I recently purchased a video game, Assassin's Creed, which is quite amusing, at least half of it is. The historical part is entertaining. And the scenery is magnificent. Climbing the Dome of the Rock and seeing the artist's conception of 12th century Jerusalem spread out below is terribly entertaining.

What does bother me is that they took this intriguing historical period and decided it wasn't enough. And so they tacked on some warmed over Holy Blood, Holy Grail, with a bit of X-Files nonsense mixed in. (You can read this article to get a feeling for it.) Rather than finding the real history intriguing, they thought modern fans wouldn't be interested unless it included Nazca lines, Templar conspiracies, crystal skulls and chaos theory.

Unfortunately, I think they are probably right. The more I read popular media, the more I have come to realize that many people believe this stuff. Oh, they probably never read Holy Blood, Holy Grail, but the same conspiracy theories of mystical Templars and Jesus' bloodline came to them either via the X-Files and Millennium or The DaVinci Code, which shameless ripped off Mssrs. Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln.

Now, I am not going to deny that there is much about history that we do not know. And that there is much about the universe that we don't know as well. But it does trouble me some of the things people choose to use to fill in those gaps.

The "crystal skull" is, in all likelihood, a fraud. If not, it is still well within human capacity to manufacture, as proven by German curios produced in the 19th century (which it may actually be).

Some of Baigent and Leigh's biblical analysis is at best slightly plausible, if that, but overall they were taken in by a rather amusing character names Pierre Plantard*.

The Templars were just a powerful holy order. They likely did admit people of dubious orthodoxy, and they probably did have some grand schemes, but those came to an end when Philip V decided to use the Holy Office to wipe out his debts to the order. And whatever scheme s they had in mind were much more mundane than those ascribed to them, more likely plans to outflank their rivals the Hospitaliers who planned to ask the pope to merge the two orders.

Nor is it likely the Templars survived the inquisition that Philip started. Baigent and Leigh make a weak case for the Templars becoming, over time, the origin of the Freemasons, JJ Robinson makes a stronger one, but I still have trouble believing in either, as the evidence is very weak, highly speculative, and still largely based on very late Masonic claims. Even if there were conclusive proof, it does not prove any grand conspiracy, only that men on the run can form a pretty effective underground network. And that such a network can survive a long time. (If the theory that the mafia originated in the network of cells established by John of Procida during the period preceding the Sicilian Vespers, then this is hardly unprecedented. Then again, I am not convinced of that argument either. Criminals have been forming secret societies for a long time, without need for a political motive.)

The Nazca lines were carved by men to placate the divinities, or maybe simply to amuse themselves or to decorate a vast waste. There is no need to postulate UFOs. Do we need UFOs to explain the farmers who carve patterns into their corn fields? Then why do we need them to explain the Nazca lines?

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. There is much that is unknown and mysterious in the universe, but these things aren't it. We don't need mysterious conspiracy theories, hidden bloodlines, alien astronauts and all the other pulp fiction trappings to make the universe wonderful. There is plenty at which to wonder in the more mundane real world**.

I find it both sad and troubling that so many find the world needs such bizarre additions to hold their interest.

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* One problem in conducting any research, especially on the internet, is that people have taken Holy Blood, Holy Grail and its sequel, The Messianic Legacy, as primary sources, and so one stumbles across "evidence" that actually is based upon what one is trying to verify. To provide one example, I wanted to see if there were any historical significance granted to Gisors prior to the publication of these works. Unfortunately, every reference I found had at least some mention of Holy Blood, Holy Grail in it. I simply could not find a source which had not been tainted by the very writing I was trying to verify. In some ways I feel like those trying to confirm Biblical events, as the Bible has had such an influence on our culture for almost 2000 years (for the Torah even longer, though within a more limited sphere), that it is hard to separate Biblical influences from the independent evidence. (Eg. Is the tomb of the patriarchs what is claimed, or so designated because of Biblical reference to that location? And other than Biblical reference, what evidence exists for this location?) But this is a pulp paper back, who would have thought it could so thoroughly taint the internet?

** Nor do we need 9/11 Truthers, Zionist cabals, Illumniati, NAU conspiracies, Bohemian Grove, Bildebergers, the Trilateral Commission and the CFR to explain the evil in the world. There are conspiracies, but they tend to be more prosaic, and tend to be revealed very quickly. Those who can explain the world only by reference to vast, all powerful conspiracies need to examine the more mundane world as well, as simple explanations exist for all the evil we see.

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POSTSCRIPT

Even with all the annoying conspiracy theory, I will probably buy the sequel, as the game itself was enjoyable and filled a number of hours. Plus the scenery alone was worth the price. And, if I am honest, I can't resist seeing the loopy direction in which they take this, what new insane conspiracy theory they mix in next.