EARTH OPENS
Between them, there would be only two intervals if they were aligned.
But this would be a too easy game!
Now that you have undone all the yarns,
Doubt is the last torment that will be inflicted to you.
Because it is the rule of this cruel game:
Alone, you have to find where to land your shovel.
Show your respect for Mother Nature,
And before getting away, close its injury.

Solvability: This final clue talks about unearthing the buried owl, there’s plenty to do before attempting to solve this enigma.

This clue is mostly a mystery because it refers to the final stage of the treasure hunt, when the location of the treasure has been discovered. It seems to connect closely to the previous clue, the 650.

There is probably little point working on this final enigma until all the previous clues are understood.

The visual

There seems to be little additional information in this clue’s visual, it symbolically reflects digging a hole to unearth the owl. The light shining from the hole links to the light theme in previous clues.

Points to consider

The title refers to the planet Earth. Is this some kind of link to the planet clues of the 420 enigma?

‘Between them there would be two intervals’ must be referring to objects that could be aligned, but what are they? Perhaps lines or shapes on the map, or the mysterious Sentinals?

The line about ‘undoing yarns’ may refer to a tangle of string-like lines drawn on a map.

The ‘rule’ of this ‘cruel’ game could refer to measurement and angles. In French this is, ‘Car c’est la règle de cette partie cruelle.’ la règle can mean ruler, and cruelle suggests a sharp angle.

‘Alone’ you must land your shovel has an interesting choice of word, why ‘Alone?’ Does this mean one?

Why refer to Mother Nature? Or ‘Dame Nature’ and her injury? Is this simply a flowery way to suggest digging a hole or does it mean something more?

In conclusion

Little is understood about this final enigma, there are few theories about this puzzle – the other clues must be worked out first.

See also

Clue 11 – 520 enigma text

520 enigma madits and links

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Next stage the super solution >

WHEN ALL IS REVEALED
Back to the Ponant, seek the Sentinels.
At 8000 measures from there, they are waiting for you.
Find them, you need to review them.

Solvability: Mostly a mystery. At this late stage you need a lot of information to understand this clue which reveals the location of the treasure.

‘When all is revealed’ must refer to understanding and processing the previous nine clues. No one has openly admitted to understanding all of those, and if anyone did they’d find a spade and dig up the treasure!

This is the penultimate clue, and maybe there is no point speculating about it when solving the previous clues is clearly necessary.

What are the ‘Sentinals’? The word suggests sentries or watching guards.

The word ‘Ponant’ is an archaic term for seafaring and the West. So, the direction is likely to be ‘East’ if your back is to the West. The place for this review is likely to be based on the final location of the last clue, the 560 enigma.

8000 measures is a very strange distance, because, presuming we are still using the 1:1,000,000 scale map at this stage, then this is a tiny distance. If we accept the game measure is 33cm then 8000 x 33 cm = 2640 m = 2.64 km. This is a tiny 3mm on the map. It’s hard to see how this kind of distance could confirm anything.

What does the review consist of? Does this review involve the numbers in the image? The first line of the next clue, the 520, may also merge with this one, ‘Between them, there would be only two intervals if they were aligned. But that would be a game too easy!’ Is Max suggesting we could align the sentinals?

The visual

The three figures can be presumed to represent the ‘sentinels.’ There must be two or more because of the use of the word ‘they.’ We might presume there are three in number due to the visual. Are they a feature on the map, a place, a thing? The numbers are not generally understood, the clues that have gone before must give them meaning.  What does 71721075 mean? Is the placing of the numbers on the image relevant? It is 7172 before the shovel, 1 on the shovel, then perhaps 075 is associated with the digging stage.

The figure holding the spade is presumed to be the treasure hunter but where does he dig? If we look at his throat there is a strange symbol, some people suggest it is a pi symbol, others suggest it looks like a guillitine. There are also a few lines drawn on the digger’s body, is this meaningful or artistic flair?

The position of the figure’s hand on the spade is the same proportions as the hilt of the sword in the 470 enigma. We don’t know if this is meaningful, but it seems to be likely.

Things to consider

The previous enigmas are key to this one, and must somehow reveal the Sentinals and what we do with them. It is probably wise to concentrate on the earlier clues before attempting to understand this one. We need to work out how the previous nine clues reveal the Sentinals, then the meaning and manner of using them will be clear.

In conclusion

The sentinals are unknown entitities, but clearly, they are key to solving the Golden Owl treasure hunt.

8000 measures using the game measure of 33cm is 2.63cm, a very small 3mm line on the map.

‘Back to the Ponant’ probably means East

When we look to the East we are most likely at the end location of the previous clue the 560.

Max made some suggestion that this clue and the next clue merge.

There are few theories about the numbers in the image, understanding the previous clues and the role of the sentinals will help us to make sense of them.

See also

Clue 10 – 650 enigma text

650 madits and links

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Next clue >

It’s the right path only when the arrow aims at the heart

My first multiplies by gaiety.
My Second offers you space,
My Third from the air, and my Fourth from the water.
When he’s lying down, my Fifth hums.
My sixth is worth a hundred, and my seventh is just one node.
My eighth tastes like laurel,
while my ninth, with astonishment, stays behind.
My tenth is always naked when there’s a link.
My eleventh, finally, is the unknown.

Find my All, and through the Opening you will see the light.

Solvability: Mostly solved

The solution is A_RONCEVAUX a Basque town.

The puzzling out is easier to understand in the French text, but an approximate solution is:

• A because the A is multiplied to form a sound like laughter “AhAhAh”
• space between two words;
• R  for the air we are offered;
• O for the water we are offered;
• N when lying down, looks like the  “Z” symbol of snoring;
• C  in Roman numerals means “cent”;
• E is only E (part of noeud) ;
• V is the sign of victory that is traditionally rewarded by laurels;
• A for an “Aaaahhh” of astonishment;
• U explained by a French grammatical rule;
• X , is the unknown (in mathematics solutions for example).

Roncevaux is a famous place in the history of France, it’s the location for the legendary defeat of Charlemagne and the death of Roland in 778, during the battle of Roncevaux Pass. The story of Roland’s death at Roncevaux Pass was embellished in later medieval and Renaissance literature. The first and most famous of these epic stories was the Old French Chanson de Roland of the eleventh century, in these stories Roland defends the rearguard with his Durandal sword.

The visual

The visual of the 470 seems to confirm the solution, since the rock represents a mini-map of the south-west of France, the sword being planted in Roncesvalles. The place itself could be both the Roncesvalles pass or the village of Orreaga / Roncevalles located in Spain.

The sword is likely to be Roland’s weapon, though some people think it could be Arthur’s famous sword in the stone.

Other points to consider

This clue appears to be mostly solved. Do we perhaps head from Bourges to Roncesvalles?

The style of the clue is almost identical in style to the riddles of the 530,  but the 470 is not rhymed, unlike the lines of the 530.

‘Find my all and through the Opening you will see the Light’, suggests that we consider Bourges the clue with the title ‘The Opening.’ But what is this Light? The many references to the Light is one of the great sticking points with the Golden Owl puzzle.

The debate about the sword is confusing, one of Max’s supplemantery clues mentions Merlin in passing, another said  “It happened in 778”  which seems to suggest this is the battle where Roland used the sword Durandal. 

In conclusion

This clue is almost certainly solved correctly revealing ‘A Roncesvalles.’

It isn’t clear why there is an ‘A’ before Roncesvalles when other town and city clues don’t use this.

The last line probably refers to Bourge as the ‘Opening’ referring to the 530 clue title.

The concept of the ‘light’ is first introduced here, but no one seems to know what this means.

The picture doesn’t seem to add much to the solution, but is this the sword of Roland in the stone?

See also

Clue 4 – 470 enigma text

470 – Madits and links

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