The Apprentice Pillar: Rosslyn Chapel: A Legacy in Stone by Dr Karen Ralls

Below is an excerpt from an article by Dr Ralls concerning the symbolism of the carvings at Rosslyn Chapel. I am sure most Masons would love to have a "pilgrimage" and see with their own eyes this chapel. In the absence of King Solomon's Temple, this is the next best thing.

The Chapel has been popularized again in Dan Brown's work of fiction Da Vinci Code, full of Masonic symbolism. A Da Vinci Code tour is one of the most popular one nowadays, and spans from England, Scotland and France.

To read the full article by Dr Ralls, please click main title.

"The Apprentice Pillar also has a special Masonic tale associated with it, as explained by the Earl of Rosslyn in the official chapel guidebook:

The Master Mason, having received from the Founder the moder of a pillar of exquisite workmanship and design, hesitated to carry it out until he had been to Rome . . . and seen the original. He went abroad and in his absence an apprentice . . . set to work and carried out the design as it now stands, a perfect marvel of workmanship. The Master Mason on his return, seeing the pillar completed, instead of being delighted at the success of his pupil, was so stung with envy that . . . with rage and passion . . . he struck [the apprentice] with his mallet, killed him on the spot.

"The Masonic story of a talented murdered apprentice by a jealous master has been told from at least the 17th century at Rosslyn, if not before, and it also refers to another specific carving in the chapel by the same name. This "murdered apprentice" carving may not have been that of an apprentice at all, as in ancient and medieval times only master masons were allowed to sport a full beard, which implies that the original carving at Rosslyn, which surviving evidence shows had a beard, may in fact have been that of a murdered master and not a murdered apprentice.

"In more modern times, some have attempted to claim that the Apprentice pillar is hollow and may contain a "Grail" hidden within its pillar specifically, a silver platter. Scans have been done of the pillar and no metal was detected; however, others speculate that the Grail hidden there is not made of metal. Some insist it may be a mummified head of Christ or a simple wooden chalice, yet there is no proof of these theories."