Discover the mysteries of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

A medieval stone book erected in the French capital

The magnificent beauty of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris has the ability to attract millions of tourists every year, who want to appreciate the grandeur of this great work of medieval Europe.

Notre Dame Cathedral is a religious temple full of mysteries, it is consecrated to the Catholic cult; but its construction, iconography and symbology make us realize that it has been built with the knowledge of the great temples of antiquity.

The place where Notre Dame is located, was the most important center of Paris, where the wisest of the city and important events met.

Like the coronations of kings, or some macabre executions, like 1345, when the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay, would die at the stake staring at the cathedral.

Symbology, alchemy, allegory, history, and hermetic knowledge, are some words that will accompany those who wish to penetrate its secrets, and understand why the magic of Notre Dame still continues to captivate us today?

In recent days, the discovery of a lead tomb dating from the Middle Ages, which must have belonged to an important character of those days, has come to light.

The burial of this character in this sacred temple is a possible sign of nobility, importance and honor for his person; so it will be useful to know some mysterious facts about this sacred cathedral.

History of Notre Dame Cathedral

The Gallic Parisians

The history of the cathedral begins in the twelfth century of our era, although in this place, it was already a recurrent site of religious events, as the Roman temple to Jupiter attests; or the ancient Parisians, a Celtic Gallic tribe, who also had a temple on this location.

During the 19th century, the Parisians were related to the Egyptian cult of Isis, which despite being far from Europe, this cult entered through the sea routes; thanks to commercial exchanges, adapting to the civilizations and cultures that welcomed this goddess.

The relationship that was made with this goddess was due to having been found in several temples, some figures that made reference to the Egyptian goddess, who was related to the Mother Goddess, undergoing a new adaptation when the Christian era arrived.

This representation of the Mother Goddess also alluded to the earth before being fertilized by the sun's rays.

This representation plays an important role, some have pointed out, that it may be related to the very name of Notre Dame; this being a cathedral that honors the Virgin Mary.

Historical facts about Notre Dame Cathedral

Construction of the cathedral began in 1164 and would be completed in 1345

The first element used to officiate the mass in 1182, was the choir of the church, which was eliminated in the eighteenth century. Building the ship later. By the 13th century the two towers would be ready; and the transept that forms the arms of the cross, between 1250 and 1267.

The cathedral would be completed in 1365, becoming a true masterpiece, not only in terms of its architectural appearance, which denoted ample beauty and majesty, but also in the high knowledge of sacred geometry.

This knowledge could be unveiled, if the numbers of the area of the cathedral, its heights, widths and all its proportions in general are studied; something very similar to what can be seen in the Pyramids of Giza, or other ancient temples.

In the 18th century, several renovations were carried out on the cathedral, where some parts of it were removed, being replaced by new works that were more in line with the fashion of that time.

Regarding these changes, we must point out that they represent a break with the sacred character given by the original builders, who knew in depth the need for certain elements of the cathedral, which the later rehabilitators were totally unaware of.

The alchemical language of Notre Dame Cathedral

Today, we realize that the major means of communication are of a written or audiovisual nature, such as the internet, newspapers, television, etc.; however, in the Middle Ages, cathedrals were one of the most important means of communication.

Going to the cathedral during this period was like going to a show, where the imposing structure made you think that the building communicated with the sky.

Inside, the effects of the lights conferred by the stained glass windows, together with the acoustics of the interior of the temple, together with the game of images to which the viewer was subjected, had the double function of impressing and educating.

Educate because the Bible at that time was only known and read by the clergy, who in addition to being the only ones with access to the book, were also the only ones who gave an interpretation.

For this reason, the Gothic cathedrals were a stone book, where different scenes from the sacred book were shown, so that they would be known by the public.

Knowing these preliminary elements, we will be able to understand why the alchemists were able to leave certain symbols in the cathedral, if we understand the building as a book that transmits a message; not only to the profane world of the majority, but also to the initiated world of a few.

The woman in the doorway

In the porch of the entrance of Notre Dame, we see the image of a woman carrying a staff, a sign of power; next to two books, one open and the other closed, referring to the exotericism of the majority and the esotericism of the initiates; with a ladder, representing the ascent in knowledge.

Old man with the Phrygian cap

In the work of the mysterious Fulcanelli, the last alchemist of the 20th century, he points out that when climbing the spiral stairs, one can see the image of an old man wearing a Phrygian hat. This hat is a symbol of the initiates, according to the author.

The old man touches his beard and watches, he is in a reflective position; being interpreted by Fulcanelli, as the alchemist, the person who makes the changes, once he has penetrated the mysteries of the great work.

The image of the balance

This image shows, what appears to be a monk by his clothes, weighing some elements with a scale, being a clear image of the alchemist task, since at various moments of the work, the elements must be weighed.

Before continuing, it is necessary to take into account an important matter, alchemy is known worldwide, as the search for the "Philosopher's Stone", or the change of lead into gold, an activity that led many to give their lives in this search.

However, many alchemists discovered, in the journey that led them to decipher the secret of physical transmutation; that a transformation had taken place in his soul, in an allegorical way to the work that is carried out in the alchemical laboratory.

Why do we draw attention in this regard? Because this image of weights brings back memories of ancient Greek myths, where the soul was weighed to know the virtue of whoever carried it; something similar, to the final judgment where everyone will be judged for their actions.

The stained glass window of the central rose window

The central rose window of Notre Dame also has a meaning related to alchemy, since during the Middle Ages, this element was made in accordance with the representation of time.

The rosette symbolizes the temporary wheel, which never stops moving day and night, being, in turn, an allusion to the fire that must be kept alive, to carry out the alchemical work.

In Notre Dame, it is said that the stained glass windows have a meaning related to the Virgin Mary, having power over the elements of nature, showing different images, where celestial elements are observed, along with demonic figures, who flee before the church.

Why have some people been buried in churches?

These churches are made up of several parts, just like the ancient temples, we can find a central area, where mass is performed; a place closer to heaven, which could be the tall towers or domes, next to the ornaments on the roof; and an underground area, which would be the crypts.

In this underground area, from the 12th - 13th century AD, important people began to be buried inside the temples.

This was done to access the spiritual dimension; thanks to Christian rites, for being close to the tombs of saints or martyrs, or also, for being close to sacred relics, as is the case in Notre Dame.

The latest discoveries at Notre Dame

In recent days, some findings made during the rehabilitation of Notre Dame Cathedral have come to light.

It is an ancient sarcophagus, where a body was found in a good state of preservation, along with other interesting finds.

Due to the items found, it is likely that he was a prominent member of the church from the 13th century, or later centuries; being in turn, the high degree of conservation an element to take into account, to develop this hypothesis.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame has many more secrets, figures, relics and stories than those put forward here ; existing other different interpretations, and greater things that we still do not know.