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Subterranean Crypts and Temples

Subterranean resorts, crypts and places of worship, have ever exercised a deep fascination upon the mind of man. The mysteries of the Egyptian, and of other peoples were held in underground crypts possibly for the purposes of rendering these ceremonies still more secret and mysterious to the mob. But also, perhaps, because it was essential to the privacy they necessitated. The caves of Elephanta, the Catacombs and similar subterranean edifices will also recur to the mind of the reader. But the purpose of this article is to refer to several lesser and perhaps more interesting underground meeting-places and temples in various parts of the world. Mr. Hargreave Jennings quoting Dr. Plot in his History of Staffordshire, written in the third quarter of the seventeenth century, gives an interesting account of a supposed Rosicrucian crypt in that county, which, however, cannot be found in the work alluded to. It is, however, given as an interesting imaginative effort. A countryman was employed, at the close of a certain dull summer's day, in digging a trench in a field in a valley, round which the country rose into sombre, silent woods, vocal only with the quaint cries of the infrequent magpies. It was some little time after the sun had sunk, and the countryman was just about giving over his labour for the day. In one or two of the last languid strokes of his pick, the rustic came upon something stony and hard, which struck a spark, clearly visible in the increasing gloom. At this surprise, he resumed his labour, and, curiously enough, found a large, flat stone in the centre of the field. This field was far away from any of the farms or cotes," as they were called, with which the now almost twilight country was sparingly dotted. In a short time, he cleared the stone free of the grass and weeds which had grown over it; and it proved to be a large, oblong slab, with an immense iron ring fixed at one end in a socket. For half an hour the countryman essayed to stir this stone in vain. At last he bethought himself of some yards of rope which he had lying near amongst his tools; and these he converted, being an ingenious, inquisitive, inventive man, into a tackle-by means of which, and by passing the sling 66 Subterranean Crypts round a bent tree in a line with the axis of the stone, he contrived, in the last of the light, and with much expenditure of toil to raise it. And then, greatly to his surprise, he saw a large, deep, hollow place, buried in the darkness, which, when his eyes grew accustomed a little to it, he discovered was the top-story to a stone staircase, seemingly of extraordinary depth, for he saw nothing below. The country-fellow had not the slightest idea of where this could lead to; but being a man, though a rustic and a clown, of courage, and most probably urged by his idea that the stair-case led to some secret repository where treasure lay buried, he descended the first few steps cautiously, and tried to peer in vain down into the darkness. This seemed impenetrable, but there was one object at a vast, cold distance below. Looking up to the fresh air, and seeing the star Venus-the evening star-shining suddenly like a planet, in encouraging, unexpected brilliancy, although the sky had still some sunset-light in it, the puzzled man left the upper ground and descended silently a fair, though a somewhat broken stair-case. Here, at an angle, as near as he could judge, of a hundred feet underground, he came upon a square landing-place, with a niche in the wall; and then he saw a further long stair-case, descending at right angles to the first stair-case, and still going down into deep, cold, darkness. The man cast a glance upwards, as if questioning the small segment of light from the upper world which shot down whether he should continue his search, or desist and return. All was stillest of the still about him but he saw no reason particularly to fear. So, imagining that he would in some way soon penetrate the mystery, and feeling in the darkness by his hands upon the wall, and by his toes first on each step, he resolutely descended, and he deliberately counted two hundred and twenty steps. He felt no difficulty in his breathing, except a certain sort of aromatic smell of distant incense, that he thought Egyptian, coming up now and then from below, as if from another though a subterranean world. "Possibly," thought he-for he had heard of them" the world of the mining gnomes; and I am breaking in upon their secrets, which is forbidden for man." The rustic, though courageous, was superstitious. But, notwithstanding some fits of fear, the countryman went on, and at a much lower angle he met a wall in his face; but, making a turn to the right, with a singular credit to his nerves, the explorer went down again. And now he saw at a vast distance below, at the foot of a deeper staircase of stone, a steady though a pale light. This was shining up as if from a star, or coming from the centre of the earth. Cheered by this light, though absolutely astounded-nay, frightened at thus discovering light, whether natural or artificial, in the deep bowels of the earth, the man again descended, meeting a thin, humid trail of light, as it looked, mounting up the centre line of the shining though mouldering old stairs, which apparently had not been pressed by a human foot for very many ages. He thought now, although it was probable only the wind in some hidden recess, or creeping down some gallery, that he heard a murmur overhead, as if of the uncertain rumble of horses and of heavy wagons, or lumbering wains. Next moment, all subsided into total stillness; but the distant light seemed to flicker, as if in answer to the strange sound. Half a dozen times he paused and turned as if he would remount-almost flee for his life upwards, as he thought; for this might be the secret haunt of robbers, or the dreadful abode of evil spirits. What if, in a few moments, he should come upon some scene to affright, or alight in the midst of desperate ruffians, or be caught by murderers. He listened eagerly. He now almost bitterly repented his descent. Still the light streamed at a distance, but still there was no sound to interpret the meaning of the light, or to display the character of this mysterious place, in which the countryman himself was entangled hopelessly. The discoverer by this time stood still in fear. But at last, summoning courage, and recommending himself devoutly to God, he determined to complete his discovery. Above, he had been working in no strange place: the field he knew well, the woods were very familiar to him, and his own hamlet and his family were only a few miles distant He now hastily, and more in fear than through courage, noisily with his feet descended the remainder of the stairs; and the light grew brighter as he approached, until at last, at another turn, he came upon a square chamber built up of large hewn stones. He stopped, silent and awestruck. Here was a flagged pavement and a somewhat lofty roof, gathering up into a centre; in the groins of which was a rose, carved exquisitely in some dark stone, or in marble. But what was this poor man's fright when, making another sudden turn, from between the jambs, and from under the large archivolt of a Gothic stone portal, light streamed out over him with inexpressible brilliancy, shining over every thing, and lighting up the place with brilliant radiance, like an intense golden sunset. He started back. Then his limbs shook and bent under him as he gazed with terror at the figure of a man, whose face was hidden, as he sat in a studious attitude in a stone chair, reading in a great book, with his elbow resting on a table like a rectangular altar, in the light of a large, ancient iron lamp, suspended by a thick chain to the middle of the roof. A cry of alarm, which he could not suppress, escaped from the scared discoverer, who involuntarily advanced one pace, beside himself with terror. He was now within the illuminated chamber. As his feet fell on the stone, the figure started bolt upright from his seated position as if in awful astonishment. He erected his hooded head, and showed himself as if in anger about to question the intruder. Doubtful if what he saw were a reality, or whether he was not in some terrific dream, the countryman advanced, without being aware of it, another audacious step. The hooded man now thrust out a long arm, as if in warning, and in a moment the discoverer perceived that his hand was armed with an iron bâton, and that he pointed it as if tremendously to forbid further approach. Now, however, the poor man, not being in a condition either to reason or to restrain himself, with a cry, and in a passion of fear, took a third fatal step; and as his foot descended on the groaning stone, which seemed to give way for a moment under him, the dreadful man, or image, raised his arm high like a machine, and with his truncheon struck a prodigious blow upon the lamp, shattering it into a thousand pieces, and leaving the place in utter darkness.

This was the end of this terrifying adventure. There was total silence now, far and near. Only a long, low roll of thunder, or a noise similar to thunder, seemed to begin from a distance, and then to move with snatches, as if making turns; and it then rumbled sullenly to sleep as if through unknown, inaccessible passages. What these were-if any passages-nobody ever found out.

It was only suspected that this hidden place referred in some way to the Rosicrucians, and that the mysterious people of that famous order had there concealed some of their scientific secrets. The place in Staffordshire became afterwards famed as the sepulchre of one of the brotherhood, whom, for want of a more distinct recognition or name, the people chose to call Rosicrucius," in general reference to his order; and from the circumstances of the lamp, and its sudden extinguishment by the figure that started up, it was supposed that some Rosicrucian had determined to inform posterity that he had penetrated to the secret of the making of the ever-burning lamps of the 66 Subterranean Crypts ancients, though, at the moment that he displayed his knowledge, he took effectual means that no one should reap any advantage from it.

The Jesuit priests of the early eighteenth century have left descriptions of the well-known palace of Mitla in Central America, which leave no doubt that in their time it contained many subterranean chambers and one especially which appears to have surpassed all others in the dreadful uses to which it was put. Father Torquemada says of the place. "When some monks of my order, the Franciscan, passed, preaching and shriving through the province of Zapoteca, whose capital city is Tehuantepec, they came to a village which was called Mictlan, that is, underworld (hell). Besides mentioning the large number of people in the village they told of buildings which were prouder and more magnificent than any which they had hitherto seen in New Spain. Among them was the temple of the evil spirit and living rooms for his demoniacal servants, and among other fine things there was a hall with ornamented panels, which were constructed of stone in a variety of arabesques and other very remarkable designs. There were doorways there, each one of which was built of but three stones, two upright at the sides and one across them, in such a manner that, although these doorways were very high and broad, the stone sufficed for their entire construction. They were so thick and broad that we were assured there were few like them. There was another hall in these buildings, or rectangular temples, which was erected entirely on round stone pillars very high and very thick that two grown men could scarcely encircle them with their arms, nor could one of them reach the finger-tips of the other. These pillars were all in one piece and, it was said, the whole shaft of the pillar measured 5 ells from top to bottom, and they were very much like those of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, very skillfully made and polished." Father Burgoa is more explicit with regard to these subterranean chambers. He says, "There were four chambers above ground and four below. The latter were arranged according to their purpose in such a way that one front chamber served as chapel and sanctuary for the idols, which were placed on a great stone which served as an altar. And for the most important feasts which they celebrated with sacrifices, or at the burial of a king or great lord, the high priest instructed the lesser priests or the subordinate temple officials who served him to prepare the chapel and his vestments and a large quantity of the incense used by them. And then he descended with a great retinue, which none of the common people saw him or dared to look in his face, convinced that if they did so they would fall dead to the earth as a punishment for their boldness. And when he entered the chapel they put on him a long white cotton garment made like an alb, and over that a garment shaped like a dalmatic, which was embroidered with pictures of wild beasts and birds; and they put a cap on his head, and on his feet a kind of shoe woven of many-colored feathers. And when he had put on these garments he walked with solemn mien and measured step to the altar, bowed low before the idols, renewed the incense, and then in quite unintelligible murmurs (muy entre dientes) he began to converse with these images, these depositories of infernal spirits, and continued in this sort of prayer with hideous grimaces and writhings, uttering inarticulate sounds, which filled all present with fear and terror, till he came out of that diabolical trance and told those standing around the lies and fabrications which the spirit had imparted to him or which he had invented himself. When human beings were sacrificed the ceremonies were multiplied, and the assistants of the high priest stretched the victim out upon a large stone, bareing his breast, which they tore open with a great stone knife, while the body writhed in fearful convulsions and they laid the heart bare, ripping it out, and with it the soul, which the devil took, while they carried the heart to the high priest that he might offer it to the idols by holding it to their mouths, among other ceremonies; and the body was thrown into the burial-place of their "blessed," as they called them. And if after the sacrifice he felt inclined to detain those who begged any favor he sent them word by the subordinate priests not to leave their houses till their gods were appeased, and he commanded them to do penance meanwhile, to fast and to speak with no woman, so that, until this father of sin had interceded for the absolution of the penitents and had declared the gods appeased they did not dare to cross their threshold. "

The second (underground) chamber was the burial place of these high priests, and third that of the kings of Theozapotlan, whom they brought thither richly dressed in their best attire, feathers, jewels, golden necklaces, and precious stones, placing a shield in their left hand and a javelin in the right, just as they used them in war. And at their burial rites great mourning prevailed; the instruments which were played made mournful sounds; and with loud wailing and continuous sobbing they chanted the life and exploits of their lord until they laid him on the structure which they had prepared for this purpose. "The last (underground) chamber had a second door at This the rear, which led to a dark and gruesome room. was closed with a stone slab, which occupied the whole entrance. Through this door they threw the bodies of the victims and of the great lords and chieftains who had fallen in battle, and they brought them from the spot where they fell, even when it was very far off, to this burial place; and so great was the barbarous infatuation of these Indians that, in the belief of the happy life which awaited them, many who were oppressed by diseases or hardships begged this infamous priest to accept them as living sacrifices and allow them to enter through that portal and roam about in the dark interior of the mountains, to seek the great feasting-places of their forefathers. And when anyone obtained this favour the servants of the high priest led him thither with special ceremonies, and after they had allowed him to enter through the small door they rolled the stone before it again took leave of him, and the unhappy man, wandering in that abyss of darkness, died of hunger and thirst, beginning already in life the pain of his damnation; and on account of this horrible abyss they called this village Liyobaa, The Cavern of Death. "When later there fell upon these people the light of the Gospel, its servants took much trouble to instruct them to find out whether this error, common to all these nations, still prevailed, and they learned from the stories which had been handed down that all were convinced that this damp cavern extended more than 30 leagues underground, and that its roof was supported by pillars. And there were people, zealous prelates anxious for knowledge, who, in order to convince these ignorant people of their terror, went into this cave accompanied by a large number of people bearing lighted torches and firebrands, and descended several large steps. And they soon came upon many buttresses which formed a kind of street. They had prudently brought a quantity of rope with them to use as a guiding line, that they might not lose themselves in this confusing labyrinth. And the putrefaction and the bad odour and the dampness of the earth were very great and there was also a cold wind which blew out their torches And after they had gone a short distance, fearing to be overpowered by the stench or to step on poisonous reptiles, of which some had been seen, they resolved to go out again Succubus and to completely wall up this back door of hell. The four buildings above ground were the only ones which still remained open, and they had a court and chambers like those underground; and the ruins of these have lasted even to the present day."

The vast subterranean vaults under the temple hill at Jerusalem were probably used as a secret meeting-place by the Templars during their occupation of the Holy City, and it was perhaps there that the strange Eastern rites of Baphomet (q.v.) which they later affected were first celebrated. In his Recent Discoveries on the Temple Hill the "On the occasion of a visit to the Rev. James King says, Noble Sanctuary, the author had an opportunity of examining the ancient masonry inside the wall at the south-east corner, as well as the vast subterranean vaults popularly known as Solomon's stables. A small doorway, under a little dome at the south-east corner, admits by a flight of steps to a small chamber known as the Mosque of the Cradle of our Lord, from the existence of a hollowed stone which somewhat resembles a cradle, and a tradition that the Virgin Mary remained in this chamber for some time after her purification in the Temple. Passing through the chamber, the spacious vaults, which extend over an acre of ground, are reached. These subterranean substructures consist of one hundred square piers arranged in fifteen rows, each pier being five feet wide and composed of large marginal drafted stones, placed singly over each other. The rows are connected by semi-circular arches, the intercolumniations of which range from ten to twentythree feet. The floor of these vaults is about forty-feet below the Haram Area, and more than a hundred feet above the great foundation corner-stone. They are called Solomon's Stables by the Franks. But the Moslems call the place, Al Masjed al Kadim, that is, The Old Mosque.

These vaults were used as stables by the Frank kings and the Knights Templar, and holes in which rings were fastened can still be traced on some of the piers.

Since the floor of Solomon's Stables is upwards of a hundred feet above the foundation stone, it seems highly probable that there exists another system of vaults below, for the vast space from the rock upwards is not likely to be filled with solid earth.

Some allusion seems to be made to these vaults in the writings of Procopius, a Greek historian of the sixth century. He was born at Cæsarea, in Palestine, about 500 A.D., and as a young man went to Constantinople, where his eminent talents brought him under the notice of the Emperor Justinian. In 529 A.D. Justinian built a splendid church on the Temple Hill, in honour of the Virgin Mary, and in the writings of Procopius there is a full and detailed account of the edifice. The historian relates that the fourth part of the ground required for the building was wanting towards the south-east; the builders therefore laid their foundations on the sloping ground, and constructed a series of arched vaults, in order to raise the ground to the level of the other parts of the enclosure. This account is eminently descriptive of the subterranean vaults at the south-east portion of the Haram, and, according to Mr. Fergusson, the stone-work of these vaults certainly belongs to the age of Justinian.

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