Interviews

Between June 2007 and august 2009 your unworthy webmaster interviewed a number of well known American, English and French Rennes-le-Château related authors and researchers for Radio Rennessence. The interviews where conducted by the esoteric trojka of Philip Coppens, Andrew Gough and Corjan de Raaf (yours truly). Rennessence Banner

 

 

 

Fortunately we have been able to save the interviews for you and to re-present them to you through this channel.

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English Language Interviews
Patrice Chaplin, June 2007

Patrice ChaplinThere’s a new name in Rennes-le-Château research: Patrice Chaplin. City of Secrets, Chaplin’s controversial new book unveils an entirely new twist to the conventional mystery and in the process delivers the most refreshing work in the genre in years. Oh, and it’s a love story. Patrice Chaplin’s provocative new book In City of Secrets, Chaplin draws on a life time of esoteric experience, research and associations, including friendships with Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí and Umberto Eco, to offer new insights into old enigmas.

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2007, June
Klaas van Urk, June 2007

Klaas van UrkVan Urk (1958) has so far been known to the public only in the Netherlands and Belgium as well as in a small but exquisite, predominantly French circle of long time researchers. His book ‘Search for the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant’ was a bestseller in the Netherlands. In his 10-year quest for the Ark of the Covenant he followed the trail of its whereabouts across Israel, Ethiopia and the South of France. Like no other, he knitted all the known and lesser known facts together in a compelling and believable account of what really happened to the Ark and its contents. He made a number of remarkable discoveries along his journeys. He discovered the ruins of a Templar Château on the mount of Montferrand near Alet-les-Bains of which no-one believed it actually existed. Another scoop was linking the Knight Relief over the entrance of the Bieta Mariam in Ethiopia, to the almost identical right panel of the Dalle des Chevaliers (Knight’s Stone) found by Bérenger Saunière in Rennes-le-Château. Known as the Indiana Jones of the lowlands, Klaas van Urk is the real deal, including the wax coat and the hat.


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2007, June
Bruce Burgess, August 2007

Bruce BurgessAmerican film director Bruce Burgess made his name when he flew into America’s top secret research facility, Area 51 more than a decade ago. His light aircraft was escorted out of the base that did not officially exist by two F-16s.
In 2004, Bruce shifted focus to Rennes-le-Chateau. As soon as he set foot in the village and announced his documentary Bloodline, he became the mystery’s most wanted man. Together with producer René Barnett, the pair of documentary film makers has worked on the project for more than three years. Their voyage has taken them to mysterious meetings with alleged members of the Priory of Sion and deep into the secret of Rennes-le-Château. The documentary which will be released before the end of this year, centers around Ben Hammott’s much published discovery of a tomb near Rennes-le-Château. The tomb we are led to believe may contain none other than Mary Magdalene.

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2007, August
Jean-Luc Robin, September 2007

Jean-Luc RobinFor six years, the late Jean-Luc Robin, ran the Hotel de la Tour, the hotel started by Noel Corbu in the Villa Bethania in Rennes-le-Château. Originally built by Abbé Saunière to lavishly entertain his guests, Corbu converted it into a hotel in 1955. Robin ran the hotel for six years (1994-2000). Though not the owner, he did live in the Villa, following in Corbu’s footsteps, those of Marie Dénarnaud (Saunière’s housekeeper) and Henri Buthion who had bought the hotel from Corbu in 1965. An illustrious series of people indeed.

Jean-Luc died unexpectedly on March 12th 2008, on the night that his party won the local elections in Rennes-le-Château. It would have made him the mayor of the village he had loved so much.

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2007, September
Karl Hammer Kaatee, October 2007

Karl Hammer KaateeHammer caused quite a stir when he published his book ‘Satan’s Song’ in the Netherlands. Although a novel, the author stated it was the true story of Dutch secret service art agent Tom R. who accidentally discovered a trail from Jan van Eyck’s famous Ghent Altar Piece ‘the adoration of the Lamb’ to the Arma Christi, while he was investigating the art treasures stolen by the Nazis just after World War II. The false trail and clues he created to hide his discoveries from the CIA were, he claims, picked up by the authors of ‘Holy Blood, Holy Grail’.

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2007, October
Kate Mosse, November 2007

Kate MosseKate Mosse, author of the international best seller ‘Labyrinth’, is a respected researcher who brought a refreshingly new atmosphere to medieval and modern Catharism. Like ‘Labyrinth’, her new book ‘Sepulchre’, is set in her adopted home region of the Languedoc. Only this time Mosse’s novel has been greatly inspired by the Rennes-le-Château storyline, and especially Abbé Antoine Gélis’ murder. Has Mosse concealed a revelation in her latest work of fiction?

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2007, November
Steve Berry, January 2008

Steve BerrySteve Berry is a lawyer turned novelist who, after 12 years of submitting manuscripts and 85 rejections, has now joined an elite group of international best sellers. Berry now has over 6 million books in print in 43 countries and 41 languages.
In his novel, The Templar Legacy, a world bestseller, Barry tackled the mystery of Rennes-le-Château and linked it with the Knights Templar, past and present. In his latest book, just out, The Venetian Betrayal, Barry writes with authority on the mystery of Alexander the Great, amongst other esoteric topics.

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2008, January
Bill Kersey, February 2008

Bill KerseyBill Kersey has quietly amassed an impressive career in RLC research. His book, Still Spins the Spider, provided insight into RLC and its secrets, while his translation of Gérard de Sède’s The Accursed Treasure of Rennes Le Chateau provided the English speaking world with their first exposure to the mystery’s original account.
Today, Bill is continuing his research into the Visigoths and is rumoured to have made a discovery. Bill is a friend and research companion of Ben Hammott. He is believed to have had a hand in several of Hammott’s discoveries and is featured in the documentary, Bloodline.

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2008, February
Henry Lincoln, April 2008

Henry LincolnHenry Lincoln introduced the mystery of Rennes-le-Château to the English-speaking world, through a series of BBC documentaries, starting in 1972. In 1982, he co-authored the landmark The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, followed by The Messianic Legacy - each with Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh.
Lincoln went on to author The Holy Place: Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau - Discovering the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World, Key to the Sacred Pattern: The Untold Story of Rennes-le-Château and co-authored The Templars’ Secret Island: The Knights, The Priest and The Treasure, with Erling Haagensen. Lincoln’s legacy includes his dramatic and often murky first hand contact with Pierre Plantard and Gerald de Sède, the development of the Poussin aspect of the mystery, as well as the discovery of natural and man made pentagrams in the landscape around Rennes-le-Château.

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2008. April
Hugo Soskin, August 2008

Hugo SoskinHugo Soskin has led a fascinating life at the epicenter of Rennes-le-Château madness. This should come as no surprise, for he is the son of the Rennes-le-Château legend, Henry Lincoln. Still, it would be fair to call Hugo a reluctant Rennie, for he has little time for the alleged mystery and the craziness that comes along with it. However, that has not stopped him from embarking on his own adventure, having worked on a campsite for a season where he absorbed the culture and rhythms of life in Rennes-les-Bains. In fact Hugo’s entire life has in one way or another been in the shadow of Rennes-le-Château.

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2008, August
Guy Patton, January 2009

Guy PattonGuy Patton is the author of the superb Rennes-le-Chateau conflict and conspiracy book, Web of Gold. He’s lived in Malta, spent a lot of time researching in the Languedoc and now lives in England, where he chairs the esteemed ‘Rennes Group’, one of the genre’s most respected Rennes-le-Chateau research and discussion groups.
Patton offers a unique blend of historical and political perspective on the mystery.

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2009, January
Kathleen McGowan, February 2009

Kathleen McGowanKathleen McGowan’s publishing career began with the debut of her novel, The Expected One, on the New York Times bestseller list.
The Expected One and her new book The Book of Love, which is about to hit stores are based on 20 years of research on four continents into the history of women in Christianity and their long-forgotten role in the development of global spirituality. During her time abroad, McGowan’s quest was fueled by international folklore, mythology and universal storytelling in Europe and the Middle East. Her passion for legends that speak to the human spirit has earned her a devoted, worldwide fan base while making her a bestseller worldwide. A third generation native of Hollywood, Kathleen is as comfortable in the film world as she is in publishing, and has multiple film and television projects in various stages of development.

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2009, February
Tim Wallace-Murphy, May 2009

Tim Wallace-MurphyThe career of Irish born author Tim Wallace-Murphy has ebbed and flowed around the mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau for decades. From The Mask of the Beast, which he co-authored with the legendary Trevor Hopkins, to Rosslyn: Guardian of the Secrets of the Holy Grail (with Marilyn Hopkins). Another classic is Rex Deus, The True Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau and the Dynasty of Jesus, which he co-wrote with Graham Simmans and Marilyn Hopkins, and which is being reissued. Wallace-Murphy has contributed more, and for longer, than most. With Henry Lincoln, Tim Wallace-Murphy is truly one of the elder statesmen of the genre.

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2009, May
Rat Scabies, August 2009

Rat ScabiesChris Millar, alias Rat Scabies, is the godfather of punk and the most accomplished drummer of his day. He founded the seminal punk band The Dammed and produced anthems such as ‘New Rose’. He’s also a Grail hero and respected Rennes-le-Château aficionado. Serendipitously, Rat has done for punk what The Holy Blood and Holy Grail did for Rennes-le-Château; he kicked the whole thing off. And his book, Rat Scabies and the Holy Grail, which is authored by Christopher Dawe, remains on the best written books in the genre and certainly the most entertaining.

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2009, August




French Language Interviews
André Douzet, Aôut 2007

André DouzetDouzet (1947) a connu certains ténors de l’énigme de Rennes-le-Château, comme Jean-Luc Chaumeil, depuis 1968. A l’origine, ses pôles d’intérêts ne sont pas tous concentrés sur Rennes, mais plutôt sur la totalité des énigmes de la France.
Son intérêt pour le secret de Rennes-le-Château est devenu plus pointu au moment où il acquiert une maquette commanditée par un certain « monsieur le curé Saunière ». Cet étrange moulage en forme de paysage, après plusieurs années d’étude, révèle enfin la conclusion de l’ultime quête de Saunière : un lieu précis près de Périllos, identifié par Saunière abritant les « Tombeau du Christ » et « Tombeau de Joseph d’Arimathie ». Cette révélation, ouvrant une nouvelle dimension dans l’énigme de la découverte de cet ecclésiastique, crée un certain émoi dans le milieu des chercheurs… au point que certains, de moins en moins nombreux, refusent tout net ce nouvel élément incontournable, tant sont cimentées dans le paysage audois les vieilles croyances concernant ce sujet. Environ 15 ans après la découverte de la maquette, Douzet propose une mise à jour des dernières avancées, et précise ses projets et espoirs pour le futur.

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2007, Aout
Isaac Ben Jacob, Septembre 2007

Isaac Ben JacobIsaac Ben Jacob (né dans les années 60) a provoqué avec ses recherches sur le Culte des Morts un tournant sans précédent dans l’énigme de Rennes-le-Château. La polémique ne fait que grandir car son livre « The Rise », qui devrait bientôt paraître, est annoncé comme une bombe qui devrait faire exploser l’énigme de Bérenger Saunière.
Isaac a été journaliste chez France Soir, spécialiste des religions et des sciences. De tradition catholique mais convertit au protestantisme sur l’exemple de certains de ses ancêtres, il est le descendant d’une famille qui a compté nombre d’hommes d’état, de cardinaux, d’évêques, mais aussi d’aventuriers qui n’ont pas hésités au XVIIième siècle à quitter l’Europe pour leur Foi et à émigrer vers les Etats-Unis. C’est avant tout comme théologien et politique qu’il s’est intéressé à l’énigme de Rennes le Château. Pour lui le mystère de Bérenger Saunière est connu du Vatican depuis le début. Mais loin d’être un secret qui remettrait en question le Christianisme, les Evangiles et la vie du Christ, le mystère de l’abbé de Rennes-le-Château, une fois résolu, serait une terrible révélation sur l’histoire du Catholicisme, et sur le Culte des Morts, une religion secrète pratiquée par une secte gigantesque cachée au cœur de l’Eglise de Pierre.

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2007. Septembre
Jean-Luc Chaumeil, Octobre 2007

Jean-Luc ChaumeilJean-Luc Chaumeil (1944) est un des chercheurs clef dans l’affaire de Rennes-le-Château et surtout au sujet du Prieuré de Sion. Intime avec Plantard et Sandri presque depuis l’origine, il a accumulé une connaissance et une sagesse au-dessus de tout les autres chercheurs.
C’était aussi Chaumeil qui a mis Henry Lincoln en liaison avec Pierre Plantard. Dans les années 1990, il est devenu expert pour le juge Fontaine dans l’affaire de l’Ordre du Temple Solaire.

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2007, Octobre
Antoine Captier, Décembre 2007

Antoine CaptierAntoine Captier est le descendant … d’Antoine Captier, l’homme qui a trouvé la fiole qui a rendu Saunière riche.
Natif de Rennes-le-Château, il a vu la transformation du village. Avec sa femme Claire Corbu, fille de Noël Corbu, il a écrit une étude des documents de Saunière.
Captier est le Président de l’Association Terre de Rhedae, une des plus anciennes associations de chercheurs constituées autour de l’énigmatique affaire de Rennes-le-Château.

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2007, Décembre
Jean-Luc Robin, Janvier 2008

Jean-Luc RobinVivant dans le domaine de Saunière pendant plusieurs années, Jean-Luc Robin est venue la plus proche du mystère de Rennes-le-Château comme on peut probablement obtenir.
Les anecdotes innombrables au sujet du village, de son prêtre et de l’assortiment bizarre des chercheurs qu’il a rencontrés au cours des années font de son dernier livre une vraie joie.

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2008, Janvier
Christian Doumergue, Mars 2008

Christian DoumergueChristian Doumergue est titulaire d’une Maîtrise d’Histoire de l’Art et Archéologie, d’une Maîtrise de Lettres Modernes, et d’un DEA de Littératures Comparées. Mais bien qu’il ait ces distinctions académiques, il est « tombé amoureux » de… ou « s’est enthousiasmé » pour l’énigme de Rennes-le-Château, ceci depuis le milieu des années 1990…
En 1997, il publie son premier ouvrage sur le sujet, puis, peu à peu, découvre le personnage de Marie-Madeleine. Ses recherches l’ont aujourd’hui amené… ou maintenant conduit vers l’histoire de Jésus… dans le Sud de la Gaule….

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2008, Mars
Franck Daffos, Avril 2008

Franck DafoosIl y a deux ans, Franck Daffos publiait un premier livre : Rennes le Château, le secret dérobé. Indéniablement, l’auteur sortait des sentiers battus. Proposant de nouvelles pistes, exhumant des documents jusqu’alors ignorés, il esquissait une autre façon de voir les contours de cette irritante énigme. Cette originalité lui valut, certes, l’incrédulité de ses contradicteurs, mais surtout les encouragements de ceux qui pressentaient déjà que l’histoire de l’abbé Saunière n’était pas qu’un épiphénoméne réduit aux conditions troubles de l’enrichissement de l’ancien curé de Rennes le Château.
Radio Rennessence rencontrait l’auteur au sanctuaire le plus important de la France, Notre Dame de Marceille à Limoux.

Franck Daffos à Notre-Dame de Marceille 1sur2 door cocobrownlasectedupal

Franck Daffos à Notre-Dame de Marceille 2sur2 door cocobrownlasectedupal
Viam de la Rosa, Mai 2008

Viam de la RosaViam de la Rosa, alias John Edward Tang, de son vrai nom, Serge Marjollet, est né à Marseille. Aventurier, poète, humaniste, humoriste, écrivain et même Champion du Monde de Poker sur Internet en 2002.
Rejeté par sa famille, toutes ses qualités furent encore accentuées grâce à des Lamas Tibétains chez qui il suivit un enseignement dans les années 80 à Manille et pour lesquels il garde toujours une pensée pleine d’émotion. Il est l’auteur du roman « Opération: Jésus Genetic. De Hitler à Rennes-le-Château. »

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2008, Mai
Thierry Garnier, Juin 2008

Thierry GarnierThierry Garnier est co-auteur de L’ABC de RLC. Ecrivain, chercheur et conférencier, il est aussi directeur des éditions ARQA et de la revue Arcadia depuis 1999. TEG, comme on le surnomme, a publié plusieurs ouvrages de références sur la Tradition primordiale et l’Hermétisme.
Passionné par le mystère de Rennes-le-Château, il est parti à la découverte de la région avec son ami Alain Caradec. Son ouvrage, L’Ile des Veilleurs, présente pour la première fois une connexion avérée entre le mystère de Rennes-le-Château et la région du Verdon.


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2008, Juin
Jean Brunelin, Juillet 2008

Jean BrunelinJean Brunelin (1945), surnommé l’Amiral, représente 40 ans de recherches sur le mystère de Rennes-le-Château. Actuellement restaurateur à Sète, il est natif d’une vieille famille Languedocienne.
S’adonnant à la chasse aux trésors, c’est par l’entremise du célèbre Robert Charroux qu’il découvre l’affaire de Rennes-le-Château à 1967. Sa connaissance de l’histoire et le terrain du mystère sont aussi grands que sa photothèque de plus de 6.000 photos sur Rennes-le-Château et ses environs.
Ses dernières recherches ont jetés une nouvelle lumière sure la fresque de Saunière.

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2008, Juillet

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