12. Exquisite, Enigmatic Carvings Cover Every Surface of the Chapel
The chapel’s claim to fame is not its grandeur, as the entire building is quite small. No, it is the mysterious stone carvings that line every single surface of the chapel. Helen Rosslyn, an art historian and the wife of the present Earl of Roslin, describes the experience of entering Rosslyn Chapel is stepping into a Medieval sculpture. What she means is that the place seems to be alive and carry its own narrative, which is told through its carvings.
Additionally, there are 110 carvings of so-called “green men” who have leaves and vines protruding from their mouths. One frieze has engravings that illustrate the seven deadly sins, while another frieze represents the seven virtues. There are carvings of angels, saints, and Jesus. There are gargoyles, skeletons, and demonic figures, including one of Lucifer. Rosettes and stars cover the ceiling. There are 213 cube-like boxes that protrude from archways and pillars, and no one is quite sure as to what the symmetry or design is regarding the placement.
No one knows quite what to make of all of these carvings. Some believe that they were designed to tell Biblical stories, as a standard feature of Medieval churches was the use of art to tell stories because the population was almost entirely illiterate. However, many of the symbols don’t have any apparent connection to Christianity, such as the cube-like boxes. Others, such as the green men, are connected to systems that are known to be outside of Christianity. These enigmatic carvings have given Rosslyn Chapel the mystique that made it so famous.