6. The Merovingians Did Not Descend From Mary Magdalene
Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, much of Western Europe descended into chaos. The Merovingians were a dynasty of Frankish rulers who emerged from the chaos and helped bring Europe from the decline of Rome into the Middle Ages. From them came many of the families that ruled Europe for several centuries. Dan Brown painted these leaders as descendants of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. After all, the name “Merovingian” lends itself to the idea that they came from Mary. The story sounds utterly convincing until you look at the history behind both the claim itself and the history of the Merovingian dynasty.
The claim made in The Da Vinci Code is based on pseudo-history. When Pierre Plantard invented the Priory of Sion in the 1950s, he depicted the secret organization as having descended from the Merovingians and that he had descended from them. Therefore, he was, in fact, royal and had a monarchical claim. The name “Merovingian” does not come from Mary but rather from the founder of the dynasty, Merovich. He and his ruling descendants have become legendary figures, particularly in France, where the idea of the grail as the holy bloodline has its geographical basis. However, none of it is historically correct.