The mysterious inscription in Saint-Philibert

On one of the arcades, known as “arcade of Gerlannus”, is reproduced a mysterious text engraved in the stone which could not be deciphered to date; that thus made since approximately thousand years.

Let us note first of all that it is not a question there of a simple graffiti. The letters, in capital letters Roman, formed well, are the work of a sculptor of trade. Moreover, this way of reversing the S, of binding letters between them in a common jamb - both NR, the second NR and the V of Gerlannus (V Latin is read U) - is completely in the voluntarily enigmatic spirit of other inscriptions which one finds in the Romance churches among oldest. All that for saying that it is, neither for lack of place, nor by idleness, that the sculptor engraved the words without leaving of space between them, but to oblige us with an effort esoteric of deciphering.

Let us note then that even while testing, by groping, to restore spaces, it is impossible to find something which would resemble a sentence or understandable words. A test of translation was proposed, which enchants me:

“Let us extract from the third line the three letters EAR by making the assumption that it is about the word EAR (SCOPUS) which means BISHOP. It remains us at the end of the line VME, word which does not correspond to nothing except… if it is about an abbreviation: V. ME. However, it is common in the antiques dedications of offerings which the giver finishes his text by the abbreviations V (OTUM) ME (RITO), which one could literally translate by WISH, RECOGNITION.

RATEISI, we draw RAT (ION) E ISIS. We translate expression RATIONE ISIS HOMO, by man or disciple of philosophy, or doctrines, of Isis.

Thus the translation can be included/understood as follows: GERLANDUS, X, DISCIPLE Of ISIS AND BISHOP, I OFFER IN RECOGNITION THIS SPLENDID CHURCH

Bond on the study supplements here