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The Orkney Symposium
The Symposium was well attended by Sinclairs as well as locals. Josh Gourley planned a visit to Kirkwall Lodge #39 to let us view the famed "Kirkwall Scroll". It came to the lodge in 1789 and was identified as a floor cloth for degree work. Kirkwall Lodge was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1736, and it's Charter was signed by William St. Clair of Rosslyn as it's first Grand Master. The Lodge also has a Conclave of the Red Cross of Constantine. It is the St. Clare Conclave. The local City Council held a reception for those attending and were most cordial and hospitable. The Symposium was not only an excellent endeavor but was a marvelous social experience. The people of Orkney are most hospitable. On Saturday Evening we attended a Ceilidh and some joined in with the local in country dancing. We also shared their excellent locally distilled single malt, "Highland Park". Our gracious host throughout was Niven Sinclair. He provided bus transportation which was second to none in the touring of the Island (Orkney). Our first night in Caithness we stayed in Niven's home town, Lybster. The next day we proceeded to Scrabster for the ferry to Orkney. James Whittal, one of the presenters from Massachusetts, and an archeologist, took us for a bus tour around the Island of Kirkwall to Scara Brae, Maeshowe Cairn, Ring of Brognar, and Church of St. Ophir. Our bus driver, never having been in Orkney, was masterful at negotiating the narrow roads. On Sunday many of us attended church at St. Magnus Cathedral. It is now a Church of Scotland. The church founded in 1113 contains the bones of St. Magnus and St. Rognwald. There are also many Sinclairs buried in the church. An old Templar tombstone in the church contains the effigy of a sword with a hilt similar to that of the Westford Knight. Another coincidence! Those who attended this marvelous event owe a great deal of thanks to Niven Sinclair who was the source of this fine program. All of us came away from the presentation more convinced than ever that "Jarl HENRY DID IT". ======================================================== A panel of seventeen experts in various phases of Henry Sinclair and his 1398 Voyage to North America made a 1-hour presentation on specific subjects. See the summaries which follow. All told, they conveyed an impressive body of information about this Earl of Orkney. The Times Were Ready! Dr. Peter Waddell, Univ. of Strathclyde, author and inventor, told of the Hanseatic League from northern Germany during the 14th 15th centuries. They monopolized trade between the Baltic seaports. The Danish & Norwegian kings became deeply in debt to the Hansea. Queen Margaret of Norway & Denmark sought to develop a "Northern Commonwealth" to compete. Meanwhile, the Venetian trading ships were venturing into the Baltic waters. This was the time when Jarl Henry Sinclair was granted the earldom of Orkney. Nicolo Zeno from Venice is known to have been employed by Henry Sinclair. Sinclair's Castle in Orkney Dr. Peter D. Anderson, the Deputy Keeper of the Records, described the Sinclair dynasty and its fortress. While no visible trace of Kirkwall Castle remains today, ancient records and pictures tell us that it was located on the shore of the harbor in Kirkwall, in the vicinity of the present Broad & Castle Streets. The Castle was rectangular, surrounded by a larger curtain wall 55 ft. long by 11 ft. thick. Built in 1380's by Jarl Henry, it served the earldom until about 1470. It's final days were during the Battle of Somersdale which was fought by two competing branches of the Sinclair family, fighting over control of portions of Orkney, Shetland, & Caithness. (Memorial Stone marks the place today) The Knights Templar Dr.
Tim Wallace-Murphy, Templar Historian and author, spoke on the history, beliefs,
& survival of the Knights Templar. He noted that Sinclairs are woven
within the Templar web. Founded in Jerusalem in 1118 to guard the
Christian pilgrimages, the Knights are believed to have found enormous treasure
in the hidden vaults under the ancient Herod's Temple where they were
quartered. In addition, they found the secrets of "sacred
geometry". Membership rapidly grew and land was donated to them,
forming a network stretching from the Holy Land to the far reaches of
Europe. Using their power base wisely, they became the leading money
brokers in the world. They built churches, fortifications, bridges and
castles, while operating the largest fleet the world had ever seen. The Venetian Connection Dr. Andrew Sinclair, historian and author, presented some ways that Venice was evidenced in Jarl Henry's expedition. There is today a large Zeno villa at Canareggio in Venice. Documents by Marco Barbaro entitled, "Libro di nozzi", reveal that Nicolo, the younger brother of Admiral Carlo Zeno, was commander of the Zicni (or Zichmni) fleet between 1383 and 1388. In 1397 it is known that Nicolo Zeno was banned from office in Venice. Another brother, Antonio, remained with Zichmni for another 13 years, when he retired in 1400. The name of Zichmni is translated to be Sinclair. A cannon, found in Louisburg Harbor, is identical to one on display in Venice, made in the late 1300's; it was obsolete by the 1400's. The Zeno Map, made by Antonio and Nicolo, remained in use by mariners fro 150 years because of its accuracy.
The Voyage and the Vision by Mark Finnan, a Canadian writer and broadcaster, described the vision of Jarl Henry's voyage. Certainly, early explorers such as St. Brendon and Tim Severen, had unusual inspiration and faith in order to undertake their voyages. Paul Knutson's exploration in 1362 has led many people to believe he was responsible for the unique stones found in the Minnesota and Lake Superior regions. For Jarl Henry there were the family legends of his Viking ancestors. More recently, he listened to the fishermen who returned from the north Atlantic seas with tales of population and vegetation. The Zeno Map is admittedly crude and even erroneous in certain areas. It is possible that part of the history of the crossing was made up in the Zeno Narratives. Nevertheless, much truth can be gleaned from these documents. True or not, John Cabot's voyage on the "Matthew" 100 years later has been heralded by the Queen of England, radio, television, and film makers. The Jarl Henry saga is richer by far, for it contains a quest for the Holy Grail. In the steps of Jarl Henry William F. Mann, author urban planner, lead the audience through a labyrinth of clues, deep within the forests of Nova Scotia. He told his reasons for believing that Jarl Henry followed those paths 600 years ago. Moral allegory and sacred geometry form a basis for Bill's theories. B y identifying certain known locations, it is possible to lay out a map over vitally important locations. The landing site, the smoking hills, the Money Pit, and the two islands where Oak trees exist. These, and many more identifiers, have led to the discovery of an ancient camp site thought to have been Jarl Henry Sinclair's. The Legends of the Mi'kmaqs Dr. Peter Christmas, head of Micmac Cultural Association of Nova Scotia, was assisted by Don Julien, chief executive of the Confederacy of Mainland Micmacs, and Kerry Prosper, Chief of the Confederacy of Mainland Micmac Indians, gave the audience a clear view of the organization, beliefs, and feelings of the Native Americans who probably welcomed Jarl Henry and his explorers. They found a number of Masonic symbols which were similar to theirs. However, they feel that many questions as to the historical significance are left unanswered. Dr. Christmas said that in Mi'kmaq oral tradition, a great white man with a beard had come from far away beyond recorded memory. Newport Tower James P. Whittall, Jr., Archaeological director of the Early Sites Research Center, spoke on the studies and beliefs surrounding the round stone building in New port, RI. It was constructed in the style of Norman Romanesk architecture inspired from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The unique style of the Newport Tower was further influenced by the Templars' round churches of Scandinavia. Local building traditions from whence the builders came also influenced its style. Determination of the date of original construction is usually based upon the study of features such as arches, window, niches, beam holes, key stones, mortar, and the orientation of openings. Those found within the Newport Tower have been dated in the broad range of 1150-1400. However, some specific features narrow the range to the late 1300's. Is It Possible that Jarl Henry did not do it? Brian Smith, Shetland Archivist, offered a flamboyant array of reasons he feels cast a shadow upon the claim that Jarl Henry Sinclair crossed the ocean to North America. Among them are a 500-year delay in making claims; the lack of contemporaneous claims by Sinclairs or Templars; numerous errors found in the Zeno Narratives; "Zichmni" referred to in the Zeno Narratives is thought to be really the Duke of Surrand; Nicolo Zeno was a political prisoner in Venice from 1360-1400; and the Zeno Narratives never mentioned Orkney.
ZENO Map: Having enlisted Nicolo Zeno as fleet commander several years earlier, four ships were dispatched by Henry to chart the northern seas during 1393-1395. The Treaty of Kalmer was signed in 1397. CONTINGENCY PLANS: Ten years prior to this, Jarl Henry gave indication of his forthcoming voyage because he distributed much of his land; to his brother, John, he gave Pentland and Shetland, brother David received the lands of Aberdeen, and to his daughter Elizabeth, he directed that his lands in Norway would go to her if he died without a male heir.
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