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Rosslyn Chapel [Rosslyn Chapel]

[Rosslyn Chapel] The Sinclair family has produced many works of architecture over the years, but probably the most unusual is Rosslyn Chapel. It was built by Earl William Sinclair, beginning in 1446, when he was Earl of Orkney.

Here are some pictures of Rosslyn Chapel by Gretchen Phillips. [apprentice pillar] The pillar to the right front with the helical design is the apprentice pillar In the many pictures by Richard Huseth there are several detailed pictures of this pillar. Ward Ginn's picture of the stained angel of Rosslyn Chapel See also Ward Ginn's picture and discussion of the the stained angel of Rosslyn Chapel.

For more about this unique building, see Rosslyn Trust web server about Rosslyn Chapel. Midlothian Online has an excellent aerial picture.

See also Friends of Rosslyn or at their other URL.

See the historical comments by Ian Sinclair.

Nearby is Roslin Castle, with its legend of the The Hound of Roslin. See also the writeup about the Battle of Rosslyn, by John Ritchie, commissioned by Ian Sinclair.

See also the Sauniere Society Symposium.

The White Lady of Rosslyn Chapel

From: Jerry H. Sinclair <sinclair@northcoast.com>
Date: Tuesday, April 20, 1999 7:30 PM

Hi. got the word that you want to know about the story of this lady, there are two sorties of a white lady.

The most important one is about the White Lady that is the spirit of the engrailed cross, one might call her the guarden angel of Rosslyn, specially the Chapel.

It has been said that at some time she will appeal blowing a trumpet and the way into the Chapel will be revealed.

There was a play written Judy Fisken's son telling of this story, which I have seen two times, very moving.

The other white lady, [The White Lady of Roslin Castle]

Jerry

The Lay of the Last Minstrel

by Sir Walter Scott

From Canto Sixth, XXIII.

previous
Seem'd all on fire that chapel proud,
Where Roslin's chiefs uncoffin'd lie,
Each Baron, for a sable shroud,
Sheath'd in his iron panoply.

Seem'd all on fire within, around,
Deep sacristy and altar s pale;
Shone every plllar foliage bound,
And glimmer'd all the dead men's mail.

Blaz'd battlement and pinnet high,
Blaz'd every rose-carved buttress fair—
So still they blaze when fate is nigh
The lordly line of high St. Clair.

There are twenty of Roslin's barons bold
Lie buried within that proud chapelle;
Each one the holy vault doth hold—
But the sea holds lovely Rosabelle!

And each St. Clair was buried there,
With candle, with book, and with knell;
But the sea-caves rung, and the wild winds sung
The dirge of lovely Rosabelle.

Groundscan surveys at Rosslyn Chapel & Rosslyn Castle

From: Niven Sinclair <niven@niven.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 16:24:02 +0100

In order to keep the record straight, there were three separate non-invasive studies done at Rosslyn — all commissioned by me. The major one was carried out under the aegis of the Mechanical Engineering Department of Edinburgh University.

As to any physical attempt to gain access to the vaults this was of short duration because, having found the stairs descending into the vaults, we were soon faced with a wall which barred further progress. This wall had obviously been built after the body of Sir William St Clair, who had been killed at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650, had been placed there. By the time Cromwell's troops arrived to stable their horses within the Chapel, the stairs to the vault had been blocked by the wall and the stairs themselves were hidden by a large ashlar slab which is still in situ.

Cromwell himself ordered his General, Monck, to 'leave the Chapel alone' because, as Master Mason of England, Cromwell was aware of the Chapel's significance to the Masonic movement. Monck then proceeded to batter Rosslyn Castle to ruins but the Chapel (apart from a few musket shot holes) remained intact.

In making the attempt to enter the vaults, I had the written approval of Peter St Clair Erskine, who is the current owner of the Chapel. Any new attempt to enter the vault would also have to have the approval of Historic Scotland which body, at the instigation of the Friends of Rosslyn, has been responsible for the main funding of the present restoration work which is being done at the Chapel.

As the Chapel is essentially a Sinclair building, the Sinclair family would also need to be consulted because any physical entrance would inevitably entail the breaking of 'energy seals' . Rosslyn is a major energy pole of the planetary grid system. This was the reason the Sinclairs chose this sacred site for their Chapel. They had the 'knowledge' and this 'knowledge' is still held (albeit somewhat latently) within the Clan itself. There is growing evidence of a resurgence of interest in the nature of this 'knowledge'. This may be a manifestation of the beginning of our understanding of higher truths or a belated realisation that there was a definitive purpose behind so many of the things which puzzle us today: the European dimension of the Sinclairs, Prince Henry's historic voyage, the enigma of Rosslyn Chapel, our inexplicable pre-occupation with the Orkneys (Arcadia/Acadia) where I am about to explore the Holy Island of Eynhallow later this month because I know (at a level which is far beneath the foundations of reason and experience) that there is something to be found there. I do not mean a physical artefact but something which is infinitely more important i.e. knowledge.

Niven Sinclair
Last changed: 00/05/07 11:34:03 [Clan Sinclair]