What is CIRCUIT?
Philippe de Chérisey's novel Circuit is a curious and enigmatic work that plays a significant role in the mythology surrounding Rennes-le-Château. It has never been officially published but was placed in a French library in 1968. There are known to be several different versions. My copy was given to me by Louis VAZART.
The novel is not a straightforward narrative but rather a complex and cryptic text that combines elements of fiction, riddles, historical references and esoteric symbolism. It is closely tied to the mysteries of Rennes-le-Château and the broader mythos involving the Priory of Sion and the secrets hidden in the region.
Personally I feel this is the most important work by Chérisey rather than his manuscript 'Stone & Paper'. Others have alleged that this manuscript was a joke played on Chaumeil by Chérisey who disliked Chaumeil. We must remember the words of Paul Rouelle, friend of Chérisey, who in responses to questions posed to him by Paul Saussez in 2019 [via private email and published on his Facebook account] wrote;
"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 from it - I must say - sometimes clumsily, as evidenced by these confessions in "Pierre et Papier". It must also be said that he had a rather serious grudge against J-L Chaumeil. There would be lots to say about that, but it would take up far too much space". [from a public post on the Facebook account of Paul Saussez].
Lincoln also had a low opinion of Chaumeil describing a rather childish reaction by Chaumeil when Pierre PLANTARD decided to appear himself in a BBC interview, when the prior arrangement was for Chaumeil to be the 'spokesperson'! He also speaks of him in disparaging terms calling him the "so called expert on the Rennes-le-Château story, who is now wheeled out as [an] expert.
Structure and Content:
- Circuit is structured as a labyrinthine puzzle1, filled with obscure references, wordplay, and coded messages. The novel does not follow a traditional plot but instead leads the reader through a series of cryptic passages that seem to be designed to confuse and intrigue. It is set out like a film script for a niche theatre production - which reflects the real life perhaps of its author who was indeed an actor. In some aspects of the text it is also a kind of autobiography by Chérisey.
- The text is full of allusions to historical figures, religious symbols, and mythical themes, many of which are linked to the Rennes-le-Château mystery. It often feels like a treasure hunt, where each piece of information could be a clue leading to some greater understanding or some kind of revelation. Re-occuring themes are discussed elsewhere on this site [such as the Grand Roman, Midday demon etc].
- Connection to Rennes-le-Château:
- The novel is heavily influenced by the lore of Rennes-le-Château, particularly the story of Bérenger Saunière, the priest who allegedly discovered a hidden treasure or secret knowledge in the village. Circuit references many of the same elements that are central to the Rennes-le-Château mythos, such as the Holy Grail, the Merovingian dynasty, and the Priory of Sion.
- Some interpretations suggest that the novel is a veiled guide mirroring the complex and hidden nature of the secrets associated with the village.
- Literary and Esoteric Elements:
- De Chérisey's Circuit is often seen as a work of esoteric literature, where the true meaning is hidden beneath layers of symbolism and allegory. The novel plays with themes of hidden knowledge, sacred geometry, and the intersection of myth and reality and particular versions of history.
- The book's title, Circuit, could itself be symbolic, suggesting a journey or path that one must follow to uncover hidden truths. The idea of a "circuit" might also imply a closed loop, where the end is connected to the beginning, reflecting the cyclical nature of mysteries and the search for answers and time itself.2.
- Role in the Larger Mythology:
- Circuit is often considered part of a larger body of work created by Philippe de Chérisey and his associates, including Pierre Plantard. These works, including the Dossiers Secrets and Le Serpent Rouge, are seen by many as deliberate attempts to create or elaborate upon the Rennes-le-Château mystery.
- The novel's cryptic nature has led to various interpretations and theories, with some researchers and enthusiasts seeing it as a key to understanding the Rennes-le-Château enigma, while others view it as a surrealist prank or literary hoax. Circuit then is an enigmatic and esoteric novel deeply embedded in the mythology of Rennes-le-Château. It is less a traditional novel and more a puzzle or riddle, filled with cryptic references and hidden meanings that continue to intrigue and perplex readers.
The novel plays a significant role in the ongoing fascination with the mysteries of Rennes-le-Château, blending fiction, history, and esotericism in a way that challenges and entices those who seek to uncover its secrets.
Rhedesium Notes;
1] A situation, process, or field of knowledge described as labyrinthine means that it is very complicated and difficult to understand. This knowledge is made up of a complicated series of paths or passages, through which it is difficult to find your way.
2] This idea of a closed loop may have something to do with the concept of time. Chérisey is overly preoccupied with Time. He mixes up Time, moving time - frames and even time in dream states, over-lapping itself within the novel. Very often Chérisey uses a key word or clue or 'signal' - for the attentive reader - signifying a time change and even a dream sequence or a time distortion.
To distort is to alter the original shape of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation. In this instance Chérisey is distorting historical information for some reason. In the first chapter of the novel, this idea of time and distortion is confronted head on. In Le Bateleur3 one of the characters - Matras - plays a psychological test on Charlot when Charlot is told about six photocopied documents. He is told he must make an assessment after just one minute of looking at them and then describe them in a single sentence. After studying for a minute Charlot says;
"distortion of time in 1, 2, 3 - a contradiction between 4, 5 & 6".
So Charlot can see distortions of time in the first 3 documents.
And what are the documents 1,2,3? They are:
1⁰ - Lettre adressée à Christophe Colomb en 1478 par un négociant génois en fromage ; remerciements pour avoir introduit une cargaison de « têtes de maure » dans l’île de Fer (archipel des Canaries).
2⁰ - Journal de Christophe Colomb. 1492. Remise d’un morceau de fromage dans un béret rouge à un chef peau-rouge de l’île de Cuba.
3⁰ - « En 1493. Christophe Colomb partant de l’île de Fer qu’il juge le bout du monde occidental entreprend son deuxième voyage vers le Nouveau Monde » (extrait du manuel d’histoire en usage chez Les Pères Salésiens de Las Palmas).
In the documents 4, 5 and 6 Charlot states that they contradict each other.
4⁰ - « Les deux attractions de l’île de Fer sont la station thermale et la vierge miraculeuse qui échoua sur le rivage depuis un navire en perdition qui assurait le service de Cuba le 6 janvier 1639 » (extrait de l’agenda touristique 1966-7).
5⁰ - « Vierge miraculeuse de l’île de Fer ; dite « des Rois » à cause de sa réception un 6 janvier, fête des Rois. Rebaptisée « Vierge du Rosaire » parce que, du bout du monde au delà duquel n’est plus rien que la mer, elle plante la rose des vents, Noter qu’il n’y eut jamais de fer dans l’île de fer mais un tremblement de l’aiguille aimantée sur la rose de la boussole » (extrait du bulletin diocésain de Las Palmas).
6⁰ - « La fête de la Vierge du Rosaire a été transférée du 6 janvier au 10 octobre afin de coïncider avec la clôture de la station thermale » (Affiche municipale de Valverde).
In English;
1⁰ - Letter addressed to Christopher Columbus in 1478 by a Genoese cheese merchant; thanks for having introduced a cargo of "Moor's heads" to the Iron Island (Canary Islands).
2⁰ - Journal of Christopher Columbus. 1492. Delivery of a piece of cheese in a red beret to a Red Indian chief from the island of Cuba.
3⁰ - "In 1493. Christopher Columbus leaving the Iron Island which he considers the end of the western world undertakes his second voyage to the New World" (extract from the history manual used by the Salesian Fathers of Las Palmas)
&
4⁰ - "The two attractions of the Iron Island are the thermal spa and the miraculous virgin who washed up on the shore from a ship in distress that was providing service to Cuba on January 6, 1639" (extract from the tourist diary 1966-7).
5⁰ - "Miraculous Virgin of the Iron Island; called "of the Kings" because of her reception on January 6, the feast of the Kings. Renamed "Virgin of the Rosary" because, from the end of the world beyond which is nothing but the sea, she plants the compass rose. Note that there was never any iron on the Iron Island but a trembling of the magnetic needle on the compass rose" (extract from the diocesan bulletin of Las Palmas).
6⁰ - "The feast of the Virgin of the Rosary has been transferred from January 6 to October 10 to coincide with the closing of the spa" (Valverde municipal poster).
This is how one must navigate CIRCUIT.
Recent studies in time and the universe suggest that everything is on a loop viz: rather than one sudden big bang a hypothesis proposed by Roger Penrose may be more true. Penrose proposed that if matter has a finite lifespan, protons and other basic particles spontaneously decay eventually, there will come a moment in the universe where no matter exists at all. However without matter, time no longer describes anything, because photons don’t experience time. Time doesn’t stop, it disappears as a feature of the universe, because it no longer describes anything within it. However time and space are intrinsically connected, if two points are some distance apart, they have to be some time apart as well. Therefore the moment time doesn’t describe any thing neither does distance and all distances disappear as well. ... . A cyclical universe is a whole lot more interesting ...there is no magic involved once you realise that this implies distances and time are not intrinsic to the universe, but emergent phenomena of properties of matter.
This may have appealed to Cherisey's more philosophical thought wanderings in his novel. His cross over between time, historical characters, religions etc is truly ingenious.
3] The Juggler - meaning a street performer. In French, "the mountebank" or the "sleight of hand artist", a practitioner of stage magic - he is the second lowest in the Tarot card series, outranking only the Beggar. In the Tarot he has the meaning of someone with skill and/or deception. Le Bateleur was the first card, numbered I of the Tarot cards.