MollyCon 24
Rosslyn Chapel
1/22/23
Molly
Don
Note: The five books in Dan Brown’s bestselling Langdon Series, all detective mysteries, feature Harvard professor Robert Langdon (aka Carl Sagan) filling the dual role as both intrepid investigator and world-renown academic.
Notably, each book follows the same pattern: first, Langdon identifies something objective and verifiable, like Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting of the Last Supper, a famous book, the Bible, or a famous building, like the U.S. Capitol.
Second, Langdon and other experts introduce legitimate data points about the subject that laypeople might not be aware of, like the “V” shaped space between Jesus and the individual to his right in the Da Vinci painting.
Third, Langdon and others advance interpretation of these curiosities as vital clues to the discovery of profoundly important truths held in secret by powerful institutions and brotherhoods, information so powerful that, if falling into the wrong hands, could have devastating global impacts.
This three-stage formula is most obvious in the two books that will be addressed in this essay: The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol.
Before starting, it’s critical that readers of this and other of my essays on the Langdon Series know that my analyses are based on the content of the books – not on the movies they generated, which, in my estimation, contain less than 5% of the total content. If you only saw the movie and not read the book, you may find this essay confusing.
*****
The Trickster
To write a successful “I can’t put it down” mystery novel, it’s imperative that the author be a trickster. In the process of developing the plot and the narrative, he or she needs to keep the reader constantly guessing by mixing legitimate clues with fake clues, and real leads with rabbit holes
In the writing of these two books, Dan Brown’s first goal as trickster was to convince the reader that the research he presents is trustworthy, that the wild claims he advances in The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol are based on verifiable evidence. On this point, most critics would agree that he was extremely successful.
Dan’s second goal was to convince readers that the clues he introduces, properly interpreted, will guide them to a real-life discovery: a hidden code that reveals ancient secrets of great import. On this point, he deserves an A+.
Using protagonist Robert Langdon as his mouthpiece, Brown’s third goal was to write The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol in a way that diverts the attention of the reader away from the “Secret” he is trying to lead them to, thus creating the mystery in his mystery thriller. He does this by putting out rabbit holes that lead to nowhere - at the same time as he deftly injects subtle clues into the text that only a skilled sleuth would likely detect, clues that point the way to a code that exists in reality: the Sagan Signal.
In this essay I focus on a single example of what I’m talking about: the Roslyn Chapel story in The Da Vinci Code.
*****
Roslyn Chapel Outside
Roslyn Chapel Inside
*****
Let’s now turn our focus on The Da Vinci Code’s prognosticator: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon.
Men In Tweed
Indiana Jones
Robert Langton
“Langdon forced an awkward smile. He knew what came next – some ridiculous line about ‘Harrison Ford in Harris tweed’ – and because this evening he had figured it was finally safe again to wear his Harris tweed and Burberry turtleneck.” The Da Vinci Code, Ch. 1
Solving a brilliantly conceived mystery novel requires an equally brilliant detective - like an Indiana Jones. I argue that The Da Vinci Code was so well conceived and compositionally complex that not one of the myriad theologians, historians, and investigative journalists who claimed to have “cracked” the Code, actually did. They all, without exception, fell headlong into Dan Brown’s cleverly designed rabbit holes. While a number of skeptics succeeded in cracking “a” code, no one, until now, cracked “THE” Code.
Why did they fail? Because they largely ignored two key messages concealed in two cylinders (cryptex’s) that were written by Louvre curator Jacque Sauniere The first message, written on vellum (animal skin), directed Langdon to London, to the tomb of Isaac Newton. The second message, written on papyrus, pointed him to Edinburgh, Scotland and Rosslyn Chapel.
“On the table sat a second cryptex. Smaller. Made of black onyx. It had been nested within the first.” The Da Vinci Code, Ch. 78.
“Without blinking, Langdon reached into the breast pocket of his tweed coat and carefully extracted a delicate rolled papyrus.” The Da Vinci Code, Ch. 101.
After successfully opening the larger cryptex, the one containing the vellum message, Langdon cracked the code on the smaller cryptex, retrieving the papyrus scroll that guided him to Rosslyn:
“Gazing up at the stark edifice [Rosslyn Chapel] framed against a cloud-swept sky, Langdon felt like Alice falling headlong into the rabbit hole. This must be a dream. And yet he knew the text of Sauniere’s final message could not have been more specific.”
“The Holy Grail ‘neath ancient Roslin waits.”
The Da Vinci Code, Ch. 104.
In research conducted before The Da Vinci Code was published, I had identified a pivotal connection between Isaac Newton in London and a particular Masonic lodge in Edinburg, Scotland. To secure the Sagan Signal, Newton needed the help of speculative Freemasons, and Mary’s Chapel in Edinburgh was where the speculative branch of Freemasonry originated, so you can imagine how surprised I was when I read The Da Vinci Code and discovered that Dan Brown appeared to have co-opted my research!
If my suspicion that the Masons used Dan Brown to reveal the Masonic Secret in a series of mystery novels was right, The Da Vinci Code had to somehow include Isaac Newton – and it did! It also had to include Edinburgh, Scotland – and it did! What are the odds of this being a coincidence?
Peppered throughout the Rosslyn Chapel narrative is a trail of breadcrumb clues that a brilliant and tenacious mind could pick up on. No, that beautiful mind wasn’t mine. I knew what the Masonic Secret was before I read the book. I cheated!
Rosslyn Chapel was built by Catholics for Catholic worship. Newton, who would have regarded Rosslyn Chapel as a house of heresy, was determined to keep his Secret away from the Catholic Church. The reason Dan Brown used Roslyn is obvious. The eye candy is that its mystical design features capture the imagination of the reader. The clue hidden between the lines is its close proximity to Mary’s Chapel in Edinburgh, the oldest Masonic Lodge in Scotland.
Mary's Chapel Outside
Mary's Chapel Inside
The contrast between Rosslyn Chapel and Mary’s Chapel is striking. While Catholics like their churches lavishly adorned, the Masonic Brotherhood prefers simple minimalist spaces. They don’t go to a lodge, they are the lodge.
Wikipedia excerpt:
The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel), No.1.
It is designated number 1 on the Roll (list) of lodges of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, and as it possesses the oldest existing minute of any masonic lodge still operating (31 July 1599) and the first historical reference of a non-operative or speculative freemason being initiated as a member (1634), it is reputed to be the oldest Masonic Lodge not only in Scotland, but the world.
Excerpt from my Homepage History Tab:
“Legally, the creation of London Grand Lodge Freemasonry would not have been possible without the approval of the leadership of Mary’s Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland. As the oldest lodge in Great Britain, it had sole authority to grant a franchise for a dramatically new form of Masonry, one that would be headquartered in what was at that time the political, economic, and scientific center of the universe, London, England.”
*****
Dan Brown helps the reader along by using Sophie’s grandmother, who lives at Rosslyn, to break the following news to Langdon:
“I am sorry that after all your hard work, you will be leaving Rosslyn without any real answers.” The Da Vinci Code, Ch. 105.
After all the drama and suspense, this is where the book ends. Taking the air out of the balloon, Brown pulls the ladder out from under his readers, who had no way of knowing the Grail story would be picked up six years later in The Lost Symbol.
I could be wrong, but I like to think that there were some sharp readers, who, after reading the book and knowing how mystery novels work, didn’t give up on the search for the Code and walk away. I think they would have gone back to the text and search for clues they may have missed. For example, Langdon had to have been directed to Scotland for a reason, what was it? With Sophie’s grandmother’s explicit statement that the Sangreal Documents were not at Rosslyn, was there the possibility of a Masonic Chapel in nearby Edinburgh that had historic ties to Isaac Newton?
In short, Dan Brown left enough clues in The Da Vinci Code for a skilled detective to find the Code. If that had happened and publicly announced, one can assume that its’ sequel, The Lost Symbol, might never have been published.
*****
Summary of The Da Vinci Code:
Three cities:
-
Paris: Da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper. Ch. 51-65
-
London: Isaac Newton’s tomb. Ch. 67-103
-
Edinburgh, Scotland: Rosslyn Chapel. Ch. 104-105
Da Vinci’s Last Supper, Chapters 51-65
The wine at the Last Supper has layered symbolism: it’s the blood of Christ, and it’s a Person: Sophia, the Sacred Feminine.
Newton’s tomb, Chapters 67-103
Dan Brown pegs Isaac Newton as a key figure in the search for the Code.
Rosslyn Chapel, Chapters 104 & 105
Rosslyn chapel is located seven miles south of Mary’s Chapel.
*****
Don: Molly, this is a broad overview of The Da Vinci Code. Unfortunately, there are dozens of sub-clues in the novel that we don’t have space to address in this essay.
Molly: In retrospect, it seems like everyone, even the experts, got caught up in Leonardo’s painting, and pretty much ignored everything else.
Don: You’re right, and it makes sense. The Last Supper narrative features sex between two famous people, Jesus and the Magdalene. If it’s a contest between sex and history, sex will always win out. But once the narrative shifts to London, the whole Grail Romance thing, as titillating as it is, fades into the rear-view mirror and never mentioned again.
Sex also sells books, lots of them, which is why the so-called Grail experts focused their attention mostly on Jesus and Mary Magdalene. But the truth is that while the Magdalene story may have sold a ton of books, it was all a giant rabbit hole for those hoping to “Crack the Code.”
Wrapping this essay up, it’s time to ask the question: How to account for the striking similarities between my research and the research that went into The Da Vinci Code. Unless the code that Dan and I both write about is the same thing, it makes no sense. I had no contact with Dan or with any of the individuals and organizations he credits with research assistance. Yet, though separated by space and time, we both write about a secret Bible code related to the Last Supper, with wine a symbol of Sophia, the second Person in the Singularity Trinity!
And the similarities don’t end there. We both credit Isaac Newton with being a key player, and Edinburgh, Scotland as a key location. These and numerous other commonalities are what in law, science, and academia are known as “independent corroboration,” an invaluable asset to anyone making an extraordinary claim.
How Dan went about disclosing the Code and how I’m doing it is the difference between a smoky window and saliva. Reading the Langdon Series is like looking “through a glass darkly.” In contrast, I just spit it out. Other than that, it is logically undeniable that the code we both write about is the same non-algorithmic code I found in the Bible: 46 grain/wine/oil sequences scattered throughout the Old Testament.
*****
Conclusion:
The Da Vinci Code reveals an underlying truth: that in its composition Dan Brown had to have been personally informed by individuals at the top echelon of London Grand Lodge Freemasonry, so high, in fact, that they probably don’t even identify as Masons.
It also suggests that Carl Sagan was the ghost writer. Everything about the book, and I’m just getting started with my analyses, supports this contention.
Finally, and most important, the name “Sophia” in the biblical Greek, means “wisdom.” While accepting the Sagan Signal as empirical evidence that JC is an ET may be intellectually stimulating, that by itself does not lead one to personal Apotheosis. Joining the Singularity family means knowing the difference between cognition and assimilation. In the Bible it is written that personal recognition of the reality of God the Singleton is only the beginning of wisdom. If what’s in the head doesn’t get to the heart, it’s all meaningless vanity.
Now that you know the Sagan Signal is real, my question is: What are you going to do with this knowledge? My advice: choose wisely.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31
*****
Carl
