In The Beginning... 로슬린 채플(Rosslyn Chapel)

In The Beginning...

로슬린 채플(Rosslyn Chapel). 스코틀랜드(Scotland)

rosslynchapel.com

 

In the beginning...

Rosslyn Chapel was the remarkable vision of Sir William St Clair who lived nearly 600 years ago.

He founded the Chapel in devotion to God and to ensure his place Heaven.

 

William 'the Seemly' probably built a castle in Roslin Glen soon after he settled here, although little is known of this early building today. Around 1304 a new castle was built by a descendant of William and forms the earliest part of the castle which stands today.

 

When William 'the Seemly' died. the barony of Rosslyn passed from father to son through several generations. In 1420, on the death of Sir Henry St Clair, the lands of Rosslyn passsed to his son, Sir William. Described as 'the most brilliant of all the St Clairs' he enlarged and strenthened the castle, but his greatest work was building Rosslyn Chapel.

 

The St Clair family traces its origins back to Rognvald 'the Mighty' of Orkney and Norway, who was born in 835. The St Clairs eventually settled in Scotland with the blessing of King Malcom Canmore, who bestowed upon them the barony of Rosslyn in the 11th century.

 

These drawings show Rosslyn Castle as it looked in its most complete state before 1700.

 

 

When Sir William founded the Chapel in 1446, it was known as the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew. In medieval times, religion was fundamental to all aspects of life and the Church promoted the belief that praying and asking God for forgiveness led to eternal salvation.

 

Sir William wanted the most skilled craftsmen to work on his masterpiece and it is likely that some of the best stonemasons from across Europe travelled here to work on the Chapel. With no diggers, hydraulic cranes or power tools, and working with enormously heavy blocks of stone, they combined their skills to create this truly unique building.

 

When Sir William St Clair died in 1484, work on the Chapel had been going on for almost 40 years. His original plans were for a much large building and allthough the foundations for this had been laid, by 1484 only the choir was finished. Containing the altars and space for the clergy to worship, the choir had all the essential elements to allow the church to function.

This part of the chruch was never built                 only this part was built.

although the foundations stretching 30 metres

(91 feet) beyond the west end of the Chapel

were laid

 

 

This carving in the Chapel of a knight on horseback may represent William 'the Seemly' St Clair, the first of the family to settle in Scotland

 

The Knight is accompanied by a lady who may be the Saxon princess, Margaret. In 1070, William escorted Margaret to Scotland to marry Malcolm Canmore, king fo Scots. Legend tells that Margaret brought with her a portion of the True Cross of 'Holy Rood'.

 

Sir William's image is carved in stone at the top of one of the columns in the Chapel

 

Carved into stone, high up on the outside of the Chapel, are the character

W L S F Y C Y Z O G M iii L

which is shorthand for

William Lord St Clair Fundic Yis College Ye Zeir Of God MCCCCL

 

This tells us that Sir William St Clair founded the collegiate chapel in 1450. We know that the Chapel was begun in 1446 and so this inscription suggests that the foundations took at least four years to build.

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