Rennes-le-Chateau Mysteries: The Centurion Stone

Rennes-le-Chateau Mysteries: The Centurion Stone, was it carved by Sauniere or is it more ancient?

While hiking in the rough mountainous area surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau, Ben Hammott and his team came upon a carved stone near the rock formation known as “The Centurion” which looks like a helmet. They didn`t know what to make of it, but they supposed it to be one of the rocks carved by the Abbe Berenger Sauniere. Unlike the other stones, this one was not a clue that pointed to a message in a bottle.

Like the controversial “Crista” artifact, the Centurion stone design bears the serpentine form of the Caduceus. In ancient Israel, the serpent on the staff of Moses evolved into an object of worship called the “Nehushtan” which was eventually destroyed by King Hezekiah. Perhaps the Crista, with its fearsome reputation is a form of the Nehushtan - an artifact of the Hebrews would carry a powerful reputation similar to that of the Ark of the Covenant. Is the Centurion stone related to the symbol of the serpent on the staff as well? This design symbolizes medicine and it is also an important Hermetic sigil as the Staff of Hermes himself – the winged Caduceus. 

The number 4 was originally the mark of Hermes before it was adopted by the Catholic Church as the sign of  the “making of the cross” when crossing oneself. As the sigil of Hermes it signifies the 4 directions and the crossroads. The emblem on the stone uses the 4. Is it a Catholic or a Hermetic reference? Those who believe that Sauniere carved the Centurion stone would interpret it as a Catholic sign, while others might consider the 4 to be Templar Hermetic mark.

Thanks to a Swiss member Arcadia Forum there is another example of this design on a beautiful family crest. The insignia is set on a gold background between parted red draperies. At the top are the crescent moon and a gold star. It is the exact same symbol but on the crest it points upwards. Does this indicate that a branch of the Languedoc Templars migrated to Switzerland?

 Does the “S” on the carving stand for the “South” and the Templar connection to Girona, Spain? We know from the Castillon diary that the Templar treasure of Castle Cabrieres was intended for transport to Girona in the south during the battles faced by the Templar Knights against the forces of the Pope and the King of France. The Templars did have a strong connection to the south over the Pyranees Mountains in Girona, Spain.

On the gold crest, the crossbar of the 4 ends in another small cross which makes it the Cross of Hermes, a definite Hermetic reference. The Soldiers of the Temple, the Templars, had learned Hermeticism in the Holy Land during the Crusades. In light of the sigil on the heraldic emblem being so similar, I would say that the carving on the Centurion stone is of Templar origin,

Thanks to Ben Hammott we have an example of this insignia at Rennes-le-Chateau on the Centurion stone. The similarity to the lovely gold crest supports Ben`s discoveries.