Chapple, R. M. 2014 A Knight out on the Town | Stoking the fires of conspiracy | Chapple in Paris in 2004. Blogspot post

8/12/2019 Chapple, R. M. 2014 A Knight out on the Town | Stoking the fires of conspiracy | Chapple in Paris in 2004. Blogsp

1/10

A Knight out on the Town | Stoking the fires of conspiracy |

Chapple in Paris in 2004

Originally posted online on 4 June 2014 at rmchapple.blogspot.com(http://rmchapple.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-knight-out-on-town-stoking-fires-of.html)

Just as the wave of 2014 St Patrick-related posts and tweets was coming to an end there was aslight spike in social network posts of another kind Jacques deMolay.March 18th 2014marked the 700th anniversary since deMolay, the last Grand Master of the KnightsTemplarwas burnt to death on the orders of KingPhilip IVof France. Admittedly, its onlyexactly 700 years if you ignore the changes from the Julian to Gregorian calendars etc. butwhatsa few days between friends? In reviewing the several comments posted on my Facebookpage afterwards, I was reminded that in some circles at least deMolay is a character who

still excites passions. To some, hes an anti-establishment icon who challenged the authorityof the church. To others he is seen as the head of a sinister organisation whose name issynonymous with the Illuminati, the Freemasons, and any other group (real or imagined)credited with pulling the strings of power behind the scenes. In a sign that he remains anadaptable and malleable icon, it was even suggested to me that his demise might be a fittingtemplate for dealing with the bankers responsible for the economic downturn.One newspapercolumneven suggested that this date should be reimagined as a national day to rememberformer members of the armed forces.

Templars!Its something of an understatement to say that Ive a bit of an obsession with the KnightsTemplar. I have an early memory of watching one ofHenry Lincolns TV documentaries in the1970s aboutRennes-le-Chteauand the possibilities of the Templars having been involved in
http://rmchapple.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-knight-out-on-town-stoking-fires-of.htmlhttp://rmchapple.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-knight-out-on-town-stoking-fires-of.htmlhttp://rmchapple.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-knight-out-on-town-stoking-fires-of.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_de_Molayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_de_Molayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_IV_of_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_IV_of_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_IV_of_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_(New_Style)_Act_1750#Reaction_and_effecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_(New_Style)_Act_1750#Reaction_and_effecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminatihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminatihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminatihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonryhttp://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/dominicselwood/100263362/a-stain-on-history-the-burning-of-jacques-de-molay-grand-master-of-the-mysterious-knights-templar-700-years-ago-today/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/dominicselwood/100263362/a-stain-on-history-the-burning-of-jacques-de-molay-grand-master-of-the-mysterious-knights-templar-700-years-ago-today/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/dominicselwood/100263362/a-stain-on-history-the-burning-of-jacques-de-molay-grand-master-of-the-mysterious-knights-templar-700-years-ago-today/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/dominicselwood/100263362/a-stain-on-history-the-burning-of-jacques-de-molay-grand-master-of-the-mysterious-knights-templar-700-years-ago-today/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lincolnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lincolnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lincolnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennes-le-Ch%C3%A2teauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennes-le-Ch%C3%A2teauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennes-le-Ch%C3%A2teauhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kClhSnQwOaQ/U06-WGdgx-I/AAAAAAAAHak/cYWK8MWUfw8/s1600/IMG_2697.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennes-le-Ch%C3%A2teauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lincolnhttp://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/dominicselwood/100263362/a-stain-on-history-the-burning-of-jacques-de-molay-grand-master-of-the-mysterious-knights-templar-700-years-ago-today/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/dominicselwood/100263362/a-stain-on-history-the-burning-of-jacques-de-molay-grand-master-of-the-mysterious-knights-templar-700-years-ago-today/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminatihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_(New_Style)_Act_1750#Reaction_and_effecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_IV_of_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_de_Molayhttp://rmchapple.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-knight-out-on-town-stoking-fires-of.html


2/10

hiding somethingin that corner of France. I remember being filled with a thrill at the idea ofthese apparently lost or suppressed narratives being uncovered through historical researchand the application of imaginative reason or at least what was being passed off as reason.Although utterly fraudulent, I bought into it in a big way. I still have my hardback first-editionof The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail [Free PDF version available: here]. Although first-editionsof this book go for considerable amounts of money, mine is not in that league mycopy is dog-eared, battered, and covered in my scribbled notes and underlinings. While itseasy to look back on the web the authors spun as a collection of inaccuracies,misunderstandings, misinterpretations, faulty logic, poor research, and pretty much anycriticism you wish to throw at the work, it was very influential to me personally. Quite apartfrom anything else, it was one of my chief childhood influences that engaged my latent interestin history and all things ancient. WithoutHBHG Id probably never have ended up inarchaeology make of that what you will! Admittedly, taking on a more serious attitude tohistory and archaeology is what eventually led to my understanding that the book and theentire field of popular publishing that it spawned is an intellectually flawed endeavour. Ifyou want eloquent proof of the lack of robustness of this enterprise, look no further than theBBCs 1996Timewatchdocumentary The History of a Mystery. The show amounts to a point-by-point take-down of Andrews & Schellenberger's book The Tomb of God, and the wholeRennes-le-Chteau industry with it. For all that, I still enjoy reading pseudo history and I stillspend quite a bit of time dressing up as a Templar.

The author as a Templar ... though my glasses wont fit under the helmBut thats not what I wanted to talk about today. I wanted to talk about Dan Browns bookTheDa Vinci Code[Free PDF:here]. I had originally ignored it when it was published in 2003, andit was only when it came out in paperback the following year that I began to pay it anyattention. By that point, it had infiltrated the popular consciousness in ways thatneither HBHGand its flock of sequels and imitators had ever achieved. EvenUmberto Ecos

literary masterpieceFoucault's Pendulumtackling much the same subject matter neverinspired such popular flurry and book sales. In much the same way as when your favourite
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holy_Blood_and_the_Holy_Grailhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holy_Blood_and_the_Holy_Grailhttps://archive.org/details/HolyBloodholyGrailhttps://archive.org/details/HolyBloodholyGrailhttps://archive.org/details/HolyBloodholyGrailhttp://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=baigent&ds=30&fe=on&sortby=1&tn=holy+blood+grailhttp://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=baigent&ds=30&fe=on&sortby=1&tn=holy+blood+grailhttp://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=baigent&ds=30&fe=on&sortby=1&tn=holy+blood+grailhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timewatchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timewatchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timewatchhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp63u_Eu1Fchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp63u_Eu1Fchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp63u_Eu1Fchttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tomb_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tomb_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tomb_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Codehttp://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/engramja/ENG_11/The.Da.Vinci.Code.pdfhttp://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/engramja/ENG_11/The.Da.Vinci.Code.pdfhttp://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/engramja/ENG_11/The.Da.Vinci.Code.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umberto_Ecohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umberto_Ecohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umberto_Ecohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault%27s_Pendulumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault%27s_Pendulumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault%27s_Pendulumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault%27s_Pendulumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umberto_Ecohttp://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/engramja/ENG_11/The.Da.Vinci.Code.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tomb_of_Godhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp63u_Eu1Fchttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timewatchhttp://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=baigent&ds=30&fe=on&sortby=1&tn=holy+blood+grailhttp://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=baigent&ds=30&fe=on&sortby=1&tn=holy+blood+grailhttps://archive.org/details/HolyBloodholyGrailhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holy_Blood_and_the_Holy_Grail


3/10

underground band is suddenly catapulted up the charts to stardom and household-ubiquity,some of their sheen appears to dissipate for the long-term fan. This was how it was for me. Iunexpectedly found myself surrounded by large numbers of people, all of whom had opinionsas to just whathad been found by the Templars in Jerusalem, what was buried in Rennes-le-Chteau, or the true origins of Freemasonry. Maybe I just hung out with the wrong people!Like Flann OBriens comment on those who spoke Irish when it was neither popular norprofitable, I had nothing but distain for these newcomers, lately arrived to the twin fields ofesoteric investigations and heavy-to-industrial-strength pseudo-historical speculation. Whenmy late father finally persuaded me to accept his copy of The Da Vinci Code, I was horrified todiscover that it was a terrible disappointment poor prose broken up by interminable lecturesfrom the author on all things historical and esoteric. Dull, dull, dull. Ive never reread the book,but in parsing sections of it to check facts for this post, I feel that my low opinion of the writingis justified. That said, fair play toDan BrownI may not like his work, but I love his booksales!

Absolutely none of this was on my mind in 2004 when my wife and I decided to head to Paris

for a holiday. Ah, those halcyon days before we became parents! We booked in for a week atthe delightfully named Hotel Garden Opera. I see that they now have a picture of the actualbuilding on their website. Back then, they had one photo on the website and it was of theremarkably beautifulPalais Garnier,the Paris opera house. We only realised this when weattempted to reconcile the images wed seen of this fantastically opulent masterpiece ofFrenchSecond Empireexcess with the anonymous concrete block we found ourselves standingoutside. The hotel was situated in what I came to term the African hairdressing quarter ofParis with numerous establishments on both sides of the main thoroughfare leading into thecity centre dedicated to this art. In the evenings, when the hairdressers had shut up shop forthe night, and put out their refuse for collection, offcuts of human hair would blow along thestreet, propelled by the light breeze. These would coalesce into sizeable balls, gathering upleaves and assorted street debris, to form impressive tumbleweaves, often travelling at some

velocity and making noise as they went. I took quite a fright the first time one shot past me,thinking it was agiant rat.Shock quickly turned to disgust on the realisation that this was a
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_O'Nolanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_O'Nolanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_O'Nolanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Brownhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Brownhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Brownhttp://www.gardenopera.com/http://www.gardenopera.com/http://www.gardenopera.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Garnierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Garnierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Garnierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_French_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_French_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_French_Empirehttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tumbleweavehttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tumbleweavehttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tumbleweavehttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=R.O.U.S.http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=R.O.U.S.http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=R.O.U.S.http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mx7d7rgSdHY/U4-ASw2g34I/AAAAAAAAHwY/HX5TDjKD24w/s1600/IMG_2965.JPGhttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=R.O.U.S.http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tumbleweavehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_French_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Garnierhttp://www.gardenopera.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Brownhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_O'Nolan


4/10

vast collection of human hair from multiple sources, apparently moving of its own volition such are the things that nightmares are made of! Of the hotel itself, the rooms were tiny,Spartan, and the main door couldnt fully open because the bed was in the way. On the positiveside, the staff were lovely and the breakfasts were excellent and all within walking distanceof the centre of the city. We did quite a few of the touristy things youd expect or at leastthose that youd expect an obsessive archaeologist to be attracted to. We hit Pre LachaiseCemetery, the Paris catacombs; the Roman ruins under Notre Dame; the tapestrymasterpiecesat theMuse de Cluny;the house ofNicolas Flamel(who was a real person & notjust a character in the Harry Potter novels); and theEiffel Tower.Admittedly, in the case ofthe latter, I had forgotten the vast scale of the construction and insisted that theres no needto go by Metro its just over there! Several hours later, back at the hotel (via a stop at achemist to purchase ibuprofen cream to soothe tired, flayed feet) a quick perusal of the mapId left behind indicated that Id taken us on a forced march of approximately 7.5km ( c.4.6miles) through the highways and backstreets of the city. We used the citys Metro with muchmore frequency after that.

The Paris CatacombsSomewhere in amongst these cultural meanderings, punctuated by frequent stops for lunches,dinners, beer, numerous bowls of French Onion Soup, and strong, sweet Parisian coffee, wefound ourselves outside the doors of the church of Saint-Sulpice. What with all the otherarchaeological and historical delights to sample around the city, it wasnt even on my cultural

horizon as a place to visit. But now that were here I suggested to my wife that Id like togo in for a look about. She eyed both me and the building with something approachingsuspicion and asked whats so special about this one? Paris is filled with churches like this!Time to come clean! Well its a scene of some action in The Da Vinci Code, but its alsoreally important in the whole Rennes-le-Chteau affair, because this is where thepriestBrenger Saunirecame to celebrate mass when he visited Paris . I dont think I reallygot much further than that. By this stage, my wife had taken on a look of not this madnessagain? She sighed and indicated that I was welcome to the dull and dusty church,but she wasstaying outside to enjoy the sunshine and the festival of poetry books on sale in the adjacentPlace Saint-Sulpice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemeteryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemeteryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemeteryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemeteryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Parishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Parishttp://www.crypte.paris.fr/en/crypthttp://www.crypte.paris.fr/en/crypthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Parishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Parishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_and_the_Unicornhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_and_the_Unicornhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_and_the_Unicornhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_national_du_Moyen_%C3%82gehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_national_du_Moyen_%C3%82gehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_national_du_Moyen_%C3%82gehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Flamelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Flamelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Flamelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Towerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Towerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Towerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint-Sulpice,_Parishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint-Sulpice,_Parishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9renger_Sauni%C3%A8rehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9renger_Sauni%C3%A8rehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9renger_Sauni%C3%A8rehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9renger_Sauni%C3%A8rehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint-Sulpice,_Parishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Towerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Flamelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_national_du_Moyen_%C3%82gehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_and_the_Unicornhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_and_the_Unicornhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Parishttp://www.crypte.paris.fr/en/crypthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Parishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemeteryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemetery


5/10

Bone art at The Paris CatacombsToday, the church of Saint-Sulpice is the second-largest in Paris (after Notre Dame). Theoriginal edifice was constructed during the 13th century in theRomanesquestyle. The current

building was begun in the mid-17th century, under the direction ofJean-Jacques Olier,thefounder of the Society of Saint-Sulpice. The west faade was redesigned in the 1730sby Giovanni Niccol Servandoni, inspired by Christopher Wren'sSaint Paul's Cathedral inLondon. There have been additions and subtractions along the way, but what remains todayis an imposing, but (to me at least) uninspiringly bland mock Classical affair.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Olierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Olierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Olierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Saint-Sulpicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Saint-Sulpicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Niccol%C3%B2_Servandonihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Niccol%C3%B2_Servandonihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Niccol%C3%B2_Servandonihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Wrenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Wrenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Wrenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul's_Cathedralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul's_Cathedralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul's_Cathedralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul's_Cathedralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Wrenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Niccol%C3%B2_Servandonihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Saint-Sulpicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Olierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_architecture


6/10

Art DecoMasonic columbarium at Pre Lachaise CemeteryDull, dusty and definitely dark! Stepping in from the bright sunshine, I expected that myeyes should take a few moments to adjust. In that brief time of partial blindness I hadanticipated a change from the hustle and bustle of the city streets to something quieter andaltogether more reverend. If anything, the sound levels appeared to increase it was louder

inside the church than outside on the street. As my eyes adjusted to the gloom I could see thatthe church was packed with people. My first reaction was to back out and leave theseworshipers to their service but they werent worshipers and there was no cleric in evidenceto conduct them in prayer. These were tourists who had either like me wandered in hereor had deliberately sought this place out. A brief scan around the nave indicated that therewere quite a few holding copies of Dan Browns book in multiple translations and therewere even a few to be seen sporting thumbed paperback editions ofHBHG. I was clearly amongthe hard-core!

One of the chief items of interest within the church is the large obelisk-likegnomonand itsbrass strip inserted into the floor. Although it looks out of place within a church, it is there toserve a largely christian function. The monument was completed in 1743, on the request of theparish priest of the church,Jean-Baptiste Languet de Gergy,as a means of better identifyingthe occurrence of the equinoxes and, thus, determining the exact date ofeaster,though it hasbeen used for a number of other, purely scientific, purposes. It is often stated without anyverification that I have ever seen that the church was saved from the wreckers andiconoclasts of the French Revolution precisely because of this connection to scientificendeavour. Certainly, the church was used during this period as a place to worshiptheSupreme Being.The Wikipedia article asserts (but Ive never noticed it) that there is aprinted sign over the center door of the main entrance. One can still barely make out theprinted words "Le Peuple Francais Reconnoit LEtre Suprme Et LImmortalit de Lme"("The French people recognize the Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul"). Thechurch also appears in the so-calledDossiers Secrets d'Henri Lobineau,widely considered aforgery concocted byPierre Plantard(a French pretender to the French throne) andPhilippe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Decohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Decohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnomon_of_Saint-Sulpicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnomon_of_Saint-Sulpicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnomon_of_Saint-Sulpicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Languet_de_Gergyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Languet_de_Gergyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Languet_de_Gergyhttp://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/determining-easter-date.htmlhttp://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/determining-easter-date.htmlhttp://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/determining-easter-date.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Beinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Beinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Beinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dossiers_Secrets_d'Henri_Lobineauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dossiers_Secrets_d'Henri_Lobineauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dossiers_Secrets_d'Henri_Lobineauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Plantardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Plantardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Plantardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_de_Ch%C3%A9riseyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_de_Ch%C3%A9riseyhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EJRQ0SKlOLM/U4-ATqr7QQI/AAAAAAAAHwc/qodrMf80UDw/s1600/IMG_2968.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_de_Ch%C3%A9riseyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Plantardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dossiers_Secrets_d'Henri_Lobineauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Beinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolutionhttp://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/determining-easter-date.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Languet_de_Gergyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnomon_of_Saint-Sulpicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Deco


7/10

de Chrisey(a disgraced, alcoholic, minor noble). These documents purport to be an accountof the Priory of Sion, an organisation founded by Godfrey de Bouillon in 1099. Withoutproviding the whole background to, and contents of, the documents it may be safely statedthat all reputable researchers who have investigated the issue conclude that they are forgeries,concocted as part of a surrealist hoax, orludibrium.

Jim Morrison's grave at Pre Lachaise CemeteryBetween these various sources, the church of Saint-Sulpice had achieved a degree of mythicaggregation in the realms of pseudo history that near rivalled Rennes-le-Chteau itself, evenbefore the publication of The Da Vinci Code. The novel getsmany things wrong,including the

fact that the metal strip in the floor is in some way related to theParis Meridian(which actuallypasses c.100m to the east and was established nearly 80 years earlier, in 1666). In thenovel,Silas, the albino monk,enters the church in search of a keystone that will give him thelocation of the Holy Grail. Following the available clues, he discovers it (actually a decoycreated by the Priory of Sion) in a cavity under a floor tile at the foot of the obelisk. The Wikiarticle on the church notes that In the years following the publication of the novel, touristswould sometimes be seen knocking on the floor near the obelisk, searching for hollow spaces.Had I read that line without having been to the church and seen it with my own eyes, I wouldnot have believed it. Actually, I disagree with one word in the sentence: sometimes. The scenethat lay before me was that of a cacophonous throng, attempting to soak up and appreciateevery bit of esoteric, occult, and conspiracy-laden mysticism that had been encoded into thearchitecture and decoration by those likely lads from the Priory of Sion, the Illuminati, the

Knights Templar and probably helped out by the Freemasons too! It seemed thateverywhere I looked there were people tapping for hollows in the floor, or making deep,meaningful sighs as they beheld the significance of the brass strip in the floor. That poor lineof metal had already been polished to a high shine by two and a half centuries of pedestriantraffic by worshipers, tourists, and sundry French Revolutionaries. Now it looked like it wasabout to either expire or combust under the accumulated weight of gentle stroking and esotericsignificance that was being placed upon it. Individuals were photographing it or sighting alongit. The hand gestures used by occasional small groups pointing or swinging a limb parallel Indicated that a number of animated conversations were being had about it. Other people werephotographing the alleged references to the Priory of Sion encoded in the stained glass, orlooking at the large and ornate candlesticks on the high altar. In the latter case, one of thesecandlesticks is mentioned in Browns book as having been used by Silas to smash his waythrough the floor of the church. I would be wrong to paint a picture that suggested I was a lonesceptic among this throng of historical conspiracy theorists, though it did certainly feel that
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_de_Ch%C3%A9riseyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_de_Ch%C3%A9riseyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priory_of_Sionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priory_of_Sionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godfrey_of_Bouillonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godfrey_of_Bouillonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludibriumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludibriumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludibriumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Morrisonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Morrisonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_The_Da_Vinci_Code#Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_The_Da_Vinci_Code#Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_The_Da_Vinci_Code#Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Meridianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Meridianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Meridianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_(The_Da_Vinci_Code)#Silashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_(The_Da_Vinci_Code)#Silashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_(The_Da_Vinci_Code)#Silashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Grailhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Grailhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mfg942Eyc7o/U06-XjWnSoI/AAAAAAAAHa0/iHwToSV9kvg/s1600/Jim+Morrison+2.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Grailhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_(The_Da_Vinci_Code)#Silashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Meridianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_The_Da_Vinci_Code#Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Morrisonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludibriumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godfrey_of_Bouillonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priory_of_Sionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_de_Ch%C3%A9risey


8/10

way at first. No more than my eyes taking some time to adapt to the lower light levels withinthe building, I slowly began to discern that it was not a uniform host before me. First inscattered overheard wisps of conversations, and later in a couple of chats with other visitors, Icame to realise that a significant number of those there had, like me, wandered in to see whatall the fuss was about. For all that, we were definitely in the minority. In making my wayaround the church, I noticed that there were concerted hums of activity around the gnomonand the high altar etc., all within the general background throng of floor-knockers and brass-polishers. There was, however, one distinct group a loose knot of people, standing togetherin relative silence looking at something of interest that I couldnt quite see. I made my waythrough the crowd, careful not to trip over any bent-kneed strip-strokers, bump into anyonehaving a significant moment, or the one guy who loudly proclaimed that he was there ToWorship Isis. Once I got closer, I could see that there was not one object of fascination, butseveral. A series of small, rectangular cards were mounted on stands. Each card had a shorttext in one of several languages. Despite my enviable fluency in both War Movie German andOutrageously French, I shuffled along until I got to the English version. Try as I might, Icouldnt recall any more than the general gist of it and a couple of generalised phrases.Thankfully, someone out there had the foresight to record it for posterity and include it nearthe end of theWikipedia articleon the church:

(...) Contrary to fanciful allegations in a recent best-selling novel, this is not a vestige of apagan temple. No such temple ever existed in this place. It [the line in the floor] was nevercalled a Rose-Line. It does not coincide with the meridian traced through the middle of theParis Observatory which serves as a reference for maps where longitudes are measured indegrees East or West of Paris. (...) Please also note that the letters P and S in the smallround windows at both ends of the transept refer to Peter and Sulpice, the patron saints of thechurch, and not an imaginary Priory of Sion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint-Sulpice,_Paris#References_in_popular_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint-Sulpice,_Paris#References_in_popular_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint-Sulpice,_Paris#References_in_popular_culturehttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L90O2XqiSho/U4-ATQYBZ5I/AAAAAAAAHwg/UuWEgJz8KS0/s1600/IMG_2973.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint-Sulpice,_Paris#References_in_popular_culture


9/10

Chapple on top of the Arc de Triomphe... with fashionable Eiffel Tower decoration sprouting from top of head

This was where I took my deep meaningful breath and sighed! It was a beautiful feeling! In

among all this crazy, here were a series of small signs acting as beacons for rationality anddoing your research! I was about to head back out of the church, happy in the knowledge thatthere still existed a stout bulwark of sense and sanity to counter the massed ranks of Lincolns,Schellenbergers, Browns, and their adherents. Just as I was about to turn and go, I overheardtwo middle-aged ladies discussing what they had just read. Their accents indicated that theywere of North American origin and they were dressed in what amounts to traditional touristgarb that included large floppy canvas hats and bum bags(or fanny packsin North Americanparlance). One held a copy of The Da Vinci Codeunder her arm while the other had the samesqueezed awkwardly into her bum bag. Both copies of the novel were heavily dog-eared andthumbed. One volume in particular sprouted a profusion of coloured post -it notes andsundry ad-hoc markers, many of which appeared to bear scribbled notes and jottings.Listening to them attempt to process the information from the sign was quite extraordinary.

Confronted with these facts, so plainly stated, and in contradiction with the novel they clearlyloved they didnt seem to know how to react. There was quite a bit of halting, confused halfsentences left trailing off into the void: But Dan Brown just or I thought that . Ihad quite a bit of sympathy for them I had once been in a similar situation. I have tried torationalise the difference in terms of my infatuation with The Holy Blood and the HolyGrailwas based around a book that purported to be genuine history, while Dan Browns workwas very clearly a novel a work of fiction. But that wont wash. BothHBHGand The Da VinciCodeclaim the same base set of pseudo-historical facts, assumptions, and downright lies toweave their stories of conspiracy laden alternative history. The only difference is that the noveladds a cast of fictional characters, including Prof.Robert Langdon,Sophie Neveu Saint-Clair,and the totally not based on two of the authors ofHBHG,Sir Leigh Teabing.It had taken quitea portion of my childhood and teenage years, but I had read, reasoned, and researched my way

out of this intellectual abyss and now it was their turn. For anyone not already aware, thesuppressed historical narrative here is thatJesusescaped the crucifixion and made it to the
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004P4KRSM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004P4KRSM&linkCode=as2&tag=robmchaarc-21%22%3eBAGBASE%20NEW%20BUM%20BAG%20BELT%20BAG%208%20GREAT%20COLOURS%20(BLACK)%3c/a%3e%3cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=robmchaarc-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B004P4KRSM%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004P4KRSM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004P4KRSM&linkCode=as2&tag=robmchaarc-21%22%3eBAGBASE%20NEW%20BUM%20BAG%20BELT%20BAG%208%20GREAT%20COLOURS%20(BLACK)%3c/a%3e%3cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=robmchaarc-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B004P4KRSM%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004P4KRSM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004P4KRSM&linkCode=as2&tag=robmchaarc-21%22%3eBAGBASE%20NEW%20BUM%20BAG%20BELT%20BAG%208%20GREAT%20COLOURS%20(BLACK)%3c/a%3e%3cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=robmchaarc-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B004P4KRSM%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004RMJPOE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004RMJPOE&linkCode=as2&tag=robmchaarc-21%22%3eBAGBASE%20BELT%20BAG%20(BLACK)%3c/a%3e%3cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=robmchaarc-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B004RMJPOE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004RMJPOE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004RMJPOE&linkCode=as2&tag=robmchaarc-21%22%3eBAGBASE%20BELT%20BAG%20(BLACK)%3c/a%3e%3cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=robmchaarc-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B004RMJPOE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004RMJPOE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004RMJPOE&linkCode=as2&tag=robmchaarc-21%22%3eBAGBASE%20BELT%20BAG%20(BLACK)%3c/a%3e%3cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=robmchaarc-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B004RMJPOE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Langdonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Langdonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Langdonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Neveu#Sophie_Neveu_Saint-Clairhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Neveu#Sophie_Neveu_Saint-Clairhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Neveu#Sophie_Neveu_Saint-Clairhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leigh_Teabing#Sir_Leigh_Teabing.2FThe_Teacherhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leigh_Teabing#Sir_Leigh_Teabing.2FThe_Teacherhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leigh_Teabing#Sir_Leigh_Teabing.2FThe_Teacherhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leigh_Teabing#Sir_Leigh_Teabing.2FThe_Teacherhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Neveu#Sophie_Neveu_Saint-Clairhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Langdonhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004RMJPOE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004RMJPOE&linkCode=as2&tag=robmchaarc-21%22%3eBAGBASE%20BELT%20BAG%20(BLACK)%3c/a%3e%3cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=robmchaarc-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B004RMJPOE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004P4KRSM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004P4KRSM&linkCode=as2&tag=robmchaarc-21%22%3eBAGBASE%20NEW%20BUM%20BAG%20BELT%20BAG%208%20GREAT%20COLOURS%20(BLACK)%3c/a%3e%3cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=robmchaarc-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B004P4KRSM%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;


10/10

south of France with his wife, Mary Magdalene, where their children went on to foundtheMerovingian dynastyof French kings. The Merovingians survived their deposition in themid-8th century and survive to this day as near mystical once andfuture kings. The wholestory has been covered up by the Catholic Church in order to preserve their business interestsand maintain their orthodoxy.Simples.

A much thinner (& less grey) Chapple under the Eiffel TowerI stood there and listened as these two tourists fumbled their way toward some uncomfortableconclusions. If theres no Priory of Siondedicated to protecting this secret bloodline maybetheres no bloodline maybe its all made up! Could it really just be a hoax? In retrospect, Imsure I could have provided some genuine assistance and support. I could have offered ametaphorical hand of reason and helped lift them from their ignorance. Turns out, Im notthat guy! Some days Im a total asshat this, gentle reader, was one of those days. I leanedforward, conjured up my best impression of a Clint Eastwood gravelly voice, and said: Maybethats just what theywantyou to believe! This had the desired effect of creating a sudden wallof sound from the two ladies sharp intakes of breath, followed by stereo Oooh!s and then

Of course! and I knew it! By that point I was already on my way out of the church, into thesunshine, and their voices were a receding sonic spike amongst the general cacophony behindme.I'm a bad person - I know this! But I'm comfortable with being that guy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalenehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalenehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simples!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simples!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simples!http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FB5PCNgMEoM/U06-YJ-1zCI/AAAAAAAAHbU/iv1H--N5S9Q/s1600/RMC+under+T+de+E.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simples!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalene

Documents

Chapple, R. M. 2014 A Knight out on the Town | Stoking the fires of conspiracy | Chapple in Paris in 2004. Blogspot post