Watch What You Read
Critical thinking is imperative when considering facts while reading any type of literature, whether it is fact or fiction. Several books and movies have been written to prove or disprove the conspiracies behind secret organizations. One of the most controversial authors has been Dan Brown. He is the author of “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels and Demons.” “The Da Vinci Code” identifies an organization called “Priory of Sion,” while “Angels and Demons” identifies the Illuminati group. In both novels, Brown claims each organization is protecting secrets that could crumble the Christian and Catholic religions. Brown pointed out facts that would indicate such secrets by stating, “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate” at the beginning of each book. Despite the fact that both novels are non-fiction, there were some written facts that have created quite the controversial uproar from religious experts and historians. They would argue that Brown’s “facts” were indeed not true.
Dan Brown wrote both novels based on a character named Robert Langdon. Langdon is a symbology professor at Harvard University. In “The Da Vinci Code,” he is on a quest to solve the mystery of his old friend, Jacques Sauniere, who was a curator of The Louvre in Paris, France. Following a bizarre twist of codes that were supposedly hidden in Leonardo Da Vinci’s paintings, Langdon finds an organization called “Priory of Sion” who was hiding a secret linked to the Holy Grail. It is argued that the “Priory of Sion” did not exist, but was instead a fraud created in the 1950’s by Pierre Plantard (Introvigne, ??). It was found that Plantard was charged and sentenced by the French government for creating the fraud (Smith, ??). Plantard claimed the truth of the organization was found in the “Les Dossiers Secrets”, which he wrote were actual documents indicating that the organization was real, and was led by famous historical figures such as Benjamin Franklin and Leonardo Da Vinci. Brown failed to note that these documents were admitted to being false by its creators (Introvigne, ??).
The prequel “Angels and Demons” introduces the Illuminati organization to Brown’s readers. Once again, Professor Langdon gets involved in yet, another, bizarre twist of clues through symbolism. He saves the world from a terrorist who threatens the Vatican City with an anti-matter bomb. This time, Brown was more accurate in his claims that the organization exists. However, he still twisted some false information in the truth. He wrote that the Illuminati organization was focused on infiltrating the Freemasons and the government in order to become more powerful and gain control. In the book, it was their mission to destroy the Catholic Church by revealing the truth regarding Jesus’ bloodline. The actual truth behind the Illuminati organization is merely that it was organized for the simple act of surviving the depths of politics and religion, or in other words, a secret alliance. (Dice, 2009) It was created by a German man named Adam Weishaupt in the late 1700’s whose goal was to”… secretly infiltrate key positions of power in politics, morally corrupt society, and ultimately abolish Christianity” (Dice, 2009). While some of what Brown wrote in his book may be more accurate than that of “The Da Vinci Code,” it was still very farfetched from the truth.
When reading any book associated with conspiracy theories, it is imperative to remember the facts behind the fiction. Non-fiction novels are written purely for entertainment. However, don’t always believe what you read just because the author might say it is true. Without hard supporting evidence, one should remain critical of the information they receive.
References
Dice, M. (2009, April). The Illuminati: Facts and Fiction. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from http://www.illuminatifacts.com
Introvigne, M. (n.d.). Beyond "The Da Vinci Code": What is the Priory of Sion?. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from http://www.cesnur.org/2004/mi_davinci_en.html
Smith, P. (n.d.). Pierre Plantard Criminal Convictions 1953 and 1956. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from http://priory-of-sion.com/psp/ppconvictions.html
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