The Apprentice Pillar
Rosslyn Chapel's Hidden Mysteries
Rosslyn Chapel gained much recognition with the 2003 release of Dan Brown’s novel The da Vinci Code. Gaining almost instant fame, tourists flock to the chapel which allegedly houses the Grail documents that trace the lineage of Jesus Christ. But there is more to this chapel than Grail seekers look for. Centuries before the novel, Rosslyn chapel experienced the turmoil of local history including long periods of non-construction and ceasing to be a house of worship. Brown’s novel may have popularized the location because of the alleged ties to Christ but Rosslyn Chapel houses other mysteries not mentioned in the book, such as the legend of the ‘Apprentice Pillar.’
The initial building of Rosslyn Chapel began in 1446 by Sir William Sinclair, the last Sinclair prince of Orkney. Though unfinished at the time of his death, subsequent work continued over the next century and a half but by 1592, the chapel was no longer used a place of worship. The next centuries were politically and economically unstable at times which in turn affected the functioning of chapel but by the early 20th century, restoration was well under way. In the year 2000 a Trust of several financiers including the National Heritage Lottery Fund, The Eastern Scotland European Partnership, Historic Scotland and the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, financed the restoration that is still in progress today.www.rosslynchapel.com/index.php. While visitors may be coming to look for the Holy Grail, the real history surrounding the chapel offers just as much excitement and secrecy.
Perhaps one of the lesser known mysteries of the chapel is that of the ‘Apprentice Pillar,’ an intricate hand-carved, stone pillar that adorns the interior. Said to be carved by an apprentice mason, the legend surrounding this pillar is somewhat cryptic. According to An Account of the Chapel of Roslin first published in 1774, Bishop of Caithness Dr. Robert Forbes tells his readers the mystery surrounding this immense stone carving. . . . “A model of this pillar had been sent from Rome . . . . the master mason upon viewing, would by no means consent to work of such a pillar till he should go to Rome . . . to take the exact inspection of the pillar from which the model had been taken. . . . .in his absence . . . an Apprentice finished the pillar as it now stands. . . . and the master, upon his return, seeing the pillar so exquisitely well finished made an inquiry as to who had done it, and being stung with envy, slew the apprentice.”[1]
It is interesting to note that other locations have similar legends as well, places like the Great Mosque of Damascus and Gloucester Cathedral. However, according to the group of Rosslyn Templars, which today number over half a million members, much of the controversy surrounding the chapel is often misquoted an inaccurate, therefore the group dedicates itself to the to the research and history of Rosslyn Chapel. Self funded and acting completely independent from any other Freemason organization, the organization dedicates itself to bringing to light both past and recent information regarding the chapel and placing it in its correct historical context.www.rosslyntemplars.org.uk/index.htm
While the Rosslyn Templars recognize the great deal of mystique surrounding the Chapel, much of the hullabaloo seems to be for the wrong reasons; either tourists reacting to the Grail stories or non-Freemasons trying to make something out of the symbolism contained within the wall carvings. Yet, a non-Code seeker will find that Rosslyn is as mysterious as the book mentions, but for different reasons.
[1] Forbes, Robert. An Account of the Chapel of Roslin, 1774.
The Apprentice Pillar
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Outside the Chapel
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Side Entrance
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