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.

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.