Wine is strong

Wine is...

(© Rosslyn Templars)

This lintel or 'straight arch' bears the only writing in the fabric of the chapel. It is in Latin:

FORTE EST VINUM, FORTIOR EST REX, FORTIORES SUNT MULIERES:

SUPER OMNIA VINCIT VERITAS.

Wine is strong, a King is stronger, women are stronger still but truth conquers all (Trans.).

This is taken from Esdras, Ch. 3. This book is to be found in the Apocrypha which, following the Reformation, was not included in Protestant Bibles. The full text of Chapters 3 and 4 of Esdras is available by clicking here.

The lintel connects the Prince's Pillar with the south aisle. If one were to 'walk forward' under this lintel one would be standing at the top of a flight of stairs leading to the Sacristy. Click here to see the ground plan which should assist in your orientation of this image.

In order to provide more detail of what is a most interesting aspect of the chapel we have added a page with a much larger image. This will take much longer to down load so beware!

If you wish to access that page click here

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