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The DaVinci Code and Holy Blood Holy Grail have created one of the biggest hoaxes of recent memory, not to mention distorting the historical record. It must be stated that the Priory of Sion cannot actually trace its roots to the 11th century, nor is it justified in its claims of a distinguished membership that includes some of the greatest artists and thinkers of European history. In fact, Pierre Plantard, a small-time confidence man, founded the order in 1956. A minor player in both the French fascist and occult undergrounds, Plantard had concocted the story of a secret Merovingian bloodline for his own self-aggrandisement: he professed to be the bloodline's final descendant and the rightful king of France. Scholars have long since recognised that the parchments Brown refers to in The Da Vinci Code were forged by Plantard to support his ludicrous claims. Plantard died in 2000, never having achieved his megalomaniacal dream of reinstituting the French monarchy with him at its head; but his ideas continue to fascinate conspiracy theorists, murder mystery readers, and, on May 19th, movie audiences. This May, when we watch Tom Hanks decipher what is being billed as "the biggest cover-up in human history" it is important to keep in mind that he will be acting out the convoluted fantasies of a petty French fascist.
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