Guest Author - Host Wanted
The Merovingian Kings were rulers in what is now France from 481 through 752. Why did the name of this Frankish dynasty get chosen for a lead character in The Matrix Reloaded?
First, Merovingian in The Matrix Reloaded. The Oracle tells Neo to go talk with Merovingian because he has locked away The Keymaster. The Oracle says that The Keymaster holds the key (of course) to opening a very important door.
Neo finds Merovingian in a fancy restaurant with his gorgeous wife, Persephone. You can Read more about Persephone here. Persephone's wife would usually (in mythology) be Hades, he who controls the gateway to The Afterlife. In a way this is one of Merovingian's roles.
Merovingian is obviously a French man, and enjoys the power he has, the control. He also talks with Neo quite a bit about choice and free will. He points out that Neo was sent here by the Oracle - and dutifully came along, without even knowing what this key was really to be used for. He then uses a sexy woman to demonstrate just how little free will we all actually have. He feeds her a drugged piece of food to make her horny. He then plans to take advantage of her in this state.
In history, the Merovingians were a dynasty in what is now France, which was at the time called the Frankish area. They ruled from the 400s to the 700s. The name was given to them because of Merovius, who began the family, and who attained near mythical status with his skills and feats. His descendants all proudly called themselves Merovingians.
It is not the simple kingship that appealed to the Matrix mythos, however. The Merovingian family is famous for their connections with the Knights Templar, and the Search for the Holy Grail. It was even said that Merovis' ancestors came from Atlantis, and were from the stock of a race of very intelligent, powerful, caring people.
The Merovingians were thrown out of power by the Pope in 751 with the "Donation of Constantine" - where they were called pagans and renounced. The Pope feared their power and replaced them with the Carolingian dynasty, of which Charlemagne was a member. Still, they worked on in secret, claiming to have direct bloodlines to Jesus Christ (through Mary Magledine, his lover) and wanting to redeem themselves. They felt the Papacy had become a refuge for thieves and liars, and that it fattened itself on the profits it made from the poor. The Merovingians wanted to return Christianity to its for-the-people roots.
The Knights Templar and Freemasons, who came from the same background, continued to work towards freeing the "real people" from the bureaucracy and control of the established Catholic church, and to allow the power of the Messiah to help and touch the people.
You can see the many similarities here with the Matrix storyline. Merovingian is a strong, powerful ruler. His rule is partially in line with, but in many ways firmly against, the rule of the 'religion' and controlling influence of his world - the Matrix. While both he and the Matrix believe in many of the same things, he believes that his power is better for the people, while the Matrix is mostly interested in maintaining its own structure.
Even more interestingly, Merovius (the historical ruler) documented that he was descended from Jesus and Mary. He had the bloodline of "The One, The Savior". In The Matrix, he stands against Neo, who is "The One" and who feels HE is the savior of the people. Which one is right?
The Matrix Reloaded: Review
The Matrix Reloaded Cast Listing
The Matrix Reloaded: Plot and Spoilers
The Matrix Reloaded: Posters and Images
The Matrix Reloaded: Zionism and Judaism
The Matrix Reloaded: The City of Zion
The Matrix Reloaded: Persephone in Mythology
The Matrix Reloaded: Merovingian in History
The Matrix Reloaded: Thadeus in History
