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

< Previous clue

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

< Previous clue

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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Next clue >

AD AUGUSTA PER ANGUSTA

When, at Carusburc, you will have Albion in the back,
Look for the Opening that reveals the Celestial Light.
Do not wait, do not ask for your rest, But get ready to walk on the water.
Twice, Neptune will come to your rescue And lead you away from the icy Septentrion.
Pursue your way and do not interrupt your journey
Before seeing through the opening, the becalmed Nave.
Without deviating an inch, draw a line, and you will not regret what you did.

Solvability:   We start in Cherbourg but don’t have much clue what happens next!

This clue begins in Cherbourg (old name Carusburc) with England (old name Albion) behind us, then a long route is described, involving a few mysterious locations including the ‘Nef Encalminée’ the enigmatic becalmed nave.

How the solution is reached

Only a few elements of this clue are understood. We know we begin in Cherbourg and the opening is almost certainly Bourges, the city found in the clue entitled ‘Opening.’ Walking on water may refer to drawing a line through the blue of the map, particularly as the clue image reflects this. We see ‘the becalmed nave’ through the opening, but what is this feature or place? We are instructed to draw a line from Bourges to the nave.

The visual

The picture shows a pencil drawing a line at an angle, perhaps it suggests a south-west direction from Cherbourg. The waters open and reveal a shell. It doesn’t seem like the image will help us solve this enigma.

Points to consider

A couple of the french words used in this clue have multiple meanings. Septentrion is a complex word that usually means North. “Without deviating an inch” uses the word “pouce” which can be translated to “inch”, but could also be translated as, “Without deviating from a thumb.”

The phrase ‘Nef Encalminée’ could refer to the kind of ‘nef’ which is medieval metalwork in the shape of a ship.

Cherbourg is listed in the 10 towns of the 580 enigma, as is Bourges, though it is not clear whether that is relevant.

‘Seek the Opening that reveals the Heavenly Light’ may refer to the ‘light from the sky’ in Golfe Juan and the previous clue. A line connecting Cherbourg, Bourges and Golfe Juan is perfectly aligned.

We start the clue with our back to England, so we are looking inland. Yet the helpers of Neptune suggest crossing the sea. Some people think the visual clue gives the direction to take, drawing a line southwest at a 45 ° angle towards the Channel Islands. Perhaps the shell represents an island?

We ‘persue our way’ and ‘do not interrupt our journey’ then the next stage of the clue has us at the ‘Opening’ (Bourges?) seeing the ‘Becalmed Nave.’ No one seems clear how we get here from the sea, or what the nave means. However if we ‘see’ the Nave ‘through’ Bourges, that suggests it is east of Bourges.

Some people believe the ‘nave’ of this clue and the ‘Black Perched Ship’ of the 600 are one and the same place. Max connected them in an additional clue, but he didn’t say they were the same place.

At the end of the puzzle we find the Nave and draw a line joining the ‘opening’ and the Nave, this is a line we ‘will not regret.’

The next clue 650 begins on a precise place, so presumably it is the end point of this clue, most likely the ‘nave.’ The madits tell us that “nothing slips between the 560 and 650”, they follow each other perfectly.

This clue’s title is a Latin phrase that means, “to great results by narrow ways.” It’s possible the phrase adds some detail to assist with the solution.

This clue uses archaic words for the place names, but why? Albion recalls the time of King Arthur, does this suggest this clue might link to the sword in the stone of the 470 enigma?

No one seems sure where the ‘Nef Encalminée’ is found. Is the ‘becalmed nave’ the same place as the ‘black perched ship?’

We walk on water, Neptune helps twice, and we escape the ‘icy’ North, but what is our direction? This must be detailed somewhere in this clue or the previous clues. We appear to draw a number of lines in this clue with key places still enigmatic.

In August 2023 Michel Becker gave an additional clue showing an image of a line from Cherbourg, which appears to suggest we draw a line heading over the sea towards Spain. You can find the image, and a discussion of its relevance in the additional clues section.