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September 29, 2007

Rennes-le-Chateau Da Vinci Code Priory of Sion Conspiracy Conspiracy Conspiracy

I first read the Da Vinci code at Stansted Airport back in 2004. As mumbo-jumbo goes, it was cracking stuff. My favourite bits are the early rushing-around-the-Louvre scenes; the anagrams, the clichés, the melodramatic lines, in particular Robert Langdon's anguished 'I need to get to a library - fast!'

Saw the Da Vinci Code film for the first time on Wednesday night and I have to admit that I enjoyed it.

The GPS-in-the-soap bit always appealed to my imagination (that was when GPS tracker shenannigans were still quite original and fun). In the book you see them throw it out of the window onto the truck, but in the film you don't - interesting scriptwriting dilemma, that. Show the soap being thrown or not? What do you think? Which is more fun - being in on the trick or being left guessing?

As for all the Jesus-and-Mary-bloodline claims, Dan Brown has said this: "This book is not anti-anything. It's a novel. I wrote this story in an effort to explore certain aspects of Christian history that interest me...A reader does not have to agree with every word in the novel to use the book as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith." Full interview here.

Fair enough, in principle. But how many people closed 'The Da Vinci Code' or walked out of the cinema believing one or more of the following?

- That Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene who had a child who escaped to France.
- Mary Magdalene was to head the church, but Peter and the other disciples took over.
- Jesus was turned into “God” in order to protect the patriarchal system, the Catholic Church along with the rest of Christianity has worked together to maintain this 2000-year cover up.
- The secret of Jesus’ “True Identity” is maintained by a group known as the “Priory of Sion” that has existed since 1099.

If you are seriously bothered by any of the above questions, have a look at one of the many Debunking Da Vinci sites.

Yesterday Charlie and I visited Rennes-le-Château in the French Pyranees. Here's a picture of it, from Blather.net

That is the 'Tour de Magdala' perched on a the top of a mountain, overlooking the beautiful countryside below.

It can be argued that this tranquil village Rennes-le-Château is the source of the whole Da Vinci Code maelstrom. The 'Priory of Sion' myth can be easily traced back from Dan Brown to Henry Lincoln to Gérard de Sède to Pierre Plantard to Noël Corbu - a hotel owner in Rennes-le-Château who created the 'mystery' in order to attract custom to his restaurant!

The whole delicious trail is explained under the subheading 'The Saunière Story' in the Wikipedia entry for Rennes-le-Château.

Posted by sahelsteve at September 29, 2007 10:36 AM