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Secrets of Rennes Le Chateau
Here are the basic outlines of the mystery of Rennes-le-Château. It was clear that Berenger Sauniere, the parish priest of the small village during the late 19th and early 20th century, had been receiving vast sums of money to refurbish the local church and also to build many structures in the area, such as his Tower of the Magdalene. Sauniere died in 1917, leaving the secret of where he got his fabulous wealth to his housekeeper, Marie Dernaud, who promised to reveal it on her deathbed -- but sadly she had a stroke which left her paralyzed and unable to speak before her death in 1953. Speculation was rife on the source of the parish priest's money. Was it the lost treasure of the Templars or the Cathars in the area? Might it have been buried Visigothic gold? Or was he blackmailing the Church with some terrible secret? The evidence that points to the last possibility is that Sauniere's confession before his death was so shocking that the priest who heard it denied him absolution and last rites.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
9 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Lionel Fanthorpe
178 books20 followersRobert Lionel Fanthorpe cowrote with his wife Patricia Fanthorpe. Pseudonyms: Erle Barton, Lee Barton, Thornton Bell, Leo Brett, Bron Fane, R.L. Fanthorpe, R. Lionel Fanthorpe, L.P. Kenton, Victor La Salle, Robert Lionel, John E. Muller, Phil Nobel, Lionel Roberts, Deutero Spartacus, Neil Thanet, Trebor Thorpe, Pel Torro, Olaf Trent, Karl Zeigfreid
The Reverend Robert Lionel Fanthorpe is a priest and entertainer, and has at various times worked as a journalist, teacher, television presenter, author and lecturer.
Born in Dereham, Norfolk (UK), his parents were shopkeeper and teacher, Greta Christine, née Garbutt. In 1957 he married Patricia Alice Tooke, with whom he has two daughters (born 1964 and 1966). From 1958 to 1962 he was a teacher at Dereham Secondary Modern School, then from 1961 to 1963 he studied Education and Theology at Keswick College, Norwich, and was then again a teacher at Dereham until 1967, after which he served in the British Army and was a tutor at the Gamlingay Village College in Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, and course leader with the Phoenix Timber Company in Rainham from 1969 to 1972 . From 1972 to 1979 he was Headmaster at Hellesdon High School in Norfolk. In 1974 he acquired a bachelor's degree at the Open University. The marriage currently live in Roath, Cardiff, South Wales.
In the early 1950s, Fanthorpe began writing short stories that appeared in various magazines published by John Spencer & Co., such as Futuristic Science Stories and Worlds of Fantasy. From 1954, Fanthorpe's novels appeared primarily in the Badger Books series of the same publisher. In the good decade between 1954 and 1967, Fanthorpe was astonishingly productive. Under various pseudonyms, some personal and some publisher pseudonyms such as Victor La Salle, John E. Muller and Karl Zeigfreid, Fanthorpe wrote much of the supernatural tales and science fiction published in the Badger Books, a total of well over 100 novels and countless short stories. At times a 45,000-word novel was published every 12 days at a flat rate of £22.50, with Fanthorpe dictating his lyrics on tape and then having friends and family transcribe them, after a quick proofreading of the text then going to the publishers. The production method caused frequent careless mistakes, inconsistencies and plot gaps, and the story often came to an abrupt end because he did not have an exact overview of the extent of the text produced while dictating it. Despite such shortcomings, it is conceded that his products often need not fear comparison with the works of other prolific writers. In particular, some stories from the series about Val Stearman, an adventurer in the style of Bulldog Drummond and the mysterious immortal La Noire are considered highlights of Fanthorpe's work. A contributing factor to the large number of pseudonyms used was that the Badger Books series often included so-called magazine volumes, i.e. collections of stories allegedly by different authors. In fact, the stories in such a volume came all or mostly from Fanthorpe under various pseudonyms.
From the early 1980s, together with his wife, he signed a series of non-fiction books on historical mysteries, for example on the legend of the Templars and on Rennes-le-Château, as well as on themes of anomalistics and cryptozoology. Adept at such subjects, he has appeared on television on a number of occasions, notably as presenter and writer on the British television series Fortean TV (1997) and Forbidden History (2013–2016).
The Reverend Robert Lionel Fanthorpe is a priest and entertainer, and has at various times worked as a journalist, teacher, television presenter, author and lecturer.
Born in Dereham, Norfolk (UK), his parents were shopkeeper and teacher, Greta Christine, née Garbutt. In 1957 he married Patricia Alice Tooke, with whom he has two daughters (born 1964 and 1966). From 1958 to 1962 he was a teacher at Dereham Secondary Modern School, then from 1961 to 1963 he studied Education and Theology at Keswick College, Norwich, and was then again a teacher at Dereham until 1967, after which he served in the British Army and was a tutor at the Gamlingay Village College in Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, and course leader with the Phoenix Timber Company in Rainham from 1969 to 1972 . From 1972 to 1979 he was Headmaster at Hellesdon High School in Norfolk. In 1974 he acquired a bachelor's degree at the Open University. The marriage currently live in Roath, Cardiff, South Wales.
In the early 1950s, Fanthorpe began writing short stories that appeared in various magazines published by John Spencer & Co., such as Futuristic Science Stories and Worlds of Fantasy. From 1954, Fanthorpe's novels appeared primarily in the Badger Books series of the same publisher. In the good decade between 1954 and 1967, Fanthorpe was astonishingly productive. Under various pseudonyms, some personal and some publisher pseudonyms such as Victor La Salle, John E. Muller and Karl Zeigfreid, Fanthorpe wrote much of the supernatural tales and science fiction published in the Badger Books, a total of well over 100 novels and countless short stories. At times a 45,000-word novel was published every 12 days at a flat rate of £22.50, with Fanthorpe dictating his lyrics on tape and then having friends and family transcribe them, after a quick proofreading of the text then going to the publishers. The production method caused frequent careless mistakes, inconsistencies and plot gaps, and the story often came to an abrupt end because he did not have an exact overview of the extent of the text produced while dictating it. Despite such shortcomings, it is conceded that his products often need not fear comparison with the works of other prolific writers. In particular, some stories from the series about Val Stearman, an adventurer in the style of Bulldog Drummond and the mysterious immortal La Noire are considered highlights of Fanthorpe's work. A contributing factor to the large number of pseudonyms used was that the Badger Books series often included so-called magazine volumes, i.e. collections of stories allegedly by different authors. In fact, the stories in such a volume came all or mostly from Fanthorpe under various pseudonyms.
From the early 1980s, together with his wife, he signed a series of non-fiction books on historical mysteries, for example on the legend of the Templars and on Rennes-le-Château, as well as on themes of anomalistics and cryptozoology. Adept at such subjects, he has appeared on television on a number of occasions, notably as presenter and writer on the British television series Fortean TV (1997) and Forbidden History (2013–2016).
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 11, 2024
Entertaining as a work of FICTION. Misleading as non-fiction...
This is a very interesting and entertaining read but based on conjecture and falsehoods. It is a FICTION novel that has been portrayed as fact. None of this has been proven.
The book is draws on a small connection between the Knights Templar and their connection with the Cathars of France - a dualist religious sect that was annihilated by the Catholic church as heretics. The connection is weak at best.
The book should be classified as historical fiction. And but an average read in that category. But as a supposed non-fiction book it rates only a 1 because it is false. As a lover of history and historical fiction, those who know me hear me often say this, and here it is again valid: mixing fact with fiction just makes factual fiction and therefore it is just fiction.
This is a very interesting and entertaining read but based on conjecture and falsehoods. It is a FICTION novel that has been portrayed as fact. None of this has been proven.
The book is draws on a small connection between the Knights Templar and their connection with the Cathars of France - a dualist religious sect that was annihilated by the Catholic church as heretics. The connection is weak at best.
The book should be classified as historical fiction. And but an average read in that category. But as a supposed non-fiction book it rates only a 1 because it is false. As a lover of history and historical fiction, those who know me hear me often say this, and here it is again valid: mixing fact with fiction just makes factual fiction and therefore it is just fiction.
April 26, 2022
A fun read that debunks most of the myths about Rennes-le-Chateau quite handily. They do make some reaches (the triton fountain in front of the house where Sauniere was born is not the Strange Coincidence they make it out to be) but I appreciated how simple the explanation for everything was. Sauniere found a treasure and was corrupt as heck, but most of the other mysteries surrounding the town are just things whose contexts we have lost.
There's also a discussion of the Oak Island Money Pit, but I skipped that because Oak Island has never taken hold of my imagination.
The repeated slaps at the "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" conspiracies were very nice to read. That book is so stupid.
There's also a discussion of the Oak Island Money Pit, but I skipped that because Oak Island has never taken hold of my imagination.
The repeated slaps at the "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" conspiracies were very nice to read. That book is so stupid.
August 12, 2017
Leaps around all over the place with little in the way of a solid narrative thread. The authors obvious bias against anything which suggests the bible is all literally true and cannot be questioned results in a book which refuses to even consider a different interpretation of the life of Jesus and his possible marriage to Mary Magdalene. Overall a disappointing and tiresome read.
August 31, 2014
1) ''Just how disorganized and infiltrated by barbarians Rome had become by this period may be realized by recalling that Stilicho, a Pannonian Vandal, was Alaric's chief rival, that the legions in Gaul were commanded by a Frank, and that Emperor Theodosius I was a Spaniard whose power depended on the support of Visigothic legionaries. The Roman frontiers in 410 were merely areas of dispute between the authorized barbarians inside and the unauthorized barbarians outside.''
2) ''Merovingians had intricate genealogies, legendary adventures, and hidden treasure. Cathars had high ideals, strange secrets, and hidden treasures. The Templars combined most of these factors: they were rashly adventurous, mysterious, and reputedly the wealthiest order in medieval Christendom.
The dawn of Catharism mingled with the Merovingian sunset; the Templars and Cathars were contemporaries for all but the last fifty years of Templarism. To try to trace the possible nature and route of the treasure of Rennes-le-Château, it is as necessary to take a detailed look at the Templars as it is to examine the treasures of Jerusalem and Rome and the secrets of the Visigoths and Cathars.''
3) ''For us the wildest theory is still the most interesting one. If the core of the treasure is a strange artifact, an inexplicable power source created by some ancient, long-forgotten technology, or brought to Earth in a starship, what can it do and where did it originate? Thus is the Grail finally revealed, and for us, at least, the journey is over.''
2) ''Merovingians had intricate genealogies, legendary adventures, and hidden treasure. Cathars had high ideals, strange secrets, and hidden treasures. The Templars combined most of these factors: they were rashly adventurous, mysterious, and reputedly the wealthiest order in medieval Christendom.
The dawn of Catharism mingled with the Merovingian sunset; the Templars and Cathars were contemporaries for all but the last fifty years of Templarism. To try to trace the possible nature and route of the treasure of Rennes-le-Château, it is as necessary to take a detailed look at the Templars as it is to examine the treasures of Jerusalem and Rome and the secrets of the Visigoths and Cathars.''
3) ''For us the wildest theory is still the most interesting one. If the core of the treasure is a strange artifact, an inexplicable power source created by some ancient, long-forgotten technology, or brought to Earth in a starship, what can it do and where did it originate? Thus is the Grail finally revealed, and for us, at least, the journey is over.''
July 22, 2018
Sobre un ínfimo fundamento de datos estos dos autores construyen un alucinante edificio de conjeturas. Por lo menos hace reír.
Reseña pormenorizada en mi blog: https://nouw.com/cwidmann/lionel-y-pa...
Reseña pormenorizada en mi blog: https://nouw.com/cwidmann/lionel-y-pa...
February 12, 2022
Lionel has covered the Rennes le Chateau numerous times (in other books) and I was hoping for a little more with this book. His writing is a little too laborious and could do with some editing. Unfortunately since this book came out, much of what is suggested has been disproved.
Want to read
September 23, 2010- Available in SG Library 944 (
- after reading few pages, my eyes are tire and can't absorb the meaning, I am not used to the font & typeface.
- after reading few pages, my eyes are tire and can't absorb the meaning, I am not used to the font & typeface.
May 13, 2012
I read a different self-published edition by the authors a long time ago though not really interested in this type of book found it entertaining and to some degree convincing.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews