The DaVinci Code Revealed!

Everyone else is doing it, so I figured, why shouldn’t I?

I read it and watched it and I enjoyed both. I love a good conspiracy theory, of course. Right away, I thought: Princess Diana gets killed in a car crash, and Elton John sings a song about an English ROSE. Hmm… A terrorist cell was poised to strike Ottawa, and this weekend, the Bilderberg Group is meeting there. Hmm… My brother just became a mason, but he won’t tell me where the Holy Grail is. Hmm… Actually, just by posting this, I’ll probably be drawn into a world of long-kept secrets and international intrigue. One can only hope.

It is easy to make quick connections and wonder about dark backroom meetings and secret societies, but the reality of the Da Vinci Code (other than that it is a poorly to fairly written book—it could have used a good edit) is that is it an old story. I’m surprised by the reaction of those who have yet to read it: “Don’t tell me!” they shriek, and recoil, as if I’m going to force some bit of information on them that will ruin their lives. APPLE, ok, the answer is APPLE. It’s pretty easy—in fact I got most of the riddles. But the riddles aren’t the thing. The story, as mentioned in the book, is everywhere. A very self-aware story-teller Dan Brown is—“Harrison Ford in Tweed” indeed. (If only. Tom Hanks was a poor choice for a role that required a little more chemistry.) Indiana Jones, King Arthur, Disney, Star Wars, Da Vinci Code—it’s all the same stuff. A long-lost, or hidden heir; a return to the “rightful place”—what exactly is there to give away in the Da Vinci Code? Oh, right: APPLE (clever product placement, I must say).

The reason people like it so much, other than the compelling story-telling technique of switching from scene to scene, from cliff-hanger to cliff-hanger, is not just that the story is familiar, but that it leaves us with the sense that there is meaning to our lives. The end of the book, if I may discuss it openly, where Langdon kneels in front of the spot where he thinks the tomb of Mary Magdalene might be, is not about finding the Grail; it is about believing in something. Here is a guy who, while he may be interested in the sacred feminine, doesn’t show any real tendency to religion, at least not the zealous type some of the other characters show. Yet, through his search, he comes to believe.

I don’t believe that Dan Brown is necessarily yet another in the list (Da Vinci, Newton, Disney) of artists and thinkers who have pushed this particular story into the public sphere, or that this is part of some plot to take down the Church. I do believe that the message here is that it is good to believe in something, whatever it is. Belief will take you further than cynicism, for sure, but healthy scepticism is a big part of constructing belief—and belief must be constructed, not just handed down and accepted.

The story of the Grail encourages people to look, to be aware. Big-name, organised, institutional religion is very much against awareness and investigation. The Vatican’s reiteration this week of their position on sexuality is proof of that: the Church, from the top anyway, looks backwards, not forwards. The new Pope is no less an ass in this regard than the last one. It is great to find Jesus, or Mary, or Allah or whatever god you like, but in order to find them, you’ve got to look. I believe it was Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler who sang: “life’s a journey, not a destination.” If the search goes well, you will find what you are looking for.

And a little excitement never hurt anyone. I really think university English instructors are under-represented in the world of adventure and intrigue. It’s always archaeologists or historians. I’m telling you: writing is the real key to the code.

Happy searching!