90 years ago today, Bérenger Saunière, the beloved protagonist of Rennes-le-Château lore, passed from this mortal realm. On reflection, his death was nearly as enigmatic as his life. Bérenger Saunière: 1852-1917 Many speculate whether Saunière was murdered, like father Gelis (fatal blows to the head) and father Boudet (apparent poisoning) before him? Perhaps not, but having suffered an attack on

The study of Rennes-le-Château is rife with ludicrious flights of fancy and leaps of faith. Most theories are completely void of rational thought, let alone the application of Occam’s Razor. For every well researched theory there are literally dozens of others that have been constructed on suppositions from a bygone era, taken as read by researches too lazy to re-evaluate

I recently visited the former South of France residence of the legendary Grail hunter Otto Rahn, only to discover that it was scheduled to be demolished, thus ending an era, and prompting this memorial. I believe Otto Rahn (1904-1939) was a hero; the real Indiana Jones and prototype for Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon character.  A tireless explorer, Rahn was a

The 22nd of July is the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene. It is also one of the most peculiar days, numbers and themes in the Legend of Rennes-le-Château. Berenger Saunière entered the seminary at the age of 22. Before long, he was appointed priest of the ancient church of Saint Mary Magdalene, in Rennes-le-Château. Here, he positioned the statues

Perillos is a strange place. There are no tourist offices, book stores or restaurants. Hell, there aren’t even any people. It’s completely abandoned; eerily silent. Perillos – only grapes remain.   Philip Coppens expounds on Perillos and its ancient legacy in 17 Questions. He’s one of two people (Andre Douzet the other) who have championed a mystery that may soon

The story of Rennes-le-Château is fantastical, even mystical. Or is it? One school of thought claims it’s a complete hoax. Another believes it is one of the greatest mysteries of our time. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in-between. Believers Version Bérenger Saunière, a humble priest, discovers coded parchments concealed inside a Visigoth pillar while restoring his church. Seeking assistance in

The legend of Rennes-le-Château is haunted by the reoccurrence of two numbers; 22 and 17. Most frequently, they manifest as important dates in the history of the legend, particularly so with the 17th of January, but this is not always the case. No satisfactory explanation has been given for the occurrence of the two numbers. Are they significant, or merely

There are many variations on the definition of Occam’s Razor, a theory named after the 14th century English philosopher, William of Ockham. William of Ockham   The Wikipedia Online Encyclopaedia sums it’s essence up quite nicely: “Occam’s Razor states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no difference in the

On a recent trip to Greece I had the opportunity to explore the ruined sanctuaries of the Eleusinian Mysteries, so named after the sacred city of Eleusis (modern Elefsina – 12 miles northwest of Athens), where ancient rituals of death and rebirth were once preformed. Ancient Eleusis   The mysteries, which appear to have an eastern origin, were introduced into

The following has nothing to do with Rennes-le-Château. Or at least it shouldn’t. And it’s true! On a recent trip to the supermarket I had an incredible ‘ah-ha’ moment with respect to the origins of the Egyptian Ankh. How bizarre is that? No sooner had I arrived in the breakfast cereal aisle than my shopping cart collided with a woman

Part of the legend of Rennes-le-Château is the negative, wicked and omnipresent energy that seems to permeate from this part of the Aude valley. Enthusiasts with more receptivity than I to these sorts of things tell me that the energy of the place is staggering. In fact, many are resolute that the energy is the true treasure! So just hold