In the book, the professor, Robert, explains the symbolism of a male phallic symbol being a sword or triangle that points upward, and a female symbol being the reverse, a �chalice� that represents a female�s womb.
In fact, the symbolism of the �male� and �female� does not come from any Christian history or ancient documents at all; instead it appears Dan Brown got the idea from Riane Eisler�s The Chalice and the Blade, which has been called a �provocative, feminist reinterpretation of history�. The ritual of a sword being dipped in a chalice comes from Gardenian Wiccan practice, a form of neo-pagan witchcraft.