived in from Celtic times, from ca. 900 BC. An ancient necropolis has been discovered to the south of the village.

An ancient local alliance with the Perillos?

In the 11th century, the lords of Serralongue are known as “de Cabrenc”, a reference to goats, one of the sole animals that is able to survive on the flanks of the mountain that lead up to the castle. These lords, in their days, ruled with power of the Haut-Vallespir, a territory that extended from Lamanère (on the road up to Coral) and Coustouges.
The first lord of Cabrenc is known as one Oriol de Cortsavi. Heirs then succeed one another, but he is regarded as the patriarch of the family who remains the reigning dynasty until 1313.
From 1313 to 1644, the local ruling family is that of Rocaberti, a family of ten successive generations. Let us note that the family of Rocaberti had, by marriage, and alliance to the Perillos family.
From 1644 to 1792, i.e. when the territory is annexed to the French state until the French Revolution, the Ros family rules over the area. In 1792, Abden Senen de Ros, baron of Cabrenc, flees France and settles in Spain. We note the strange Christian name of this man, which he has obviously lent from the relics of Abdon and Sennen in nearby Prats de Mollo.

The lords of Serralongue live in the castle of Cabrenc. The castle was constructed around 1086. In origin, it was a simple fortification situated on top of a rocky outcrop that dominated the village. It was extended in the 11th century, by building a second tower on a nearby rock. In the 14th century, an enclosing wall and a signal tower were added to the defensive network. This tower exchanged signals with the castle of Corsavy, the tower of Mir (Prats de Mollo), the tower of Cos (St Cécile de Cos) and the tower of Batère (Cortsavy). As such, it allowed for an easy communication towards the valley of the Têt and the Tech, even though the site was far removed from them. The total network was thus an impressive defensive mechanism, the castle itself perched high on top of its outcrop, dominating the valley of Vallespir.

A brief visit to the church of St Mary of Serralongue

The church of St Mary in this village dates back from the 11th and 12th century and is executed in the typical Roman style of that period. The lock of the entrance door of this sanctuary is strikingly identical to the door lock on the church of Prats de Mollo. The church furthermore is rife with symbolism, such as the two spirals, representing infinity and the universe, the symbols for the nails of Christ, the betrayal of Judas, the Moorish invasion and the victory of the Cross over all evil. Indeed, when opening such doors, it is best done with due attention to detail.
The heavy door lock, with the customary head of a beast and three crosses, has an inscription: “Bernadus Faber Velim ma fecit”. The portal is dated to the 13th century. We also find a solar calendar and a grindstone near the entrance.
Inside, it is clear that this site was not only a place of worship, but also the last bastion to defend the village: there are holes and place to hold stock, in case people inside need to remain here for long and need to survive. Suddenly, the impressive door and its locking mechanism betray an altogether other reason than separating the mundane from the religious. Near the choir, there is a decoration which is virtually unique in the region: a wheel, equipped with bells, to ward off demons. It is a wooden wheel, with twelve bells, each with a different sound, each corresponding to one of the apostles. It dates from the 12th century. The oratory on the right (when entering) displays a table which represents the crucifixion, with a woman carrying a vase. Is she Mary Magdalene?
But the “demon wheel” is not the only site in this village which was linked with these creatures of the netherworld: Serralongue is the proud owner of the only surviving conjurador in France.

The last Conjurador

Many places in Catalonia have (had) a “conjurador”. But in France, all of these have since disappeared, save one. Furthermore, it was built at the beginning of the 19th century – recent – on the ruins of a tower that was destroyed in 1270.
The structure is cubic, 4 metres by 4, surmounted by a pyramidal roof. Each side is aligned to one of the cardinal directions: north, east, south and west. Each side has an opening that looks out to the horizon, though on one side, of course, the opening is a doorway. Each side was also meant to hold a statue of the four Evangelists. Eighty years ago, these statues of John, Like, Marc and Matthew were still in situ, but the usual plundering has made them disappear from their proper settings.
The name of this building is a conjurador, though also known as a “Reliquer”. The building was used to “conjure”; to expel anything that was bad: wars, famine, epidemics, calamities… Each had a rite that “conjured” up a magical antidote against whatever evil was about. Both the rituals used and the tradition are extremely ancient. Many researchers believe it dates back to pre-Christian times and the Church merely adopted it.

From the conjurador to Babaos

Tradition states that when calamity struck, the priest and his faithful congregation went in procession to the Conjurador, with the Holy Sacrament. The priest turned himself towards the direction of the “evil” and blessed that side… reading from the Gospel of the saint of that given direction. This was followed by an old formula, spoken in old Catalan: “Sant Joan, Sant Matheu, Sant Marc i Sant Roch, gardere nos de pedra i de foc. Sant Luc i sante Creu, Sante Barbe no ems dexeu”, which means: “St John, St Matthew, St Marc and St Roch, save us from hail and from lightning. St Luke and the Holy Cross, St Barbara, do not abandon us.”
The tradition has not retained whether these rites were at all effective against the evil that was about. Intriguingly, the conjurador of Serralongue was re-established as late as 1860, when most other such structure elsewhere were either long abandoned, or neglected – superstition and “the old ways” were waning. So why did Serralongue go against the grain?

The conjurador is, in essence, a holy receptacle, allowing for the expulsion of demons. This action is similar to the fight of Saint Patrick which he fought on Croag Patrick, which equally sits on top of a hill, like this conjurador. Let us also note that Ramon de Perillos also “conquered” his demon: Babaos. If Babaos was not a “real” creature, but instead a mythical one, like a demon, we find that Ramon de Perillos was “exorcising” this creature, in short performing a rite that was in principle identical to the evils the priests tried to eradicate from the conjurador.
Furthermore, let us note that the installation of the “bone” of Babaos placed the three chosen sites (Perpignan, Rivesaltes and Prats de Mollo) under a magical protection. And we equally note that in the following centuries, each location will become a key site where La Sanch will install its funerary cult.

The relic of the Great Conjuration?

One aspect of this structure is all too quickly forgotten. It is hinted at in the “other name” for a conjurador: the “Reliquer”. The word is fabricated, linked with “Relique”, or Relic. Relics were indeed walked about, in procession, at the time of great local tragedies. We know the priest took the Holy Sacrament from the nearby church to the structure, for it to assist him in expelling evil. But there is nothing in the local history that specifies anything further about such “great relic”. Unless, of course, that name itself is a leftover of pre-Christian times, when the “conjuration” was done together with a “great relic”, often a depiction of the God asked to intervene – rather than the specific “projects” the priests asked the saint of whichever direction to perform.

Let us speculate – wonder – whether, if there was a relic, what type of relic it could have been. What was its importance, what were the risks that it has since disappeared into oblivion? Furthermore, what is it about Serralongue, so close to Notre Dame du Coral, when it decides in 1860 to construct its Conjurador? Is there pending doom? Or is there something at hand that can upset the safety of the people? Is this site, its people, more so than elsewhere, apparently going to be exposed to some demonic danger? If so, what is it? Is it some magical ritual that someone is hoping to hold? A massive “excommunication” of evil?
Let us note that when we are talking about “great relics”, there is one that is in the possession of La Sanch. Their members go to extreme lengths to secure it, and some of its members have an extreme and intriguing devotion and relationship with the relic… which they refer to as “The Great Relic”. It is an intriguing coincidence that La Sanch, and its original founder, Vincent Ferrer, were closely allied with the Perillos family… furthermore, that the reconstruction of the Conjurador in Serralongue roughly coincides with the revival of La Sanch… who will then go on to sponsor Saunière. Coincidence, or evidence of a plan? And if a plan, did it involve some “angelic secret”, may there have been a relationship with Gélis?

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André Douzet & Filip Coppens