A curious inscription on an 18th century monument in Staffordshire, England continues to baffle minds today. Carved into a marble slab are the letters OUOSVAVV, in between slightly lowered letters of D and M, with periods after each letter. These mysterious writings are part of the Shepherd’s Monument on the grounds of Shugborough Hall. The curious inscription is positioned under the famous scene of The Shepherd’s of Arcadia by Nicolas Poussin.
The monument was commissioned by Thomas Anson, and sculpted by Peter Scheemakers sometime in the mid 1700’s. An exact date is uncertain. Admiral George Anson, Thomas Anson’s brother funded the project. George Anson was one of Britain’s greatest admirals who had sailed around the world returning with riches gained from the capture of the Spanish ship Nuestra Senora de Cavadonga. This circumstance afforded him to be in considerable high financial position and adds to the mystery of the inscription.
Some theories suggest the monument provides clues to finding hidden treasure, like that of the Holy Grail, or other spectacular treasures found on Admiral Anson’s travels. But numerous other theories exist for what the letters might indicate as well. Some suggest the letters are acrostic and lead to a timeless wisdom.
No solutions or meaning of the letters to date are considered conclusive. It’s possible the inscription may never be equivocally solved, as only one person, Thomas Anson, who knew its meaning, has long since passed. But might there be enough clues left behind for its meaning to be discovered and be verified? That is the question.
The mysterious inscription is part of a bas relief copy of a famous painting by Nicolas Poussin. The painting is entitled The Shepherds of Arcadia and is well known for its own mysterious inscription of Et in Arcadia Ego. This painting is also known for its involvement in the mystery of Rennes le Chateau and its lost treasures.
Added mystery upon mystery does not help matters here. It only leads to more rabbit holes and imaginative conclusions.
Can you solve the code and convince others it is the answer to a centuries old mystery?
Might the Tomb of Poussin confirm there is a secret in the image found on the Shugborough Monument?
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The Shepherds Monument Code …
The two lower letters, the ‘D’ and the ‘M’ refer to (King) Dagobert Merovingian. The upper line letters, O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V broadly translate as, ‘Observer Use the Object at Shugborough to View (or understand), Also Visa Versa’. The relief picture is best seen as the reverse of a transparency (Visa Versa). This also applies to the Chinese House, which is located on the West side of the group of monuments, when theoretically it should be where the Doric Temple stands (East) … that is until one understands why Thomas Anson placed it where it is.
On the Monument, the shepherd’s thumb of his left hand is immediately after the ‘R’ in Arcadia – alphabetically followed by the ‘S’, his index finger is planted on the ‘N’ in the second word ‘IN’. The word ‘Ego’ is dropped from the end of ‘Et In Arcadia Ego’ to leave ‘Et IN ARCADIA’ (Arques). The thumb ‘picks up’ the ‘S’ and the finger overwrites the ‘N’, thus reading ‘ET IS ARCADIA’ – or, ‘Also in Arcadia’ … Also in Arques. The one-time site of the old Tomb (known locally as the ‘Tomb of Arques’) is situated at the small hamlet of Pontils just off the D613 Road to Arques. When one it at the ‘other side’ of the painting (the reverse of a transparency) one understands the meaning of the casket atop the Shugborough sarcophagus – All the Classical Monuments are Templar based and tell an intriguing story of the Templar Treasure.
Geoffrey