The convent of Saint Cecilia Part 2: of caves and Purgatory

 

The unknown mines of Perillos

The story of the convent of St Cecilia is a forgotten, or rather “occulted” affair. It seems that the local lords did not want to draw attention to it, and thus, or neither, did it survive in the local traditions. The existence of the two tombs, identified by Saunière on his model, yet appearing on a “white spot” on Cassini’s map, is further evidence of the fact that certain aspects of the lords of Perillos, and their land, were place out of bounds – if only perhaps because they were deemed to be out of time and space.
Some readers may disagree with this suggestion, so let us bring it down to a more mundane level. The same fate has been undergone by the mines in this area. They too disappeared from the archives and the local memory. Even the mayor and his office was firm in his negation of their existence. And to some extent, we could not blame him, for his office indeed was void of such references and it was merely our conviction that evidence that we had seen, had to be in an official archive too. Hence, we pursued this matter, upon which we finally uncovered this evidence. But it took belief and perseverance, and without those two, the status quo that there were no mines in Perillos would have been maintained.

From Perillos to Rennes-le-Château

There are several correspondences between Perillos and Rennes-le-Château. Though we continue to argue that it is the mystery of Saunière that is a subset of that of Perillos, there are nevertheless several correspondences between the two sites. These include:
- A castle, whose chapel sits outside of the castle’s wall.
- The castle’s chapel which is later transformed into the village church.
- A crypt underneath the church, reserved for the Lords.
- A subterranean network, which allows people to evacuate one site and appear somewhere else, with few if any of those laying siege to the structure the wiser that those seeking refuge in it had long disappeared.
- A hidden entrance to this network.
- A Ladies Crypt, reserved for the women of the family, which is exterior to the main family crypt.
- A “square of angels” in the cemetery, reserved for the burial of small children.
- A hydraulic system that is worked into the subterranean network of tunnels.
- A tradition that people are interred into the crypt, until a certain moment in time, after which apparently all traces of its access are lost.

If we are to look at who copied from whom – if that were the case – than it is Perillos that is the oldest, hence the original, and Rennes-le-Château which is the copy. The question could be whether Saunière was “guided” to discover what was going on in his “copy”, so that he and others could find out what the situation of the “original” was. Farfetched? Perhaps not too much when we consider the numerous inversions between Rennes-le-Château (tombs, the garden, etc.) and Perillos that are now being found.

One question which we need to ask is why there was such secrecy surrounding the dead, whether at Rennes-le-Château, or Perillos. In the case of Rennes-le-Château, that question has been partially answered by the team of Isaac ben Jacob, who have straightforwardly identified the presence of a cult of the dead, in which certain specific rituals were performed that required high payment. They have identified Saunière was a member of this mafia, which ran rife within the Diocese of Carcassonne, under the command of Billard. This movement had roots going back centuries and the network spanned Europe.
The most basic and superficial reading of this practice could indeed read as if there were nothing more to it than a trafficking in masses. But who would be willing to pay thousands of pounds “just” to say a mass for the soul – unless it was a very specific mass?

It is hence perhaps why men and women were separated in death. In Rennes, we read how in 1705, a certain lady Delsol was “buried the 31st of this month, in the church of this place, in the Tomb of the Lords which is near the baluster.” At that time, the 18th century, the tradition appears to have been lost, or no longer followed. It is up to Bigou to give to the last lady of Hautpoul that which she is entitled to: a proper burial, according to the old tradition.
1724 and 1726 are the last known dates in which men are placed in the crypt of Rennes. Meanwhile, at the same time, the Lords of Durban are quite desperately scanning Perillos to find the entrance the crypt where the Lords of Perillos were once buried. Their efforts prove futile. Whereas in Rennes the location of the crypt is at that time still known, in Perillos, “the enemy” has never penetrated into the crypt and hence no “French barons” are ever laid to rest. Furthermore, if there was ever a need for further coincidences, let us note that in the church registers of Perillos, dating from before the French Revolution, there are names of Delsol and De Vernet as being linked to the village. We also find these names in Cadaquès (Spain), Lyon, the Beaujolais and the Pilat region… but of course this could merely be yet another coincidence.

Four points on a straight line

The Caune of Nanteil

Let us return to the lands of Perillos, to the perimeter of the convent of St Cecilia. To begin with: some geometry. We are told that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. If we follow this knowledge from our site, along the east-west axis, we stumble upon several interesting sites. We begin at the convent, and finish up at a site with the name of “Caune de la Nanteil”. In between, it passes by a cave, “la Caune du Jaumatot”, which means “James” or “little James”. Next we pass over a water point, named “Font des Bies”. Of course, we have repeatedly warned against such sacred geometry… though a line does not a pentagram make. And we will not attach too much importance to the line, but rather to the points on the line itself. For now, all we want to point out is that the alignment of these three natural points may not have escaped the careful eye of our ancestors, and that this line may have been the reason why a fourth point, the convent, was placed where it was placed.

The spring of Bibès

The Caune of Jaunatot

First, let us visit the spring, which is near a ravine that is formed by the “Torrent du Roboul”, where we find the two caves.
There is an obvious relationship between a spring named “Bibès” and the “plateau of Bibès”, though which gave name to what is no doubt forever a question that cannot be answered. The name calls up notions of “vibrant” or “alive”. The link with a spring is hence quite visible, as in a fountain or a spring of “vibrant water”… gushing forth. The link with a spring is hence totally logical, but with a plateau, it is less so. Perhaps, indeed, the name of the plateau was only derived from the presence of this spring, and it would clear up some of the enigma.
We add that this toponym is quite widespread in the Catalan region, as we find it in Laroque, Perpignan and Espira de Conflent also. Most often, it is interpreted as “the location where animals or plants were grown or lived”, a definition which corresponds with the version of the ancient shepherds of Perillos. Nevertheless, we also learned that in the Roussillon, this name was at the origin of the name of two villages: Vivès and Vallespir. Both of these were notorious for their richness in olive trees, the first mention of which we find in 976 AD.
We underline this link of Bibès and Vivès with the olive tree because of the “Montouillé de Perillos” and its link with the “Mount of Olives”, even though no-one can remember even a single olive tree ever gracing its slopes.
As to the name, we note that the orthography is not Catalan and appears to have been “Frenchised”. The Catalan version would have been “Vives” (pronounced “bibèss”). The Catalan root, Bibes, a variation of Vives, derives from the Latin “vivas”, which means “that you (may) live”. The expression is used for children, in wishing them a long life. As a baptismal name, the name is popular with the Israelites: Haïm = Hayîm = life. Are we facing “the Water of Life” here? Let us also note that the cult of the dead has a specific preoccupation with water; see for example Arles-sur-Tech or even better San Juan de la Pena and the manner in which the bodies of the Kings of Aragons and their closest allies were positioned: water washed over, under, if not through their tombs.

This spring was still very much “alive” thirty years ago, but it fell victim to works that were carried out to repopulate the area with trees. “Repopulate” is perhaps not the best word to use, as in origin, it was nothing but bushes and shrubs that were here.
The spring is also very old. We find it mentioned in maps of the 17th century. It is that same sanctuary that sees apparently the demise of the convent and the “final straw” of the Perillos in relationship to their territories.

Lord of the Ring

Within the walls of the convent, a ring “of a knight” was recovered. Our information about this ring is that it was a massive ring, made in gold, surmounted by a stone. In Catalan, “Bisbe” means bishop. We can only wonder whether it is possible that a prelate died in the vicinity of the spring – for whatever reason – and was later buried in the convent. This might also explain the name of the spring, though it is less likely.
Perhaps his tomb was later sacked, like for example at the time of the French Revolution? They are for the moment mere possibilities.
As to the “ravine of the Roboul”, which passes near to the source, it is the same name as the “Torrent” that has the same name. In periods of drought – which is the norm – this “torrent” is dry and one can wade through it without any problem. But we include it here for this “torrent of water” has its source in the perimeter of the convent of St Cecilia. And it is in its ravine that there are two caves that have seen human interaction since a very long time.

The Caune du Jaumatot

One of these, the "Caune du Jaumatot”, is less than 400 metres from the convent. It is the site of a profound cave, defended by an external wall, which has an entrance doorway. Traditionally, this type of construction would mean that it was made for shepherds. Though this is possible, its specific location and the difficulty of the access would mean that rather than sheep, it would be goats, the only animal that is capable of transporting itself over this type of surface, which had a pen here.
Let us add that in this cavity, there is not a single secondary installation, no windows, or other types of equipment. It could therefore be that this was merely a shelter, later abandoned.

The Caune de Nanteil

The second cave is more important. But without coming down steep slopes, the only point of access is via the dry bed of the river. We could ask the question what advantage this type of building would have in a location that is so difficult to access – and almost impossible if the ravine was carrying water. But difficulty of access may thus be its primary purpose? It is definitely clear that it is not a shelter for animals. Only human occupation is plausible. And the evidence on the ground appears to underline this: the wall is very thick and protects the natural opening of the cave. Whereas that of Jaumatot is almost sitting on top of the cave’s mouth, this one is far ahead of it and even had a roof – the remains of which are still clearly visible. Holes in the walls are found in three of the walls, suggesting that there were three levels inside the house. There are also further indications that the floors were made out of wood.

From all appearances, the site was equipped so that several people, if not families, could live here. Still, not a single group of domesticated animal would be able to arrive to the house. Furthermore, caves that were transformed into huts or places where the shepherds lived are not equipped so luxuriously as this site.
On the inside of the structure, we also note that there is a small construction, a type of “forge”, elevated above the ground. It seems its primary purpose is to allow someone to stand higher, so that one can more easily look out over the surrounding area, even though the opposing slope of the valley is equally difficult to access.
In short, the building is large, too big for any ordinary purpose. It is too big for its location. And the only logical aspect about it, is that it is there to protect something, perhaps if something needed to be protected. This could indeed be nothing more or less than human lives, in case of war.
Let us not forget that from inside the human construction, there is a cave, consisting out of several galleries. Those who have explored some of these have apparently discovered several examples of medieval pottery, as well as several pieces of coloured glass. A black silex is the most recent discovery reported in these galleries, as well as a certain amount of bones and teeth. Some coins have also been recovered. They date from the 13th century to the time of Napoleon I.

At the moment, graffiti, inscriptions and other types of decorations that grace the walls of the galleries are being copied. The depth at which some of these are found rather seems to exclude the possibility that these are “just” signs left here by bored shepherds. There are furthermore other marks at the beginning of the cave, which continue all the way down, towards a bifurcation in the galleries.
The underground system has not been totally explored, but there are indications that this network is vast. And it seems that this natural network could easily stretch over 500 to 600 yards, and might even arrive under the convent of St Cecilia. Are we, once again, faced with a similar set-up to that of the church of St Michael in Perillos, in which there too is an underground cavity that leads away from the site, to resurface several hundreds of metres further away?
Let us finally note that this location has seen over recent years an enormous amount of “cleaning up”. A few years ago, only the first room was visible, yet now most of the house has been cleaned. Who? Why?

Before the convent, on ancient Purgatory?

Based on the documents of Vingrau, the convent of Perillos dates at least to the 13th century. It is at the end of the following century that Ramon de Perillos goes to Ireland, on his pilgrimage to St Patrick’s Purgatory, to recover the soul of his lost friend, King Juan I.

Could it be that Saint Cecilia was once a Purgatory? The question will again appear to be absurd, but is it?
Even though St Patrick’s Purgatory was placed under the authority of a bishop, it was largely administered by women. That was definitely the case for such installations in pagan times (take for example the Oracle of Delphi), which even though it was presided over by a man, was operationally run by women. The same, as mentioned, for St Patrick’s Purgatory, though the situation changed somewhat – at least officially – when the site was Christianised. Let us also note that whether it was the Oracle of Delphi or St Patrick’s Purgatory, all of these involved contact with the souls of the dead. And in the case of Delphi, let us note that before being moved into the sanctuary that now attracts thousands of visitors per year, the sanctuary was located higher up the mountain, in a natural cave.

In Celtic times, we know that such sites were also often linked with nine woman – virgins – often one widow and eight young(er) virgins. In Ireland and Scotland, the “priestesses” occupied a sanctuary which was both near and far from the king, i.e. not far geographically, but still placed somewhat “off limits”, often on an island. This situation finds a direct parallel with the convent of Perillos.
It would be well equipped to welcome the occasional widow, namely that of the deceased lord, or younger women, perhaps the daughters of the same lord. The rest of the religious community would be made up from women who had decided to devote their life to God. As the women were perpetually linked with the site, they could do as they liked, without any risks…
And let us note that there cannot be any doubt that certain funerary rites must have been carried out, when members of this religious community died and were buried in the local cemetery. The only debate is of course what type of rites would have been performed… and who performed them.

An opening to another world?

It is possible that the lords of Perillos had always had, on their territory a type of hermitage: a sacred precinct which at some point, perhaps through early members of their family, perhaps even before, was transformed into the site of a religious community, which at some point also became the final resting place for the women and children of the family. Could it be that the site was in origin a Purgatory? There is nothing out of the ordinary in suggesting this. Purgatories were implanted across the Greek world and there was a large Greek presence here in ancient times. The Greeks took their oracles with them (e.g. Cumae in Italy) and not having such operating oracles during their occupation of France would be the exception, rather than the norm. Anyone who wants to argue that there were no oracles in France, would need to argue why France would be the exception.

And it may be that suggestion which pushes Ramon “over the edge”. Perhaps he returns from Ireland with the full knowledge that his lands indeed hold such a sacred site, and perhaps he even toys with the idea to reactivate it? Perhaps he wants to limit the usage of it strictly to members of his family – and friends? We know that oracles in ancient times were operated by the “beau monde”, and only later could anyone buy their way into it. Perhaps Ramon toyed with the idea to create an oracle, based on knowledge preserved and practiced in Ireland, but restrict access and usage to the highest corridors of power?

As to the people who will operate it: he already had all he needed at hand: the women of the convent. Let’s face it: what widow would not be naturally predisposed to try and contact the soul of her deceased husband and carry out anything that may be deemed to be required in the “afterlife” so that his soul would have the eternal life, if not rest?
At present, we present it merely as a hypothesis and those who want to criticise will not need to have much ammunition to shout (sic) it down. It may seem, indeed, to be far out and “out there”. But it is a possible explanation as to why the Lords of Perillos were so silent – mute – about the existence of this convent and why it are not they, but neighbouring lords that have evidence of its existence. Why so silent about a convent, which is something about which no such silence should be expected – even the contrary.
But with no presence on the map – like some other “tombs” in the general vicinity of that site – no-one seems to have known if or what was going on inside the convent. And at least in that aspect it is on par with the strict rules of secrecy that existed both in the Purgatory in Ireland and the Oracular sites in Greece and Italy.

André Douzet and Jean-Louis Moner
We would like to thank Christian for the photographs of the caves.
We also thank “Gellone” for his help in the subtleties of the Catalan language.