Rosslyn i Gral
The book Rosslyn and the Grail by Scottish authors Mark Oxbrow and Ian Robertson is the most thorough and sobering work debunking the myths surrounding Rosslyn Chapel and its alleged connection to the Holy Grail and the Knights Templar.
The authors, a historian and archaeologist, systematically demystify claims from books such as The Holy Blood, The Holy Grail and The Da Vinci Code. They show that:
- Rosslyn Chapel was not built in 1446–1486 for the Templars (the Order was abolished in 1312), but for the Sinclair family as a collegiate church;
- there is no evidence that the Templars ever owned Rosslyn or the surrounding land;
- the "secret symbols" (corn, aloe vera, three-dimensional cubes) are either later restorations (19th/20th centuries) or misinterpretations of ordinary biblical and Masonic motifs;
- the alleged "cryptograms" and "coded messages" in the stone carvings do not exist when the original plans and photographs are examined.
The book features archival documents, old photographs before restoration and comparisons with similar Gothic churches. Although it shatters romantic myths, it does so with respect for the beauty of Rosslyn and leaves room for wonder at the skill of medieval stonemasons. The best "antidote" to sensationalist literature, and at the same time an excellent guide through the real history and architecture of one of Scotland's most beautiful chapels.
Multiple copies are available
