The Holy Grail and the Priory of Sion are only two of the many “facts” that need to be subjected to a historical “reality check.” The Holy Grail is a medieval legend about the cup of the Last Supper. The Knights Templar are also included as protectors of the secret but were all but wiped out by the church. Mary Magdalene, according to this bestselling novel, represents the feminine aspect of God (the “divine feminine”)- loved by Jesus but denied by the church for hundreds of years. The book also treats as fact the existence of a secret society called the Priory of Sion, which for centuries has kept the secret of Jesus’ relationship to Mary. Instead, Brown uses his “experts” to suggest that the real Holy Grail is a person, Mary Magdalene, who carried the bloodline of Jesus Christ by having His child. Let’s look at how the “what if” history of The Da Vinci Code plays out with elements that are alleged to be factual.Īre the book’s claims about the Holy Grail, the Priory of Sion, and the Knights Templar historical?Īccording to The Da Vinci Code, the legendary Holy Grail is not the chalice used at the Last Supper of Christ.

Literary scholars see the difference the average reader may not. When challenged on his facts, the author cannot rightfully say, “It’s only a novel.” Such positioning places the reader in a schizophrenic world of fact and fiction.ĭan Brown writes an “alternative history” without giving the reader the ability to see where his facts begin and end. However, both agree that the writer of historical fiction must not distort past reality the writer must not manipulate historical facts to make the novel more interesting or exciting (Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute).īy this definition, The Da Vinci Code would need to develop its plot with historical integrity. Historians and novelists often differ in their points of view about the historical novel and its purpose. He must be a master of the past so as to portray accurately ideas, attitudes, tendencies, and themes and weave his story-accurate in all its details-into the thematic materials. The author of historical fiction must blend historical facts with imagination and creative style to master his art.

In her class syllabus Using Historical Fiction In The History Classroom, Sarah K. Historical fiction is a genre of literature in which imaginary characters live within the realistic boundaries of known facts.

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