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TheHolyGrailisasacredobjectfiguringinliteratureandcertainChristiantraditions,mostoftenidentifiedwiththedish,plate,orcupusedbyJesusattheLastSupperandissaidtopossessmiraculouspowers.TheconnectionofJosephofArimatheawiththeGraillegenddatesfromRobertdeBoron'sJosephd'Arimathie(late12thcentury)inwhichJosephreceivestheGrailfromanapparitionofJesusandsendsitwithhisfollowerstoGreatBritain;buildinguponthistheme,laterwritersrecountedhowJosephusedtheGrailtocatchChrist'sbloodwhileinterringhimandthatinBritainhefoundedalineofguardianstokeepitsafe.ThequestfortheHolyGrailmakesupanimportantsegmentoftheArthuriancycle,appearingfirstinworksbyChrtiendeTroyes.[1]ThelegendmaycombineChristianlorewithaCelticmythofacauldronendowedwithspecialpowers.TheGraillegend'sdevelopmenthasbeentracedindetailbyculturalhistorians:Itisalegendwhichfirstcametogetherintheformofwrittenromances,derivingperhapsfromsomepre-Christianfolklorehints,inthelater12thandearly13thcenturies.TheearlyGrailromancescentredonPercivalandwerewovenintothemoregeneralArthurianfabric.SomeoftheGraillegendisinterwovenwithlegendsoftheHolyChalice.[2]

GrailTheGrailplaysadifferentroleeverywhereitappears,butinmostversionsofthelegendtheheromustprovehimselfworthytobeinitspresence.Intheearlytales,Percival'simmaturitypreventshimfromfulfillinghisdestinywhenhefirstencounterstheGrail,andhemustgrowspirituallyandmentallybeforehecanlocateitagain.InlatertellingstheGrailisasymbolofGod'sgrace,ava

ilabletoallbutonlyfullyrealisedbythosewhopreparethemselvesspiritually,likethesaintlyGalahad.[edit]EarlyformsTherearetwoveinsofthoughtconcerningtheGrail'sorigin.Thefirst,championedbyRogerShermanLoomis,AlfredNutt,andJessieWeston,holdsthatitderivedfromearlyCelticmythandfolklore.LoomistracedanumberofparallelsbetweenMedievalWelshliteratureandIrishmaterialandtheGrailromances,includingsimilaritiesbetweentheMabinogion'sBrantheBlessedandtheArthurianFisherKing,andbetweenBran'slife-restoringcauldronandtheGrail.Ontheotherhand,somescholarsbelievetheGrailbeganasapurelyChristiansymbol.Forexample,JosephGoeringoftheUniversityofTorontohasidentifiedsourcesforGrailimageryin12thcenturywallpaintingsfromchurchesintheCatalanPyrenees(nowmostlyremovedtotheMuseuNacionald'ArtdeCatalunya,Barcelona),which

presentuniqueiconicimagesoftheVirginMaryholdingabowlthatradiatestonguesoffire,imagesthatpredatethefirstliteraryaccountbyChrtiendeTroyes.GoeringarguesthattheyweretheoriginalinspirationfortheGraillegend.[3][4]AnotherrecenttheoryholdsthattheearlieststoriesthatcasttheGrailinaChristianlightweremeanttopromotetheRomanCatholicsacramentoftheHolyCommunion.AlthoughthepracticeofHolyCommunionwasfirstalludedtointheChristianBibleanddefinedbytheologiansinthe1stcenturiesAD,itwasaroundthetimeoftheappearanceofthefirstChristianisedGrailliteraturethattheRomanchurchwasbeginningtoaddmoreceremonyandmysticismaroundthisparticularsacrament.Thus,thefirstGrailstoriesmayhavebeencelebrationsofarenewalinthistraditionalsacrament.[5]ThistheoryhassomebasisinthefactthattheGraillegendsareaphenomenonoftheWesternchurch(seebelow).

Inseveralarticles,DanielScavone,professorEmeritusofhistoryattheUniversityofSouthernIndiana,putsforwardahypothesiswhichidentifiestheShroudofTurinastherealobjectthatinspirestheromancesoftheHolyGrail.[6]MostscholarstodayacceptthatbothChristianandCeltictraditionscontributedtothelegend'sdevelopment,thoughmanyoftheearlyCeltic-basedargumentsarelargelydiscredited(LoomishimselfcametorejectmuchofWestonandNutt'swork).ThegeneralviewisthatthecentralthemeoftheGrailisChristian,evenwhennotexplicitlyreligious,butthatmuchofthesettingandimageryoftheearlyromancesisdrawnfromCelticmaterial.[edit]Etymology

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Thewordgraal,asitisearliestspelled,comesfromOldFrenchgraalorgreal,cognatewithOldProvenalgrazalandOldCatalangresal,meaning"acuporbowlofearth,wood,ormetal"(orothervarioustypesofvesselsinSouthernFrenchdialects).[7]ThemostcommonlyacceptedetymologyderivesitfromLatingradalisorgradaleviaanearlierform,cratalis,aderivativeofcraterorcratuswhichwas,inturn,borrowedfromGreekkrater(atwo-handedshallowcup).[7][8][9][10][11]Alternatesuggestionsincludeaderivativeofcratis,anameforatypeofwovenbasketthatcametorefertoadish,[12]oraderivativeofLatingradusmeaning"'bydegree','bystages',appliedtoadishbroughttothetableindifferentstagesorservicesduringameal".[13]AccordingtotheCatholicEncyclopedia,afterthecycleofGrailromanceswaswellestablished,latemedievalwriterscameupwithafalseetymologyforsangral,analternativenamefor"HolyGrail."InOldFrench,sangraalorsangralmeans"HolyGrail"andsangralmeans"royalblood";laterwritersplayedonthispun.Sincethen,"Sangreal"issometimesemployedtolendamedievalisingairinreferringtotheHolyGrail.Thisconnectionwithroyalbloodborefruitinamodernbestsellerlinkingmanyhistoricalconspiracytheories(seebelow).[edit]Beginningsinliterature

[edit]ChrtiendeTroyesTheGrailisfirstfeaturedinPerceval,leConteduGraal(TheStoryoftheGrail)byChrtiendeTroyes,whoclaimshewasworkingfromasourcebookgiventohimbyhispatron,CountPhilipofFlanders.Inthisincompletepoem,datedsometimebetween1180and1191,theobjecthasnotyetacquiredtheimplicationsofh

olinessitwouldhaveinlaterworks.WhiledininginthemagicalabodeoftheFisherKing,Percevalwitnessesawondrousprocessioninwhichyouthscarrymagnificentobjectsfromonechambertoanother,passingbeforehimateachcourseofthemeal.Firstcomesayoungmancarryingableedinglance,thentwoboyscarryingcandelabras.Finally,abeautifulyounggirlemergesbearinganelaboratelydecoratedgraal,or"grail."Chrtienreferstohisobjectnotas"TheGrail"butasungraal,showingthewordwasused,initsearliestliterarycontext,asacommonnoun.ForChrtienthegrailwasawide,somewhatdeepdishorbowl,interestingbecauseitcontainednotapike,salmonorlamprey,astheaudiencemayhaveexpectedforsuchacontainer,butasingleMasswaferwhichprovidedsustenancefortheFisherKingscrippledfather.Perceval,whohadbeenwarnedagainsttalkingtoomuch,remainssilentthroughallofthis,andwakesupthenextmorningalone.Helaterlearnsthat

ifhehadaskedtheappropriatequestionsaboutwhathesaw,hewouldhavehealedhismaimedhost,muchtohishonour.ThestoryoftheWoundedKing'smysticalfastingisnotunique;severalsaintsweresaidtohavelivedwithoutfoodbesidescommunion,forinstanceSaintCatherineofGenoa.ThismayimplythatChrtienintendedtheMasswafertobethesignificantpartoftheritual,andtheGrailtobeamereprop.[edit]RobertdeBoronThoughChrtiensaccountistheearliestandmostinfluentialofallGrailtexts,itwasintheworkofRobertdeBoronthattheGrailtrulybecamethe"HolyGrail"andassumedtheformmostfamiliartomodernreaders.InhisverseromanceJosephdArimathie,composedbetween1191and1202,RoberttellsthestoryofJosephofArimatheaacquiringthechaliceoftheLastSuppertocollectChristsblooduponhisremovalfromthecross.Josephisthrowninprison,whereChristvisitsh

imandexplainsthemysteriesoftheblessedcup.UponhisreleaseJosephgathershisin-lawsandotherfollowersandtravelstothewest,andfoundsadynastyofGrailkeepersthateventuallyincludesPerceval.[edit]OtherearlyliteratureAfterthispoint,Grailliteraturedividesintotwoclasses.ThefirstconcernsKingArthursknightsvisitingtheGrailcastleorquestingaftertheobject;thesecondconcernstheGrailshistoryinthetimeofJosephofArimathea.Theninemostimportantworksfromthefirstgroupare:ThePercevalofChrtiendeTroyes.FourcontinuationsofChrtienspoem,byauthorsofdifferingvisionandtalent,de

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signedtobringthestorytoaclose.TheGermanParzivalbyWolframvonEschenbach,whichadaptedatleasttheholinessofRobertsGrailintotheframeworkofChrtiensstory.TheDidotPerceval,namedafterthemanuscriptsformerowner,andpurportedlyaprosificationofRobertdeBoronssequeltoJosephdArimathie.TheWelshromancePeredur,generallyincludedintheMabinogion,likelyatleastindirectlyfoundedonChrtien'spoembutincludingverystrikingdifferencesfromit,preservingasitdoeselementsofpre-ChristiantraditionssuchastheCelticcultofthehead.Perlesvaus,calledthe"leastcanonical"Grailromancebecauseofitsverydifferentcharacter.TheGermanDiuCrne(TheCrown),inwhichGawain,ratherthanPerceval,achievestheGrail.TheLancelotsectionofthevastVulgateCycle,whichintroducesthenewGrailhero,Galahad.TheQuestedelSaintGraal,anotherpartoftheVulgateCycle,concerningtheadventuresofGalahadandhisachievementoftheGrail.Ofthesecondclassthereare:RobertdeBoronsJosephdArimathie,TheEstoiredelSaintGraal,thefirstpartoftheVulgateCycle(butwrittenafterLancelotandtheQueste),basedonRobertstalebutexpandingitgreatlywithmanynewdetails.VersesbyRigautdeBarbezieux,alate12thorearly13thcentury[14]Provenaltroubador,wherementionismadeofPerceval,thelance,andtheGrail("LikePerc

evalwhenhelived,whostoodamazedincontemplation,sothathewasquiteunabletoaskwhatpurposethelanceandgrailserved"-"AttressiconPersavauseltempsquevivia,ques'esbaitd'esgardertantqu'ancnonsaupdemandardequeservialalansani-lgrazaus"[15]).ThoughalltheseworkshavetheirrootsinChrtien,severalcontainpiecesoftraditionnotfoundinChrtienwhicharepossiblyderivedfromearliersources.[edit]ConceptionsoftheGrail

Galahad,Bors,andPercivalachievetheGrail.TapestrywovenbyMorris&Co..Woolandsilkoncottonwarp,BirminghamMuseumandArtGallery.TheGrailwasconsideredabowlordishwhenfirstdescribedbyChrtiendeTroyes

.HlinandofFroidmontdescribedagrailasa"wideanddeepsaucer"(scutellalataetaliquantulumprofunda).Otherauthorshadtheirownideas:RobertdeBoronportrayeditasthevesseloftheLastSupper;andPeredurhadnoGrailperse,presentingtheheroinsteadwithaplattercontaininghiskinsman'sbloody,severedhead.InParzival,WolframvonEschenbach,citingtheauthorityofacertain(probablyfictional)KyottheProvenal,claimedtheGrailwasastone(calledlapisexillis)thatfellfromHeaven,andhadbeenthesanctuaryoftheneutralangelswhotookneithersideduringLucifer'srebellion.TheauthorsoftheVulgateCycleusedtheGrailasasymbolofdivinegrace.Galahad,illegitimatesonofLancelotandElaine,theworld'sgreatestknightandtheGrailBeareratthecastleofCorbenic,isdestinedtoachievetheGrail,hisspiritualpuritymakinghimagreaterwarriorthanevenhisillustriousfather.GalahadandtheinterpretationoftheGrailinvolvinghimwerepickedupinthe15thcenturybySirTho

masMaloryinLeMorted'Arthur,andremainpopulartoday.[edit]Laterlegend

OneofthesupposedHolyGrailsinValencia,SpainBeliefintheGrailandinterestinitspotentialwhereaboutshasneverceased.Ownershiphasbeenattributedtovariousgroups(includingtheKnightsTemplar,probablybecausetheywereatthepeakoftheirinfluencearoundthetimethatGrailstoriesstartedcirculatinginthe12thand13thcenturies).

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TherearecupsclaimedtobetheGrailinseveralchurches,forinstancetheSaintMaryofValenciaCathedral,whichcontainsanartifact,theHolyChalice,supposedlytakenbySaintPetertoRomeinthe1stcentury,andthentoHuescainSpainbySaintLawrenceinthe3rdcentury.Accordingtolegend,themonasteryofSanJuandelaPea,locatedatthesouth-westofJaca,intheprovinceofHuesca,Spain,protectedthechaliceoftheLastSupperfromtheIslamicinvadersoftheIberianPeninsula.Archaeologistssaytheartifactisa1stcenturyMiddleEasternstonevessel,possiblyfromAntioch,Syria(nowTurkey);itshistorycanbetracedtothe11thcentury,anditnowrestsatopanornatestemandbase,madeintheMedievaleraofalabaster,gold,andgemstones.Itwastheofficialpapalchaliceformanypopes,andhasbeenusedbymanyothers,mostrecentlybyPopeBenedictXVI,onJuly9,2006.[16]TheemeraldchaliceatGenoa,[17]whichwasobtainedduringtheCrusadesatCaesareaMaritimaatgreatcost,hasbeenlesschampionedastheHolyGrailsinceanaccidentontheroad,whileitwasbeingreturnedfromParisafterthefallofNapoleon,revealedthattheemeraldwasgreenglass.InWolframvonEschenbach'stelling,theGrailwaskeptsafeatthecastleofMunsalvaesche(monssalvationis),entrustedtoTiturel,thefirstGrailKing.Some,notleastthemonksofMontserrat,haveidentifiedthecastlewiththerealsanctuaryofMontserratinCatalonia,Spain.OtherstoriesclaimthattheGrailisburiedbeneathRosslynChapelorliesdeepinthespringatGlastonburyTor.StillotherstoriesclaimthatasecretlineofhereditaryprotectorskeeptheGrail,orthatitwashiddenbytheTemplarsinOakIsland,NovaScotia'sfamous"MoneyPit",whilelocalfolkloreinAccokeek,Marylandsaysthatitwasbroughtt

othetownbyaclosetedpriestaboardCaptainJohnSmith'sship.Theholygrailwasseenbythewateroflifeandtearsofgold[edit]Moderninterpretations

TheDamseloftheSanctGraelbyDanteGabrielRossettiThestoryoftheGrailandofthequesttofinditbecameincreasinglypopularinthe19thcentury,referredtoinliteraturesuchasAlfredTennyson'sArthuriancycletheIdyllsoftheKing.Thecombinationofhushedreverence,chromaticharmoniesandsexualizedimageryinRichardWagner'slateoperaParsifalgavenewsignificancetothegrailtheme,forthefirsttimeassociatingthegrailnowperiodicallyproducingblooddirectlywithfemalefertility.[18]Thehighserious

nessofthesubjectwasalsoepitomizedinDanteGabrielRossetti'spainting(illustrated),inwhichawomanmodelledbyJaneMorrisholdstheGrailwithonehand,whileadoptingagestureofblessingwiththeother.AmajormuralseriesdepictingtheQuestfortheHolyGrailwasdonebytheartistEdwinAustinAbbeyduringthefirstdecadeofthe20thcenturyfortheBostonPublicLibrary.Otherartists,includingGeorgeFredericWattsandWilliamDycealsoportrayedgrailsubjects.TheGraillaterturnedupinmovies;itdebutedinasilentParsifal.InTheLightofFaith(1922),LonChaneyattemptedtostealit.TheSilverChalice,anovelabouttheGrailbyThomasB.Costainwasmadeintoa1954movie.LancelotduLac(1974)wasmadebyRobertBresson.MontyPythonandtheHolyGrail(1975)(adaptedin2004asthestageproductionSpamalot)wasacomedicadaptation.ExcaliburattemptedtorestoreamoretraditionalheroicrepresentationofanArthuria

ntale,inwhichtheGrailisrevealedasamysticalmeanstorevitaliseArthurhimself,andofthebarrenlandtowhichhisdepressivesicknessisconnected.IndianaJonesandtheLastCrusadeandTheFisherKingaremorerecentadoptions.TheGrailhasbeenusedasathemeinfantasy,historicalfictionandsciencefiction;aquestfortheGrailappearsinBernardCornwell'sseriesofbooksTheGrailQuest,setduringTheHundredYearsWar.MichaelMoorcock'sfantasynovelTheWarHoundandtheWorld'sPaindepictsasupernaturalGrailquestsetintheeraoftheThirtyYears'War,andsciencefictionhastakentheQuestintointerstellarspace,figurativelyinSamuelR.Delany's1968novelNova,andliterallyonthetelevisionshowsBabylon5andStargateSG-1(asthe"Sangraal").Marion

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ZimmerBradley'sTheMistsofAvalonhasthegrailasoneoffourobjectssymbolizingthefourElements:theGrailitself(water),theswordExcalibur(fire),adish(earth),andaspearorwand(air).ThegrailfeaturesheavilyinthenovelsofPeterDavid'sKnighttrilogy,whichdepictKingArthurreappearinginmodern-dayNewYorkCity,inparticularthesecondandthirdnovels,OneKnightOnlyandFallofKnight.ThegrailiscentralinmanymodernArthurianworks,includingCharlesWilliams'snovelWarinHeavenandhistwocollectionsofpoemsaboutTaliessin,TaliessinThroughLogresandRegionoftheSummerStars,andinfeministauthorRosalindMiles'ChildoftheHolyGrail.TheGrailalsofeaturesheavilyinUmbertoEco's2000novelBaudolino.TheGrailhasalsobeentreatedinworksofnon-fiction,whichgenerallyseektointerpretitsmeaninginnovelways.SuchatackwastakenbypsychologistsEmmaJungandMarie-LouisevonFranz,whoutilisedanalyticalpsychologytointerprettheGrailasaseriesofsymbolsintheirbookTheGrailLegend.[19]Thistypeofinterpretationhadpreviouslybeenutilised,inlessdetail,byCarlJung,andwaslaterinvokedbyJosephCampbell.[19]OtherworksattempttoconnecttheGrailtoconspiracytheoriesandesoterictraditions.InTheSignandtheSeal,GrahamHancockassertsthattheGrailstoryisacodeddescriptionofthestonetabletsstoredintheArkoftheCovenant.FortheauthorsofHolyBlood,HolyGrail,whoassertthattheirresearchultimatelyrevealsthatJesusmaynothavediedonthecross,butlivedtowedMaryMagdaleneandfatherchildrenwhoseMerovingianlineagecontinuestoday,theGrailisameresideshow:theysayitisareferencetoMaryMagdaleneasthereceptacleofJesus'bloodline.[20][21]

Suchworkshavebeentheinspirationforanumberofpopularmodernfictionnovels.ThebestknownisDanBrown'sbestsellingnovelTheDaVinciCode,which,likeHolyBlood,HolyGrail,isbasedontheideathattherealGrailisnotacupbutthewombandlatertheearthlyremainsofMaryMagdalene(againcastasJesus'wife),plusasetofancientdocumentsclaimedtotellthetruestoryofJesus,histeachingsanddescendants.InBrown'snovel,itishintedthatJesuswasmerelyamortalmanwithstrongideals,andthattheGrailwaslongburiedbeneathRosslynChapelinScotland,butthatinrecentdecadesitsguardianshaditrelocatedtoasecretchamberembeddedinthefloorbeneaththeInvertedPyramidneartheLouvreMuseum.Thelatterlocation,likeRosslynChapel,hasneverbeenmentionedintraditionalGraillore.[edit]Seealso

Cornucopia(mythicalvesselswithmagicalpowers)CupofJamshidSampoMythologicalobjects(list)RelicsassociatedwithJesus[edit]References

^Loomis,RogerSherman(1991).TheGrail:FromCelticMythtoChristianSymbol.Princeton.ISBN0-691-02075-2[1]^BBCHistoryGallery,HolyGrail^Goering,Joseph(2005).TheVirginandtheGrail:OriginsofaLegend.YaleUniversityPress.ISBN0-300-10661-0.[2]^Rynor,Micah(October20,2005)."HolyGraillegendmaybetiedtopaintings".

www.news.utoronto.ca.^Barber,Richard(2004).TheHolyGrail:ImaginationandBelief,HarvardUniversityPress.ISBN0-674-01390-5.[3]^D.Scavone:"JosephofArimathea,theHolyGrail,andtheEdessaIcon,"Arthurianavol.9,no.4,3-31(Winter1999)(Articleandabstract);Scavone,BritishKingLucius,theGrail,andJosephofArimathea:TheQuestionofByzantineOrigins.,PublicationsoftheMedievalAssociationoftheMidwest10(2003):101-42,vol.10,101-142(2003).^abDiez,Friedrich.AnetymologicaldictionaryoftheRomancelanguages,WilliamsandNorgate,1864,p.236.

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^Nitze,WilliamA.ConcerningtheWordGraal,Greal,ModernPhilology,Vol.13,No.11(Mar.,1916),pp.681-684.^Jung,EmmaandvonFranz,Marie-Louise.TheGrailLegend,PrincetonUniversityPress,1998,pp.116-117.^Skeat,WalterWilliam.JosephofArimathie,Pub.fortheEarlyEnglishTextSociety,byN.Trbner&Co.,1871,pp.xxxvi-xxxvii^Mueller,Eduard.EtymologischesWrterbuchderenglischenSprache:A-K,chettler,1865,p.461.^Barber,Richard.TheHolyGrail:imaginationandbelief,HarvardUniversityPress,2004,p.93.^RichardO'Gorman,"Grail"inNorrisJ.Lacy,TheArthurianEncyclopedia,1986^Barber,Richard.TheHolyGrail:imaginationandbelief,HarvardUniversityPress,2004,p418^Sayce,Olive.ExemplarycomparisonfromHomertoPetrarch,DSBrewer,2008,p.143.^Glatz,Carol(July10,2006)."AtMassinValencia,popeuseswhattraditionsaysisHolyGrail".CatholicNews.^"ThegreatchurchiscalledSanLorenzo,anditisveryremarkable,particularlytheporch.TheykeepinittheHolyGrail,whichismadeofasingleemeraldandisindeedamarvellousrelic,"observedPedroTafur,whowastherein1436PedroTafur,Andanaseviajes.^Donington,Robert(1963).Wagner's"Ring"anditsSymbols:theMusicandtheMyth.Faber^abBarber,248252.

^Baigent,Michael;Leigh,Richard;Lincoln,Henry(1983).HolyBlood,HolyGrail.NewYork:Dell.ISBN0-440-13648-2^JulietteWood,"TheHolyGrail:FromRomanceMotiftoModernGenre",Folklore,Vol.111,No.2.(October2000),pp.169-190.[edit]Externallinks