|
the Myth of Satan
STENAY: History of the town
From: "The New Practical Guide to the Paths of King Dagobert". Written by: Jean-Pierre Bousigues, translated by Gay Roberts.
Edition 2004 - the Cercle Saint-DAgobert, Stenay.Situated to the north-west of the Forest of Woëvre, on the right bank of the Meuse, in the middle of a catchment area fed by the waters of this river, and on the canal de l'Est, the town was always an important strategic site.
This place, which was already known about in the Celtic period, and turned into an oppidum in the time of the Romans, was desirable because of its important position on the Meuse, at the entrance to the Forest of the Woëvre.
Thierry, son of Clovis, who became king of Austrasia, was struck by the position of Stenay, and had a palace built here; the village became the Villa regia (the royal town) and the county town. He himself, his son and his grandson were buried in the castle Chapel. In 679, Dagobert II lived here.
In the 10th Century, Stenay belonged to the house of Ardennes.
It then became the possession of the Dukes of Bouillon.
On leaving for the Crusade, Godefroy de Bouillon sold the town together with the château that he had built in 1077, to the Bishop of Verdun, who gave it to the Count of Luxembourg in 1110.
The Count sold Stenay to Renaud, Count of Bar, and until 1641, it remained almost continuously in the possession of the Houses of Bar, then of Lorraine.From 1609 to 1611, new fortifications were built and it became an important strategic place.
In 1646 Louis XIV gave the property to the Prince de Condé.
As the Prince had gone over to the Spanish side, the king gave orders for it to be besieged.
Fabert undertook this in 1654 in the presence of the sovereign himself.
The siege lasted 56 days and in 1659, by the treaty of the Pyrenees, the king gave Stenay to Fabert.
Nevertheless, the ramparts were dismantled in 1689.
His descendants enjoyed their patronage until the French Revolution.
From 1639 to 1697 Stenay was the county town first of a bailiwick, then of a military district.
In 1790 it was the county town of a district consisting of 75 town councils.
The city withstood the Austrian siege in 1792 and was occupied by the Germans during the whole of the 1914 -18 war.
The Crown Prince Wilhelm had his headquarters there.A metallurgical factory and a paper mill are still there.
The following text is from Stenay and the Myth by Philippe Marlin
http://www.renneslechateau.com/anglais/marlin1-uk.htm
STENAY, THE CITY OF THE SATAN
THE NAME OF STENAY
The origin of the name Stenay is lost. But since a century, a battle of scholars was started trying to specify it.
In fact, the arms of the town (`d'argent au chevron d'azur accompagné en pointe d'un lion d'or armé et lampassé de gueule…', as described by Denain before the Revolution) are directly inspired by these of Godefroy de Bouillon (11th c.). But since the late 19th, and probably due to the publication by Jeantin in his "Manuel de la Meuse" (1860) of an article about SATHENAY or SATHANAY, one sees the town's shield rather showing a small figure of the devil, horned and grimacing. Jeantin yields in fact to the mania of his time: to explain everything `scientifically', and he writes:
"The appellation SATHAN is, at once, geological, cosmogonical and Hebraic…" Thence to make of Stenay the town of the Satan, there's but one step, quickly made by the lovers of originality. As early as 1885, the paper at the heading of the mairie bears this heraldic novelty and, when in 1925 the current Hôtel de Ville replaces the old common house of the Porte de Bourgogne, the architect means well carving on the fronton (but not in the great salon) the famous face of the devil.
Famous in fact as since then one talks of it a lot: historians, heraldists, linguists, even novelists, and citizens of Stenay too _ that don't however take seriously their claimed devilish origin, as the `Crottes de Satan' have become a specialty of the local candy store and the Mayor, wanting to brighten the institution with a commemorative medal of the town, makes of it the emblem of a `Confrérie des Diablotins de Stenay' created on the smiling method in June 1983…
The canon Vigneron, dean curate of Stenay 1941-1966, fond of local history and learned linguist,[6] wouldn't of course accept this etymology. He first draws up rather impressive a list of the ancient appellations of Stenay across authentic historic acts, then his deductions appearing well conducted, bring him to the conclusion Stenay could mean `Town of Setinius', individual of the 1st century A.D. native to the town of Setia (Sezze nowadays) 80 km SE of Rome…
Here are some versions taken in the table he makes of 25 names counted of the town, with their appearance era: SATENAIUM and SATANIACUM (10th c.), SATANACUM (1069), SATINNACUM and SATINIA CUM (1086), SETUNIA (11th c.), SEPTINIACUM (1107), SETENAE (1208), SETTENAI (1243). SATANAY (1284), without forgetting SATHANAI from the seal of the Provosty (1320) and STENA of the local dialect.
But 1643 must be awaited last to find written the name STENAY.
THE MYSTERIOUS STONE OF STENAY
Uit: "Grandes Heures de l'Histoire de Stenay" by abbé Vigneron. (Le Livre d'Histoire, Paris 1998 (Monographies des Villes et Villages de France)
CLANDESTINE CHRISTIANS AT STENAY
It seems us this mysterious rock can be explained as a Christian's gesture at a time when there was only a small number of Christians at Stenay.For explaining it, it must be recalled all the carved stones found at Stenay were found in the foundations of St-Rémi basilica, prior to St-Dagobert church that replaced it in the 9th century.
These stones, reemployed in the foundations, were funerary stelae: the one of which we talk is also a stela but of a particular kind. Mr Plantard, working on the history of Stenay, studied this stela: he considers the letters engraved left and the herringbone pattern traced right of these letters were a "key" able to allow the initiates to refer to the famous `Sator Square'.
That's why opposite we reproduce this well known Sator square. Our drawing of the square has voluntarily increased some letters to help the explanation of M. Plantard to be understood: these letters SRNPR, put back to their place in the square, exactly describe the herringbone pattern engraved on our stone. M. Plantard so has well found the key explaining the mysterious letters of the stela of Stenay.
MEANING OF THE SQUARE
The sator square contains 5 words that can be read in all directions: SATOR, AREPO, TENET, OPERA, ROTAS. The pagans who used the square before the Christians, placed the word ROTAS in the beginning, in lieu of the word SATOR (so at Pompeii). This inversion of two words doesn't change the meaning :
The creator (SATOR), past AREPO, that only makes sense the other way, holds (TENET) with care (OPERA) the wheels (ROTAS). Otherwise said: Who has made, who has `sown' (life, the man, the world) oversees, carefully directs its proceeding. And for the Christians: the Creator of the man has also created Providence.
S
A
T
0
R
A
R
E
P
0
T
E
N
E
T
O
P
E
R
A
R
0
T
A
S
MEANING OF THE STONE OF STENAY
The occultism of this stela presumes it has been engraved at a time when Christians couldn't show themselves openly: we would readily date it to the late 5th century or the early 6th, era when an upsurge of pagan zeal is expressed, as reaction, after the conversion of Clovis in 496.
Unfortunately the said stone of Stenay is no more at Stenay. It would have been deposited about 1910 by M. Rivart at Mgr Mangin, curate of Stenay, then dwelling at the Market square. M Mangin, died in 1914, didn't witness the removal of this stone in 1917 by the famous Kronprinz who would have it broken declaring (curiously) he was the Master of the Cross). So it has disappeared (once an interesting monument for History).
C.Vigneron.
The reconstruction of the stone of Stenay is the work of Gino Frua, member of the Cercle. This stone is exposed in Saint Dagobert II crypt.
More about this story on: http://www.renneslechateau.com/anglais/marlin1-uk.htm
Home ContactLuxury apartments in the Meuse - Northern France.
