It was dark and i wasn’t having much luck getting to sleep so like any sane minded person, my thoughts turned to south east France around the 12th and 13th centuries and the Cathars. Without boring you all,i will just say they were a fascinating bunch of people, with a different take on religion and if they hadn’t been subject to torture and sometimes put to death in the most horrific of ways, (being burnt alive), by the Catholic Church in the form of the Inquisition.they could, historians theorise have brought the renaissance about upto two centuries earlier.
Now thats pretty impressive but again my mind was journeying to a particular part of south east France, namely Rennes-le-chateau,where a lot of legends spring from, hidden treasures, the Grail, Mary Magdalene’s home after escaping Palestine and the Ark of the Covenant(Arques is a hamlet near our aforementioned place)
amongst others.
What is it about the Grail which is so fascinating? People believe in something that has been around in many guises(a stone,chalice,bleeding lance,a bowl and the womb of Mary Magdalene(thats if you read a certain book that’s a waste of a good tree)). A lot of people don’t believe in God but hunt for the Grail. Bizarre but we all like the idea, lets face it, to find something that will prove the existence of God and get us an interview with Parkinson! It’s a romantic notion and who wouldn’t be captured by it. Thank you Mr Indiana Jones for whetting my appetite.
