Henry Lincoln facts for kids

Henry Lincoln (born Henry Soskin, 12 February 1930 – 23 February 2022) was a British author, TV presenter, and actor. He was known for his work on the popular TV show Doctor Who in the 1960s. Later, he became famous for his books and documentaries about mysterious topics, especially those linked to the French village of Rennes-le-Château. His most famous book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, even inspired the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Henry Lincoln was the last living writer from the 1960s era of Doctor Who.

Early Career and Doctor Who

Henry Lincoln was born in London in 1930. He studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. At first, he used his birth name, Henry Soskin, and worked as a scriptwriter and actor. He appeared in several TV shows like The Avengers and The Saint.

He also helped write three Doctor Who stories with Mervyn Haisman. These included "The Abominable Snowmen" (1967) and "The Web of Fear" (1968). He even helped create the character Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, who became very popular.

Lincoln also wrote and presented other documentaries. These covered topics like "The Man in the Iron Mask" and "Nostradamus".

Mysteries of Rennes-le-Château

In 1969, while on holiday in France, Henry Lincoln read a book called The Accursed Treasure of Rennes-le-Château. This book was about a supposed hidden treasure in the village of Rennes-le-Château. The book showed copies of old Latin papers found by a priest named Bérenger Saunière.

Lincoln thought these papers had secret codes hidden in them. He started researching the mystery and wrote several books about his ideas. He also made three documentaries for the BBC series Chronicle. These included "The Lost Treasure of Jerusalem" (1972) and "The Shadow of the Templars" (1979).

One of the papers seemed to spell out a message about King Dagobert II. This king was from an old French royal family called the Merovingian dynasty. However, it was later found that the book and the papers were part of a big trick. A man named Pierre Plantard had made them up to promote a secret group called the Priory of Sion.

The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail

Henry Lincoln is most famous for co-writing the book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail in 1982. He met two other writers, Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent, in the 1970s. They all shared an interest in the Knights Templar.

Together, they came up with a bold idea: that Jesus Christ had a family and that his bloodline continued through history. They believed this bloodline later married into the French Merovingian dynasty royal family.

Their book became a best-seller and made this idea very popular. It suggested that the true Holy Grail was not a cup, but Jesus's bloodline. The book also mentioned the made-up Priory of Sion and its secret documents. Later, the author Dan Brown used these ideas as the main plot for his famous novel The Da Vinci Code.

However, many experts and historians have said that the ideas in The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail are not true. They say the book uses hints and suggestions rather than solid historical facts.

Lawsuit About The Da Vinci Code

Some of the ideas from The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail were used in Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code. In 2006, two of Lincoln's co-authors, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, sued Dan Brown's publisher. They claimed that Brown had copied their ideas.

The court decided that Dan Brown had not copied their work, and he won the case. Henry Lincoln was not part of this lawsuit. He later said that the ideas in Holy Blood were not completely new anyway. He felt that Dan Brown's actions were "a bit naughty" but not something to sue over.

Bornholm and Sacred Geometry

Les Bergers d'Arcadie by Nicolas Poussin

In 1993, Lincoln wrote and presented a TV series called The Secret. This series explored his research on Rennes-le-Château. It also looked at a possible link between the area and a famous painting by Nicolas Poussin called Les Bergers d'Arcadie.

In 2000, Lincoln worked with Erling Haagensen on a book called The Templar's Secret Island. They suggested that the Knights Templar built churches on the Danish island of Bornholm in a special pattern. They believed these churches were used as ancient observatories.

However, historians like Sharan Newman have pointed out that there is no real proof of Templar activity in Denmark. They also say that building round churches like those on Bornholm was not a new idea and happened in other places too. Most historians believe these churches were built because of journeys to Jerusalem.

Honorary Knighthood

On November 8, 2003, Henry Lincoln was given an honorary knighthood. This was from a group called Militi Templi Scotia. They recognized his work on sacred geometry and the history of the Knights Templar.

Personal Life and Death

Henry Lincoln passed away in Rennes-les-Bains, France, on February 23, 2022. He was 92 years old.

Works

• 1950s television series:
  • Our Mutual Friend (as Bob Gliddery)
• 1960s television series:
  • Strange Concealments (as Ambrose Lemmon)
  • Sierra Nine (as King Sharifa)
  • Maigret (guest actor)
  • The Secret of the Nubian Tomb (as The Omda)
  • The Avengers (guest actor)
  • No Hiding Place (guest actor)
  • The Saint (guest actor)
  • The Champions (guest actor)
  • Man in a Suitcase (guest actor)
  • Emergency Ward 10 (screenwriter)
• 1970s television series
  • L'homme sans visage (as professeur Pétri, 1975)
• Co-writer, with Mervyn Haisman, of three Doctor Who stories
  • The Abominable Snowmen
  • The Web of Fear
  • The Dominators
• Co-writer, with Mervyn Haisman, of the Boris Karloff film, Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968).
• Three BBC2 Chronicle documentaries about Rennes-le-Château, written and presented by Henry Lincoln.
  • The Lost Treasure of Jerusalem...? (1972)
  • The Priest, the Painter, and the Devil (1974)
  • The Shadow of the Templars (1979)
• 1982: The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (with Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh)
• 1987: The Messianic Legacy (with Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh)
• 1991: The Holy Place: Discovering the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World
• 1993: The Secret: 4-part documentary for Tv2 Danmark
• 2002: Key to the Sacred Pattern: The Untold Story of Rennes-le-Château
• 2002: The Templars' Secret Island: The Knights, The Priest and The Treasure (with Erling Haagensen)
• 2002: Henry Lincoln’s Guide To Rennes-Le-Château And The Aude Valley video
• 2005: Origins of The Da Vinci Code DVD (with Erling Haagensen)

Sources

• Secret Knowledge
• Rennes le Chateau FAQ – Interview with Lincoln
• Behind the Da Vinci Code, 2006 History Channel video documentary
• "The Priory of Sion", 30 April 2006 segment on 60 Minutes

See also

In Spanish: Henry Lincoln para niños