What do other learned Mudcat members make of this?

From last week's Hertfordshire Mercury newspaper:


Holy Grail: is it here?

ROYSTON Cave may hold the key in the search for the Holy Grail, the famous quest for Christ's chalice dating back to Biblical times.

Grail hunters are set to flock to the historic site following the publication of best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown.

The book has fuelled enormous interest in the grail, believed to have been used by Christ at the Last Supper and by Joseph of Arimathea to collect Christ's blood on the cross.

On the trail are places where ancient fellowship of warriors the Knights Templar held sway - and Royston Cave is just one of the places in Hertfordshire which is steeped in Templar lore.

Unexcavated parts of the popular attraction may hold clues to the mystery and some people think there is a distinct possibility the ancient relic is hidden in one of the unexplored caverns.

Cave curator Peter Houldcroft expects to see Grail hunters, including Freemasons, a group connected with its secrets, dropping into the cavern.

He said: "I've had a couple of visits from Masons who are fascinated by the cave. I hope to see quite a few people with The Da Vinci Code tucked under their arm.

"I've read the book myself and it is a fascinating assembly of knowledge."

Local historian and publisher David Perman, who believes grail hunters may also be visiting settlements of the knights in Hertford and Ware, said: "They will see Royston Cave as a possible place to find the grail. Maybe it is there - it's a distinct possibility."

Archaeologist Sylvia Beamon spent 25 years studying the cave and has published a book, Royston Cave: Used by Saints or Sinners?, outlining her theory that it was used by the Knights as a cellar and store for the goods they sold in the market.

She was a little more sceptical as to whether the hidden treasure was in the cave.

She said: "I think the Templar used the cave because of the symbols and signs there. I don't know whether the Holy Grail is there, but I wouldn't have thought it was real possibility. I do try to keep an open mind though!"

The Cambridge-educated historian explained that there are two quadrants in the cave that have yet to be explored and there is another cavern down the road, which she would love to see opened.

The Da Vinci Code has sparked enormous debate about the basic tenets of the Catholic Church.

It claims Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had children whom he wished to carry on his message, and that the Vatican blackened Mary's name, calling her a prostitute in a bid to tarnish her image and to make Christ look more divine.

SOURCE: Hertfordshire Mercury, 10 September 2004, page 3.
http://www.herts-essex-news.co.uk/mercury/news/story.asp?id=150387


See also this week's Hertfordshire Mercury, page 2:

Town may be a base for secret society

A SINISTER secret society said to control the world's governments has members living in Hertford, according to a documentary to be aired on Sky One next week.

The Mercury can exclusively reveal that it will claim the mysterious sect, the Illuminati, rumoured to involve bankers, power brokers and politicians, may have an underground base in the town.

Formed in Bavaria in 1776, the group's high-powered members are said to include George W Bush and his presidential rival John Kerry, who joined Yale University's Skull and Bones club, a branch of the sect.

Conspiracy theorists claim that the society is "bent on world domination" in a shadowy behind-the-scenes bid to control us.

As part of Sky's series on conspiracy theories, journalist Danny Wilson met with Hertford man and insider Tim Acheson, in a bid to meet an Illuminatus.

Tim belongs to a high-ranking family in the Knights Templar, a powerful society of warrior monks which dates back to the Crusades - and who still meet at a secret location in the town.

But he denied a link with former US Secretary of State Dean Acheson, a well-known Templar, who was in President Harry S Truman's inner circle during the 1950s.

Cryptically, he told the Mercury: "I cannot talk about my family connections. The older members of secret societies want to keep them secret, whereas some of the new blood is a bit more open.

"I do know two members of the Illuminati who live here, but I must protect their identities.

"There are powerful and dangerous forces at work here and I cannot risk getting on the wrong side of them."

The Mercury was given a sneak preview of The Illuminati - Our Secret Masters, which will be aired on Sky One next Thursday at 9pm.

Tim, a reporter for conspiracy theory website www.theinsider.org, is seen driving through Bull Plain, Fore Street, Railway Street and St Andrew Street in Hertford with the TV presenter.

They drive to a deserted industrial estate near the town and wait for the shadowy figure to turn up - but Wilson begins to think that he's been led on a wild goose chase.

Finally Tim returns to say his contact has "got cold feet" and backed off meeting the press.

Speaking to the Mercury this week, Tim said: "It is very difficult to get them to reveal themselves, as you can understand, but I hope that it may happen at a later date."

And he promised to reveal more of Hertford's hidden secrets. He said: "Hertford is very important as a centre of mystery and intrigue, more than most people realise."

Next week's programme is one in a four-part series on conspiracy theories showing every Thursday in September.

Picture caption: Secret past? Egyptian House in Fore Street, now home to Lussmans Eatery, is believed to have been a meeting place of secret society the Knights Templar of Aquarius.

SOURCE: Hertfordshire Mercury, 17 September 2004, page 2.
http://www.herts-essex-news.co.uk/mercury/news/story.asp?id=152654