Searching for the Templar "Merica" Star

9/17/2013

Yesterday I briefly mentioned the weird idea, best known from Christopher Knight’s and Robert Lomas’s The Hiram Key (1997), that the Knights Templar discovered America and named it for an occult star called Merica which they learned about from Jewish Temple records. Their book, however, never explains where their information came from.

In the first mention of Merica, the two authors present it immediately following a discussion of Flavius Josephus’ account of the Essenes’ belief in a western paradise (= Greek Islands of the Blessed) from The Jewish Wars (2.8.11), but it certainly does not come from that source. Instead, they assert without a source that the Mandaeans have a similar belief in a western paradise but that “this place is marked by a star, the name of which is ‘Merica.’” The authors, again without a sources listed, identify this star with the evening star, Venus, and thus with the morning star, also Venus, the holy star of the Knights Templar and thus proof that the Templars and/or Freemasons founded America. They also claim that the Mandaeans have a “very Masonic” handshake.

The two authors then repeat the claim, again without a source, in Second Messiah (2001), to which they add that a “wide range” of scholars have embraced their claim “with open arms” because they hate Amerigo Vespucci and can’t imagine naming half the world for him. By “scholars” they apparently meant “conspiracy theorists.”

After Knight and Lomas, hundreds of other authors have repeated the claim. Not surprisingly, due to Knight and Lomas being so cagey about their sources, more than one later writer has mistakenly quoted Knight and Lomas and attributed it to Josephus. So far as I can tell, no one has an original source for it other than Knight and Lomas. Michael Anderson Bradley came closest, arguing that the name came from Atlantis in Grail Knights of North America (1998). Later writers, apparently to hide the lack of a true ancient pedigree, have taken to spelling the star “Merika” on the model of Arabic-named stars.

Standard accounts of the Mandaean religious beliefs state that their paradise was called “those carried away by truth” and was termed msunia kušṭa. According to a book published by Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley (The Mandaeans, Oxford University Press, 2002), modern Mandaeans believe paradise lies not in the “west” but at the North Pole. The regular word for “stars” is Malwasia, and the word for paradise is Mšunia Kušta, from the word “messiah.” So that’s a dead end.

Later writers also claim that the “Merica” star took its name from Ishtar’s “Star of Venus,” but the Babylonian name for Venus was Dilbat. So that doesn’t work.

There was an Egyptian First Dynasty official named Merika, whose tomb is at Saqqara, but the Mandaeans aren’t Egyptians and Merika wasn’t a star. “La Merica” was also the name for America mangled by illiterate Italian peasants, but that’s too late for our purposes.

So what do we do?

Knight and Lomas claim that the Templars learned of Merica from “Nasorean” scrolls found beneath the Temple Mount, but neither author shares how they allegedly learned of this; the best they will say is a circular argument that the star’s name proves the continent took its name from that, and that the continent proves the star’s name. The proof, they say, is on the Nasorean Scrolls, which are hidden, they believe, beneath Rosslyn Chapel, where the Sinclair Holy Bloodline Grail Kings keep them where only Freemasons are allowed to see them. Conveniently, this proof is forever inaccessible, and known to Knight and Lomas only from Freemason rituals, which they believe encode Templar beliefs.

I can’t find any mention of the alleged star prior to Knight and Lomas in 1997, and since they refuse to say where they got the idea from (other than Knight’s “research” into “religion”), I have to conclude that Knight made it up. So where did he take his inspiration? I would think that part of it must come from the myth of Shalim (Salem), the old Canaanite god of the evening star, whose name is believed to form part of Jerusalem. Since his name meant “completion,” the idea is that the evening star leads to the place of completion in the west, and thus to paradise. (Obviously, this reading is done in parallel with the Star of Bethlehem narrative, which seems to have cross-fertilized Knight’s claims about the “Merica” star.) So this must be the intellectual foundation for the “Merica” star, ascribed to the Templars via their occupation of the Temple Mount and their supposed veneration of a pre-Christian “goddess” also identified with Venus, the evening star.

But what of the name? I am flummoxed. I guess Knight made it up, unless he back-formed it out of either the name of America or, less likely, something like the version of Marduk given as Merodach in Jeremiah 50:2, identifying Shalim with some M-named deity or demon by virtue of being sons of El and/or identified with Venus. Another possibility is that Knight misread Mercia and transposed some letters, that British earldom having associations with Templars, according to old chronicles. Before it was an earldom, Mercia was a kingdom, and early Freemason conspiracy literature makes occasional reference to it. In 640 CE, for example, Masons claimed that the king of Mercia recognized a lodge of French masons, whose leader became general superintendent of masons throughout Mercia. In 793, masons, identified as Freemasons in later conspiracy literature, built the St. Albans for the King of Mercia. Another version of Freemason conspiracy literature states that Charles Martel, as grand master of masons, sent a contingent of Freemasons from France to Mercia in 701 to restore the craft after several hundred years of neglect. Since we know that Knight believes that the Freemasons are the directly connected to the Templars, this may be the most likely source of the otherwise unattested name of “Merica.”

That’s the closest I can come. As far I can see “Merica” springs into existence in 1997 from the pen of Christopher Knight, who refuses to tell anyone where he got the idea.

78 Comments

Shane Sullivan

9/17/2013 12:05:45 pm

I think you're giving them entirely too much credit. I assume--as I do of most conspiracy theories--that the "inspiration" involved a set of dice, or a dartboard covered with sentence fragments, scraps of paper being pulled out of a hat, or maybe 'conspiracy Madlibs'.

I realize it's unfair of me to make such generalizations (especially since I've never met the authors), but when I read something like this, my gut reaction is: "they're making things up for the attention".

Uncle Ron

9/17/2013 12:52:00 pm

Seconded.

Graham

9/17/2013 01:15:31 pm

Some years ago I read a review of 'The Hiram Key' in the Fortean Times which ended "...cook until half-baked and serve as an expensive paperback."

Without having read the book I did not fully understand what the reviewer meant (Though I could guess...) but now I do.

Jason Colavito link

9/17/2013 01:21:54 pm

It's worse than even that. They routinely assert that wild speculation is proven fact, and I don't think there's a single page that could survive fact checking.

j higgins

2/14/2015 12:45:40 pm

Knight could have a source with knowledge on which he may not have been permitted to talk to outsiders about .

Rose McDonald

5/10/2016 12:04:26 pm

Shane; I agree. It's gotten to the point, with all the pseudo-science floating around, that I check out as much as I can about who wrote what I'm thinking about reading. Sometimes the title is a dead giveaway that what follows is shite. Also the number and size of exclamation points are red flags. I recently came across a partial list of fringe science writers assembled by Andy White; it's on his blog and is a godsend. Here's a link
;http://www.andytheargumentativearchaeologist.com/by-person.htmlcom

sheila

1/23/2022 05:02:18 pm

The name myrick and also mercia, mercy, mercury, wormwood, etymology holds a lot

Gunn

9/17/2013 01:42:59 pm

Could some "norrmen," or Northmen have been Templars?

And precisely when must Templars stop being referred to as Templars...how long after 1307, or 1314? Immediately? One year? Ten? Fifty?

At what point are Templers transformed into Freemasons? What is the earliest indications of Freemasonry going back to the time of the Templars? See how the two ends shift, trying to fool us?

We have the mid-15th Century symbolism of Rosslyn Chapel to help us out, as well as a well-respected cadre of Sinclairs to help clear away any confusion. A study of Rosslyn Chapel is in order. Let the digging begin. (No, not for Wm's DNA, but for substance dealing with future America...if it be there.)

Isaac

9/17/2013 10:13:13 pm

Even the Freemasons themselves don't claim any kind of direct descent from the original Knights Templar. They have taken the Templar name (but so have a selection of other organizations hoping to cash in on their reputation), and they use a number of Templar symbols, but this in and of itself means nothing.

It would be interesting to see how either the Templars (who had been disbanded and destroyed for a century) or the Masons (who would not exist for another century or two) could have had a hand in building Rosslyn Chapel. I should note, though, that Wikipedia does suggest a connection between the darling church of Holy Bloodline consipracists and the Masons at a later date; through the renovation work carried out by one David Bryce in the 1860s which included work on many of the carvings in the chapel. It seems quite possible that this is when some of the more obviously Masonic motifs were added, and since members of the Sinclair family have held high ranking positions in Scottish Rite Freemasonry in the past, it seems not unfathomable that they commissioned these additions to what was still their family chapel.

Of course, by now I expect that any actual discussion of the facts will be buried under several paragraphs of name-calling and posturing; but if there is anything tangible which actually connects the Templars to Freemasonry across this two hundred year gap I would take great pleasure in finding out about it.

9/18/2013 03:09:41 am

The name-calling and posturing is what I like to avoid, though I will follow that trail when started by someone else. I respond. I will check someone if he or she needs checking, in my opinion. I am free to do this, and if I face consequences, spiritually or otherwise, I will make the payment. I will be punished and take it when I have it coming.

Having said this, I do like to instigate conversation and will occasionally provoke the blog on purpose, which some have probably noticed. Even so, that doesn't deserve verbal abuse. Exasperation, maybe, but not poop-slinging, or attacking. But, yes, I will respond to crudeness, Isaac.

But, on to what we're concentrating on now...any connection between Templars/Freemasons across this vague gap in history. I would think there would be a trail of some kind in Europe. It matters, because if the Freemasons evolved from the Templars, then America has a Templar/Freemason-hybrid past, when considering the number of Founding Fathers who were Freemasons. Whether or not any "Templars" came here in medieval times defies our current knowledge, however, it can't be ruled out. Is there such a creature as a Northman Templar, I wonder? But again, how long can people still be called Templars, and how long can a Templar past be claimed? What are the rules?

When the Templar Empire came crashing down, descriptions and labels began changing. The scene became confusing. When speaking of Templars, the Templars were already in the process of losing their identities...yet, a connection with the past was kept intact. Always, a connection with the past was kept intact through succeeding generations. I believe scholars will be able to elaborate on this connection, so its not so mysterious.

Isaac, I instigate conversation, but that's no reason for folks to be crude. If anyone wants to be crude, I can be crude without actual evil feelings being projected from myself, and I am quick to forgive. Sometimes I try humor, though some people are humorless. I'm not a limp-wristed Christian. I'm a former soldier, trucker and prison guard, so crudeness comes naturally, when warranted.

Check yourself, Isaac, or I will check you if and when I think you're operating out-of-line. Nevertheless, I will attempt to take the high road even when you purposely take the low road.

Varika

9/18/2013 07:30:10 am

"Whether or not any "Templars" came here in medieval times defies our current knowledge, however, it can't be ruled out. Is there such a creature as a Northman Templar, I wonder? But again, how long can people still be called Templars, and how long can a Templar past be claimed? What are the rules?"

It can't be ruled out, but it can't be given any credibility, either, sir. There is no evidence of a Templar journey to the Americas, and the only evidence of a Templar FLEET has a low credibility. So until somebody produces Templar artifacts--reliably Templar artifacts--that can reliably be placed here DURING the proper time--we MUST assume, according to all rules of logic, that they didn't. This should in no way stop people from LOOKING for evidence, but to expect it to be given the same weight as history that's backed up with documentation and archeology is just violating the rules of logic.

As for "Northmen" Templars, I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't a few. The Scandinavian cultures overall liked fighting, so there were probably a handful of them who scraped up the cash to buy a commission in the Templars. It seems a reasonable hypothesis to investigate further.

Finally, "the rules" generally dictate that when the organization no longer has a legal existence, you can't call people members of that organization anymore. You can call them FORMER members, you can say they had a past with that organization, but you can't say they are STILL members. They have to form a new club at that point, and at that time, they are no longer members of the old club, they're members of the new club. It's pretty simple, really. The other rule, the one about "a ____ past," is that if you can't find a lineal descent--that is, that substantial membership, either in numbers or in hierarchy within the new organizations belonged to both the old club and the new club--there is no such past and at best the new club is a "revival" of the old one. That's part of why, for instance, Wicca or Asatru are considered "young" religions," but, say, Evangelicals are considered "Christian" with a history spanning back 2000 years. In both cases, there are substantial similarities with what came before (Wicca to English/Celtic practices, Asatru to Scandinavian practices), but with Wicca and Asatru, there is no reliable lineal descent from former practices, and with Evangelicalism there is.

As far as I am aware, there is no reliable lineal descent from the Templars to the Masons. If there is, you should be able to spend a few hours in a library or maybe on Ancestry.com or something and bring us a "genealogy," if you will, of Templars to Masons.

Sure, Templars who survived kept the stories of their adventures alive--but my grandfather was a World War II vet who was at Pearl Harbor. I have a connection to the past, but that doesn't automatically make me a Navy officer, or even enlisted in the Navy. "People tell stories about it" isn't a lineal descent, but it IS a "connection with the past." And frankly, EVERY DAY people take bits and pieces of what they like about "stories from the past" and incorporate them into their own lives and philosophies without ever considering themselves "direct descendants" of whatever stories. As another example, I bow instead of shaking hands and I wear some Japanese clothes and even shoes--things I've incorporated from a love of Japanese culture and particularly mythology. Yet this didn't magically turn me Japanese, or even Asian; I'm still a lily-white American chick from the mid-Eastern states.

Now, the Knights of Christ in Portugal, THEY have a "Templar past," since they DO have a reliable lineal descent--it's been DOCUMENTED that they were Templars who were re-ordered, if you will, by King Denis of Portugal. Maybe you can look around and see if there was a huge influx of Knights of Christ into the Masons at any point. Then the Masons would have, from that point on, a "Templar past."

Oh, and one last thing, sir. If you "like to avoid" name-calling and posturing, why were four of your six paragraphs posturing and possibly even a bit THREATENING?

Thane

9/18/2013 08:43:59 am

>>Finally, "the rules" generally dictate that when the organization no longer has a legal existence, you can't call people members of that organization anymore. You can call them FORMER members, you can say they had a past with that organization, but you can't say they are STILL members. <<

The only thing I would add to this is that when there is oath taking involved, such as with The Knights Templar, even though the organization was dissolved, those that survived, as a result of their oaths, were Templars until they died.

This only applies to individual knights who actually took the oaths of the Order while that order was still in existence. It does not apply to anyone who, after the order was dissolved, who took what they believed to be a Templar oath.

As to could there be "Northmen" Templars? Sure. Why not? It's possible but you would have to scour what we have of the Order's records and membership rolls to determine that for sure.

Other than the Knights of Christ who Varika mentioned, I believe there is some evidence of "former" Knights Templar joining the Knights of St. John Hospititler. Neither Order could or would claim to be a continuation of The Knights Templar. Odds are that most knights simply returned home, joined a monastery somewhere, or took service with another lord or became mercenaries. It would depend much on who their families were, where they were, and how much wealth the family had. Most probably hid their past association with the order as a result of the persecution the order suffered.

As for the Templar treasure, we all know that Simon Templar. aka "The Saint", found it and it formed the basis of his mysterious wealth allowing him to be travel the world annoying criminals, Interpol, and governments all over the world.

9/18/2013 12:49:27 pm

Varika, I was responding to a Blog Bully, which includes overt scoffing, explaining my position concerning his inappropriate behavior. Threatening? No. Unless you consider pointing out possible spiritual consequences as threatening. I will clarify by just saying: if the shoe fits while scoffing, wear it now ashamedly.

You made many good points, Varika, however you must follow from the original forward thrust and defensive block when it comes to understanding why and when I take a defensive stance. Sometimes, if someone is behaving particularly mean and nasty, I may even provoke a response, but it is always done defensively, overall, not offensively. One battle does not make a war. Ha! Ha! Plus, I do take prisoners, and treat them well.

Laslo

9/18/2013 03:17:18 pm

FYI

http://www.masonicdictionary.com/sinclair.html

9/18/2013 06:20:10 pm

"The only thing I would add to this is that when there is oath taking involved, such as with The Knights Templar, even though the organization was dissolved, those that survived, as a result of their oaths, were Templars until they died. "

I'd call that a grey area, Thane, and to be honest, it might even depend on who KEPT that oath and who didn't, as well as what other oaths they swore later. A Knight Templar who, after the order was dissolved, took a new oath to the Knights Hospitallers, for instance, would then no longer be a Knight Templar, he'd be a Knight Hospitaller, with the new oaths superseding the old.

Also, given that King Denis of Portugal petitioned and received the next Pope's permission for the Knights of Christ to inherit the Templar properties, at least in Portugal (not clear on that), they could in fact make a pretty good case for being a "continuation" of the Templars, if they wanted. I don't know that they ever HAVE, but they potentially COULD. The Knights Hospitallers, not so much, since the order pre-existed the end of the Knights Templar; at best, it would be a hybrid of the two.

9/19/2013 10:17:44 am

@Varika

Good point about the Post Oath-taking Oath-taking.

Which has precedent would depend on the actual Oaths taken...but that's not a rat hole I want do go down since I don't have the oaths in question.

I should've said that a Knights Templar is someone from the real original order who took the Oath and took no other oath that renders the first moot.

Nouveau-Templars are not Knights Templar

Get rid of Gunn

9/19/2013 04:36:41 am

Wow, you're an idiot. Do you have to reinvestigate how to put on pants EVERY morning or do you have a chart that helps you through the process?

Only Me

9/19/2013 04:24:23 pm

If I may have a go at this, I found a couple of things that apply here.

The first is an article titled The Story of the Scottish Templars, based on The History of Freemasonry by Albert Mackey, 1898. He lays out a solid case as to why the Templars did not eventually become part of the Masonic order, at all.

The second is an article titled Did The Templars Form Switzerland?, based on the book The Warriors and the Bankers, written by Stephen Dafoe and Alan Butler.

Both articles are found at http://blog.templarhistory.com; FYI, Stephen Dafoe started the site.

Now, *if* both articles are true, even a little, then ruling out simple migration, the case of Templar northmen isn't very strong. The idea that Rosslyn Chapel bridges the "gray area" in the histories of the Templars and Freemasons is also highly dubious. However, if history and time has taught us anything, nothing can be taken for granted...especially as it applies to periods of history where records are sorely lacking.

Byron DeLear

9/18/2013 07:09:06 pm

some of this debate sounds like arguing the rules of ad&d or something... proclaiming what is legit or not after an org has been "dissolved" --- what you can call them or not? what if, from 1307 onward, they went underground?

often times history is just missing --- even in relatively recent times.

for example, the provenance of the grand union flag --- the first flag of the United States of America --- is missing. now we have record of 12 Lt. Col. Joseph Reed to Gen. G. Washington letters that are missing --- and they cover the pertinent period of when the grand union flag could have been proposed and adopted. why was this design used? red and white stripes with the British Union in the canton --- nearly identical to the East India Company flag in use for over 150 years prior to its adoption as our national ensign... why is the origin story of the Grand Union flag nonexistent?

so the point is, history is sometimes missing. it is not too far of a stretch to think that if people were attached to a cause -- loved a cause -- and got serious push-back in the form of persecution, vilification and execution, they just might have persevered in their love of their cause/tribe and gone underground; new members could join the 'secret' version of the templars --- certainly, in a world where you could lose your head by merely being "political" or outspoken, staying out of the line of fire by conducting your business sub rosa had to be more common 700 years ago than it is today.

9/19/2013 04:34:39 am

Hello contributors of the blog. Since everyone seems to be in the bad habit of indulging the idiocy of Gunn, treating him like an intellectual equal, which he is not, (in the hope of what exactly? Changing his warped and ignorant rotten vegetable of a mind?) I have a proposal. Let's start a campaign to get rid of him. He keeps threatening to leave and then coming back again, and again. and again, and again. STOP RESPONDING TO HIM AS IF HE HAS A VALID POINT, HE DOESN'T. We all know this. Don't cut and paste his quotes, reference his stupidity, or argue against the fictional insanity on which he bases his life. It will never do anyone any good. Instead I suggest that everyone, as often as possible, comment on his posts with something a little more on his intellectual level. See above. Thanks for your time. Hope you jump on board the campaign to annoy Gunn into oblivion.

Dan D

9/19/2013 10:52:50 am

That's a bit harsh. While I find some of his comments over the top, he does bring his passion here and that's OK.

I'm not interested in most of the discussion of the KRS/Stone holes, or who placed them there but some may.

If a resolution is ever determined, it won't change a thing in my view.

Get Rid of Get rid of Gunn

9/21/2013 03:44:05 am

Hey, Get rid of Gunn, I'm glad you've been reading Gunn's comments. This is the only way people like you will learn anything new and substantive about the KRS.

Now, once again...once again, you can put either your left leg into your pants first, or your right...it doesn't matter, unless you want to match up to whether yer left or right handed. For example, then you would cross. Putting on one's pants can be an art-form...but even so, one can get tangled up and end up on the floor...by one's doggy bowl, for instance.

Have you noticed that Gunn is an educator? He like to teach folks that the KRS is genuine, and he like to tell about, and show with photos, other information relating to the wonderful, unending subject of said KRS.

I could suggest that you may be an impassioned fool, but how you got there from reading dear Gunn's comments is beyond even my understanding. Anyway, it's probably good that you care so much, as you're probably getting at least some of his timely, relative message. Keep reading his comments and maybe you'll become a fan of the KRS one sweet day. Hang in there...I imagine Gunn will have more to say by-and-by, if not sooner...which is his own, personal choice here.

William M Smith

9/22/2013 03:26:00 am

Why would you want to get rid of Gunn or any other researcher that is searching for validation of the KRS's authenticity? Their is a lot of untold and non academic approved data that support the KRS as well as the Templar presence in the USA before Columbus. As an independent researcher and retired engineer I have studied many of these pre-Columbian sites and find that most people follow the theory's made public by book authors or America Unearth TV. In support of Gunn and the KRS for example is the presence of a .022 in. mechanical wear line just below the rune letters on the KRS. By measuring over 60 grave stones of similar material in like environment I have found that the normal formation of a wear line is .oo5 in. per 100 years. This wear line is created by nature and exist on any stone that has been placed by man to stand up-right. It is also present on stone building foundations. This alone proves the KRS had stood on end for over three hundred years before it was over taken and buried by the tree roots present when it was found. Another un-known fact is the location of the builders mark at the top of The Newport Tower in R.I. This triangle stone is 14 degrees west of true north at the top of the tower. Just because it is a symbol of the Knights of Christ does not make it Templar, however its location of 14 degrees west of true north is what a magnetic compass would read in 1472 and is the magnetic declination at that location at that time. Don't shoot the messenger.

5/6/2016 03:34:30 pm

Re; Gunn. The entire long-winded polemic of his (one of many) and the equally long-winded responses are, at best, a collection of self-serving examples of how people can write hundreds, maybe thousands, of words and say absolutely nothing. Yawn.
I thought Jason's blog post about the name "Merica" was an interesting, debunking of one more faux history propped up with nothing more substantial than the authors' "Because I said so"

9/22/2013 02:49:50 am

Verika - You are very correct about The Knights of Christ from Portugal. Their first documented leader was Henry the Navigator who had the school of navigation. It was here that Joah Cort-real learned the navigational skills and also became the head of the Knights of Christ. The two sons of Joah (Casper and Michel) were also head leaders in the Knights of Christ. The Cort-reals were fisherman and their is evidence they were in America before Columbus..

9/22/2013 08:21:13 am

I'm not so sure, William. Out of curiosity, I did some research on the Corte-Reals, and at best, there is *fragmentary* evidence suggesting a jointly funded expedition between the kings of Portugal and Denmark, headed by Joao Vaz Corte-Real, in 1473. His sons, Gaspar and Miguel, made similar journeys; Gaspar in 1500 and 1501, Miguel in 1502.

It has been speculated that they discovered Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador, and at
http://www.academyofcodfish.com/cod-corte_real_navigators.htm, there are maps that show these lands with Portuguese place names. It isn't until Fernão Vaz Dourado's maps of 1568 and 1571 that such place names extend into Rhode Island and upper New England. So, yes, they found *North America* before Columbus, but neither they, nor Columbus, were in America proper...since Joao died in 1496, and both Gaspar and Miguel disappeared in 1501 and 1502, respectively.

9/22/2013 12:34:37 pm

Only Me -Three Danisb sbips wbose pilots were two Germans, Pining and POthOl'St and one Norwegian, Johan Scolp were to be led by Joao Vaz Corte Real.
After their return in tbe same year 1472, Pining was made Governor of lceland, Pothorst was made Governor of Frisian Islands, Johan Scolp became a noted geograpbe.· and Joao Vaz Corte Real was given Governorsbip ofTerceira in tbe Azores. The Regal Treaty made in Sagres, Portugal also gave Joao Vaz Corte Real Governo"ship ofaD new unclaimed lands to the west as far as the eye could see.
Note: 90 Degrees west of Sagres, Portugal is the magnetic declination line that goes from Kensington, Minn. To Kansas City, Mo. Then on to Heavener, Oklahoma.

9/22/2013 12:44:28 pm

Henry the Navigator founded the school for navigation in 1419 in Portugal. He became the highest order of The Knights of Christ and is said to have been a knight during the crusades at an early age. Much technological advancement that originated in Arabia was brought to his school. Among these were the skills and tools to measure magnetic decIination with a lodestone compass, the design of the caravel ship and the v rock formation to catch fish at low tide. One of many students that learned navigation at Henry's School was Joao Vaz Corte Real.
In 1472 Joao Vaz Corte Real, a Portuguese nobleman with nautical skills and experience in the cod fishing industry and holding a high office in The Knights of Christ met with King A1fonso VI of Portugal and Danish King Christian I of Denmark in the city of Sagres, Portugal for a joint treaty to explore the unclaimed lands to the west as far as the eye could see (90 degrees to the west), in the name of Portugal and establish a joint venture in the cod fishing industry. The Kings mothers were sisters from the house of Lancaster of England.

9/22/2013 01:11:33 pm

Sorry for the double post above relating to information about pre-Columbian voyages and the Corte Real's. If you are interested in some of this information you can enter (migration and diffusion) into your search engine and pull up a web site that records papers on the subject. After you get to the home page click on authors, then go down the list to my name (William Smith) click on it and a summary page will open that shows titles of three papers I have posted. Click on the paper of interest and a summary page will open. At the bottom of the summary is a link which will open the complet paper with photos. If that is to confusing and you want to view the Newport Tower from your computer just enter the following 3D program into your search and use your cursor to rotate the tower. At the bottom of the link home page is zoom and other features. When it opens you are looking south at the tower. The builders mark is a small triangle stone at the top of the tower 14 degrees west of north. (http://www.photospherix.com/flash_cJient.asp?id=np_OOOO_out)

9/22/2013 01:17:40 pm

If the earlier post on the 3D tower does not work then try this link. ( http://www.photospherix.com/flash_client.asp?id=np_0000_out )

Gunn link

9/24/2013 07:28:55 am

http://www.hallmarkemporium.com/discoveries/id27.html

william m smith, I figure you might be interested in these maps I came up with. I have theorized how Runestone Hill may have been originally mapped, not only regionally, but on location, too. The Newport Tower figures into my renderings nicely.

So then, Templar-remnant Portuguese may have built the Newport Tower...with full knowledge of an earlier 1362 exploration by earlier Templar-remnants? Got it.

9/24/2013 07:38:14 am

Thanks for your support, william. By the way, since I posted on my website the information and image relating to how the KRS could possibly have been relocated using sacred geometry, the number of visitors to my website has jumped dramatically, to well over a hundred per day, reaching toward two hundred, a record. So, in response, I decided to post the other maps I developed recently.

One has to wonder what else may be at Runestone Hill, undiscovered.... For instance, does X mark the spot?

Ha! Ha! Maybe...why not?

9/26/2013 02:18:21 am

I think I've found some more pertinent info that may explain Wolter's insistence on a Templar connection with the KRS. I also found a tidbit that may also explain why the museum insists on calling your stone holes, mooring stones.

If your interested.

9/26/2013 04:51:26 am

Yes, I' m definitely interested...always. While the search is exciting when something new is possibly right around the corner, the subject becomes frustrating, too, when nothing new seems at hand. Lately, I've been trying to scrounge up enough passion to make another trip to either the Brandon, MN area, or to the area where the Whetstone River used to empty into the beginning of the MN River. It was diverted back in the 1930's, and a green ribbon now stretches across the landscape (farmland). It seems likely to me that something could possibly be found in that area, since it represents the beginning of a "landing area," if one considers the Whetstone River to be that...a landing area for medieval Scandinavians who had a penchant for making stoneholes and occasional carvings.

As Varika has correctly said, the Knights of Christ were clearly re-named Templars. If the Newport Tower was made by Portuguese Knights of Christ, then one could say that Templars came to America, pre-Columbus. I don't know if there is a direct connection between the KRS and the Newport Tower, but if there is, then one could say that the KRS has a Templar background.

But I don't know exactly why Wolter insists on a connection. I think it is because in his own research, he came to believe that the hooked X runic character represented the Templars, pretty much exclusively. Richard Nielsen, I believe, has said otherwise. It could be that Wolter sees a close relationship between the Templars and Cistercian monks, and some of the "evidence" up here seems to indicate sacred geometry, which both groups were involved in.

Also, where did all the power and money shift to, after the Templars fell? A KRS/Templar connection might satisfy the vacuum, considering such an adventure would take power and money...and a degree of secrecy, which the KRS and the Newport Tower seem to be shrouded in. I think there is a convincing picture in Wolter's mind, based on what he discovered and put together. I like some of his work, and some I don't like, concerning a Jesus bloodline. I think he would be more credible if he dropped the sacred feminine stuff, but he ties some of it back to Egypt, and then forward to the Templar ideology, etc., not a traditional Christian view.

I wasn't aware that the Runestone Museum insists on calling "my" stoneholes mooring stones. I thought they pretty much sell a lot of books detailing the subject, but from different angles. It is Runestone Park that insists on calling them mooring stones. If you go to my website, you'll see the sign indicating that they are mooring stones (unless the sign was taken down recently, which I doubt). The sign is located at Skraal Hill, where there are three stonehole rocks very close together.

Only Me, if you live in this region, perhaps you'd want to explore with me the first mile or so of what used to be the Whetstone River, not far from the Twin Cities...about 3-4 hours away. Who knows, maybe there are some as yet undiscovered stoneholes in that stretch...or, maybe a trace or two of lost Templar treasure! Ha! Ha!

(Wm Mann called "iron" Templar treasure in his book about Templar Meridians.)

9/26/2013 01:42:36 pm

Oops! My mistake on the museum. I remember you said one of the two was responsible. Let me see if I can answer all your queries satisfactorily.

1) On an earlier thread, I left some info about the Newport Tower. Check the "Alternate History and the Search for Awe and Wonder" headline.

2) I KNOW I read it somewhere, but I've been unable to backtrack to the site, about a 1917 hydrologic survey saying the area where Ohman's farm rests was once under water. Enough water for a faering, or knorr, to travel there; coincidentally, that would make Runestone Hill an "island". So now, holes in surrounding stones are, naturally, mooring stones. Due to drying conditions in the 16th century (Medieval Warming Period?), the area gradually became the open farmland it is today. As I said, I haven't been able to track down where I read that, but maybe that is something you can check.

3) There wasn't as much a vacuum following the Templars' persecution as you might think. They went to Scotland, helping Robert the Bruce win a major victory. They went to Portugal, becoming the Knights of Christ, and helping influence that country into becoming the premier naval power of the day. If they went to Switzerland, as many claim, their military power/organization helped that country in much the same way as in both Scotland and Portugal. It's the Freemasonry angle I can't accept. Even on Templar websites, they deny a connection to Freemasonry.

4) Here's Scott's connection for the Templars: during the study, he, Nielsen and Henrik Williams noticed some of the runes resembled those found in churches on...Gotland. Gotland is an island off the coast of Sweden, and the Cistercian monks from Nydala Abbey in Smaland, went there and founded Roma Abbey in 1164. It's well known that the Cistercians and Templars worked side-by-side, and it's possible some Templars may have gone there, since the Cistercians were among those who would offer them sanctuary. Also, Scott used a Swedish Easter Dating Table, in use during the time of the KRS inscription date, to translate some "slashed" runes that, ironically, revealed a "secret verification date" of 1362. And, finally, the Gotlanders were known as the Gutes, a name that shares the same origin as the Goths.

So: Gotlanders = Goths
KRS runes are similar to "Templar" church runes (actually
Cistercian abbey)
The Templars "double dated" the KRS to protect its legitimacy
in case someone else found it, discovered it was a land
claim, and wanted to "modify" it

As to how they sailed here, journeyed to Runestone Hill, etc.,...I don't know. But hey, at least I gave you something new, eh?

9/27/2013 09:54:11 am

Okay, Only Me and William M. Smith, as I've been saying, life is a stonehole circle. Yes, there are two main groupings of stoneholes in the region...at Runestone Hill and along the Whetland River in nearby SD. The stoneholes are accompanied by carvings; at Runestone Hill, there is the runestone; along the Whetstone River, there are what appear to be medieval Scandinavian carvings.

Only Me, the situation is clarified by stoneholes, not complicated. People should realize that almost all of the stoneholes made up in this region were for marking out land. I would say probably NONE were for mooring ships. It sounds to me, Only Me, like you're leaving open room for mooring stonehole use at Runestone Park. Uh-oh.

I know what you're referring to about how the water level was different at one time around Runestone Hill, due to man-made changes. I believe any changes were later reversed, so that the landscape is now close to what it was in 1362. The classic mistake people make, and intelligent people, too, is thinking the landscape REGIONALLY had several more feet of water, enough to float ships! Again, were Native Americans interned under water during the Late Woodland period? Of course not. The heavily glaciated landscape is about as it was 650 years, except for soil buildup and ponds diminishing a bit. It is incredible that the authors of "The Last Norse Kings of America" indicate that Runestone Hill may have been a shipping hub. You worry me a bit, here on this one, Only Me.

At my website, one can see a carving of a medieval sailing ship to be found on a rock near Copper Harbor, MI, which is a peninsula jutting up into Lake Superior. There was no need for a super-watery world back then, to reach Runestone Hill by water. I have shown how the ship/s indicated on the KRS were anchored near Duluth. There is a river, Bois Brule (not sure of spelling) that will take you to the St. Croix River, which will take you to the Mississippi River. There you backtrack a bit and catch the Minnesota River to the Chippewa River in MN. The Chippewa River will take you to within a few miles (about 3) of Runtstone Hill.

I have mapped out the route, and at my website I have a page showing a photo display of the Chippewa River from near Runestone Hill, north "about a day's journey," to Brandon, where I think the massacre occurred.

The stoneholes are not threatening. They are mysterious, but only as mysterious as people want to make them. To me, they are simple...land markings, though the purpose may be different in the two main spots. The stonehole rocks along the Whetstone River are land markings, while the stonehole rocks at Runestone Hill are land markings, and maybe something else, too...another kind of land marking involving ley lines or sacred geometry or who knows what?

To me, the stonehole rocks simply help to corroborate the KRS. They are real, and they have to be accounted for. In my own mind, at least, they are adequately accounted for, except that I would like to know more about when they were made, especially in relationship to the KRS.

9/26/2013 03:43:03 pm

Only Me - Thanks for the info. I have heard most of it before. I do not know what faith the carvers of the KRS were, however it is my understanding that Christopher Columbus was one of the first to use it to represent Christ in his name. According to the great work of the late DeSilva (Columbus was Portuguese) and DNA from his brother was proof of this. I was at Gotland about 10 years ago and went into many of the churches as well as the ancient sites. I did not find any mooring holes, but did visit many of the stone ship structures that exist on the island. The consistency of the stones and the angle they were set indicates they were constructed next to the ancient timber line and functioned as a jig for constructing ships in the same design at various locations with consistency. I also visited the cave in Scotland where Robert The Bruce whathed the spider weave the web seven times before it caught the fly and told him he would be victorious in the seventh battle with Henry that formed the country of Scotland. My blood line is from Robert the Bruce and I still use the tartan assigned to the metal workers (Smiths) of that country. Their is no strong case that proves Robert the Bruce or other Scotts were Templars. I have three papers published in (Migration and Diffusion) which may show some insight on the subject. As for the 100s of mooring stones their are only two locations where more than 10 holes are grouped close together. One location is the KRS hill and the other is 65 miles west of the hill. all of the others are one and twos north of these sites and then the St Larence and New England states, except the one located where the Ohio Rock was found. You will not find mooring holes along the salt water oceans where their are beaches because it was easier to drag their sword in the sand to gather magnetite rather than drill a hole. If you want to find magnetic north just drill a hole in a rock that has iron and fill the hole with water, then float a iron needle in the hole and watch it point north.

9/27/2013 03:45:05 am

Your most welcome. I only got into this due to some nagging questions. Was the KRS a land claim? What *about* those damn stone holes? How did we go from swaggering Northmen to Templar knights and Cistercian monks and finally end with French Normans?

I had to take each question separately and research with the only tools I had...namely, Bing, Google and lots of free time. I think I liked it a lot better when the only debate concerned the authenticity of the KRS itself. All the rest coming together is making a hell of a historical cobweb, and I believe the intrigue has overtaken the subject, in this case.

I remember seeing you on a documentary someone posted here a long while back, where you did the iron needle trick. I'll add that to the list of possible explanations for stone holes. If I've learned one thing for certain, it's that no single hypothesis can explain their existence across the country. I really believe, in this case, it IS a "all of the above" scenario.

9/27/2013 09:56:44 am

I would like to invite everyone interested in the KRS to try out my Forum under the "Forum" tab. You may find it easier to organize your discussion as a discussion thread in the "Alternative History" forum rather than piecemeal across many blog posts.

9/28/2013 09:08:59 am

"...the intrigue has overtaken the subject..."

Well said, Only Me. I'm baffled by a lot, still, but I'm not numb yet. I think I've said all there is to say for now, though. Boiled down, it's simply that the KRS is real and stoneholes weren't for mooring ships. I hope we've moved on past that pesky notion. I've identified at least five purposes for stoneholes, which even includes construction (Viking Altar Rock).

As for the forum idea, I like this blog format as being somehow more public and immediate. Besides, there would need to be a forum entitled: "Kensington Runestone/Stoneholes." I would feel comfortable submitting input as Real History, but not as Alternative Archaeology, when considering the KRS. Alternative to what...the truth?

It's not that easy sub-categorizing the "Alternative History Waterloo" away, not that it would be done on purpose.... However, I like the "flipped-open door approach," in which Jason can manage control of the daily subject-matter, but which also can lure unsuspecting students to the KRS, occasionally. It could be that the forum idea would be a sort of deathblow to this blog, inasmuch as, if successful, it could draw off steam from here.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to another season of America Unearthed, which brought me here several months ago.

9/28/2013 02:03:14 pm

My website isn't a propaganda forum for you; if you don't like the forums or the comments, you're welcome to start your own forum to discuss the Rune Stone to your heart's content. It's "Alternative Archaeology" because it is not accepted as mainstream history.

Freedom of the press belongs to him that owns one.

9/28/2013 02:08:36 pm

But, I'm nice... So you now have a special forum just for KRS posts. Please carry on further discussion of the KRS there.

9/29/2013 07:19:55 am

What I don't like is your cocky attitude.

"I'd rather fight than switch," but I wouldn't "walk a mile for a camel."

Yes, you "own the press," but you will need to be careful in your future blog headings, not to flip open the KRS door. You can't have it both ways. You thought you could a long time ago with not mixing literal and figurative, but of course that was going too far in your perceived powers...too. You don't own a press, you own a KRS pigeon-hole, I suppose like a worm-hole leading to the forum in the Alternative History background.

On a public blog, you have limited power. By that, I mean you, yourself, should play by the public rules. You can, of course, stretch the rules, like others of us. I only await a KRS door flipped open by you. I may choose to comment on other subjects, too, from time to time. It is up to you to bring up Sinclairs, for example. If you don't like what I post, you can publicly get rid of my comments. You have that power...to show your full hand.

"It's your thang...do what ya what to do."

But in the meantime, Scout, I have limited propaganda rights here, when you open the door. You should have noticed that whenever you let the conversation progress, and don't get in the way, people like to continue the conversation...sometimes with additional, interesting input. If you noticed, I haven't commented on any new subjects, only those pertaining to the KRS and stoneholes from a dozen subjects back. Those past blogs can serve the same purpose as a forum, as they can be ongoing. As long as new discussion is involved, and people are interested and contributing, why should you or anyone else care? A lot of your power is imagined...but then, I guess you can delete this comment, huh?

I call the KRS "Jason's Waterloo" because you, like Napoleon, don't see what's coming. You are too firm in your stance against the KRS, and probably against Wolter, too. He may not be as guilty as we think he is...in some regards, like over his view that the KRS is genuine. He still dares to say so, even after all the abuse heaped on him. He draws people to the subjects of history and speculation, while you draw people to the subjects of history and skepticism. I guess they both serve a purpose.

I don't think Wolter over-imagines his power.

If you flip open a future door on Wolter, the KRS, Sinclairs or any other subject that interests me, I may or may not respond. Of course, you can comment back or delete my words. You may consider my words propaganda, but as you have seen, not everyone does. It's just that the Kensington Runestone, and stonehole rocks, worry you...and for good reason. Pigeon-hole away.

9/29/2013 07:41:15 am

Oh, for Pete's sake. I don't care if people want to talk. I'm trying to make things easier by providing a place to talk about these things in a less disjointed and more coherent way, and all I get for my trouble is complaints. I thought it was a nice idea to have a discussion forum for particular issues rather than comments strewn across 1,000-some-odd blog posts. Silly me.

By the way: You can always start your own discussion forum on your own website if you don't like the way I run my website.

Sinclair

9/29/2013 08:36:55 am

Rosslyn and “The Secret”

Philip Coppens

In the 16th century, the Sinclairs of Rosslyn were close advisors to the Scottish kings, and thus to Marie de Guise, the French Regent. In 1546, Marie de Guise wrote one of her letters to William St Clair. The letter included this remarkable passage:

“Likewise that we shall be Leal and trew Maistres to him, his Counsill and Secret shewn to us we sall keep secret.”

“Likewise that we shall be loyal and a true Mistress to him, his Council and the Secret shown to us, which we shall keep secret.”

In 1556, she sent William St Clair to France, to find more support for her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. It underlines the close relationship Marie de Guise and the Sinclairs had in the defence of the Scottish monarchy, a cause which was always close to the heart of the Sinclairs.

The question is what “The Secret” might be. There is some speculation that this included jewellery, which had gone missing and of which the Sinclairs were suspected for being involved in. However, it seems that such a secret would not be referred to as “The Secret”, nor would it require a letter from the Queen Regent, pledging her cause to Sinclair. Rather than Sinclair pledging his loyalty to the Queen Regent, it is the Queen Regent saying she will obey the Sinclairs and not betray him.

What could it be? Abbé Augustin Barruel (February 10, 1741 - May 10, 1820) was a Jesuit priest mostly known for creating a conspiracy theory involving the Knights Templars, the Bavarian Illuminati and the Jacobinians in his book Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (original title: Mémoires pour servir l’Histoire du Jacobinisme) published in 1797. He wrote the book while living in London. Among other things he called Adam Weishaupt, the leader of the Illuminati, “a human devil”. His basic idea was that a conspiracy dating back through time existed, with the aim of overthrowing Christianity.

Of interest is Barruel’s reference to a Scottish-Templar and Masonic connection. Barruel wrote in 1797, when all these subjects were popular – and as such not too much credence should be given to coming up with such a suggestion; it was not novel. But what is interesting is that he wrote that the Templars had discovered three stones in Temple of Solomon, one of which carried the Name of God. He argued that the three stones were secretly moved to Scotland after the Templar’s dissolution in 1312. “The Knights of the Temple made them the foundation for their Lodge. Their successors, heirs of the Secret, are currently the perfect Masters of Freemasonry, the High Priests of Jehova.”

The three stones were a slab carrying the name of God, a cover stone which gave access to a hidden room and which displayed a four-headed cherub. The third stone was a square, white stone on which the Ark of the Covenant had originally been placed.

Barruel’s book is believed to have been a reaction against the French Revolution. Originally, he felt the freemasons were behind this. Barruel had returned to Paris in 1802, where he now had a great reputation as a witch-hunter. In 1806, Barruel circulated a forged letter, probably sent to him by members of the state police opposed to Napoleon Bonaparte’s liberal policy toward the Jews, calling attention to the alleged part of the Jews in the conspiracy he had earlier attributed to the freemasons. It opened the way for books such as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, another conspiracy tome from the early 20th century, detailing the Jews were involved in a massive conspiracy.

It was coincidental that another book, John Robison’s Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Government of Europe carried on in the Secret Meetings of Free Masons, Illuminati and Reading Societies, was published at about the same time as Barruel’s book. Professor John Robison was a secretary of the Royal Society and academic at the University of Edinburgh. The two men were not acquainted and their respective works were written independently.
By contemporary standards Barruel’s Memoires and Robison’s Proofs of a Conspiracy were best-sellers. Robison’s book was soon forgotten, but Barruel’s became known all over Europe and was still available more than a century after its original publication in E. Perrenet’s abridged edition (Paris, 1912). Barruel and Robison influenced public opinion because, then as now, there was a ready market for “sensational disclosures”.

In his old age, shortly before his death in October 1821, Barruel was obsessed with the idea that Europe was covered by a network of Masonic Lodges which was controlled by a supreme council of twenty-one members which included no less than nine Jews. This supreme council, in its turn, was supposed to be governed by an inner council of three. The latter

9/29/2013 09:05:40 am

Continuation

The latter appointed a Grand Master who was supposed to be the secret head of a vast conspiratorial organisation whose hidden aim was to produce revolutions. Professor Norman Cohn remarked that “clearly the supreme council, even although partly Jewish, already possessed that superhuman capacity for organising vast and invisible manoeuvres that later generations were to attribute to the Elders of Zion”.

It is clear that Barruel made a lot of noise, and a lot of unfounded allegations. Like David Icke in the late 20th century, his message of a conspiracy became more and more wild, reaching a point of ridicule, whereupon the original promise and cry of a conspiracy were completely lost amidst the stupendous and ridiculous allegations that would follow afterwards – in Icke’s case that the Queen of Britain, as well as many members of the British royalty, were reptilian aliens in disguise.

What to think therefore of his allegation of a connection linking the Templars with Scotland, and it being linked with “The Secret”?
A century after William St Clair’s display of “The Secret” to Marie de Guise, French royal circles would be alive with rumours of another secret. This was a secret held by the Compagnie du Saint Sacrement, a French secret society that included the entourage of the French King Louis XIV, including his mother, Anne of Austria, and some of his ministers, including Nicolas Fouquet. In 1656, Fouquet had received a letter from his brother Louis, in Rome, in which he referred to an important secret which Nicolas Fouquet would be informed of next time they met. Louis Fouquet added that he had attained the secret from the French artist Nicolas Poussin, and that the secret itself was something that would move royals. It seems that in the previous decades, the French king himself had asked Poussin to confide in him – unsuccessfully, it seems.

We are thus left with three references to “The Secret” – capitals. The first reference is in Rosslyn, involving Marie de Guise, in 1546. The next reference is in a letter between the Fouquet family, in 1656. The next references are in the documents of the Compagnie de Saint-Sacrement, whose purpose was the “protection of the Secret”. The vital question is whether or not “The Secret” is of course the same secret.

Nevertheless, it is clear that there is an intriguing parallel within these references: all involve a great Secret, affecting specifically French royalty. The approaches of William St Clair to Marie de Guise might indeed mean that it was of specific interest to the French throne. If we were to believe Barruel, then it is clear that treasures of the Knights Templar taken from the Temple of Solomon at the time of the Crusades, specifically involving the First Temple of Solomon and including stones connected with the Ark of the Covenant do warrant a classification of a secret with a capital S.

Whether or not this is the case, it definitely inspired Umberto Eco to incorporate Barruel and the Secret – transformed into “The Plan” – in his novel, Foucault’s Pendulum.

9/30/2013 03:40:18 am

I enjoy the information you give on the Templar history and feel it may be of importance if we find some factual (academic approved) information or artifacts used in the USA that would be unique to Templars. I may have an artifact you may be able to make the connection. It is called The Ohio Rock. This 500 lb. stone was found on my farm by my wife in 1977. Archeoligest (Rodney Ricks) looked at it and said it would have taken one man three months to carve it and the tool used would likely have been stone. Barry Fell looked at photos of it and said it was European technology of a sun dial which originated in Egypt and was used to keep time. After 36 years of research, I feel it is a time stone that the carver used to bury treasure that he wanted to recover at a later date. I feel it was made by the crew of Michel Cort-real in 1511 when his crew were fleeing from the now hostile natives. Michel as well as his brother Casper and his father Josh were all of the highest order of The Knights of Christ. The Ohio Rock was a time stone that was meant to rise to the surface and point the way to hidden treasure. It worked like a plate buried in sand. If it was buried right side up it would rise to the surface due to the rain washing the sand over the edge and under the plate creating a lift over time that made the rim of the plate rise to the earth surface. Had the plate been buried upside down the reverse would happen. Other reasons for making this connection are many which can be explained if interested.
I do not want to abuse my time on this site by talking to much because I have no hidden motive to sell a book or make a movie. I have known Scott Wolter for a few years and think he has made many people become interested in pre-Columbian contact. I could explain all the pros and cons about him, however he will do that to himself over time. He can sell a bridge in Arizona, however he can not explain how the .022 in. mechanical wear line got on the KRS.

9/30/2013 03:58:21 am

Sinclair - Some additional factual information about the Ohio Rock may be of interest for the potential Templar connection.
A- A metal strap (chest strap of wrought iron) was found near it.
B- It has the Portuguese Templar shield carved in the corner.
C- A triangle mooring stone hole was found on the high cliff bank of the Ohio River less than 1/4 mile from the Ohio Rock.
D- The practice of hiding treasure with a time stone was used by Spanish and Portuguese.
E- The Ohio Rock was found on the south end of the Hopewell Road which was likely the 100 mile 100 yard wide road that was the man made field for the short legged bison which migrated north from Kentucky into Ohio and provided the natives food for survival.
F- At the north end of The Hopewell Road near Newark Ohio in ancient Indian mounds was found The Decaloge Stone, The Holy Stone and a stone cup. (Templar Artifacts?)
G - The Ohio Rock was located exactly mid way between the Newport Tower and the KRS. (Is this the center of Vinland?)
William

9/30/2013 04:19:15 am

I read a comment in Jason's lead in page that the Mandaean felt the North Pole was a sacred place. I also read where the King of Denmark told Pal Knutson in 1362 to go as far as the north pole.
Facts: In 1362 at Denmark the magnetic declination was zero, If you went west to locate this same reading you would end up 65 miles west of the KRS. (Could the North Pole referred to by Pal Knutson and the Mandaean have been the longitude location where no variance between the magnetic compass and true north exist. It would take 110 years for the agonic line to drift east 65 miles, however this would make the new land mark at the KRS site. and the year would be 1472. This may indicate that the Cort reals relocated the KRS to its current location 110 years after the Knutson voyage. The cluster of stone holes at the two locations may be confirmation they were gathering magnetite to charge their lodestone compass for accurate readings. Also note: Their are other rune stones located on the common argonic line as the KRS. You will find the Verindea stone to the north and the Heavener stone to the south. (Are these the west boundry of Vinland)
The Mandan village at Ft. Lincoln shows how the Mandans used many skills of the Europeans as well as use of the sun dial.

9/30/2013 04:33:41 am

My main take-away is the "Scottish-Templar and Masonic connection," which we were looking for. Thanks, Sinclair. Jason, is this a clear, accurate connecting of the formerly perceived gap between the two groups...Templar/Masonic? I guess it's not so much the labels or titles, specific to time periods, as it is the actual historical connections? Or, is the information, above, unreliable?

Also, "If we were to believe Barruel, then it is clear that treasures of the Knights Templar taken from the Temple of Solomon at the time of the Crusades, specifically involving the First Temple of Solomon and including stones connected with the Ark of the Covenant do warrant a classification of a secret with a capital S."

I'm left to wonder what kind of treasure would warrant a classification of a secret WITH a capital S, and why wouldn't the above described treasure warrant a capital S?

Everyone loves a secret except me, I guess. Secrecy seemed to be the norm for medieval expeditions, now confounding us all these years later.

Jason, my guess it that you shouldn't declare the KRS to be a hoax. People besides Wolter--professionals--have said it is genuine over the years. You cannot simply dump it into the "Alternative History" bin. It has not been proven to be a fraud, and some professionals over the years have said it is genuine. Recent methods of date-checking the runes show various previously unknown characteristics as being harmonious with other known examples, as in the case with the Greenland runestone discovered not long ago, relating to dating methods. The case for authenticity is growing, not diminishing, and the dreaded stonehole rocks are like hard history-glue.

"The Secret" was something of value. Was it, in part, expeditionary knowledge? My speculative guess is, yes. Many expeditions, by their very nature, were secretive, representing possible future power for the secret-holders.

We are only trying to lift the veil of secrecy. We narrow-in and try to make sense of the data. Not all data is hard, some is soft. History and speculation go hand-in-hand. Once in a while, speculations come closer and closer to becoming facts, such as in Viking Newfoundland. Overcoming history-secrecy takes time and effort, as does speculation and skepticism. We keep turning the leaves over and over, looking for new insight while dispelling that insight. Fresh insight can be anyone's for the taking, as long as it makes sense. Possibilities are forms of insight, to be either proven or unproven; yet, some possibilities seem to be equal to "opening secrets."

9/30/2013 04:59:38 am

I think we'd need to prove this letter exists before speculating further. The only references to Mary's letter are in Sinclair conspiracy literature, and then only in a single-sentence excerpt. The letter seems to have first been published by Andrew Sinclair, who is a notoriously unreliable source. Further, in the English of the day "secret" had the meaning of "confidence" in the context Mary used it. It doesn't mean William gave her a Templar secret; it means that Mary promised not to publicize the advice William gave her. As always, mystery mongers made a mystery out of their own ignorance.

9/30/2013 05:49:07 am

Okay, thanks for your insight.

9/30/2013 05:15:21 am

Gunn- I am not sure if we are looking for the secret or the facts. I felt like Jason about the KRS at one time because of all the fabricated stories made public by Scott Wolter. Even his co-author Dick Nielson did not agree with Scotts theory's. As a retired engineer my research is based on my own findings and that is al I can defend. My onsite findings related to the KRS are as follows.
A- It has a .022 in. mechanical wear line just below the runes on the front face. This line would require over 300 years to form in a like environment which I confirmed by measuring over 60 tomb stones in Mo.
B- The 3 in the 1362 date has a small man made depression which would have added a horizontal line making it a 4. A flake removed from the 6 could have made it a seven. I feel the stone was carved in 1472 by the Portugese and Danish expedition, however they maintained the 1362 date because of their knowledge and family relationship to the Pal Knutson 1362 expedition.
C- The location of the KRS in relation to the magnetic declination of the 1362 and 1472 stone hole groupings which are 65 miles apart and match the computed magnetic declination of that time period. This type of longitude location was started in 1250 in Arabia and went into Portugal.
D- The Mystery Stone (lodestone from a compass) found in N.H. has the 1472 expedition story of new world finds as the Europeans recorded it in 1472.

9/30/2013 06:29:07 am

William M. Smith, I think we're looking for both secrets and facts, not either/or. We seem to agree that the KRS is genuine, though some of your ideas I find a bit odd, such as your rendering of the date. If I'm not mistaken, the world's preeminent scholar on Scandinavian runes (Nielsen) doesn't question the date of 1362, and I think it is perceived as being double-dated, at least by Wolter.

Perhaps an occasional stonehole would have been used for compassing purposes, but not stoneholes found side-by-side, for example. One odd feature I've wondered about stonehole rocks is why sometimes two or three might be found nearly side-by-side, or close together. Three found in close proximity means something, but I'm not sure what. I've seen it up close at Skraal Hill and also near Wilmot, SD. Maybe it signifies the center-point for the further carved up land, and then a picture-image would claim the stoneholes (land) in that particular area. I think that's the way it worked for determining future ownership along the Whetstone River in SD, but maybe not at Runestone Hill. I guess you probably know by now that I take the KRS for just what it says, without trying to add anything. To me, "this peninsula-island" means the KRS was carved on location, since Runestone Hill is, in fact, a peninsula-island. The date of 1362, is, I believe, secured.

The Ohio Rock seems pretty fascinating and I looked up more information about it. It does seem to be a mold, unless it was used to hold water. If it was a mold, it seems like there might be an immense chunk of metal near where it was found. It would be nice to have more context about its discovery...partially buried or not, etc. Did you say there is a triangulated stonehole nearby? This Ohio Rock is about halfway from Newport Tower to Runestone Hill, but not on a straight line...halfway would be in N. Michigan.

Perhaps Wolter will feature the Ohio Rock on one of his upcoming programs! I read that it has not been studied by professionals yet. (Just provoking conversation.)

9/30/2013 07:28:52 am

Gunn - The only true answer I can give you is that Wolter will never review the Ohio Rock as long as I am alive.

9/30/2013 07:59:11 am

If you open (Migration and Diffusion) you can see the details that support the 1472 date of the KRS. (http://www.migration-diffusion.info/article.php?id=240).
I have told Dick Nielson of this abnormal tool marks in the date and he could not detect it in his photos, however when I was in Alexandra at the request of the museum to make a 3D computer photo program of the KRS, this pre-cut tracer line made by the carver was apparent. It shows up in the enlarged photos of the 3D multiple photos. The problem is that it is contrary to books and movies made about the subject. Why do you think no one will address the ground wear line of .022 in. on the KRS?
I have studied many of the mooring holes and assure you no two are alike. I also do not feel they mark any specific land boundary. I feel they had multiple functions, however the prime function was to get magnetite for their compass and confirm their location of longitude by measuring the variance between true north and magnetic north. You may want to read the other two papers I submitted to Migration and diffusion in that they all link together.
As for the Ohio Rock, I am still gathering information about its identity. The carver is likely one of the six skeleton's dressed in armor found at the Falls of the Ohio.

9/30/2013 04:37:14 pm

I don't mind addressing the ground wear line of .022" on the KRS. Unless one has read Wolter's X book, one wouldn't know about the smaller, more "portable" stonehole rocks found north of the cleared Runestone Hill. I wonder where these four smaller rocks were originally located? It seems likely they may have been cleared off the hill, but maybe not. I can easily imagine the KRS having been originally set upright. Perhaps these smaller stonehole rocks helped to mark something on the hill, maybe even the KRS...like maybe it was circled by these smaller rocks, even as the entire hill was surrounded with the dozen or so larger stonehole rocks.

I see no reason to believe the KRS was not originally placed upright. In fact, the very carved shape suggests that it was shaped to be placed upright, perhaps set into another rock, making the .022 line impression you are referring to. If it was buried, a way of re-finding it would have been necessary, which probably entailed understanding the placement of the stonehole rocks. My best guess is that it was set up to be seen, then perhaps hundreds of years later purposely toppled over forward so the mysterious runes couldn't be seen. Eventually, it got covered over with a fairly shallow covering of earth, before it was accidently discovered by the Ohmans in 1898 in the roots of a tree being cleared off Runestone Hill. This is speculation, of course, only my best guess.

In other words, a memorial stone was made to be seen, not hidden. Other things were hidden, buried...lead expeditionary plates, for example, by French explorers a few hundred years later. I think the land around Runestone Hill was marked-up as part of some kind of land acquisition process, but I don't think the memorial KRS is a land claim. It refers to land acquisition as a mission, but I don't think the KRS is a land claim...I think its an aftermath of a land-acquiring mission, which finally involved going fishing to have a supply of food for making the two-week journey back up to Lake Superior, where their transportation back to "the World" was waiting. Maybe nobody ever made it back.

I wonder where the Falls of the Ohio skeletons dressed in armor are today?

10/1/2013 03:23:56 am

I tend to disagree with a lot of what you say about the KRS, however if the truth was clear we would not be looking for it. The reason for my thoughts are because I have spent time on the hill and in the area to the north.
I have seen many mooring holes in large stones as well as small stones. It could be that the small stones(size of basketball) were used as anchor's, fish net holders, fish mouth net holders, deep water mooring stone' or other functions such as bird trap, animal trap. I do not believe any of the holes were used to mark the standing location of the KRS. I also do not believe Scott Wolter theory the stone was buried and marked by the connection of the stone holes. I also do not believe their is any alignment connection with the KRS and The Newport Tower. Understand I am an independent researcher who does not follow what others state without factual support. I have challenged Wolter and Nielson many times on many subjects. Nielson is an engineer and has more credibility than Wolter in this area. Both have good ideas but very rough edges.
The mechanical wear line on the face of the stone as well as on the right side tells a lot. The wear distribution shows the stone stood upright for at least 300 years then fell forward over a period of time, This is apparent by the side mechanical wear line being smaller in the front than in the rear. The stone was facing east and below the top of the hill. After it fell an aspin tree grew in its loose soil and the roots covered the rear and side. The tree was 30 -40 years old when found by the Ohmans. (300 + 120 +40) =460 years min.
If the stone was a memorial rather than a land claim you would think the carver would have listed the dead first rather than start out by stating the purpose of the expedition.
I do not think the large ships were moored at Lake Superior called the inland sea. Many reasons support this. A sea is salt water not fresh water. The ships would have to have been portaged at two locations. The ships of that period carried 20-22 people and enough cargo for long voyages. The only support that indicates Lake Superior is a mooring hole at Duluth and some in the St Larance. as well as the indian legend that the great peacemaker rowed a stone boat west to east across Lake Ontario to explain the new laws of the land to the five eastern tribes. (Who's new law?)
With the main ships moored at the west end of Hudson bay with 10 men to attend. (one small fishing boat with each of 5 men at the two large ships left 6 small boats for 30 men to navigate Lake Winnapeg and the Red. in 14 days)
On the return trip it seems that at least one small boat may have returned the Great Lake rout with the aid of native Americans.
Keep in mind prior to the 1525 earthquake in the east their was a water rout. Indian trail from Rhode Island to The St Larance which was 400 miles less than the water rout today.
Are you aware of the row of stones near a fence line at the bottom of the hill which may have been a fish trap. A mooring hole is their which may have held the net at the V in the stone trap. This technology of trapping fish came from Arabia to Portugal and many ancient stone fish traps of this design are on the east coast at Rhode Island which caught cod fish to be processed in the Newport Tower.
Near, but to the north of the KRS are two stone carins which are located between two streams. These may have been small smoke houses for smoking fish. This was the main food supply of early explorers. Smoked fish would keep forever. Steve Hilgren has the details on the stone smoke houses and their location. He also has many located mooring holes which are not known to others.

10/1/2013 03:27:06 am

As this conversation has moved well beyond the subject of this blog post, I'd like to invite you to continue it in the Kensington Rune Stone section of my discussion Forum. I think it will be easier to organize a conversation there.

10/1/2013 03:58:48 am

Gunn - I guess it is best not to discuss the KRS on this site as Jason has requested. The subject of this blog seems to be looking for proof of the Templars in America.
At the top of the Newport Tower their is a triangle stone which is a key symbol for The Knights of Christ from Portugal. This builders mark is 14 degrees west of true north. This location of 14 degrees west is the exact direction a magnetic compass would point in 1472 when the tower was built. Components of a compass were found in the 1947 Godfrey dig at the tower. They include a needle, a glass. The last dig at the tower was completed a few years ago by Jan Barstead when she was looking for the exterior post that supported a likely atrium around the tower. During this dig she uncovered a magnetic stone which had evidence of fire. This stone was found in the bottom of one of the post holes. Could it be part of the compass used during construction?

10/1/2013 05:50:48 am

10/1/2013 08:53:33 am

Well, I'm still Searching for the Templar "Merica" Star. I think we both have Templars in the back of our minds, trying to figure this out, but I guess we're making Jason nervous. (I'd be another thing if he were running out of space.) Anyway, thanks for some possibly Templar-related information about Merica for me to mull over. I always like learning something new.

10/1/2013 09:08:45 am

How does it make me nervous to ask you to move to the discussion forum? It's not like it's a secret place no one can ever find. I just thought it would be easier than using the clunky comments section. As for running out of space, after 50 or so comments, the posts start loading more slowly. The Scott Wolter degree post, with hundreds of comments, has become a nightmare to navigate.

Do what you want, but I'm trying to make it EASIER for people to find information by topic and to follow discussions.

10/1/2013 02:07:09 pm

Easier is not always the objective, but I agree that this blog run is long and now tired, any passion long gone. But I do like to hear strange new ideas, see new "artifacts" and images, and try to digest what it might mean. For that opportunity, I do thank you, Jason.

10/1/2013 12:41:08 pm

I agree with Jason that many post leave new readers with a lot of homework when the subjects are multiple. I have a lot of subjects that may have pre-Columbian generation, however it would be very hard to include them all in one blog.

The Searcher link

8/30/2014 05:55:54 am

The new book "La Merica" will answer a lot of your questions.

2/14/2015 12:59:33 pm

So when the templars where chased and hunted out of Europe where did there ships sail apart from Scotland . I live in kilwinning and there are lots of hearsay about the start of the masonic lodge as carry on traditions of the templars that settled here and supposedly fought against the english with robert the Bruce . a still think they could have sailed for north America but if they got there who knows . am sure they no the truth .

Willaim M Smith

2/15/2015 01:26:53 am

j higgins - My great grandfather and his wife came from Scotland. Our tarton is the Stewart hunting. My clan were border gaurds near Gretna Green. I do not feel all the Templars fled France in early 1300s. Many went and stayed in Portugal where they were allowed to exist. I have studied the precolumbian contact since 1977 and find a lot of evidence the early templars that sailed to America were from Portugal and Denmark. I have visited the cave where Robert The Bruce watched the spider weave its web 7 times before it caught the fly. This was his omen to be victorious over Henry in the seventh battle which freed Scotland from England.

2/16/2015 12:41:03 pm

The isle of Arran a think u visited not far from where I live in kilwinning. Its a fascinating subject. The templars there persicusion by the church the secrets and the true faith I believe they started to follow which would have took a lot of power and influence the Vatican had over Europe at the time .

2/16/2015 01:43:28 pm

I am sure the Pope was in bed to speak with the French during this period. They both were looking for $$$. Also during this time frame the Pope issued a degree that fish on Friday would be allowed. This made the Portuguese and Danish fishing industry very rich in short time. You will find a lot more political actions for profit than you will for religious. Today people that attempt to link the Masons to the Templars or Knights of Christ are way off base with any facts. They are using it to make money by selling books.

Arthur Faram link

2/15/2015 01:35:53 am

Please refer to the book on Amazon titled "La Merica". It answers many of the questions posed here about the Knights Templar, the Masons, Rosslyn Chapel, the final origin of the name "Merica" and the pre-colonization of Merica by the Templars.

2/15/2015 04:49:23 am

Arthur - I have read your work and others as well that claim the Templars came to America from Scotland. As an engineer I find little evidence supporting this. The hooked X in Rosslyn Chapel is quite different than the ones found in America. I do feel their is evidence that links the hooked X to a group of explorers that were in R. I. and Minn. during the same expedition. I can show where the hooked X was used to explain (location) by the use of technology of the period. If you notice the hooked X in America has the hook pointing to the same direction as the left leg of the X. This is the sign of magnetic declination for determining longitude. (The difference between true north and magnetic north). When you remove the Templar B>S> from the equation and look at the logical reasons for symbol abbreation you may see how it shows their meaning. I reccomend you read the translation of the 1494 treaty between Spain and Portugal chapter 3 and explain the (TOWER) and the (MARKER STONE) 370 leagues west of the tower on pole lines. This alone is facts that the Newport Tower and the Kensington Rune Stone were well understood by the Portuguese and Danish before 1494. Many other facts exist in America that will be made public soon will change history with facts and not speculation for a new book.

2/15/2015 05:00:57 am

I see no mention of the Templars or Masons in the history of Robert the Bruce.
1296

- 1306 Interregnum period with no Scottish monarch and rule by Edward I of England.

1297

Andrew de Moray and William Wallace lead the Scots to victory over England at Stirling Bridge.

1298

Edward invades Scotland again and defeats William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk

1303

France and England make peace, releasing forces to attack Scotland

1304

Stirling Castle, the last of the Scottish castles to be captured by Edward I

1305

Wallace is captured and taken to London, where he is tried for treason, and hanged, drawn, and quartered

1306

Robert Bruce is crowned king at Scone but is driven into hiding by the English occupation army of Edward I

1307

Edward I sets out to invade Scotland but dies on his way north. Bruce begins campaign to drive the English out of Scotland

1307

English forces defeated by Bruce at Loudon Hill

1309

King Robert the Bruce convenes his first parliament, at St Andrew

1311

The Scots plunder the North of England

1314

Bruce besieges Stirling Castle. An English army sent to break the siege is routed at the Battle of Bannockburn

1318

Robert the Bruce captures Berwick on Tweed.

1320

Nobles assert Scottish independence in the Declaration of Arbroath.

1323

Truce between Bruce and Edward II fails to stop warfare between the two countries

1328

Treaty of Edinburgh between King Robert I and Edward III which recognised Scotland's independence, ending the 30 years of Wars of Independence.

1329

Robert the Bruce dies at Cardross Castle possibly of leprosy.

John Triplett

4/23/2015 01:25:42 pm

lol I never read that book but looky here- I'm a traveler from West Virginia and my People bought as slaves in England by John Washington. Old Georges Grandfather bought us Boswell Romanical (gypsy boy) to save us from Cromwell. And since we had been tinkering and making weapons for the Arpads and Washingtons for 500 years before they even came to England its like we were owned by them anyway. You can research we Triplett's brought here from England with other families of the Star. The Gypsy are Tolkiens Elves- we remember what everyone long forgot. We Gypsy know your ancestors were the same as the Hindu- your gods and myths all stolen from the oral urdic and hindi traditions. Homer was a fraud- Krisna died from arrow to the heal long before Achilles. The word "Merica" is well known to Gypsy as meaning "Lady of Virtue" or "Woman of Merit" - its from Latin-Sanscrit-Urdic word for having earned something through skill and talent. When Venus appears in the West she is called " Merica" and indeed it is a real star and indeed we Gypsy of Lord St Clair keep these secrets so every now and then we can be reminded that they don't know shit. Your attacking this book and being a Gypsy descended from Thomas Triplett signer of Fairfax Resolves and carried his excellency George Washington's Casket- Frank Triplett Morgan's hero at Cowpens and Daniel Triplet Washington's life guard at Valley forge. Our family of the Lady and he star Merica have forged the very civilization in which you live since the Merovingian (descended of the dark Virgin Sara) brought skilled metal working and building to Europe. The Ramanchal Boswel and Kale from Wales are the true keepers of the flame and the Blood of our son Thomas Jefferson a DNA y-haplogroup T Kale from Wales has given hope and light to the entire world. It was his inheritance from the Alexandrian Christians from which we descended. That why we named our first town in the land of the Lady of Liberty and Merit Alexandria- the cemetery of our dead is in Rosslyn Virginia although the Goyger calls it Arlington lol But just keep believing America was bamed for some Dego map maker lollll

Philip

12/15/2015 06:49:46 am

Just to add as an aside that on the Canarian island of la Gomera, last stop for Columbus for provisions before sailing west, the final mountain he would have sailed past is called La Merica. No idea whether it got this name before or after his voyages, so this snippet is just for interest rather than trying to prove anything.

James Arthur Becker

11/4/2018 03:45:01 pm

The Dead Sea Scrolls provide you with knowledge of 9 scrolls, never for the Torah, not shown in the Bible, but they represent the formation of a special order - THE SONS OF GOD. There are 37 times this term is shown in the bible - check the web. These went to Europe, used copper scrolls to move the King David and King Solomon's Treasurers to Europe. King Solomon's Treasure would go to America - following the Star. King David;s Gold would be used by the Jews to grow business opportunities. The Jews managed well, but sheer envy followed their success. They were to live in the Ghetto. This is history that has remained secret. In 325 AD Emperor Constantine wanted to be come a SON OF GOD. This would result in celibacy for the Roman Catholic Priest.

Paula Wells

5/2/2020 02:57:24 am

Lots in Triplett's & JA Becker's posts I relate to. 2 granddads were Masons. 1 from Mass. sure his people were here long before the Mayflower ever landed. Older relative knew native lingo & established 1st non-native land in R. I. Family were cod fishers. Stones in New England w/redhaired remains w/amulets & templar symbols. Spoke of "Merica" & the Merivingians & this is connected to King Solomon & Christ bloodline. Grandpa was a Scot (Kerr Clan) & other from near Wales. May have come from Portugal. Map & compass were v. imp. items to both & the "Morning Star" & North Star. I believe Rosslyn has significance. Same family (Gen. in Rev. War) mustered the 1st all black regiment of freed slaves out of R. I. "Merica" may have been a star & ideal worth shooting for - gotta save it from disaster.

John Beekman

11/6/2020 10:48:40 am

I read recently about a potuguese name: La Merica meaning -The Western Star.

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