We have changed our privacy policy. In addition, we use cookies on our website for various purposes. By continuing on our website, you consent to our use of cookies. You can learn about our practices by reading our privacy policy.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 56 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • So. The Holy Grail is a woman. Not a cup.
  • Take it away professor Langdon:
  • The original symbol for male was this: ^ . It is a crude phallus-shape, known as the blade, representing aggression and manhood.
  • The original symbol for female was this: ∨ . It's the opposite of the symbol for male. Known as the chalice, it resembles a cup, and the shape of a woman's womb.
  • So, according to Langdon and other Grail scholars, the chalice is a metaphor for a woman. Ah ha.
  • That's why the Priory is so obsessed with sacred femininity and all that. The Holy Grail represents a woman who carried a powerful secret that could destroy the foundations of Christianity.
  • Meanwhile in the kitchen, Teabing's manservant is watching TV…and he sees a report about the wanted fugitives that he just served tea to. Whoops.