The overlooked twin: Opoul Part 2: As above, so under

 

Once on top of the plateau, the visitor, walker or researcher is confronted with a series of walls that belong to various eras of human occupation, one often built upon another, as one century turned to the next.
The problem, when trying to learn more about the early occupants of these sites and the precise eras in which these constructions were erected, is the same whenever one wants to learn a bit more about the past of this sector. When one asks local authorities for local information, the answer is always the same: “there is nothing” or “we don’t know anything”. Though it is pretty obvious that Opoul stands in the shadow of this castle, and has been for centuries, “they” nevertheless also want to make people believe no-one ever tried to create even the most basic of chronologies for this site, or took a more than casual interest in what is by all accounts a stunning location, that can be seen and is admired for miles around.
Nevertheless, when it comes to similar subjects, such as the restoration of certain houses in the village of Perillos, out of the blue, the authorities claim to have a pool of information in their possession through which they are able to determine what the ancient houses looked like, and restore them accordingly.

Despite few written sources, on the plateau of Salveterra, excluding the castle, we can assume that there were three areas and times of human occupation. The first occupation dates back to prehistoric times and the start of the Middle Ages. The second dates from the following ages, i.e. Visigothic, whereby the last era is that of the 17th century. After this, there are no more signs of occupation, as the last few courageous inhabitants finally descended to live in the village of Opoul – though no doubt a few also moved towards Perillos.

Romans on top, pagans further down below

Part of the above historic outline is based on certain fortuitous discoveries, made by walkers and other visitors, some of whom have brought their discoveries to our attention. Though we thank them from the bottom of our heart, none of these discoveries are of any true value, but they are essential in piecing together the history of the site.
A concentration of Roman bricks and tiles can be found in the area of the fortifications that are on the Perillos (north-western) side of the plateau. A careful observation of the second postern, dating from the Middle Ages, shows that it has been superimposed on top of another, older structure, which has all the appearance of being of Roman origin. To interpret this observation further, we would have to imagine a basic observation post, barely defendable but only used to observe movements (and especially attacks) further afield, next to this structure. Another such structure, much sturdier in nature, can be found to defend the postern that was in use at that time, in the North section. In the common assumption that the Romans normally re-used that which was already there, we can assume that the original location where people lived was not on the southern side, but above the northern postern. This might seem odd, but we do note that this area is somewhat – and only modestly so – less exposed to the elements, especially the winds.

It is in this sector that there is a second layer of remains from Neolithic times, the first such layer to be found to the west, near one of the caves of the plateau. In this sector, several interesting tools, made out of silex and other materials, have been recovered.
It remains remarkable to find this camp on the northern, and not the southern point of the plateau, suggesting that defence – at least not from the most logical routes of attack, namely the sea and/or valley below – was not a primary reason for these early settlements. Let us also note that in these areas of the plateau, there are clear signs of funerary remains, which are in the general direction of the Mourtre – a valley closely connected to death. Perhaps there is no surprise there…

There is little else we can say about this period, as little to nothing has been written on the subject. It shows the total lack of interest – intentionally or not – by the local authorities in the history of this area. Perhaps they believe that by not speaking, people will forget?

Some defensive details

In pre-gunpowder days, an ingenious system was in place to slow down and discourage any group of people deciding to attack the site. The access road climbs and runs for some distance just below the defensive walls, before becoming a mixture of natural and manmade enforcements, and then turns left, onto the plateau itself. Near the wall is a first postern, built to withstand a long attack, if only because in its construction, it definitely leaves the impression of being able to withstand such attacks. In truth, a straightforward attack would have forced the structure to collapse, offering no further resistance, and bringing the assailant to an area between the first and the second postern.
That is the problem – for the assailants. Though having broken down and through the first line of defence, they would find themselves in an awkward situation, largely surrounded by walls everywhere, and with the defenders being able to occupy higher vantage points, all around them, these defenders would be able to throw stones. You might say the assailants were trapped – and would definitely feel as such. Furthermore, when one looks at the slope and width of the trail that leads into this trap, it is clear that any assailant is unable to move any form of heavy artillery, like a catapult, up the hill. The steps themselves are high, making it more difficult for the soldiers, and making carrying any form of smaller artillery cumbersome too.

A secondary access point

Once the second line of defence was breached, a natural path leads to the plateau itself. From here, there is still a visible path that leads to the castle on our left, while on our right there are the remains of the last village and the cisterns. Here, we also find ourselves on the second access road, coming from Perillos, which we described in part 1. As we mentioned then, few if any speak about this ancient road, even though it continues to be walked by… walkers. Still, though not spoken of, the access ramp of this secondary road has remained intact. Here, we can admire the remains of the defensive towers and other related structures. And it is in the immediate vicinity of this structure that the cistern of the last village, dating from the 17th century, can be found.
Here are what appear to be three large reservoirs. In reality, it is not three, but one large cistern, interconnected with each other via a system of terracotta pipes. In total, 330 cubic metres of water could be housed in these cisterns. And though their structure might appear odd at first, in truth, it is the perfect shape to withstand the pressure that the water accumulates.

The origins of the cistern, according to Menétrier and Arribat

Though we know where the water was, the question remains how it got there. It is clear that this subterranean cistern had to get its water from somewhere. There are hence three possible solutions.
Option one is rainwater, and surface water being redirected towards the cistern. This option can quickly be discarded, if only because the cistern was closed and could not receive anything from the exterior. Nevertheless it is this option that is passionately proposed by M. Menétrier, working for the Pyrénées-Orientales department, and architect P. Arribat, in 1869. The 1680 square metres of “its” surface were deemed by them to be sufficient to fill the tanks. Though we cannot question the professional qualifications of these experts, we nevertheless need to query where this formidable “esplanade” measuring 1680 square metres that provide the water is located. Furthermore, not only do we not find it, they themselves say nothing of the canalisations that would bring all of this surface water to the cisterns.

The second option proposes that the water arrived via surface drains, collecting water from rooftops and bringing it to the reservoir. Though this would be the ideal solution, it is yet again a solution unsupported by any hard physical evidence, such as pipes and other material required for this task.

Subterranean waters

Which leaves us with the third option. This involves the presence of a natural hydraulic system, which was tapped into, and which would fill the cistern without almost any real effort.
Indeed, in the area of Opoul and Perillos, there are several holes and points of water where water surfaces naturally, even on top of hills. There are at least four “fountains” around the platform and it is also known that the substrata of the plateau regurgitate water, and this in considerable quantities. This is known, for it is from here that the old water supply for the village of Opoul was tapped.

When we look to the Roc Redon, we find a natural cistern located at its top. This water is not the result of rainfall, but is the result of water pressure pushing the water upwards, reaching the top of the rock, where it turns into a small pool, and then begins to drip down the Roc Redon, creating a natural shower. The same principle is in operation on the plateau right next to it, where the water would be captured in the cistern.

Confirmation that the third possibility is the correct one can be tested in the summer. In the extremely dry summer months that are typical for this area, any pool of water due to rain is absent. As such, any water that is found in any quantity can almost by default be said to be part of a natural, subterranean water system.
There is no mystery attached to this; we are merely trying to show that this system is also responsible for the presence of water in Perillos and the plateau of Opoul.

Finally, for anyone who wants to expect the cistern first-hand, we should point out their dangerous nature. The cisterns are not signposted, nor protected, and it is very easy to fall into them if no due care and attention is taken. This applies especially for small children running ahead of a party – and even the occasional dog is known to have disappeared inside.

Three villages on one plateau

Once the watering point has been identified, what is left is to locate the ruins of the habitations of Salveterra. These are visible as certain alignments, the last remains of well-built equipment, noting that it was here that the three villages, each succeeding one another, of Salveterra’s plateau were located.

Bronze Age Man

The most ancient traces of habitation on the plateau by human beings are found near what should now be referred to as the “esplanade” of the cistern. Perhaps it was indeed the nearby presence of a constant and substantial amount of water that allowed our distant forefathers to settle here. It is also in this general area that there are traces of various necropolises; indeed, the “two tombs” located on the model are definitely not alone – though perhaps unique – and human remains have been found that are dated back 45,000 years old – young compared to the skull of Tautavel man, found just a few kilometres away, which is more than 400,000 years old, and which is not the only one of its kind anymore.
Of this first site, little remains, except the foundation of two hearths, as well as some bones.

Silent researches of a Visigothic hamlet

The second habitat was situated on the western side of the plateau, and dates back to the Visigothic period. It can be seen along the defensive wall that offers sometimes spectacular views of the Roc Roudoun. Here, there are structures that are worthy of the name “building”. There remain rectilinear foundations and brickwork, designating the perimeter of a small hamlet.
Here, we do know that archaeologists and scientists have taken an interest and done active research. Even though this is notable, it also occurred very discretely (if not to use the word “clandestinely”), as the work was carried out over a period of five to six years, yet without any apparent scientific visibility of progress, or the results. The media did not report on it, nor were any announcements made. Yet it is clear that the research itself was of scientific interest (why else perform it) and would have been of interest to the local community.
The low-key approach becomes even more apparent when we note that the team arrived very early in the morning and each day left in the same almost timid fashion. It is an attitude that is, to say the least, curious. Indeed, to encounter this team, it meant that we too had to get out of bed very early, to meet the three or four scientists that were working on the site overlooking the Roc Roudoun. Though, indeed, archaeological sites are seldom the scene of celebratory fireworks and intense music, they are equally seldom veiled with almost religious silence… or have binoculars amongst their tools. Indeed, having seen and met the team, we left with an impression – which no doubt is the wrong one – that this team of people used the pretext of an archaeological excavation so that they could explain their presence in that specific area. Of course, the fact that before their arrival, we had made public that the Roc Roudoun, just below this Visigothic hamlet, was part of the landscape of Saunière’s infamous model, will no doubt not be related to their presence. (Note: the previous sentence may unintentionally use a double negative incorrectly.)

Three sites were revealed during these excavations, and then, nothing further was heard, for one morning, no-one returned to complete the work – which, to this day, continues to be surrounded in silence and no doubt, soon, will be followed with the announcement that no qualified archaeologists were ever present on this site, hoping to leave the impression that some will conclude this incident was – yet another? – figment of our imagination.
Let us therefore quickly add that at the time of this “incident”, we still had a very friendly relationship with the then mayor, though this turned sour shortly after his replacement was installed… as a matter of urgency. Without any verifiable reasons, so no doubt after someone applied a lot of pressure on him to act on someone’s behalf, we were threatened, even physically, and said that he could no longer support what we were writing about Perillos. Interestingly, though the replacement mayor had been a founding member of the Société Perillos some years before, and one of its staunchest supporters, this sudden turn of events occurred after reporting on the then new restoration of some houses in the village of Perillos, and us questioning whether all the proper paperwork had been filled in before such work was begun.
But we digress: as regards to the archaeological work that had occurred on the plateau, the past mayor personally told us that he knew about this work and he shared with us his surprise that upon the apparent completion of the work, he never got any feedback or report of the work that had been carried out, or that he was never invited to come over during the excavations themselves to see firsthand how the past of his community was being unearthed. Hence, if these excavations were the figment of our imaginations, it appears to be at least a “folie à deux”.

A discrete shadow

It is possible that not only the excavations, but the construction of the Visigothic hamlet in times gone by itself, had to do with its position overlooking the Roc Roudoun, a view that also includes the road that leads, from this rock, in the direction of two sites that have been designated “royal and sacred” by the notarised document drawn up by Courtade, dating from the 17th century, and which is at the heart of Saunière’s model.
It has to be left as an open question what sacred royal is referred to, for we do not know from what era this “royal tomb” dated – nor do we know much from the Visigothic era as a whole, especially not when it comes to their presence in this area. Only the foundations of some buildings of that era remain. But these fortifications make it clear that in Visigothic times, the hamlet was already protected, even though little to nothing can be found in regional or other archives that provides us with any further insights.

It is in this western sector of the plateau that there are a number of other curiosities, which, unsurprisingly, have been missed by the more scientifically inclined researchers. Indeed, it is near the presence of some other foundations and worked stones (some of whom may easily have served as an altar, if there would have been a need for such), that there is another cistern and the remains of an oven. As mentioned, no-one has ever spoken about their presence. This reservoir, even though its size is far more modest than its nearby brother, is nevertheless an excellent piece of workmanship, on which traces of its coating remain visible.
Still in this sector, but slightly more towards the centre of the plateau, there is a stone, perfectly worked, buried and decorated with some letters in a script that is little known (dare one say Hebrew?). The form and the placement of this superb stone leave us with the – once again no doubt erroneous – impression that it covered an access to a subterranean hole. It goes without saying that at present, we won’t go into too much more detail about this stone’s location, leaving it to those with intelligence (something which normally goes hand in hand with respect) to observe and locate.

Destruction, if not annihilation

Another discovery was made on the other side of the plateau, largely in line with the Visigothic constructions. This discovery dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and few people, at present, can hence remember what happened then. But those who do know, state that at the time, a stash of bones and some other instruments, either broken or not, were found there. From what we can gather, the authorities were informed about the discovery, and, as the reader will guess by now, nothing was heard afterwards. However, the local population did not forget this discovery and a century later, “memories” of this event remain very much alive with some people in the village. These “memories” – which can take on very visible forms – show once again that the plateau saw human occupation on a relatively large scale – at least when compared to the harsh conditions that reign over the plateau. Let us also note that what remains gives the specific aspect of a funerary deposit, and once again, this funerary aspect is very prominent on the plateau, and the larger sector itself.

The person or people who had this “memory” in their possession said that at a later moment in time, they returned to the site where this had been discovered, and found that it had been searched, with anything that could still have been there, now definitely gone. It is not our duty to play Sherlock Holmes, but we would like to underline that only competent, government authorities had been informed of this discovery, that the site of discovery was almost impossible to localise without help… and that we will merely ask Dr. Watson to come closer and observe. No doubt, the good Doctor would be incapable of providing an answer too.
If all of this is hard to believe, how about the following story, in which another local makes a very modest discovery, though one which he is able to date as being of an extremely old age. He hands this discovery over to a competent scientist. Several decades later, the man is still waiting to hear back from this man, or to see his material returned. He has, of course, given up all hope that this minor object will be returned to him, and we can only hope that at least someone has put it on display in a private display cabinet.

Fault lines

That is the above, and what remains visible. But there is also a below. The plateau is rich in several caves and fault lines, including one whom we deemed to be largely intact and accessible. The hole, situated between the ruins of the castle and the Visigothic hamlet, is identifiable by the presence of a few solitary trees, one of the few that have not yet given up their struggle to survive on the plateau.
The hole is a type of chaotic, rich mineral area that stops at the opening of the hole. Verifying its present condition for this article, we noted that it had collapsed, rather effectively. At present, the area could present danger for children and others, and perhaps someone should do well in securing the site. Before its collapse, when we took a stone and threw it in the hole, we could hear that stone tumble down for quite a while, thus indicating this natural hole continued for some distance.

A cave, a cold store and a magic square

Two other, similar openings have become obstructed since the 1950s, for reasons that are rather obscure, as they do not present any danger – though perhaps someone felt they might. One of these opens up inside the castle itself and perhaps it was closed off, or felt dangerous, when a wall of the ruin collapsed, or was in danger of collapsing. Apparently, at the time, the castle’s walls were indeed deteriorating rapidly, towards present conditions.
We know, thanks to the work executed by Menétrier, that the hole of the castle was located near the oratory of the Holy Saviour, patron saint of the plateau. He described it as a “cellar, cold store or explosives structure”.
Though we are not at all going to contest these conclusions, what takes our specific interest is the anomalous presence of a magic square, one that is based on the number four. This interesting engraving, to the best of our knowledge unique in the region, is not what one would expect to find here. This type of illustrations is within the bailiwick of the esoteric, and not within that of the military.
Though it is a magic square, based on the number four, it is nevertheless not at all conform with “the square of four” that was included in “Melancholy”, by Albrecht Dürer, from 1514. The latter comprises 4x4, or 16 cells, containing the numbers 1 through to 16. By adding up the numbers of each line, the number 34 is always the answer. This is known as the Square of Jupiter and is reputed to contain a whole range of symbolic knowledge.

The square of four or the idleness of a soldier

As to the Magic Square of the Castle of Salveterra, there are the usual 16 cells, but only the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 are used. These always add up to ten. We should add that using diagonals does not appear to have been part of this mathematical game.

The magic square of Salveterra

Of course, Occam’s razor suggests that this “has” to be the work of a bored soldier, who had nothing better to do than carve out this inscription in a wall of the castle. Indeed, it is no doubt a well-known “fact” – at least in some quarters – that Catalan soldiers of the time practiced their numbers and carving techniques as such. There seems to be a natural tendency in this region to give in to the temptation to claim that soldiers and especially shepherds – if not shepherdesses – are responsible for all things that cannot be easily explained… away.

A third hole and… the church of “Santa Magdaleina”

The third hole was also located by Menétrier who, in his notes from 1869, situates it near the ruins of the possible church of the last village on the plateau.
To begin with, we note a certain similarity between the hole of the chapel near the oratory, or chapel of the Holy Saviour, and that of the village of Salveterra, near which a church was constructed too. Going above and beyond this initial observation, previously, we have of course argued that the church of Perillos, dedicated to St Michael, was located on top of a natural hole too, which was later reworked into a crypt. As to this specific hole on the plateau, this opening was closed before 1950, as in 1951, in the last relief of the site, there is no mention of its presence.

It is likely that the old, disused stones of the old church were pillaged to be used in the construction of some of the houses in Opoul, whereby the remaining walls lost their structural integrity, collapsed and closed off the opening, which Menétrier had described as a “breach in the rocks, which was opened by accidental crumbling”. The most interesting aspect of this “accident” is that, whether natural or not, it was left open for several centuries, yet we known nothing of its use. The evidence that the watering point was elsewhere excludes the possibility it was used for that purpose. But why leave a hole intact next to a church? It is clear that this was intentional, and for some purpose. As to the nature of this purpose, we can only speculate, and will add that similar holes have been found elsewhere, for example in the Couvent St Cecile, a site on the very edges of the territory of Perillos, but within line of sight of the plateau.

The opening must have presented a veritable danger for the villagers, their children and their animals. Hence, though we do not know its use, we can argue that it must have been secured in some manner, either by a small building, a wooden gate, or something like that. For Rennes-le-Château afficienados, however, let us explore something else: a hole in the ground next to the church, will need some form of security. This could have been done by building a small annex. This annex serves no real purpose, other than to close off and protect the hole. We are, of course, referring to the “secret room” of the church of Mary Magdalene in Rennes-le-Château, which is known to sit on a likely point of access to the crypt below. And what works for Rennes-le-Château, should work for other churches elsewhere, and why not for the church of Salveterra? Let us note that it is our working hypothesis that Saunière’s involvement in the enigma of Perillos had in part to do with his expertise of being able to penetrate through into the subterranean aspects of his own church and cemetery, and as such, his expertise would have been highly valued by anyone, whether brother, friend or colleague, in their efforts to penetrate into the netherworld of another region too – such as for example that of Perillos.
It is of course interesting to find out that this church of the village of Salveterra itself was said to be dedicated to “Santa Magdaleina”.

A copy of “the entrance to the Otherworld”?

Let also note the parallel with another “hole in the ground”, namely that of Saint Patrick’s Purgatory in Ireland, which was visited by Ramon de Perillos at the end of the 14th century. In an area such as Perillos, or Salveterra, there are several holes and entrances to the underworld – in the literal sense of the word. As everywhere, some are nicer than others, and some are more important than others. But imagine the following scenario: a hole is discovered in Ireland, and this becomes a sacred site. If it had been Greece, it would have been argued that this oracular site was also the tomb of some deity, who was used as the medium through which the oracle, normally a woman, was entranced – entered – into the otherworld. Christianity would link this with a saint, like Saint Patrick, rather than a pagan god. But it is clear that we are very close to the description given by Courtade to a similar site, which Ramon de Perillos described as entrance to another world, and Courtade listed as “sacred”, and Saunière as a Tomb – of Christ.
And it is a fact that some caves do, and others don’t, link up with another cave. So apart from one key location, there might have been others that are of interest… and some that might have served as a secondary entrance, or means of escape, in case of. Let us therefore immediately think that which isn’t proven, but nevertheless logical, which is that for anyone trying to escape from a beleaguered castle of Perillos, one underground tunnel might lead to one location (for example those indicated on the model), but that another tunnel leads elsewhere, just in case one location would still not be far enough away from the assailants, or be already in their power. Of course, there could be further identical locations, though it its unlikely there are more than four or five, as otherwise, keeping these exits secret would become very difficult. Furthermore, under ideal circumstances, you would want to have a very integrated network, which can work in several directions. For example, if the castle of Salveterra was under siege, you would hope these people could get out as well, using this network, for example towards Perillos. And if such a tunnel were to exist…
If such a tunnel were to exist, there would be a logical, physical and subterranean connection between Perillos and Salveterra. And if so, then potentially this links to what we have come to describe as “Ground Zero” and which Saunière identified as “Tomb of Christ”.

Salveterra, of course, originates from the world Saviour, which is another name for Christ. This thus provides a logical framework, which no doubt is purely the bailiwick of our imagination, or coincidence, if our imagination were to reflect the actual lay of the land. For those with a penchant for puns, it would be rather ingenious to think that a hole – a vulva? – near the church of Mary Magdalene would lead to the Tomb of Christ elsewhere!
Finally, as we are dealing with coincidences, let us note that abbé Croquel, when describing the axis of “Santa Magdeleina de Salveterra” in 1568, noted that it was aligned, precisely, north-south, as seems to be the local tradition when it comes to church alignments – local, that is, to Perillos!

An indispensable certainty… can it mask another?

Faced with these elements, of which few are aware, we do need to question whether James I of Aragon and his heir James II, King of Mallorca, were right when they stated that this plateau was “indispensable for the safety of the entire Roussillon”, but that perhaps we should look for its true meaning, rather than the basic, military meaning, which obviously did not make much sense.
Earlier, we noted that the castle was a mediocre site, never receiving the required type or amount of artillery to make it a veritable defensive node in the defence of the region. So either these military leaders were sadly deluded about basic warfare – which we know is impossible – or they hinted at another meaning, which has failed to be interpreted correctly. It also hints that safety, at least not for the Aragon kings, or the Roussillon, was not only linked with military power, but perhaps also to a certain knowledge, or possession of something… which was – is – hidden near the plateau?

continued>>

André Douzet & Filip Coppens