Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Ancient And Modern Holy Grail Books

By Maria Peterson


When it comes to spanning the course of history, the holy grail most likely holds the prize. For, legends related to the object date back over 900 years as told in a number of holy grail books. In addition, there are also more than a few dramatic and comedic films and plays which deal with the subject.

Ultimately, most adhering to the legend associated with the Fisher King believe the wafer to be that which provided eternal life, or at the very least an healing element. While this is the case, somehow the wafer became a cup or chalice rather than the contents in later versions of the story. As a result, the ongoing search, legend and stories related to the holy relic still continue all over the world.

Whether Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones or The Da Vinci Code, the cup holds an incredible amount of fantasy and wonder. For, not only is it believed that anyone whom drinks from the cup shall have everlasting life, it is also believed to have held the blood of Christ during the crucifixion. As such, while the narrative has been changed over the years, the basic beliefs in relation to the chalice still remain.

The all-encompassing attraction to the chalice has expanded throughout Western literature and art, all of which were inspired by the legend. In addition, Joseph of Arimathea's trek to the British Isles inspired King Arthur and the round table knights to search for the object. While this is interesting, more so is the story of the object being shared with the disciples at the Last Supper and having captured Christ's blood during he crucifixion, for these stories are often long, fantastical and full of adventure.

Today, when discussing the object, most people describe the grail as being some type of vessel from which one eats or drinks. In most cases, the description being based on the individual telling the story. While this is the case, most do refer to the holy relic as either a dish, chalice or stone.

In Arthurian literature, the story tends to change over the course of time. In fact, there have been so many translations and adaptations, it can sometimes be difficult to know whether the story being told is even about the chalice. Whereas, the stories of a stone falling from the sky or a cup which held Christ's blood seemed to have been the most prominent among King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

The original story actually began when an explorer found a French verse which illustrated the history of the object. For, written by Chretien de Troyes in French, the text provided an illustration of the holy object from the time it is reported to have caught Christ's blood on the cross all the way up to King Arthur's death. While this is the first text to be discovered, this does not mean there are not earlier versions still yet to be found.

The Conte de Graal, written on the claims Chretien and patron Count Phillip of Flanders, provided the original text. It is this text in which the chalice was described as a bowl or dish rather than a cup. As such, it is believed that the grail was a magnificent object presented during a parade which Perceval attended. In this legend, the grail did not contain fish or wine but rather a wafer used for Mass which had cured the father of the Fisher King.




About the Author:



0 comments :

Dí lo que piensas...

 
twitter facebook google plus linkedin rss feed email