Guest Author - Elsa Neal

For centuries connoisseurs have scrutinised, analysed, and delighted in Leonardo Da Vinci’s artistic works and scientific studies and experiments. But for many of us, unless we have a chance, and the time, to take an art history class along the way, some of the more subtle delights of past artists get no more than a brief gaze on a day trip to a gallery.

Whether you follow or avoid the trends of popular culture, social instigators like Dan Brown are there to bring our collective attention back to something we may otherwise have missed. Before The Da Vinci Code, the Mona Lisa, the Madonna of the Rocks, and the Last Supper were paintings we’d always known about but never really looked at properly. Simply by adding a little intrigue, some clues hidden in the symbolism of a painting, and the promise of a treasure hunt, an artist who died centuries ago captured the imagination of twenty-first century readers.

So, imagine what a well-planned treasure hunt could do to help your heirs understand who you were. In fact, I think you’ll have so much fun planning this, you’ll want to hold the treasure hunt while you’re still alive to watch the mayhem! (Consider springing the search as a twenty-first, thirtieth, fortieth, etc, birthday gift.)

No matter how young you are, or whether or not you have any children, it’s not too early to start planning what you want to leave behind. If you left your heritage to a charity, the treasure hunt could generate some much needed publicity for them.

Planning a treasure hunt

First of all you need an heirloom. If you don’t have anything suitable you can pass on, start looking out for something you can invest in.

Choose a secure place to hide your item, especially if it is very valuable. Consider using a bank security box, and hiding clues to the name and address of the bank, and the box, passcode, or other identificatory information. (Please be careful - you don't want unscrupulous strangers to be able to work out the clues, nor do you want to create something so obscure that nobody realises how you intend them to hunt for the treasure.)

Start planning how you want to present your clues or riddles. Are you an artist, a writer, or a poet? Use the medium you’re most comfortable with. If you want to provide clues contained in a story, you can also easily have one or more books printed and bound at your local printing company.

You may want to include a connection to your cultural heritage if you, your parents, or even a more distant ancestor, lived in a different country to where you live now. Perhaps leave a fund that will be sufficient for travelling to your country of origin. Leave clues for the treasure hunter to seek out their genealogy in order to complete the riddles and find their inheritance.

Common symbolism you can use as idea starters:

Bridge – can be symbolic of communication, travelling, change, or a test of bravery
Dragon – can symbolise wisdom, strength, chaos/unknown, treasure/fortune/luck
Eagle – inspiration, creativity, health, royalty, intellect.
Fire - warmth, light, inspiration, purification, destruction, new growth, wisdom
Forest – mystery, unknown, feminity, motherhood
Gardens – happiness, growth, order, control, feminity
Gold – durability, superiority, fertility, wealth, immortality, love
Hair – strength, instinct, attraction, freedom
Moon – feminity, time, immortality, adaptation
Rings – infinity, life, power, strength

Don't forget to check out the Codes and Cyphers site here on BellaOnline!

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If you're intrigued by the work of Leonardo Da Vinci, you'll enjoy Leonardo Da Vinci : The Complete Paintings And Drawings, edited by Frank Zollner or The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci