I recently visited the Royston cave and wasn’t convinced by the current explanation that it was mediaeval in origin. Instead I’d like to argue the Royston Cave was a Mithraeum [1] (a temple to Mithras) rather than a creation of the Knights Templar, putting the age of the cave at least 1000 years earlier than currently proposed.
There is compelling evidence to support the proposition. [2] My argument is divided into two sections; evidence in favour and reasoning against conflicting arguments.
Reasons for being a Mithraeum
1. Location near two Roman roads
The Royston cave is almost at the crossroads of two roads either known or built during the Roman occupation.
Roman soldiers brought the worship of Mithras to Britain and created places of worship at forts and towns occupied by them. It is likely a Roman army garrison would have been positioned near such an important crossroad and would have had the time, skills and inclination to excavate such a structure.
2. Man-made and underground
“The Mithraeum was either an adapted natural cave or cavern, or a building imitating a cave.” [3]
Mithraeum were always underground, the reason usually given being that Mithras killed the bull in a cave. Mithras was also shown as being born from the rock.
3. Dome shaped cave
The ceilings of Mithraeum were always raised; in the case of a standard rectangular cave with a barrel roof, but examples exist that were round with a domed ceiling such as at Magareh. [4] [5]
Many Mithraeums also had a vent to a light source in the ceiling.
4. Octagonal Design
The central mystery of the Mithras celebration was a seven-stage initiation. [6] In some examples the seven stages are marked out in mosaic on the floor but also imagery from the stages is shown in bas-relief on the walls.
An eight-sided cave allowed for the seven stages to be shown and also one blank side reserved for the main alter piece, showing the killing of the bull by Mithras. This was usually a separate panel and in some cases have been carved to be turned, with a different scene on the reverse.
The Royston cave could well be following this pattern; the eighth blank side being used for the new entrance way.
5. Broad bench round the wall
The Royston Cave has a raised level round the walls. Again it was common for Mithraeum to have a raised level against the sides.
6. ‘Post Hole’ in the floor
A single ‘post hole’ was identified in 1976 in the cave floor. Rather than (as suggested) being present to support an extra floor for a Mithraeum it was likely to have had a religious purpose.
In the Mithraeum of the Circus Maximus in Rome there is a similar opening; “… there is a circular opening, little more than half a metre deep, that once held an amphorae containing some bones and two pig’s teeth….” [7]
7. The ‘Grave’ in the floor
Rather than a grave (for which it is too small) the feature is likely to be an ‘ordeal pit’ used in Mithraic rites.
“The initiate into each grade appears to have required to undertake a specific ordeal or test , involving exposure to heat, cold or threatened peril. An ‘ordeal pit’, dating to the early 3rd century, has been identified in the Mithraeum at Carrawburgh.” [8]
Alternatively it may have been used to make a Mithraic ritual meal:
“The London Mithraeum shows some evidence of clearly defined burned areas such as in Floor 2, and to conclude it was for a ritual meal would be convenient, but the evidence was not conclusive (Shepherd 1998, 74). Regardless, the evidence of animal bones in London and other temples indicates the presence of a ritual meal.” [9]
Which matches the material found in the Royston cave:
“Fifthly, intermixed with the above, a large quantity of the bones of animals; but none of them human.” [10]
8. Beldam states Roman origin of recesses and niches
In Joseph Beldam’s investigation he strongly suspected a Roman origin for the cave:
“In different parts of the Cave, both above and below the cornice, deep cavities, or recesses, of various forms and sizes, some of them oblong and others oven-shaped, are irregularly cut into the wall, closely resembling olla-holes, niches, and recesses, usually seen in Roman, Etruscan, and Phoenician tombs.” [11]
9. Wall decoration in relief
It was common practice to decorate Mithraeum with painted scenes and wall carvings. The tauroctony especially was carved in relief.
10. Wall carvings
Much of the detail in the cave is in the wall carvings that cover much of the lower section of the wall. Alongside later graffiti there are multiple scenes carved into the soft rock. The scenes have been interpreted as primarily Christian in origin with some others unclear, but a different interpretation is they originally related to Mithras. Some imagery is common to both religions while other images could be interpreted differently.
Examples include:
· An image of a spade rather than a Babylonian dagger [12]
· Mithraic raven not a dove
· The 12 companions of Mithras [13]
· A sword not an axe (as shown for the fourth stage of initiation).
· Mithras born of the rock
· A Mithraic ladder indicating the stages of initiation rather than an iron griddle for a man to be burnt on.
· Crown being offered then being cast off (hence raised off> the head.
· Cautes and Cautopates the torch-bearers, or dadophoroi. They are depicted attending Mithras in the monuments. Cautes holds his torch raised up, and Cautopates holds his torch downward. [14]
Comparisons from the cave:
Mithras on a horse[15]
12. Symbol on Pipe found in Royston cave
The symbol on the small clay pipe found in the cave has been described as a Fleur-de-Lys however a better match is that of the Lightning bolt symbol from the Fourth stage of the Mithras Initiation [16]
Image of Royston Cave pipe.
From the Mithraeum of Felicissimus[17]
Reasons against being a Mithraeum
1. “There is a date of 1347 written in the chalk”
There are two arguments to explain this:
· It is a forgery added at a later date
· The cave shaft was first rediscovered in the 1300’s and investigated as far as the top of the earth partially filing the space. The date was then marked in the chalk and the shaft covered by the millstone and closed again.
2. “The heart symbol was unknown before the middle ages”
There is a ‘heart’ symbol drawn in multiple places on the relief sculptures. The outlines are very clear and very possibly added at a later date. The heart on a hand symbol was used by the Oddfellows society, which sprung up in the 1700s and were active in the Royston area. At this time the cave was open and unsecured, it would be feasible that this society used the cave and marked some of the symbols.
3. “There are Christian symbols on the walls”
Several arguments and explanation can be made for these:
· The religion of Mithras and early Christianity were contemporaneous and shared symbolism. Some symbols may simply be being interpreted as purely Christian but were Mithraic in origin.
· The cave may have been cut as a Mithraeum however towards the end of its early life was taken over by the new Christian religion, as these temples were in other places such as under S Clemente in Rome. Extra symbols would be added at this time.
· Extra symbols were added or extended after the cave was opened. Access to the cave was not fully restricted after rediscovery and extra carvings could easily have been added.
4. “It’s the wrong shape”
Most Mithraeum were rectangular with a barrel ceiling however a number have been found that were circular and dome shaped, especially in the Middle East and Palestine.
“The caves in question are fully described by Professor Robinson, of America, in his Biblical Research vol. II, p.353 et seq. He there states, that in the vicinity of Deir Dubban, at no great distance from Gaza and Askelon, where the soil scarcely covers the chalky rock, he visited certain caves, excavated into the form of tall domes or bell-shaped apartments, ranging in height from 20 to 30 feet; and in diameter from 10 or 12 to 20 or 30 feet or more. “ [18]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraeum
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQWX689T-YY
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraeum
[4] http://www.aparat.com/v/9FrW6
[5] http://wikimapia.org/15220814/Maragheh-Mithraic-Cave-varjovi-varjuy-Mithraeum#/photo/4334436
[6] http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/mithras/display.php?page=main#Initiation_into_the_mysteries_of_Mithras
[7] Subterranean Rome, by Ivana Della Portella, page 31
[8] http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Mithras
[9] http://www.theposthole.org/sites/theposthole.org/files/downloads/posthole_41_309.pdf
[10] http://www.benhammott.com/royston-templar-cave-2.html
[11] http://www.benhammott.com/royston-templar-cave-2.html
[12] http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/roman-gods/mithras.htm
[13] http://www.truthbeknown.com/mithra.htm
[14] http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/mithras/display.php?page=cautes_and_cautopates
[15] http://www.mithraeum.eu/monumenta/mitra_montado_a_caballo
[16] http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Religions/iranian/Mithraism/m_m/pt8.htm
