Shepherds’ Monument and Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross, attributed to Sauniere, taken as a comparison to the, Shepherds’ Monument, at Shugborough Hall, in Staffordshire. This is an eighteenth-century copy of Poussin’s “Les Bergers d’Arcadie” reversed, as though a mirror image.
Many people have attempted to understand these 14 Stations of the Cross with all the unnecessary detail & the fact that they are in reverse, positioned on the walls of the RLC church with the BS font. Another clue to solving this mystery of where Sauniere derived great wealth lies in the interpretation of these Stations for it is expedient to see these upside down. I had thought many years ago that the floor in each station showed a location for I could see in some, houses, fields, the topography of possibly RLC but it was difficult to be sure. Then along with my other thoughts, I could see that indeed they do show a location of topography but you have to see them upside down & therefore the whole of the rest of the picture for each, Station, is in fact the underground. In some you have to see specific items side ways-on. The actual picture has nothing to do with Jesus-this is but a convenient way to show future treasure seekers what Sauniere found so difficult to show-something so unique that there is no parallel.
Again a similar situation has occurred at Shugborough Hall, the ancestral home of the Earls of Lichfield in Staffordshire. Here much attention has focused on the stone tablet, which is a mirror image of the Poussin’s painting of Et In arcadia Ego. Even ex code breakers were brought in to decipher an unusual inscription found below of DOUOSVAVVM, albeit unsuccessfully in 2004. This is called the Shepherd’s Monument and is one of a number of stone edifices found dotted around the grounds. It was apparently commissioned by Thomas Anson in 1748 & is some 20 feet high, so not a piece of work to be completed in a matter of days. When I saw this, I noticed that the inscription was made up separately to the mirror image, a different type of marble or rock being used. Also, it seemed to have a sort of ochre covering to it-I can’t now be sure but I have seen this in other stone pieces & to highlight certain paintings. In fact I have seen this at RLC. It is almost like a wax or resin based material, which blends into the existing rock but allows the fabricator to carve or write onto the rock figures, which are then obscured or made fast by the application of this covering. The effect is rather like looking into a 3-D picture by using shadings. I am sure that the so- called Ancient Egyptians used this technique to maximum advantage.
The 14 Stations of the Upside Down Stations of the Cross
Here I take some examples of this upside down approach & sideways on:
Stations of the Cross Station I
This floor could show figures in white on lhs nearing a salty grey coloured stream with a settlement in the centre, with surrounding walls, leading down to a small figure. On this figure’s right side there are some letters, which I can’t completely make out but there are the following: A, possibly a M-6932-a picture of a man with pointy hat, S-this latter part is as though one is looking across a valley, then looking at an arched area with a house on top.
Below all this is an area of horizontal white in three layers, followed by the upturned legs of the Negro boy carrying a dish. In the normal picture, the golden leopard is shown for some inescapable reason but this does not make any sense, so there is another reason for it being here-turn it upside down & it shows a lengthy cavern of gold, with what looks like figures on rhs & a picture of a tower or church.
Station II
The floor on lhs shows a white building & others; next section are fields with a bridge over a stream with white buildings in the background; on rhs the rocks are possibly battlements, possibly a house with a tower or church. The golden orb is in fact concave, suggesting a cave of gold with something light inside. The silver dish held by one man on the rhs appears to show two figures, as though standing on a ledge or in a cave.
Station III
On extreme lhs a church tower perhaps? This is followed by figures entering a cave, then a lot of striped lines with all the time, the grey rocks above-this leads to a green curved area in which are the outlines of a brown house. Slightly to the right & above is a pointed building, possibly RLC church & other grey buildings-difficult to be sure here. Following over to the right are what looks like a building & at least two figures. Underneath this are is a curious design on a piece of wood or metal with the numbers 73 discernable.
Station IV
Shows a rocky area but more difficult to define much of interest but on extreme rhs the letter A appears again.
Station V
The picture of the floor is poor due to deterioration.
Station VI
There is a strange formation of rocks or something on lhs, then becoming green-this could be underground now with a lower entrance coming into view where we have this ochre & brown coloured vertical shaft-there seems to be much activity here. This then leads down to the second shaft, which show figures going down.
Station VII
The floor area is considerably larger & broader. It is really difficult to pinpoint the purpose for there is a scene when looking at it in normal fashion with lots of undulations. However, upside down also shows figures and areas as though in an open cast mine with lots of wooden poles or some other type of structure not easily described. On extreme rhs-this shows an area of shaped rocks and people-maybe others could understand this better? However, again, placing the station with it’s floor upright & looking at it from left hand side down, one can see workers/figures going up/down shafts as though totally underground. Other parts of the scene also show the underground.
Station VIII
This is quite complex, however, there are a few items to be seen upside down, namely on lhs, there is a figure in the green cavity, sandwiched between the red gown & white robe. Above that & faintly is a country scene with buildings. Again, turning the floor vertical, left hand down, one can see very easily a group of figures in brown against a blue green backdrop. Other figures can be seen too.
Station IX
Looking at it in normal mode, one can see figures & a tower in the fold of the man in blue-his skirt or shorts hide a scene, as does it in upside down mode. This is not new to me, having seen this in paintings of the 17th century. Turning floor round so that the left side of the Station is on the ground so to speak, there are figures everywhere, especially at the bottom of what looks like a cavern with a golden glow, stretching away. The floor is at least two- dimensional.
Stations of the Cross Station X
Looking at this Station, ones eyes are drawn to the three black marked dice indicating 3, 4 & 5. Again, there is much unnecessary detail in the garments of those stripping Jesus, the gold of the man in blue who has incidentally an unusual hand-more shaped like a claw, neither right nor left. The man in brown has one foot on what looks like an upturned lid. The man at the back, with a gold coloured hat, is unusually thick set about the neck & shoulders. Above Jesus, there is much light but the time of day must be heading towards nightfall-all very odd.
Looking at it upside down, there are houses on lhs & casting ones eye over to the right, there looks like a castle or town wall stretching in the middle from left to right. Then, on the extreme right, is a town perhaps. Looking again on extreme right side in same mode, there seems to be something like a slab of rock overhanging the dice, with a figure close to. Underneath here must be the underground of varying colours, leading to the caverns of gold. Below which lies the confusing area of the man with moustache, whose beard is not a beard but a collection of figures, looking at something or somebody between the lips of the bearded man. In addition to all this, turn the Station around so that the left side is horizontal, so that the floor is vertical. Here one can see into a shaft, with figures in grey/white heading down into the depths through a green coloured mass of stone; you can see very clearly a figure of a man-this stands slightly proud of the surrounding shafts. Heading now for the depths, one comes to a cavern, where there are figures. Also, there are figures on either side of the dice which must be something else, like holes into a deeper depth of shaft.
Now looking at it with the right side horizontal, the inside of the gold shield appears to show figures standing and crouched around something-they are in white, with others slightly obscured. The man’s beard & neck show some form of cavity with a man with a red cross on his back, navigating a tunnel. All very mysterious!
Stations of the Cross Station XI
Quite a strong picture with the black or dark forbidding nature of the sky but the garments are equally strong, especially the silver & gold. There is a lot of action too; it is not a particularly pleasant sight seeing a man nailed to the cross but what is the picture telling us? Should we examine it the same way as the others? The floor has a few colours in it that have not been shown before, a red for example. Nothing is given away that I can see.
However, turning picture upside down & looking at the floor, one can make out a figure in red, lying down on rhs or something similar. It is rather indistinct but with the right side in horizontal, it shows the underground in a vertical fashion of the floor.
Stations of the Cross Station XII
This is quite a powerful picture of Jesus on the cross but there again, there is unnecessary detail. The top right hand made by the arc of the frame together with the cross has irrelevant detail, almost like a rock face. I can’t make out why the silver is showing below Jesus’s feet? The rock floor is heavily contoured especially as it appears to rise up towards the woman in blue, whose outstretched left hand has its palm facing us. Again, there is a lot of superfluous detail. Nothing seems to be improved by twisting the Station around except when it’s placed on its left hand side down/horizontal-then some figures could be seen in the rock above Jesus’ outstretched left arm. In upside down mode, two figures can be seen near the silver area. It needs some more painstaking work on the figures.
Stations of the Cross Station XIII
The head of the man in blue in the centre is not a head but a rocky cave like an area with figures inside the otherwise area of white. You have to cut your mind off the subject & see figures at about a forty-five degree angle-there is a figure in red & several in blue. So what this means is that the whole picture is one of different coloured rocks with no humans making up the Station, as is the normal way of looking.
We are basically looking at the underground; the man in blue with his back to us seems to have materialised from nowhere but his presence is crucial as his garments display in the horizontal manner, great folds that equate to caves. In one of these caves is a reclining figure on the floor. To the left & higher up, are other figures, as though in some fissure.
Now when you turn the Station upside down, along the top are the outlines of buildings, one just right of centre, could well be the hilltop village of RLC, or the ancient city of Rhedae for more over to the left is another small collection of buildings, possibly the castle or the church; it is hard to be precise but underneath are the caves & caverns of our secret. This is a momentous secret known only to Berenger & Marie. Underneath this section to the left of centre is an orange coloured cavern in which there is a figure of a man-the detail is extraordinary. These figures are the proof that all these Stations hide the underground & the secret. The whole place is littered with figures and none of the heads are heads, all are disguised- as a part of a cave or cavern.
Stations of the Cross Station XIV
The final part of an exciting & never previously written account of why Berenger went to such lengths to provide clues to Earth’s biggest mystery. This has some violent scenes with the severity of night in the background but abundant light in the foreground, coming from where? However, this is not really the case for in upside down mode, a totally different picture emerges.
Dropping ones eyes down to the left hand side arc bit, you can see with the naked eye, lots of figures with some climbing up an escarpment, to a vertical tunnel. More towards the centre but still underground, one can make out figures like miners with helmets. The moon is an entrance to the underground, with a figure in it. More in the centre left, there are figures in white with possibly a person lying outstretched, in blue green cavern.
The flooring on left hand side shows a low level building. All the Stations indicate a story to show where one can find a special body hidden really deep down under RLC.
Shepherds’ Monument at Shugborough Hall
You maybe wondering where the connection is with the Shepherds’ Monument at Shugborough Hall! Well to be honest, there isn’t one unless you turn the relief upside down using a mirror-this is what the people who designed it would have had to do. Even then, the picture of the relief needs to be reversed, so that the placing of the woman should be on the right hand side, as in the Poussin painting; that is what you might think of straight away but is that correct? It is relatively easy to do with a big enough mirror, putting the base at an angle to the relief, one can see certain things more clearly, as though it was a picture. Nowadays, all we need to do is take a large & clear photo of the relief, develop it & then simply turn it upside down, so that the woman is on the right. One may suggest that one should do the same with the inscription? However, there is more to this inscription than meets the eye & it is very difficult to see the purpose of it but I believe I have been able to determine its purpose.
Not forgetting that the relief pre-existed Sauniere, he may well have got the idea from Shugborough Hall, assuming that he knew of it & had seen the potential similarity. There is another relief a bit like this, hidden away from public knowledge, actually in RLC but I do not think this was made by Sauniere-in fact I think this goes probably all the way back to the Knights Templar. I have a photo of this & in one of my following articles, I will impress upon you, the importance of this sculptured work of art.
Sauniere, may well have been inspired by this RLC relief but there is no reason for him to have made it as it is completely sealed away from prying eyes-even more so than it was eleven years ago.
However, with all these type of calculations, there are going to be elements that don’t tie up. Now in the famous Poussin picture of Et in Arcadia Ego, the woman is on the right but again if you turn this upside down, she will appear on the left. There is a clue in this painting to show something else too, that the maker of the Shugborough Hall relief followed and that is, (I have already written of this in my book, published 2002), the man in the purple robe had his right foot at an impossible angle-in fact the side of his foot is reversed, so this could be the clue we need to “read” this picture. So what we have to do is to take a photo & look at the negative-that is, the opposite, so that the woman appears on the right.
We now have a situation where the stone relief is merely turned upside down, showing the woman on the right. This is important to understand properly as the stone- work of the relief shows the village of RLC between the left leg of the man in purple called P, and his right leg, culminating in the right foot. Where the left foot is, with that ankle strap, is the entrance underneath the castle on its north side.
Then following along to the right are some more house/walls until you get to the cemetery of the church, which is facing one, just above the two shafts/staffs. One can just make out some figures in the lower area. Then the hillside falls away to rise again to the top of the “bottom” of the woman’s garments-the high sweep of the stone, which is shown in vertical swathes. There are, building on the top, suggesting the city of Aereda? This will provide another entrance point to the mines. Similarly, at the bottom of this valley, there appear to be houses too, again disguising another entrance to the underground.
As you can see there is this ochre covering on part of it. The area beneath the tomb looks like the Sun but I believe this represents a cavern of gold.
Leaving this aside now, I continue my assessment of the mysterious wording found beneath the relief. This is similar to a 3-D picture as the dots represent the heads of individuals.
Underneath the second 0 there is a horizontal line, below that are a whole load of figures as though in a mine. Above that, a valley with miners. On the extreme right hand side in normal mode, where it is paler blue, there are buildings and at least a few figures. It is all very mysterious. I haven’t yet fully fathomed out the meaning, if any of the inscriptions, suffice to say that the O is an entrance to a cave. The U is a church. The S is a spiral. The A & V’s are tunnels & ladders. Other than these surface descriptions, it is difficult to see more.
Update 04/11/2022, John R. Pollard. 30/07/2010 © – Pictures attributed to Ben Hammott ©
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