To properly 'read' the imagery of Roslyn chapel, a 15th century catholic perspective must be taken.
The Sinclairs already had a chapel in their castle nearby, however, this proved impossible for the internment of their noble dead. Prayers and Mass would have to be said for their souls in Purgatory. The more people praying the better and a church was needed.
William Sinclair, a particularly devout Roman Catholic, decided to build his own family Collegiate Church, a fashionable thing to do among Europe's nobles. Readers should remember the special relationship between the church and families of royal and noble bloodlines which exists to this day in majority catholic countries such as Spain.
Willaim Sinclair's brother was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunkeld. The RC Bishopric of Dunkeld still exists today.
A great tradition of the catholic church to this day, and a duty of nobles during the middle ages, was to go on pilgrimage to the holy sites. William Sinclair, being a good catholic, undertook this duty and, at the very least went on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and Canterbury Cathedral in England.
It was at Canterbury Cathedral that Sinclair received the inspiration to build his own chapel. He had prayed at the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop murdered by four Knights with misguided loyalty to King Henry II in 1170. Perhaps Sinclair even received a miracle, as many pilgrims did.
The Great Cloister was being built when Sinclair visited Canterbury. He made a financial contribution and had his arms designed into the stonework. His image was carved next to his Blazon of Arms.
(note sword strike above right eye and his beard)
In Scotland, 8 years after the murder, The Abbey of Arbroath was founded and dedicated to Thomas Becket.. The seal of the Abbot depicted the murder and the Abbey became the wealthiest in Scotland.
WJ Williams wrote that the story of the murder of St Thomas Becket later became (over 500 years later) the inspiration for the masonic fable of the death of Hiram Abiff, contrived in the first quarter of the 18th Century.
A collegiate church existed outwith the formal hierarchy of the Diocese wherin it was built. However, it was decidedly a Catholic church and a special petition to the pope had to be made for permission for it to be allowed. William Sinclair sought the necessary authority from the Holy See. This is recorded in the Scottish Supplications to Rome, filed in the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. The founding of a Collegiate Church gave William Sinclair no right to nominate the clergy unless he received a special papal Indult.
The image recently referred (20th century) to as that of an apprentice is actually that of Thomas Becket. The Scots sympathised even more with Becket than some English. In support of this is the sword strike above the right eye. This was recorded as the first sword blow onto Becket's head. Inferior to Becket is the carving of King Henry II. This has been mistakenly referenced as that of a 'Prince' Sinclair of Orkney, which is nonsense. No Sinclair has ever been a royal prince. The inferior position and smaller scale of Henry II's carving was deliberate, showing respect for the Becket image above.
The carving of the apprentice's mother is actually the image of the first of the Nun's to see Becket's body. The figure is clearly wearing a Nun's headwear..
(note reformation damage to nose and chin)
