The Keys to Dan Brown's Origin

Posted on September 28, 2016

3.10.2017

Why October 3rd? On the CBS television program, Sunday Morning, on October 1st Brown speaks of his career. Coincidentally (?) the same program does a segment on the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian whose immigration card into the United States dated October 3, 1940 is the source of the unidentified photo on Brown’s Facebook page. Brown also quotes his father’s review of the new novel: “Dan, this is the best book you have ever written.”

On September 13, 2017 Dan Brown released via CBS News an excerpt of the novel. Read it from this link.

There is another link containing the Prologue and Chapter 1 in English and Spanish.

A chat with Winston and a gift can be found on Brown’s Facebook page.

The chat also makes reference to the Barcelona artist Joan Miro

On June 27, 2017 major clues to the novel were revealed. This included a view of the final cover, humankind’s two most enduring questions, and a link to a video identifying Spain as the setting for the novel.

The two key questions are: Where do we come from? Where are we going?

[In Angels&Demons the same question had been asked by Maximillian Kohler: “Where did we come from?”]

The text of the release follows:

“Bilbao, Spain

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough . . . one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.

As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself . . . and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery . . . and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.

Origin is Dan Brown’s most brilliant and entertaining novel to date.”

On September 28, 2016 one month before the US release of the movie Inferno based on Dan Brown’s novel, the latest in the Robert Langdon series had been announced.

Global publishing phenomenon Dan Brown, author of the #1 international blockbusters Inferno and The Da Vinci Code, has written his latest Robert Langdon thriller titled Origin which will be released on September 26, 2017. It will also be available as an ebook and as an audio book.

In keeping with his trademark style, Brown interweaves codes, science, religion, history, art and architecture into this new novel. Origin thrusts Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon into the dangerous intersection of humankind’s two most enduring questions, and the earth-shaking discovery that will answer them.

With a mock cover noting that the real one is still be revealed, the teaser will surely attract attention to the date and the theme.

In August 2107 Brown published a photo and “A very hard riddle for you: What does this photo have to do with the October 3rd, US release date of Origin? Good luck.
– DB.”

The photo was identified by Ruud Peterse as Piet Mondrian, the modernist Dutch painter. Peterse offered the full United States Immigration card indicating Mondrian arrived in the US on October 3, 1940.

What night be additional associations for the date?

What is the significance of 9.26.17? 9+2+6=17? 7.1629?

Chris Diak has suggested that 9/26 is the 269th day of the year, any year that isn’t a leap year. Also 9+2+6=17.

Mehmet Fırat Aramacı (mhmtfrtrmc@gmail.com) has pointed out that the Battle of Warns between Holland forces and the Frisians took place on September 26, 1345. The battle is commemorated on the Red Cliff.

(Curiously on Dan Brown’s own webpages the publication date is given as October 3, 2017, even with a picture of the mock cover featuring 9.26.17. The Facebook page for Origin does, however, give the September date. On March 16, 2017 Amazon announced the revised publication date of 10.03.17). Such dates are almost invariably chosen with some veiled significance, so this new date means beginning the search again. It is important in Dutch history and still officially celebrated as a holiday.

What are the “two most enduring questions”? Is there a god? Is there an afterlife? Or to paraphrase the Baltimore Catechism; Who made me? (God made me.) Why did God make me?

And what “earthshaking discovery” could possibly provide an answer?

On Dan Brown’s Facebook page in the fall of 2016 we find the seal below. It’s meaning is someone concealed by it being upside down. When turned 180° it reveals the goetic seal of Astaroth, according to the Dutch demonologist, Johann Weyer (Weir) in his work is De Praestigiis Daemonum et Incantationibus ac Venificiis (On the Illusions of the Demons and on Spells and Poisons, 1563), Astaroth is the twenty ninth demon. The Lemegeton or Lesser Book of Solomon offers the seal borrowing on Weyer’s work. My thanks to Dr. Cis van Heertum for identifying the seal.

As part of the publication campaign, a contest for a limited edition cover was announced. The first winner was James Matuszak using a model based on the art of the Dutch artist, Piet Mondrian. Mondrian was also influenced by the spiritual science of Theosophy of Madame Blavatsky and the Anthroposophy of Rudolf Steiner (as was the Russian artist Vasilij Kandinsky).