Is The Da Vinci Code True?

The immense popularity of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code may be traced to several factors, among them good suspense writing, an intriguing mystery, and popular anti-Catholicism. This essay, however, focuses on its themes of masculine conspiracy and misogyny. In the widespread folktale “The Swan Maiden,” a man subdues and weds a mythical female. Her eventual murder of her husband and escape into freedom exposes underlying tensions between the genders. This essay compares the plot of The Da Vinci Code with a “Swan Maiden” myth from New Guinea, where men’s fear of women has led to the creation of secret men’s societies. That similar themes are found in an American best-seller and a myth from Melanesia indicates that they are widespread if not universal masculine concerns.