The Smiling Marquis understood its value, but he was too ahead of his time.
An introduction to the novel CIRCUIT (1971) by Domenico Migliaccio
Translated from the Italian, and original found HERE. With thanks to Mariano Tomatis.
Rhedesium Editor Note - *This is one of the best reviews I have ever read about Philippe de Cherisey's novel CIRCUIT. It is a fine introduction - and a much better job than I could ever do - of expressing the beauty and intelligence and sheer brilliance of CIRCUIT & Philippe de Chérisey*
CIRCUIT is a beautiful novel, rich and ingenious, fun and passionate, where those elements that made the two Rennes of the Midi famous, as we know them, flourish everywhere. Some chapters such as the XIIth, the Hanged Man (in which the inevitable quatrain 1-27 of the Centuries reshines, but this time with a "chéne guien"1 that can be translated as "oak of the mistletoe") or the XVIth, the Maison-Dieu2 (the Tower, where La Vraie Langue Celtique is discussed] are cornerstones of the Castle of Rennes.
The text is composed of 22 chapters but this "symmetry" is broken by an additional appendix. It is written in French, but quotes in German, English, Spanish, Italian, Latin and Greek flourish. In some respects the plot resembles a "dream journey3", but the dream does not prevent (indeed facilitates) the appearances of the ghosts of Socrates and Freud, Mahler and Verlaine, Rossini and Newton, Ionesco and Christopher Columbus. And the burden of these illustrious names is systematically lightened by dry jokes, puns, advertisements, onomatopoeias, mottos, by grotesque images of everyday life and related comic situations that imbue them.
I called it a novel but the literary genre used for CIRCUIT is the film screenplay, or its possible theatrical adaptation in the style of that Living Theatre4 imagined by Julian Beck and which arrived in Europe in the Sixties, the same ones in which the text will germinate. Yet, the paradoxical situation of the two protagonists Anne and Charlot (aware of being the actors "24 hours a day" in a film produced by the "Le Poulpiquet" film house, but unaware of the way in which this film is being shot) makes the action surreal and, in some respects, similar to the concept of the Universal Theatre5, handed down to us by Maxime Petitpain through the chronicles of Bustos Domecq.
Only after reading it did I understand why this text appeared just fleetingly (like an anonymous image) in chapter VIII6 of The Holy Blood & Holy Grail by Lincoln et al, with no explanation other than the melancholic caption "Cover of the novel CIRCUIT". The three English speakers were saying, to anyone who had ears to hear: "Gentlemen, let it be clear that the three of us know well that many of the things I love writing are things from novels"! However, in CIRCUIT, beyond the pleasant articulation of the plot, I was struck by the spirit and irony of the author capable of inserting, among clear references to famous people and learned quotes from illustrious strangers, also tasty references to himself. Any examples? On p.75 of the protagonist Charlot finds a mocking way to toast the Chérisey, "who waver on their motto, ALWAYS RIGHT7"!
In Chapter XVIII, the Moon, on p.100, Charlot says he inherited a family ring with the coat of arms: 'Truncated with gold and azure, with the lion in gules, born from the partition and crowned with the same', that is, the same shield that the armorials attribute precisely to the House of Chérisey8, and which is sung "Coupé d'or sur azur, l'or chargé d'un Non naissant degueules, couronné du mème, mouvant du coupé".
CIRCUIT ends with that additional chapter capable, as we were saying, of breaking the perfection of "22": the appendix entitled L'alibi d'O9, which opens with the date of 30 June 1968. It is natural to think that the title of this "screenplay in the screenplay" refers to the novel by Jean Paulhan, also cited in the third chapter of CIRCUIT. In 1954, L'Histoire d'O10 was published in Paris. A few years later the young de Chérisey read it and was struck by it. The eroticism of the story remains imprinted on him and, when he is older, he publishes [about it] in one of his works, in the appendix the Alibi d'O... all in all, the first is a "Confession", the second a "Justification".
Mariano's flash on the enigmatic "double sentence" is too beautiful, obvious and in line with the Marquis's character to be refuted, but I believe that both interpretations are compatible, having ultimately the same subject.
I was immediately intrigued by a sentence in l'Alibi d'O, the one that right at the beginning describes Charlot's emotions when he enters the church of Saint Sulpice: "The satisfaction felt at having signed the publishing contract that will enhance his story CIRCUIT to the rank of First Novel of the 20th century." CIRCUIT tells of the hunt for a treasure lying on a line [or track] made up of two meridians (one green and the other red11), in which the two protagonists are busy carrying out, without knowing the objective12, an investigation that begins almost by chance, in a fake film whose plot is a fake honeymoon in the Canary Islands and during the Christmas period, between an almost failed comedian and a bored cover-girl, with scenes and flashbacks that unfold according to the slow, dreamy and introspective rhythms typical of French cinema, and ends with an almost discovery and an almost love story.
Let's choose the other names and professions of the protagonists, the changes of the locations of the action, accelerate the pace like Americans like, and we could even pull The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown out of the hat. Irony of fate: The Da Vinci Code, a plagiarism of the first, became the novel of the century. CIRCUIT, the original manuscript, remained unpublished and never published, and today is in the French National Library - which it sparingly distributes in photocopies [which are hardly] legible. The Smiling Marquis understood its value, but he was too ahead of his time.
A Plantard/ Valerien Aries13 comes to mind who, having discovered himself a descendant of Christ, pronounces the fateful phrase in front of Lincoln, embittered and helpless: "It is not yet the time... the time is not yet ripe...". What if Plantard was really the last descendant of the Merovingians? The answer is in an exchange of words, in the tenth chapter, between Charlot14 and General David-Leroy15:
Charlot - But if he is king, why doesn't he assert his claims?
General - The Count of Paris can claim. The King is.
Notes added in text are by [and added by] Rhedesium:
1] chéne guien - several ideas abound for this term. In 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐔 𝐏𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄 ANNE LEA HISLER [Pierre Plantards first wife] wrote;
Les 180 habitants de 𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐒-𝐋𝐄𝐒-𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 gardent cette allure fière de ce 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐂 immortel et l’archéologie les laisse rêveurs, mais au soir ils content volontiers les légendes du pays en trinquant la “ Blanquette de Limoux ”, et certains vieux citent par coeur au visiteur étonné ce 27e quatrain de lapremière Centurie du prophète de 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓-𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐘-𝐃𝐄-𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 :
“ 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑑𝑒 𝐺𝑢𝑒𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑢 𝐶𝑖𝑒𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒́, 𝑁𝑜𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑎̀ 𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒́ 𝑡𝑟𝑒́𝑠𝑜𝑟, 𝑄𝑢𝑖 𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑒̀𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑟 𝑒́𝑡𝑒́ 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒́ , 𝑇𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑣𝑒́ 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑎 𝑙’𝑜𝑒𝑖𝑙 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒́ 𝑑𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑡.“
The 180 inhabitants of Rennes-les-Bains protect this fine reputation of the imperishable Languedoc, and sometimes, in the evenings, they like to tell the legends of the country over a Blanquette de Limoux'. On this occasion, some old people quote by heart to the amazed visitor this 27th quatrain of the first Century of the prophet of SAINT-REMY-DE-PROVENCE
Under the chain of Guien struck, Not far from there is hidden the treasure, Which for many centuries had been grabbed, Found will die, his eye gouged out from the spring.
Hisler gives a footnote to this quatrain, writing; 𝐺𝑢𝑖𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑢 𝐺𝑢𝑖𝑒𝑟, 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑢𝑥 𝑚𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐̧𝑎𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑡 : 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒 (𝑋𝐼𝐼𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑒̀𝑐𝑙𝑒) – 𝐷𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑒 𝑃. 𝐶𝐴𝑇𝐼𝑁𝐸𝐴𝑈 - 1802 - 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑠. 𝐿𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑎𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑐 : “ 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑙𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒 𝑑𝑢 𝑀𝑒́𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛 𝑧𝑒́𝑟𝑜 ”, 𝑐’𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑎̀ 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔𝑒, 𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑠 “ 𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑒-𝐿𝑖𝑛𝑒
Guien or Guier, old French word meaning conductor or 'to lead' (12th century) - Dictionary of P. CATINEAU - 1802 - Paris. The translation into modern French would therefore be: "Below the zero meridian line", that is to say the red line, in English "Rose-Line".
How has Hisler interpreted Guien as the Red/Rose Line but more to the point why?
2] Called in modern times the Tower, but this was not its original meaning. The Maison Dieu card - illustrated in the arcanum XVI card, is a House of God.
At the time of the origin of these cards a House of God could refer to either a sort of hospital run by the church; or it could even have some reference to the Knights Templar; or it could refer to a name given to the places where the Crusaders could stop overnight for sustenance and rest. And further these Maison -Dieu limited their activities to the accommodation of the poor, passers-by, travelers and pilgrims.
However Guyart des Moulins, a 14th century monk, glossed the Latin "Domus Dei" (for the Hebrew "Beth El") and in this way, was not designating a church or house of God, but more simply as "a place where God has appeared." This traditional name also referred to a specific set of Bible verses that spoke of "the House of God." In Genesis 28:10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it... When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than The House of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
In the TdM the beings/Angels descending from the "tower" may be references to the angels Jacob saw ascending and descending. These beings are often referred to as giants. The "tower" is NOT destroyed in the TdM tarot. Its crown is being lifted up by heavenly light/lightning. In the Bible 'arrow/lightning' [Plantard labours the point about lightening as represent in Boudet's book] most often accompanies the divine presence and the revelations of prophecy (such as with Moses at Sinai, and the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel).
The giants of the Bible were the offspring of Fallen Angels and the women of earth. They were monstrous - a breeding experiment gone badly wrong. All the legends of giants and ogres that we have today stem from the fear that they instilled in people. So this is the only biblical story that closely corresponds to the Maison Dieu card of the tarot de Marseille. It is the story of Jacob's dream (Genesis 28:10-18.). The story speaks of angels descending from the heavens along a "ladder" or "pillar" and Jacob naming the spot of this revelation as "Beth-El" which translates directly as "God's House" which is precisely the name of the TdM card - La Maison Dieu!
3] A dream journey is sometimes explained as an exploration of the imagination, where reality blends with fantasy, and the boundaries of the possible are expanded. It can be a deeply personal and symbolic experience, often transcending physical limits and conventional understanding. Along the way, one might meet figures who represent different aspects of life, one's self or unresolved issues. These characters could be mythical creatures, long-lost loved ones, or abstract beings. Time in a dream journey is not linear i.e time does not necessarily flow in a strictly chronological, one-dimensional manner. Linear time is like an arrow launched from the past, crossing the present and heading for the future in our real lives but in the dream journey time can be circular like a circular wheel movement or rhythmic pendulum oscillation. Experiences from past, present, or future can occur all at once or in rapid succession.
This fluidity allows for a deeper exploration of a journey and the connections between different moments in time. This duality makes the journey resonate on a broader level, connecting experience with the collective human experience and perhaps the divine.
4] The Living Theatre, a theatrical company founded in New York City in 1947 by Julian Beck and Judith Malina. It is known for its innovative production of experimental drama, often on radical themes, and for its confrontations with tradition, authority, and sometimes audiences.
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6] The chapter is entitled 'The Secret Society Today'. The [incorrect] cover design for CIRCUIT is published, and is associated not with Chérisey's novel but with another organisation. They were found in the Versailles Annexe of the Bibliotheque Nationale, by one M. Paoli who discovered four issues of Circuit, the magazine mentioned in the Prieure de Sion's statutes. The first one was dated July 1st, 1959, and its director was listed as Pierre Plantard. But the magazine itself did not purport to be connected with the Prieure de Sion. On the contrary it declared itself the official organ of something called the Federation of French Forces. There was even a seal, which M. Paoli reproduces in his book, and the following data:
The seal does have some similarities with the Cross of the South pictured in the earlier VAINCRE magazine. Lincoln et al reproduces the cover of this Circuit magazine;
Further information given is - Publication periodique culturelle de la Federation des Forces Francaises 116 Rue Pierre Jouhet, 116 Aulnay-sous-Bois - (Seine-et-Oise) Tel: 929-72-49.
Lincoln et al wrote;
“M. Paoli checked the above address. No magazine had ever been published there. The telephone number, too, proved to be false. And all M. Paoli's attempts to track the Federation of French Forces proved futile. To this day no information on any such organisation has been forthcoming. But it would hardly seem coincidental that the French headquarters of the Committees of Public Safety were also Aulnay-sous-Bois. The Federation of French Forces would thus appear to have been in some way connected with the committees. There would seem to be considerable basis for this assumption. M. Paoli reports that Volume 2 of Circuit alludes to a letter from de Gaulle to Pierre Plantard, thanking the latter for his service. The service in question would seem to have been the work of the Committees of Public Safety.”
The only other thing to note is that later this magazine has an alternative or updated title - Circuit : publication d'études sociales, culturelles et philosophiques as recorded in the French National Library. This seems to coincide with a new round of publications from Plantard, where he seems to have come in to more significant finances, because these issues were much more glossy, and of a much higher print quality and general calibre. One other thing to note, a letter has allegedly been found which purports to be written by Plantard to Andre Malraux about the Affair of Gisors. The letter's official stamp carries the device of the very same Federation des Forces Francaises.
Lincoln et al wrote in Holy blood Holy Grail [in the Notes section] the following regarding CIRCUIT;
Philippe de Cherisey, an associate of Pierre Plantard de Saint-Clair, has written an allegorical 'novel' called Circuit. The subject matter ranges from Atlantis to Napoleon. It has twenty-two chapters, each taking its title from one of the Tarot major trumps. It exists in a single example at the Versailles annexe of the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. Part involves the story of two symbolic personages, Charlot and Madeleine, who find a treasure at Rennes-le-Chateau. See Chaumeil, Triangle d'or, pp. 141 ff. for this extract.
7] Toujours tout droit.
8] Coupé d'or et d'azur, le chef chargé d'un lion issant de gueules, armé, couronné et lampassé de même.
9] - alibi, from the Latin, alibī, meaning "somewhere else", elsewhere, at another place. It then stands to reason what is the O that is elsewhere? There is also the phonetics of ''alibi d'O" ....
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12] This reminded me of a quote by Paul Rouelle, a friend of de Cherisey. It came in the form of private correspondence to researcher Paul SAUSSEZ who published it publicly via his Facebook account. They had been discussing the famous Sauniere Parchments and whether Cherisey was the author of the parchments;
"It is possible that Philippe participated in the “coding”, but he is not the author. In other words, he was the “director”, and sometime actor, of a script that he did not write........His friendship with Pierre Plantard (a long-standing friendship) pushed him to “play the game”, and he did so until the moment of the clash between Pierre and him. After that, he withdrew - I must say - sometimes clumsily, as evidenced by these “confessions” in “Pierre et Papier”. It must also be said that he had a fairly serious grudge against J-L Chaumeil. There are lots of things to say about this, but it would take up too much space."
Rouelle's quote that Cherisey was a 'sometime actor of a script he did not write' is perhaps meant to suggest that Cherisey was manipulated and led by Plantard. Just like his character in CIRCUIT. Even then it is difficult to 'see' when Cherisey is telling the truth about himself/events or 'acting' in the script.
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