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CHARACTERS

Characters Depicted in the Fictional World of The Da Vinci Code

Robert Langdon
As the lead character in The Da Vinci Code, Langdon is a Professor of Religious Symbology at Harvard University. The Paris police consider him a key suspect in the murder of the Louvre curator. Langdon partners with Sophie Neveu to crack the code. He also appears in Dan Brown's book Angels and Demons.

Sophie Neveu
The granddaughter of Jacques Sauniere, who is murdered in the Louvre. Her name means "wisdom," and she is adept at solving puzzles. As a cryptologist, she partners with Robert Langdon to solve the code.

Jacques Sauniere
Curator of the Louvre museum, secret Grand Master of the Priory of Sion, and grandfather to Sophie Neveu. His murder sends Robert Langdon and Sophie on a quest to decipher the Da Vinci code.

Leigh Teabing
A charismatic and scholarly conversationalist who is secretly a devotee of goddess worship. Teabing lives in the splendid estate called Chateau Villette near Versailles.

Bezu Fache
A French police captain who is responsible for investigating the death of Jacques Sauniere, curator of the Louvre museum.

Silas
A member of Opus Dei, this character sincerely believes he is performing the work of God. He is an albino possessing great physical strength and is a skilled assassin. His fanaticism reflects negatively on Opus Dei, the Catholic lay movement he works for.

Manuel Aringarosa
The Opus Dei cardinal who is determined to keep the real identity of the Holy Grail from becoming known.

Leonardo Da Vinci
Italian Renaissance genius who excelled in art, science, anatomy, and architecture. According to Brown's story, Da Vinci was a member of the Priory of Sion (a secret society that believes in goddess worship), and he secretly left clues about his beliefs in much of his art.

Constantine
In order to consolidate church power, Roman emperor Constantine suppressed Gospel accounts that stressed Jesus' humanity, and included in the Bible only those accounts that emphasized Jesus' diety.

Jesus
The Da Vinci Code portrays Jesus as a charismatic religious teacher who espoused pagan Gnosticism, wed Mary Magdalene, and had children with her.

Mary Magdalene
The Da Vinci Code alleges that she was in line to head the newly established church of Jesus, and that she and Jesus were lovers and had a child. Mary is considered to be the Holy Grail because she carried in her womb the bloodline of Christ.

Peter
According to The Da Vinci Code, Peter was a prominent follower of Jesus who became outraged with jealousy when Mary Magdalene was chosen to lead the newly established church. His original opposition to Mary Magdalene triggered centuries anti-female policies by the Roman Catholic Church.

Sources: Cracking the Da Vinci Code by Simon Cox and The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code by Richard Abanes.