The Priory of Sion: A Tale of Deception and Intrigue

In the quiet town of Annemasse, nestled in the Haute-Savoie region of eastern France, a peculiar organization came into existence in 1956. It was called the Priory of Sion, and its foundation was shrouded in the seemingly noble pursuit of creating a neo-chivalric order. Yet, as the years unfolded, the truth behind the Priory revealed a complex web of deception, ambition, and literary intrigue.

The Genesis of a Hoax

Pierre Plantard, a man with grand aspirations, founded the Priory of Sion. He envisioned it as a prestigious fraternal organization, but by 1956, it was dissolved amidst the ruins of his unfulfilled dreams. Plantard's ambitions did not wane, however. By the 1960s, he began weaving an elaborate tale, claiming that his organization was the modern incarnation of a secret society founded by the crusading knight Godfrey of Bouillon in 1099. According to Plantard, this society had a sacred mission: to restore a secret Merovingian bloodline to the thrones of France and Europe.

To add weight to his claims, Plantard intertwined his myth with the idea of a Jesus bloodline, which gained widespread attention through the 1982 book, "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail." This notion later inspired Dan Brown's bestseller, "The Da Vinci Code." The Priory's emblem, partly based on the fleur-de-lis, paid homage to French monarchy, further lending an air of mystique to Plantard's creation.

Unveiling the Deception

As the Priory of Sion captured public imagination from the 1960s through the 1980s, it was eventually exposed as an intricate hoax. Plantard, along with accomplices, had forged documents and planted them around France to fabricate the Priory's historical existence. Among these was the notorious "Dossiers Secrets d'Henri Lobineau," which Plantard later disowned, attributing its creation to Philippe Toscan du Plantier, who allegedly faced legal troubles for LSD use.

Despite being debunked as a hoax, the Priory of Sion continued to intrigue conspiracy theorists. Some believed it to be a secret society guarding a subversive religious truth. Critics, however, warn that such pseudohistorical narratives romanticize far-right ideologies and contribute to mainstreaming unfounded conspiracy theories.

The Birth of the Priory

The Priory of Sion officially came into existence on May 7, 1956, under the 1901 French law of Associations. Its registration took place on June 25, 1956, at the subprefecture of Saint-Julien-en-Genevois and was published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française on July 20, 1956. Plantard's apartment in a social housing block known as Sous-Cassan served as its headquarters.

The organization's founders, Pierre Plantard, alias "Chyren," and André Bonhomme, alias "Stanis Bellas," intended to establish a spiritual retreat on Mont Sion, a hill near Annemasse. The Priory's statutes emphasized chivalric values, mutual aid, and support for the Catholic Church. However, its activities diverged from these ideals, focusing instead on housing rights and local politics through its journal, "Circuit."

Plantard's Ambition and the Myth

Driven by ambition, Plantard sought to elevate the Priory of Sion to a prestigious esoteric Christian chivalric order. He adopted the pseudonym "Chyren," an allusion to Nostradamus's prophesied "Great Monarch." Between 1961 and 1984, Plantard concocted a mythical lineage, claiming the Priory was descended from a medieval order founded during the First Crusade.

To substantiate his claims, Plantard, with Philippe de Chérisey, forged documents, including the "Dossiers Secrets d'Henri Lobineau," which they deposited in the Bibliothèque nationale de France. These documents linked the Priory to the Merovingian king Dagobert II and the legendary treasure of Rennes-le-Château. Assisted by author Gérard de Sède, Plantard's myths gained traction, culminating in the publication of "Le Trésor Maudit de Rennes-le-Château" in 1968.

The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail

The conspiracy theories surrounding the Priory of Sion inspired the BBC's "Chronicle" documentaries and caught the attention of Henry Lincoln, who collaborated with Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh. Their research into the "Dossiers Secrets" led to the publication of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," further perpetuating the myth.

Despite their efforts, letters exchanged between Plantard, de Chérisey, and de Sède revealed the hoax's true nature. These letters detailed their strategies to maintain the deception and discredit critics. Plantard's criminal past as a con artist further undermined his credibility.

Conclusion

Though the Priory of Sion was ultimately unmasked as France's greatest 20th-century literary hoax, its legacy endures in popular culture and conspiracy theories. The story of Pierre Plantard and his fictitious order serves as a cautionary tale about the allure of mythmaking and the dangers of pseudohistory.

Sources

For more information, visit the Wikipedia page on the Priory of Sion.