This page is devoted to Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh in Scotland. To anyone familiar with Dan Brown's book, The Da Vinci Code, Rosslyn Chapel is the place which Robert and Sophie travel to, towards the end of the novel, in search of Mary Magdalen's Sarcophagus. Whatever one's views concerning whether or not there is any truth in the theories expressed in Dan Brown's book, Rosslyn Chapel is very much a real place. The architecture of Rosslyn Chapel is quite magnificent. It is worth having a web page devoted to the place for that reason alone.
On a recent visit to Rosslyn Chapel I took a number of photographs. These did not come out terribly well. However, the following three photographs show various features of the chapel.
In many old churches one can find carvings of The Green Man. The above photograph shows such a carving at the top of one of the pillars in Rosslyn Chapel.
The Wikipedia entry on Rosslyn Chapel makes mention of the Green Men carvings dotted about the place. You can see what Wikipedia has to say on the matter by clicking here.
The above photograph shows a carving which is reputed to be the death mask of Robert the Bruce. It is difficult to see it, so I have painted a red arrow on the photograph to point it out. One can make out the nose, lips and moustache fairly easily. The eyes are slightly less easy to see. No other features of the face appear to be visible.
One can find more information about this carving at http://www.rosslyntemplars.org.uk/robert_the_bruce.htm. Here it states that there is no documentary evidence in support of the supposition that this is indeed a carving of the death mask of Robert the Bruce. All one can say therefore, is that this is what it is reputed to be.
The above photograph shows the apprentice pillar. This is not the pillar in the foreground of this photograph, but the rather more ornate one, to its right, which is shown in the centre of the photograph. There is a legend that when the master mason saw what his apprentice had achieved, in carving this pillar, he was so consumed with envy and rage that he murdered him. On guided tours of Rosslyn Chapel, the guides will sometimes point to two faces carved near the roof of the chapel at diagonally opposite corners. They will tell you that these are the faces of the apprentice and his master. They will suggest that part of the master's punishment is that he is doomed forever to stare at the face of the man he murdered. This is a very good story. Whether or not there is any truth in it I do not know. Although some of the websites about Rosslyn Chapel mention the legend of the apprentice murdered by his master, I have not noticed any mention of this story of the carvings.
You can find more information on this legend, by clicking any of the following links: Wikipedia on the Apprentice Pillar Legend, Freemasons.com on the Apprentice Pillar Legend or Maryjones.us on the Apprentice Pillar Legend.
If you would like to know more about Rosslyn Chapel the following links may be of interest to you.
The Green Man is a symbol of pagan origin. In old churches one often finds carvings representing the Green Man. There are also a number of Public Houses which have been named after him. If you would like to know more, the following links provide additional information.
Return to the photograph of a Green Man carving in Rosslyn Chapel
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