“An enchanted valley”

 

Sepulchre

In Kate Mosse’s bestselling novel “Sepulchre”, loosely based on the enigma of Bérenger Saunière, her “Domaine de la Cade”, which forms the setting of most parts of the novel, is located south-eastwards of Rennes-les-Bains, into the valley that leads upwards to Sougraigne. It is a valley that is seldom explored, though some do know that “way on top” is the so-called Domain de la Salz, now largely used as a conference venue during the summer – often inaccessible in winter, because of the snow and the altitude it is located on.
Indeed, the Domaine de la Salz bears remarkable correspondences with the Domaine de la Cade, even though Kate Mosse never visited it. The domain was the work of Jean de Rignies, who was related to Papus, that great and infamous esoteric leader from Lyon. Indeed, few researchers seem to have found it bizarre that Papus and de Rignies – who said he was a spiritual disciple of Master Philippe of Lyon – would have settled here. In light of the revelation that was done by André Douzet in the mid 1990s that Saunière had travelled to Lyon, and had moved in the very circles Papus controlled (at that same time), the “coincidence” might not be that inexplicable… when we note that the group running the domain next invited André Douzet to give a series of lectures at their domain, as well as exhibiting a copy of Saunière’s model at their shop in Rennes-les-Bains. Indeed, with evidence that Saunière went to Lyon, the question needs to be asked why later, Lyon came to Rennes-les-Bains.

An enchanted valley

Philippe de Lyon

As to how he ended up there: de Rignies, who died in 2001, said that one day, the voice of “Master Philippe” manifested himself in his spirit. De Rignies said that the manifestation was an awakening, the beginning of a quest, in which he had to find a lost valley with a spring, the traces of an old castle, an abbey, somewhere in the Aude region, and not far from Rennes-le-Château. The Domaine de la Salz is indeed all that… and he bought it. But why did he himself, or the spirit of Master Philippe, want him here? For that, there is no known explanation.
Is it, perhaps, because this area too is not without its mystery? First of all, the Domaine de la Salz is named as such, because it is near the spring of the river Salz. This river drops down the valley and joins another river, the Blanque, just south of Rennes-les-Bains, where, no doubt, the combined “power” of its waters seemed to be the main reason why the town became known as a spa. La Salz, French for “salt”, is indeed that, and we can only wonder whether the mixing of salt and fresh water, a theme that is so paramount in many myths, including those of Oannes and John the Baptist, might have set Rennes-les-Bains up as a “sacred location”. Henri Boudet definitely seemed to think so. And so, it seems, did the Priory of Sion. One of the documents that were deposited in the French National Library had as title “un trésor mérovingien en Razès”, “A Merovingian Tresor in the Razès [region]”, and was allegedly written by “Madeleine Blancasal”, i.e. Magdalene – a reference to Mary Magdalene – and Blanque-Salz, the two rivers of Rennes-les-Bains. Let us also not forget that it was Rennes-les-Bains, rather than Rennes-le-Château, which seemed to be a more popular destination for the Priory’s pretending Grand Master, Pierre Plantard. Why he came here, rather than closer to the other Rennes, is equally never explained…

A glass oven – a glass oven?

Until recently, the road leading up the valley of “La Salz” was a very long climb, before you needed to negotiate a sharp turn upwards, leading onto a well-maintained dirt track that ended at the Domaine itself. Today, a larger parking has been made near the domain, and the parking is there to promote a “new” attraction, which in recent years was not at all unknown to those “treasure seekers”, who came to the site to pick up precious and very interesting pieces of green glass. That attraction was said to be a glass oven, whereby the inside of the structure had been exposed to immense heat. Though such structures are not unique, this one, it seems, is now open for tourists. From the parking, it is about a half-hour, easy walk, to reach the “oven”. It is the last survivor of a number of similar installations nearby, suggesting an important glass production site was present here once.

A glass oven is normally a bell-shaped oven, similar to pizza ovens, with a similar opening at the top; inside, a high temperature is created, to create glass. It is therefore important to have a means whereby humans are able to place extra wood, or other means of creating heat, without being directly exposed to temperatures that reach hundreds of degrees and which would grill any human who comes too close.
When we look at the glass oven of La Salz, it does not conform to the standard shape, and it is clear that it would be practically impossible for any human being to keep the flames lit, without burning to a cinder himself. Despite these problems, we do not ridicule those who claim this is a glass oven, for, indeed, the remains of material that is turned to glass due to the exposure to high temperatures, is still in evidence, this despite decades of “souvenir taking” by visitors. Hence, it is clear that high temperatures were once reached inside… but was it a traditional glass oven? Definitely not. Was it – could it – ever have been an industrial plant? No, not without those workmen suffering tremendous burns on their face and eyes.

So what is it?

If not a glass oven, then what? The structure has all the visible signs of having been a souterrain. These curious underground structures are known to date from the Iron Age and for a very long time, their purpose was unclear. Recent discoveries, especially in north-western Scotland, have nevertheless revealed that these structures were more than likely storage facilities, to keep food in store during the winter. As this region is – even today – known to quite often be cut off from the valleys below during winter time (sometimes for weeks on end), it is indeed logical to expect such a storage facility to be present here, so that the people were equipped to survive a potentially harsh winter.

Carved stones

If the glass oven was a millennia old souterrain, it would not be the only structure of this pre-Christian era found in this area. Descending from the Domaine, and turning in the other direction when we reach the “main road”, we are on the col de la Fage, a name which probably means “mountain of the fairies”. The name may be derived from the nearby site that is, at first sight, nothing more than a collection of random stones near the road, in the direction of Fourtou, and known as “The Fort”. But upon closer inspection, it is clear that this group of stones is not as innocent as it appears to be. First of all, it is clear that they are “aligned”. More important, it is clear that some of them have clear signs of carvings on them, quite similar to the “altar stone” that is currently on display next to the town hall of Rennes-le-Château.
No-one seems to have done a detailed study of this group of stones, but it is clear that they are some pre-Christian, either Celtic or older, sacred site – which may indeed have been at the origin of the area’s connection with the fairy realm. Elsewhere, Celtic sanctuaries were quite often associated with these denizens of another realm.

Our own inspection reveals that all megaliths have their engravings on one side – the western side – suggesting a possible connection with the setting of the sun. The inscriptions themselves are the usual mixture of crosses, small stars or “wheels”, as well as some square shapes. There are also a number of cupolas, which might be of natural origin. Probably the most remarkable aspect of these stones is that they have not been subjected to human intervention, such as graffiti or other “souvenirs”. Indeed, it is rare these days to come upon unspoilt like “treasures”.
Having already pointed out certain parallels to a similar stone now in Rennes-le-Château, let us also note that that stone is said to have come from a valley near Rennes-le-Château, where it too was part of a set of stones, which they too were said to be all orientated towards the setting sun. Coincidence, or merely confirmation that several pre-Christian sites in this region conform to the same template?

A salty affair

We are now firmly into the “hinterland” of Rennes-les-Bains, so much so that getting back to Rennes-les-Bains is something of a “long drive”. We are nevertheless still in the general proximity of Bugarach, but beginning to get far away from the Rennes region – the assumed heartland of the mystery. Indeed, “if only” there was a road that would connect these parts with the parts further south. But the maps do not seem to show any… or do they?

There is, indeed, a road, and it is called “Saint Mary’s road”. The “enigma” of this road will be discussed soon, but for now, let us note that near where it connects to the road where we are right now, there is a geological curiosity, known as the “Trou de la Relhe”, a “hole” in the ground, at the top of a hill. It is indeed clear that something below the surface is slowly making this land sink. What is doing this? It is a process that is taking thousands of years; here, in the belly of the earth, are large masses of salt, which are slowly being eroded – and taken to such rivers as La Salz, where they cater for its saltiness. As rainfall and other underground streams take these salt deposits away, the land above sinks ever further down.
Let us add that these salt rivers had such a tremendous monetary value attached to them – the salt being sold at high prices – that a strict system of regulations was put in place for the salt panning industry. The “guardians” to regulate this were lodged… in the Domaine de la Salz!

Saint Mary’s

Saint Mary’s road is nothing more than a dirt-track, but an interesting one. It is a major shortcut, and in the summer of 2007, we were surprised to see how it was used by mammoth trucks that, despite not being a tarmac road, used it as if it were one. It is indeed a “route”, which is how it is indicated on maps, even though today, apart from these trucks, it seems used only by the locals who know, and the hunters who come here to hunt.
The “route” connects the D74 (at the col de la Fage, altitude 731 metres) with the D14 (between the source of the Agly and the col du Linas, altitude 691 metres). The route, though in the middle of the forest, is a veritable shortcut, and does not require one to circulate through some villages; though in preference the route is driven at slow speed, even so, it cuts down the journey-time remarkably.

It is near the beginning of this route, that we find the “salt hole”; it is further down, where we see that a piece of the rock has been cut away, so as to allow the passage of the road, that there is a memorial plaque. At a height of around metres, the memorial has been cut into the rock itself. This type of engraving is of interest, as it is similar in methodology to that of the so-called “Coumesourde stone”.
The memorial is known by some Rennes-le-Château researchers, who have come here to photograph it. Why? First of all, because the route, known as “Saint Mary” originally was supposed to be named “Mary Magdalene”. The information can still be verified by contacting the local authorities. But they are unable to explain why this particular saint was chosen to “guard” over the road, or why the patron saint was changed from the Magdalene to the Virgin Mary. When we did pose this question in the course of conversation, the person told us that perhaps the name was simply to long and something shorter was required.

The memorial

The memorial itself is divided into five distinct parts. First of all, is the name of the route, “Route Ste Marie”. Then there are a series of names: EUGENE RICARD PAUL ET MARCEL. Our reading of this is that it is one surname, Ricard, and three names, Eugène, Paul and Marcel. The next part reads “INAUGUREE le 19 MAI 1902” – inaugurated the 19th of May 1902. Then, there is the name of the patron of the works, “TRACEE ET EXECUTEE PAR FONTVIEILLE”. Finally, there is a mention of the “authority” that opened it. And it is this name for which some of the Rennes researchers have come here: “VISITEE BEAUMETZ DEPUTE”. Beaumetz was a good friend of Bérenger Saunière, the mystery priest of Rennes-le-Chateau. Let us also add that the construction and opening of this road occurred in 1902, i.e. during the lifetime of Saunière.

The entire inscription thus reads:

ROUTE STE MARIE

EUGENE RICARD
PAUL ET MARCEL
-o-
INAUGUREE LE 19
MAI 1902

TRACEE ET EXECUTEE
PAR FONTVIEILLE

VISITEE BEAUMETZ DEPUTE

Though we are ill-disposed to label this inscription “yet another” mystery inscription – though definitely not on par with the Coumesourde stone – there are some anomalies attached to this inscription, which should not, however, be exaggerated. Take, for example, the quaint listing of “Eugene Richard Paul et Marcel”. Indeed, we note that a secondary reading of this could be “Eugene Paul” and “Ricard Marcel”, but this does not make it more comprehensive. Who are they and what did they do to warrant their inclusion in the memorial? It is information that we should have expected to see on the inscription, but instead, we are given nothing but names, with no explanation why they were incorporated into the inscription.
There is plenty of room to write their position, but someone decided not to do so. The inscription – perhaps rightfully – has shortened the full name of Beaumetz – which is Henri Charles Étienne Dujardin-Beaumetz – and who was normally called “Dujardin-Beaumetz” to just Beaumetz. He was an artist, who had entered local politics, to become under-secretary for the Arts in 1905 and a Senator in 1912. Whoever has ever said that Saunière did not have powerful political allies, should hence think again. Furthermore, what to make of the curious fact that, after having visited Rennes-le-Chateau, Francois Mitterrand came here, to stand in front of this memorial? What is so special about this memorial, that a presidential candidate would come to see it? Surely, he must have asked to see it, for if not, he must have been bitterly disappointed that the local authorities wanted to “impress” him by driving all the way to a mundane memorial – bypassing several villages who no doubt would have been happy if a presidential candidate had stopped by to commemorate – for example – the fallen soldiers of the First and/or Second World War?
Again, for anyone trying to create a link between this inscription and the mystery: good luck, but we do note that this road is worth mentioning, if only because of what we will find on the other side of it.

Cubières and its triangular church

Today, Cubières – or Cubières-s.-Cinoble to give it its full name – wants to remember its Cathar past. It was home to the last Cathar of the region, Guilhem Bélibaste, born here ca. 1280 and executed because of his “heresy” in 1321 in Villerouge-Termenès, after having taken refuge in Catalonia in 1309, in the county of Ampurias… not too distant from the castle of Quermanco.
Apart from its Cathar roots, the main attraction of the village is its church, dedicated to St Mary. The church is the last remnant of an abbey that once belonged to the diocese of Narbonne, constructed in 844 AD. It was under the patronage of the lords of Bésalu and Fenouillède, which later passed to that of Peyrepertuse. In the 13th century, all that remained was a simple priory of the old monastery, belonging to the abbey of Moissac. It is probably in this era that, because of a collapse of the other buildings, only the church survived – a church that was in the shape of a triangle, even though the name of the village is of course more closely allied to a cube.
Indeed, a triangular shape for a church is peculiar, to say the least. But, of course, not all oddities have significance. In the case of Cubières, it is clear that is not in the same league as the triangular church of Planès. There, the triangular outline of the church was a specific intention from the very beginning; here, in Cubières, the triangular shape is the result of a reconstruction, carried out with as little money as could be possible, and thus ending up in this form.

A fortified church

The church leaves the impression of having been, at some point in the past, a fortified building. The small windows, and their shape and location, are in evidence of this. Other signs of fortification are visible near the entrance. We can only wonder whether this dates back to the time of the abbey and whether an abbot felt he had to defend his monastery. From whom and why? Answer: unknown.
The fortifications bear a resemblance to those carried out by the “orders”, that were often both of a military and religious nature – the Knights Templar being now the most famous, but definitely not the only ones of their kind. Still, let us note that the Knights Templar were indeed installed in the region, e.g. in Camps-sur-Agly. But a Templar connection does not mean that by default mystery should be added to this historical mixture of facts.

Inside the church, we note that the main altar is located in the north of the building, which is a religious anomaly. Of course, let us note that the layout of the church is triangular, so some deviation from the norm is to be accepted inside this building. It is when entering the miniscule sacristy, currently empty, that the visitor can still see a “door of the dead”. This symbolical door was reserved for the passage of the souls of the dead and it is a theme that is recurrent in this region, but alas ill-noted by the experts in the field, as with it comes a wealth of folklore.
The presence of a “cult of the dead” in this region is in evidence because of the presence of an impressive statue, the “Notre-Dame de la Délivrance”. In this case, it is a representation of the Virgin, looking at a woman, with long hair, seated on her knees surrounded by smoke and flames, but nevertheless cherished by the Virgin. The smoke and flames appear to be obvious references to Purgatory, which took a key position in the mythology of the “gateway of the dead” and the cult of the dead in general. In case anyone thinks we are making this up, let us point out that underneath the statue is written: “Notre Dame de la Délivrance des Ames du Purgatoire”, revealing that the Virgin indeed “frees” the souls from Purgatory.

Let us note there are two further statues of the Virgin, which is unsurprising, seeing the church is dedicated to her. Let us also add, of course, that the nearby route is also dedicated to her. Hence, it is clear that we are in “virgin territory”. Her devotion is also in evidence on a painting, where she is depicted with her “Sacred Heart”, which is in flames, bleeding, but also pierced by a sword.
It is, indeed, a very feminine church, for the only other statues are one of Joan of Arc and – no doubt one had to – a statue of Jesus, behind the main altar, who shows his heart to the congregation. The inscription reads “venez à moi”, “come to me”, which we also find, in the same set-up, in the church of Rennes-le-Château. There is, indeed, one more male presence, and that is a statue of Saint Anthony of Padua. Interestingly, amongst the other church decorations we find a Maltese cross, as well as an inversed “N”, so cherished by some of the Rennes researchers, who see in it an entire wealth of information – a key to a code.

Signed: Elie Bot

For us, it had been a year-long quest to find the keys to open the door of the church, which sometimes, the mayor’s office told us, were not where they always were supposed to be. There was no mystery in that fact, but it did mean we were never able to enter. Until, on January 17, 2008, with a lot of preparation, we did get the keys, largely in an effort to verify that what everyone already knew, and why other Rennes researchers had come here.
Though we are far removed – though everything is relative – from Rennes, whether le-Château or les-Bains, we knew that Beaumetz came here. And so did someone else, very important and close to Saunière: Elie Bot, the man responsible for some of the building works he carried out, including the enigmatic Tour Magdala.
High on the ceiling of the church in Cubières are three inscriptions, one of which reads: “CONSTRUCTEUR . DES . VOUTES . BOT. EN . TOUT . GENRE . A COUIZA aude.” The “Bot” is indeed Elie Bot, and it was he who had been responsible for carrying out at least part of the restoration work of the church, that thus must have been carried out around 1900. Indeed, Bot provided us with an accurate date in another inscription: 1887.

Thus, we find that in the valley above Rennes-les-Bains, from the Domaine de la Salz, the route of St Mary and Cubières, the “touch” of Saunière and friends was visible from a period of 1887 to 1902. It was here that for whatever reason, Mitterrand came in 1980. And it was here, let us not forget, that in between those eras, Jean de Rignies was “guided” by the soul of Master Philippe, to find a specific home, that was somehow of importance. But how? Why? Who knows. Perhaps that speculation, for the moment at least, is best left to the pages of a novel… like, for example, Kate Mosse’s “Sepulchre”?

Filip Coppens & André Douzet