Alien on an ancient temple. Why is the figure of an astronaut depicted on the cathedral? Mysteries of history
Mysteries of the past constantly surprise people, and here is the astronaut on the Cathedral of St. Jerome, another mystery that came from the past. Meet the astronaut at the temple who came to us from the past.
On the wall of the Cathedral of St. Jerome in spanish city Salamanca, among other decorations there is a very curious and mysterious high relief that came to us from the past, which still causes bewilderment and confusion among scientists around the world. The fact is that medieval masters depicted on it... an astronaut in a modern spacesuit.
The skillfully carved stone figure on the Temple of Jerome amazes with the precision of all its details. On the chest of the “cosmonaut” there is a picture of a certain device from which hoses go behind his back, very similar to a breathing apparatus, and his feet are shod in boots with thick corrugated soles. Such an image would be common in the 20th century, but the cathedral is almost a thousand years old! How could the builders of the temple know what future space explorers would look like?
Skeptics may say that the figure could have been added during the last restoration of St. Jerome's Cathedral in 1990, and this version is diligently supported by the temple administration in order to protect their temple from increased interest from tourists and the press. However, the cathedral has long been under the protection of UNESCO, and all restoration work with documentation is subject to the strictest control. In such a situation, not a single restorer would dare to “make a joke” with a sculpture of an astronaut in such a way. Moreover, such liberties are strictly persecuted by the laws of the Catholic Church.
The churchmen themselves believe that the astronaut is not a mystery of the past, but simply one of the monsters that very often decorated the outer walls of cathedrals in the Middle Ages; for example, just remember the famous gargoyles on Notre Dame de Paris. Such monsters are called upon, on the one hand, to protect the temple, and on the other, to show parishioners what horrors can await a person outside the walls of the sacred monastery.
Scientists believe that the “cosmonaut” could have appeared on the wall of St. Jerome’s Cathedral, if not in the Middle Ages, then at the latest, during the last reconstruction of the temple in the 18th century. Even if this is so, it is still very far from the gallant age to the era of space exploration. The venerable age of the figure of the astronaut on the temple is confirmed by the fact that ancient engravings of the early 19th century were found in the library of one of the universities, where it is clearly visible, and is located in the same place as it is today.
Medieval manuscripts have been preserved, which mention a mysterious meeting of monks with very unusual creatures, “whose skin was hidden under the outer skin.” What kind of creatures these were can only be guessed at, but then the desire of the church ministers to leave a memory of such strange events, and perhaps to warn descendants about some unknown danger, becomes clear.
Be that as it may, the “astronaut” still keeps his secret and remains the main mystery of the past, calmly observing the bustle from the height of the cathedral wall of St. Jerome modern world. I would like to hope that one day this mystery will be solved, and we will find out what secret knowledge was available to people in the “dark”, in our opinion, Middle Ages.
The northern entrance to the Salamanca Cathedral is always crowded: groups of tourists linger near the portal framed by sculptures
Look at the figure of an astronaut,” the guide points to a small sculpture about two meters above the threshold. - This is a portrait of Neil Armstrong, who was the first to set foot on the surface of the Moon.
After standing on the porch of the cathedral for a quarter of an hour, I heard two more versions from different guides: this is John Glenn, the first American astronaut; Edward White, the first American to walk into outer space. In all cases, Spanish guides refer to a local restorer who, twenty years ago, decided to place a figurine of a space explorer at the entrance to the cathedral. Sergio Arrella, deputy director of the Cathedral Museum, commented on my bewilderment: yes, indeed, in 1990, the sculptor-restorer Miguel Romero allowed himself this little artistic prank.
Architect's joke or monster?
However, Rodrigo Solanelles, vicar of the cathedral, has a different version; he decisively rejected this “heresy”:
The decoration of any Catholic church is built in strict accordance with the church canon developed in the early Middle Ages. There simply cannot be any “pranks” by individual artists - the diocese will never approve a heretical element of decor.
- But how then did the astronaut get on the wall of the cathedral?
“Trust the guides less,” the padre remarked ironically. - This is a monster common to the Middle Ages, of which there are countless numbers outside on Catholic churches; they symbolize those fiends of hell that a person can encounter outside the church, but there is no way for them inside the cathedral.
Once again I look at the sculptural decoration of the northern portal. Indeed, to the right of the “astronaut” is a typical monster: a bearded monkey with a human look and a vulgarly protruding butt (see photo). This monster makes you want to immediately hide under the church canopy.
As for the controversial figure, perhaps not - after all, he is an astronaut: a classic spacesuit, like in the Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh; on the chest there is a box of some kind of device, and the transverse rings of the breathing hose are realistically drawn, and even the corrugated sole of the boots (see photo).
Adventures of the Monks
Esteban Sanza, a philosophy teacher at the University of Salamanca and at the same time the head of the Association of Authors of Alternative Scientific Concepts, is sure that the figure I’m interested in was made no later than the 18th century, when the new building of the cathedral was being completed. This confidence of his has a strictly scientific basis: in the university library, Mr. Sansa’s students found an engraving from the early 19th century with a photographically accurate depiction of the entire sculptural decoration of the cathedral. So, the “astronaut” occupies the same place in this engraving as it does today. And in Renaissance manuscripts there are several references to encounters between Salamanca monks and strange creatures whose “skin is hidden under the outer skin.” It turns out that there is no arbitrariness of the restorer here.
It remains to add that all architectural ensemble the center of Salamanca, including, of course, the cathedral, back in 1985, that is, several years before the start of its restoration, was taken under the protection of UNESCO as a universal heritage. All documents for the restoration of monuments of this level undergo many approvals, including international examination. Therefore, it is impossible to simply add medieval figures of an “astronaut” or anyone else to the garland.
It turns out that a strange monster, strikingly identical in appearance to the astronaut-astronaut, was made by masters of the Middle Ages (maximum of the 18th century). Another question: why? Maybe, in fact, impressed by the meeting with mysterious creatures with “skin hidden under the outer skin,” the masters decided to leave a memory of this unforgettable event?
The medieval cathedral in the ancient Spanish city of Salamanca, famous for one of the first universities of old Europe, is beautiful.
This is a magnificent example (as art historians write) of sacred architecture of the 12th century, for its construction began in 1102. Of course, it’s too early for Gothic, but historians always have an excuse ready - supposedly Gothic cathedrals were built for several centuries in a row, and in this case, too, the delivery of the building was timed right... However, this does not matter, just as the time of the appearance of baroque decor is unimportant ( actually 1714-1724) on the facade. The cathedral still dates back to the 12th century and tourists look at the ancient structure with awe and awe.
And everything would be fine, but something is not good, as Arkady Gaidar used to say. Modern digital photo optics has made it possible to distinguish small details of magnificent architectural decoration on high altitude, previously inaccessible to tourist cameras. As a result, historians and museum workers are forced to be nervous and answer simple-minded questions from perplexed tourists.
The worst thing is that the experts do not coordinate their answers with each other. And it becomes noticeable that they are all... lying, trying to improvise on the fly.
Since the figure of the astronaut was first noticed in 1995, Sergio Arrell, deputy director of the cathedral museum, said that in 1990, the sculptor-restorer Miguel Romero allowed himself a little artistic prank. This is the most radical answer, other respondents do not dare to go that far, because the next question to Signor Arella will be “how many little pranks are committed by the “sculptor-restorers” and how much creative freedom is granted during the “restoration”?” This is an extremely painful issue, since the entire architectural ensemble of the center of Salamanca, including, of course, the cathedral, was taken under the protection of UNESCO as a universal heritage back in 1985, several years before the start of restoration, that is, recognized as one of the absolute masterpieces. All documents for the restoration of monuments of this level undergo many approvals, including international examination. Therefore, it is simply impossible to simply add medieval figures of an astronaut or anyone else to the garland.
Realizing that such slippery questions cannot be avoided, the vicar of the cathedral, Rodrigo Solanelles, takes a diametrically opposite position: “The decoration of any Catholic church is built in strict accordance with the church canon developed in the early Middle Ages. There simply cannot be any “pranks” by individual artists - the diocese will never approve a heretical element of decor.” In other words, on the side gates of the cathedral there is neither an astronaut nor a cheerful lion with a waffle cup of Italian ice cream, and anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken. According to the priest, these are monsters common to the Middle Ages, of which there are countless numbers outside on Catholic churches. They, they say, symbolize the fiends of hell, which a person can encounter outside the temple, but there is no way for them inside the cathedral. This is a common excuse by historians, ignoring, among other things, the fact that obscene monsters can often be seen inside Catholic churches, for example, on the capitals of columns.
The vicar could be forgiven for looking like a complete idiot; after all, he is a religious man. It’s harder for gentlemen who are hung with scientific titles and perform the duties of scientists. Esteban Sanza, a philosophy teacher at the University of Salamanca, is deeply convinced that the figure was made no later than the 18th century, when the new building of the cathedral was being completed. This confidence of his has a strictly scientific basis: in the university library, Mr. Sansa’s students found an engraving from the early 19th century with a photographically accurate depiction of the entire sculptural decoration of the cathedral. “Astronaut” occupies the same place in this engraving as it does today. And in Renaissance manuscripts there are several references to encounters between Salamanca monks and strange creatures whose “skin is hidden under the outer skin.” I believe that Signor Sansa did not utter the phrase about “Renaissance manuscripts”, that a certain outside well-wisher supplemented his information about the engraving with a message about strange meetings of Salamanca monks, for a philosophy teacher at the University of Salamanca cannot but know that medieval monks did not walk around naked, but were familiar with the concept of “clothing” and even, most likely, with the concept of “armor”, and therefore they were unlikely to describe the strange clothes of strange creatures as “skin hidden under the outer skin.”
But why was it the “students” who found the engraving, and not Professor Sansa himself or one of the scientists? The answer is simple: if the engraving (which, by the way, has only been seen by Mr. Professor so far, and has not been shown to the public) exceeds expectations and has to be submitted for antique examination and it turns out that it is a modern fake, Signor Sansa will be able to throw up his hands in sadness: well, they played a prank me students! And scientific reputation will not suffer. Because what is the demand from students?
So what does this whole dream mean? To understand the essence of the matter, you should pay attention to several facts from the history of the cathedral:
1. In 1809 - the invasion of Napoleon's troops, who perceived (quite rightly) massive Catholic churches as fortifications and sought to destroy these fortresses - the cathedral was also among the damaged churches.
2. And in the 30s, the cathedral was completely dismantled, allegedly planning to move it to another place in order to save it from flooding (the motivations here are very unclear).
However, in 1843 (the peak of “historicism” throughout Europe) the cathedral was already standing, as if nothing had happened; in 1887 it was announced national monument, since 1902 there has been a stream of continuous restorations, and in 1956 the cathedral museum finally opened.
Interestingly, a photograph from 1995 shows the astronaut with a completely intact face, but in photographs taken two years later, his face is seriously damaged by the inexorable passage of time. Apparently, the museum's management (or the vicar), after a random tourist noticed the absurdity, hastened in a panic to destroy the annoying anachronism, but realized that the photos had already spread around the world, and prompt destruction of evidence of falsification would not help. The destruction of questionable artifacts by scientists has become a common practice today.
In other words: the cathedral is beautiful, but has nothing to do with the cathedral of 1102. This is a modern craft, indicating that to this day the Spanish land has not become depleted of talented craftsmen with an excellent sense of humor and inflated idiot scholastics with academic degrees who are ready to hysterically deny the obvious.
This gargoyle is located on one of the abbeys in Scotland. What is this? "Aliens" visited our planet? Or maybe this is how medieval sculptors depicted aliens?
Now we find out...
The Gargoyle is located approximately here:
Photo by REX/Michael McGurk
However, the reason for its appearance is completely prosaic.
In the 90s, all gargoyle statues were removed from the walls of the Scottish Paisley Abbey, located near Glasgow, for the purpose of restoration. Some figures were restored, while others simply had to be made anew. One of the restorers did his best by making a statue of an alien from the movie “Alien.”
There was another one like this misterious story with an image of an astronaut or an alien on an ancient cathedral, a few years ago circulated on the Internet:
This mystery is connected with a relief image of an astronaut on the wall of a cathedral in Spain. Cathedral of St. Jerome was built in 1102 AD. Bishop of Salamanca. Is this really an image of a man from the future? Or is this evidence of technologies that existed back in 1100?!
In fact, neither one nor the other. In 1992, the cathedral was restored and additional modern motifs were introduced. The reason for the appearance of these motifs was the tradition of temple builders and restorers, which consisted in freely incorporating modern motifs into old decorations. This method of restoring ancient buildings can, of course, be regarded as a signature of one’s work. Architect Hieronimo Garcia chose the astronaut as a symbol of the twentieth century.
However, in essence this is a distortion of an ancient monument, the introduction of alien content, which is called the modernization of the past. Such embellishment was widely used in antiquity and the Middle Ages, but, as we see, has not died out to this day. It concerns not only buildings and other material monuments, but also texts, paintings, films, etc. For example, sites on the Internet presented this fake at face value.
In general, there are also gargoyles like this:
A gargoyle is a grotesque figure carved from stone that was created to drain water from the roofs and side facades of large buildings.
Gargoyles are strange, creepy, unpleasant, and sometimes downright disgusting. They have been hanging over many streets and cities for centuries, silently watching the people swarming below. They maintain their silent post for so long that many of us do not even suspect that gargoyles have a meaning. Let's take a look at these stone monsters with a mysterious purpose.
2. We usually associate them with medieval times(thanks to one not little-known hunchback), but they appeared much earlier. These aren't just scary statues. Many gargoyles are shaped like certain animals, and this is no coincidence.
The lion and lioness were favorite images of the creators of gargoyles. For example, at Dornoch Cathedral in Scotland there is this cute lioness grinning at passers-by below. The lion was one of the most popular non-European animals, used in the Middle Ages to decorate churches and cathedrals. They later became popular in the form of gargoyles (there are many of them in Pompeii) and they symbolized the sun - their golden mane representing the solar crown of our lives.
4. However, in the Middle Ages, cathedral builders used the lion as a symbol of pride, which, of course, was one of the seven deadly sins, and therefore should be avoided. This lion, for example, looks quite proud. It is located at one of the colleges in France. Apart from lions, practically no other cat species were used when creating gargoyles. Cats were a symbol of witchcraft and were therefore avoided.
5. Dog. This gargoyle is located on the tower of Philip IV the Fair in the palace in Dijon, again, in France.
Dogs have always been very popular, and they are rarely seen only as pets. They guarded houses at night, so they were considered smart and loyal. On the one hand, it can be assumed that, as gargoyles, the dog statues were supposed to guard the buildings, but their presence on the roofs is due to another reason. Dogs are always hungry, and they often stole food from people, so in those days their figures were often placed on cathedrals and churches so that everyone could see that even such a devoted animal as a dog can succumb to the temptations of the devil and become a victim of greed.
6. Wolf.
Although wolves were also considered greedy, they were treated with some respect, because... these animals have always worked together. It was then that the expression “leader of the pack” was born. Wolves were also associated with priests who were supposed to protect people from the devil - thus, the wolf even managed to be the protector of the lambs of God. Gargoyles on the roofs also often gathered in a “flock”, because... the architects wanted to divert rainwater in different directions. During a rainstorm, one gargoyle would not be enough. The gargoyles were made elongated so that the water flowed as far as possible from the wall.
7. Eagle. Gargoyle in the form of an eagle at the Cathedral of St. Rumbold in Mechelen, Belgium.
Eagles were protectors of buildings, in particular from dragons, because, as medieval people believed, eagles were the only creatures capable of defeating the winged serpent. They were said to be able to heal themselves by looking directly at the sun, which had long been the personification of deity.
8. Serpent. This serpent on a building in Krakow, Poland, warns people about the sins of the flesh.
The snake is associated with original sin, and therefore this stone beast can be found in almost all cathedrals of Europe. Since the time of Adam and Eve, the serpent has been a symbol of the constant struggle between good and evil. Among the seven deadly sins, the snake represents envy. They were also considered immortal, which meant that the fight against sins would continue forever.
9. Ram or goat. This gargoyle is located on the Barcelona Cathedral.
Like most of the animals presented here, the goat also had a dual nature in the eyes of medieval Christians. On the one hand, they were considered divine, because they knew how to find food even among steep rocks and survive in the most difficult situations. On the other hand, they were considered evil creatures and a symbol of lust - another of the seven deadly sins. And of course, what animal is usually associated with Satan?
10. Monkey.
Our immediate family has always been looked at as what will happen to us if something in nature goes wrong. However, they were often considered stupid and lazy. That is why they personified another mortal sin - laziness. This gargoyle in the form of a monkey is located in Paris, which is not surprising, because the word “gargoyle” itself originated in French. Once upon a time, the word "Gargouille" meant the word "throat", and the word itself comes from Latin.
11. Other languages were more precise. In Italian, a gargoyle is called "grónda sporgente", literally meaning "protruding groove". IN German they are called “Wasserspeier” - “water spitters”, and the Dutch went even further and nicknamed gargoyles “waterspuwer” - “water spitters”.
12. And, by the way, from this Dutch word “waterspuwer” in English language the verb “to spew” came. However, if you do not take into account the “animal” personifications of gargoyles, then all of them were often considered chimeras.
13. This chimera is located at York Cathedral in England, which is generally famous for these very chimeras.
And although we are no longer afraid of these chimeras, the medieval inhabitants were quite superstitious and uneducated, and they considered them terrible creatures. A chimera is born when two parts of different bodies merge to create an entirely new creature, such as a griffin (or a mermaid, the figure of which is still popular in creating fountains).
14. At the Duomo of Milan there is a rather interesting set of chimeras - there are Renaissance thinkers standing next to these strange creatures from the imagination of madmen. These chimeras on the roofs of cathedrals and other buildings represented those who underestimated the power of the devil. Although the devil cannot create life, he can mix different forms of life to create a new one - that is, a chimera.
15. Some of the most famous gargoyles in the world can be found at the cathedral Notre Dame of Paris.
16. Even the Disney studio could not ignore these interesting creatures.
17. The Legend of the Gargoyle. The French had a legend about one of their saints - Romaine. In the 17th century, he was made a bishop and had to fight a creature called the Gargoyle. It was a dragon-like creature with wings, a long neck, and the ability to spew fire from its mouth.
18. Having conquered the dragon, Romain could not destroy its head, because... she was tempered by the fire from her own mouth. Then Romain placed it on the walls of the cathedral so that it would scare away evil forces. Well, this gargoyle in the photo is located in the Cathedral Basilica of Van Saint-Yan.
19. On the walls of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague there are several rather scary gargoyles, only these are no longer animals or even chimeras. These are people. The moment of damnation is frozen in time for hundreds of medieval souls across Europe.
20. With their mouths open, they scream through the centuries, constantly reminding you that you need to be able to resist the devil, otherwise this can happen to you too! Probably the creepiest gargoyles are those that remind us of ourselves.
21. This terrible example of the human form in the image of gargoyles is also found on St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Moreover, the pipe through which the water flows sticks out of the mouth so ominously that it seems that it is simply an inhumanly long tongue.
24. Again, in Spain - an unhappy woman at the Cathedral of Lonya in Valencia is captured in the moment of agony.
25. Well, this is a modern gargoyle. And who do you think could do such a miracle? Well, naturally, the Germans. They take the meaning of the word “gargoyle” very literally - to pour water.
By the way…
Gargoyles are mentioned in works of the fantasy genre. They are usually represented as living beings with a stone body.
So, in Asprin’s series of books about the MYTH corporation, one of the minor characters is a gargoyle (male gargoyle) named Ges. In Pratchett's books about the Discworld, gargoyles are one of the intelligent races inhabiting it.
IN computer games, which takes place in fantasy worlds, also occasionally features gargoyles. For example, in the Disciples games, gargoyles are former soldiers who unquestioningly obeyed their cruel commanders, in the flames of hell their bodies became as hard as their hearts.
In the games of the Heroes of Might and Magic series, gargoyles are creatures that perform two functions at once: aesthetic and practical (protective). Gargoyles are also featured in Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, where they have the ability to turn to stone to quickly heal from wounds.
In addition, there is an animated series of the same name called Gargoyles.
In the game Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, the main boss is a gargoyle. Also in the Heretic/HeXen series of games, they are semblances of very small dragons that have the ability to shoot fireballs.
Gargoyles are also representatives of the world of Harry Potter. They inhabit Hogwarts Castle, and one of them even guards the headmaster's office.
Gargoyles appeared as kind, playful characters in the cartoon “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The stone statues Victor, Hugo and Laverne are the only friends of the hunchback Quasimodo. Based on the cartoon idea, they decorate Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. In fact, the cathedral is decorated with sculptures of chimeras.
end of article from http://bigpicture.ru/?p=318531 Let me remind you of a couple more interesting revelations: here we exposed, then we found out, and then we found out whether The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -It is human nature to search for the inexplicable and mysterious. And even when the explanation mysterious phenomenon already found, there are always people who continue to believe in the “miraculous” nature of the phenomenon.
A classic example of such a mystery is the ancient cathedral in the provincial center of Salamancalocated in the Autonomous Community of Castile and Leonand since 1985 included in the UNESCO heritage list. Myself temple complex(one of two in the city) consists of two cathedrals - the old one (Catedral Vieja,XIIcentury) and new, late Gothic CatedralNueva de la Asunción de la Virgen (New Cathedral of the Assumption Holy Virgin), built inXVIAndXVIIIcenturies.
But not all tourists arriving here are attracted by the beauty of the ancient temple. Many upon arrival immediately rush to the northern entrance to new cathedral, where on the portal at the “doors of palm branches” (Puerta de Ramos), right opposite the Anaya Palace, at a high altitude you can clearly see the figure... of a modern cosmonaut in full “combat” equipment - a spacesuit with a breathing hose, a helmet, an instrument boxon the chest andboots with grooved soles. This figure even received unofficial name- “Holy Cosmonaut.”
Where did this astronaut come from?on the wall of an ancient cathedral? The explanation is quite simple: in 1992, during the restoration of time-dilapidated "doors of palm branches" one of the restorers - a certain Miguel Romero - showed creative initiative by decorating the wall with a similar figure. Further versions differ: some believe that the restorer decided to play a joke in this way. Others have a more pragmatic explanation: Romero, having introduced a modern element to the façade of the ancient temple, wanted in a similar way to perpetuate a significant event for the 20th century - the conquest of space by man. But who exactly the figure depicts, the versions differ. The first cosmonaut of the planet, Russian Yuri Gagarin, appears as a stone character,the first American astronaut John Glenn, the first American to go into outer space Edward White,American astronaut was the first to set foot on the moonNeil Armstrong, etc.
Nevertheless, many people are inclined to believe that the figure of the astronaut was here originally, and, therefore, has a mysterious origin that goes beyond ordinary logic. They say that the restorers' joke in this case is excluded for a number of reasons. Firstly, the image of the astronaut is recorded on engravingsXIXcentury. Secondly, in the ancient manuscripts of Salamanca there is supposedly information about meetings of monks with creatures from other worlds. Thirdly, restoration always follows the canons approved in the Middle Ages, and in the case of an object that is a UNESCO heritage, additional examinations, approvals and permits are required. They also say that this is not an astronaut at all, but some kind of hellish spawn, many of which “live” on the walls, facades and capitals of columns of ancient European churches.
A number of other similar finds are cited as proof of the “miraculous” version of the astronaut’s origin. For example, images of astronauts on Japanese netsuke, a model of an airplane from an ancient Egyptian tomb, Incan gold “airplanes”, an image of Darth Vader on the National cathedral in Washington, as well as an image of a man with a laptop and a mobile phone on the mosaic of the Kyiv Koltsevaya metro station in Moscow, built back in 1954.
It must be said that on the wall of the Cathedral in Salamanca there are other, less well-known, but no less interesting figures. For example, a figure of a smiling dragon with three scoops of ice cream. Or a boy with a non-childishly developed manhood.
Guides and tour guides are in no hurry to convince fans of the “miraculous” version of the appearance of an astronaut on the wall of an ancient temple. After all, most importantly, intrigued tourists come here, replenishing the local treasury. After all, why try to convince people who really want to believe in miracles?
