7. There Is Nothing Inside The Apprentice’s Pillar At Rosslyn Chapel
Much of the book’s mystery and intrigue comes from Rosslyn Chapel, a small church outside of Edinburgh, Scotland which houses Sofie’s grandmother, who is herself a descendant of Sarah and possessor of the Sang Real. The exterior of the chapel is covered with carvings and statues, and inside, there is no spot on the walls or pillars that has not been shaped. Its peculiar iconography has lent itself to many ideas about the Knights Templar, the Freemasons, pagan rituals, etc. Dan Brown claimed in The Da Vinci Code that the head of John the Baptist is inside the apprentice’s pillar, and the documents of the Sang Real are buried underneath.
The novel’s publication generated much excitement around Rosslyn Chapel, which became a major tourist destination for those visiting Edinburgh. Imaging devices were brought in to test out some of the theories and speculations that were put forward in the novel. What was found? Nothing. There is nothing inside the apprentice’s pillar. There is nothing underneath it. There are indeed knights buried underneath the chapel’s floor, but they are not of the Knights Templar, as the Knights Templar were destroyed 150 years before construction of Rosslyn Chapel even began.
That said, the place is nothing short of spectacular. One can easily imagine how numerous theories and speculations would arise that attempt to explain the esoteric iconography that fills and surrounds it.