TALES, LEGENDS AND MYTHS OF RENNES-LE-CHATEAU
An extract from Jean-Luc Chaumeil’s book,
THE TABLE OF ISIS, Part 2, THE TEMPLARS OF THE APOCALYPSE (1994).
On the eve of the two hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution, the good
people of France watching their television sets must have thought they were
dreaming when they watched and listened to the virtually science fiction style
legend of the life of a priest in the South of France. The story combined sex,
death and buried treasure; unfortunately, alas, the actors and script formed a
whole that was incongruous and rather poor in quality!
On the other hand, one fact was clear and indisputable: the dramatic botch-up
had come straight out of a work of fiction, and that’s all there was to it. But
this was not always the case, either in the local press, or in the first account
told by Robert Charroux, later developed by Gérard de Sède-Chérisey-Plantard, up
to the "Message" of the sacred enigma (the blessed enigma, without punning),
where the wildest hypotheses have been produced, fortunately without any real
success, regarding the restoration of the Grand Monarch. The latest nonsense to
date, after the odysseys of the British, makes a poor impression even if the
author is led to take a ride in a flying saucer to have discussion with the
Knights of the Black Order….
So, one of two things: either this unbelievable storyTHE MESSAGE OF A SACRED ENIGMA
-
has some respectable
foundations, or it is the dumping ground for fantasies of every sort.
Let us recapitulate the few facts that are quite clear:
1° - Robert Charroux elaborated the story of Abbé Saunière’s treasure from the
basis of parchments (wooden scrolls, filled with ferns), the inscription on a
gravestone, and the legend of the treasure of Saint Louis. Previously, during
the filming of a documentary for O.R.T.F. (French Radio and Television
Organisation), he had carried out some excavations in the cemetery, but in vain…
2° - Gérard de Sède, after the Gisors fiasco, together with Pierre Plantard and
Philippe de Chérisey, brought out in 1967 THE ACCURSED GOLD, based on elements
that were completely falsified:
In an unpublished collection, STONE AND PAPER, Philippe de Chérisey
acknowledged and explained how he had created the infamous "parchments of Abbé
Saunière". The careful observer could have noticed, as early as 1967, that the
faint inscription on the altar of the church at Rennes-le-Château was copied in
the said parchments, especially regarding the first two lines. Finally, to put
an end to this major point, we can inform you that the two fakes are in our
possession, that they have been analysed, and that they are no older than a
quarter of a century!
3° - The inscription: Reddis-Regis-Cellis-Arcis originates from the same
fabrication, as the local journalist of 1905 bears witness!
4° - The Visigothic pillar was neither hollow nor ancient, but was in fact a
Carolingian imitation, constructed and engraved in 1890. A smaller version has
been found in Carcassonne with the signature of the engraver!
5° - The loans from the Land Savings Bank ("Crédit Foncier") for which we have
the paperwork, show clearly that from 1905 Abbé Saunière lived in some poverty.
As for the constructions he had built, all the people that have visited this
village of few inhabitants have come away greatly disappointed!
6° - The curious hypothesis in the last romance of Gérard de Sède, returning
again to the priest’s treasure to substantiate a Rosicrucian Rite, based on the
creators of the society of the Alpha-Galates, is even less believable.
It is sufficient to consult the secret service report on the above-mentioned
organisation, dated 29th November 1942, which ends with a more prosaic, even
derisory version: "In response to a request for information from the Minister of
the Interior, because of the distribution in Brittany of various tracts signed
by a ‘Varans Vincent’, giving the headquarters of the association as 36 rue de
l’Abbé Groult, Paris (15), the Alpha-Galates association was under investigation
from 18th July 1942."
The investigations carried out at that time did not manage to track down anyone
called ‘Varans Vincent’ or any association called ‘Alpha Galates’ at this
address. It seems now that it was in fact the work of someone called Plantard
who is known sometimes to adopt the pseudonym of "Varrans de Verrestra". To sum
up, we can consider the creation of the association of the Alpha-Galates to be
no more than a new attempt by Plantard to be taken seriously by the authorities.
In any case, the membership total of 673 given by the organisers is far from
accurate.
On 13th February 1945 a second secret service report painted a complete portrait
of Pierre Plantard, which is quite revealing:
M. Plantard, Pierre Athanase Marie a.k.a. "Pierre de France", born on 18th March
1920 in Paris (7°), son of Pierre and Raulo Amélie, is unmarried.
Since 1st July 1942, resident at 10 rue Leboutex, Paris (17°), with his mother.
Previously resided 22 Place Malesherbes (same district). Declared profession:
journalist, speaker; at present practices no profession. For several years has
been sexton for the parish of Saint-Louis d’Antin. In fact, he seems to be
dependent on his mother, who receives a pension since the death of her husband,
killed in a work accident.
In 1937, M. Plantard attempted to form an anti-Jewish and anti-Masonic movement,
with the aim of "purifying and renewing France". From M. Daladier, the then
Prime Minister, he sought authorisation to publish a journal entitled "The
Renewal of France" for distribution to members of the movement. He also led a
"Catholic youth group", officially for youth recreation in the various parishes
of Paris. Every year this group organised a holiday camp at Pléstin-les-Gréves
(Côtes du NORD, Brittany), which in 1939 numbered 75 young people.
Plantard addressed a conference of young people organised by the "Catholic youth
group" on 20th June 1939 at the Villiers Hall.
On 16th December 1940 he wrote a letter to Marshal Pétain, which on the pretext
of denouncing a Jewish Masonic plot seemed rather more designed to draw
attention to himself. Finally in May 1941, he formed an association known as
"French National Renewal" which never became active, as authorisation was
refused by the German authorities on 3rd September 1941.
On 24th October 1942 Plantard was investigated by French secret services at the
request of the German authorities, after he had requested authorisation, which
was in any case denied, to form the above-mentioned association.
These various requests, and perhaps his attitude towards the occupying
authorities, earned him a four-month prison sentence in Fresnes prison. Plantard
seemed to be a young crank with the delusion of being the only man capable of
organising the young people of France.
FINALLY, this last report concluded: "According to information gathered, this
association has shown no activity to date. There are approximately 50 members,
which resign in turn, as soon as they have sussed the President of the
association, and have realised that the association does not have a serious
purpose".
We are a long way from the wild imaginings of Gérard de Sède or of the British
in their latest work entitled "The Message".
7° - The same causes, producing the same effects: the consequences of forming
"associations" will be much the same. Thus, on 26th August 1947 the "Latin
Academy" was formed, replacing the Alpha-Galates and its President was none
other than Mrs Amélie-Raulo Plantard! Its declared aim was "scientific
research"! Finally, the Priory of Sion was created in 1956. We were able to
contact former members of this office, who all burst out laughing when we
mentioned Rennes-le-Château. According to its former President, the association
was at the time a "club for boy scouts" and NOTHING MORE….!
8° - The genealogies so dear to the hearts of the readers of THE SACRED ENIGMA,
have been taken straight from a special issue of the historical journal "les
Cahiers de l’Histoire" (no.1, 1960) to which have been added the names of the
ancestors of the former sexton, alias Varrin de Vincestra, a.k.a. Pierre de
France, baptised as Saint-Clair, but known to the secret services and to the
state as Pierre Plantard…
FAREWELL, to the Merovingian king turned former sexton, farewell to the British
epic, farewell to the descendants of Jesus, farewell to the last Ayatollah of
the British and to the…last Grand Master of the Templars. We remain amazed,
however, at the headlong flight of Messrs Lincoln, Baigent, Richard Leigh and
indeed….Gérard de Sède, who were perfectly aware of the existence of these two
reports, filed under "Alpha Galates" in the archives of the Police headquarters,
a file which is open to the general public…!
And so, now that we have recalled these eight points which form the myths and
legends of Rennes-le-Château, let us ask ourselves what need there ever was for
such extensive manipulations and operations, and bearing in mind the old-saying:
"A legend repeated becomes a tale almost true", when M. André Gratadour comes
along to inform us of his latest hypothesis.
Jean-Luc Chaumeil.
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