I just found out what the Merovingian was in history.

There was a sect of thought in Medieval France that thought Jesus had sex with Mary Magdalane, after which she got pregnant. She then got in a boat covered with images of the Holy Grail (and perhaps also the actual Grail, I’m not sure, although that is probably the case in all of the Grail myths) after the Crucifixion of Christ and set sail for France. Her children then became known as the royal Merovingian line.

What does all this mean in the Matrix universe? Well, the Merovingian speaks French, is an important almost royal figure, and his table kind of looks like the one from the Last Supper, with Grail like chalices all over the table (I always wondered why they were always in some of the shots). Also, the Merovingian holds the salvation of mankind, the Keymaker, in his basement, and (as we learn at the end of Reloaded) there have been a line of “Ones” (aka Super Jesus’s) that have stolen the Keymaker from the Merovingian, only to help the machines restart the Matrix. Neo is from a long line of Ones that always have to go to the Merovingian who holds their salvation.

[Another interesting connection: Monica Belluci, who plays the Merovingian’s wife Persephone, also is playing Mary Magdalane in Mel Gibson’s upcoming Passion movie.]

I wonder if the Merovingian will have a part in the next film? For instance, Magdalane was considered the true Holy Grail because she was filled with the true blood of Christ. The Merovingian line then were the blood to her Grail. Perhaps the Merovingian holds the true key to Neo’s salvation. We’ll see. Only a couple more months to go.