The Holy Grail (, , , ) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in

Arthurian literature The Matter of Britain (; ; ; ) is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. The 12th-century writer Geoffr ...

. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenance in infinite abundance, often guarded in the custody of the

Fisher King The Fisher King (; ; ; ) is a figure in Arthurian legend, the last in a long line of British kings tasked with guarding the Holy Grail. The Fisher King is both the protector and physical embodiment of his lands, but a wound renders him impoten ...

and located in the hidden Grail castle. By analogy, any elusive object or goal of great significance may be perceived as a "holy grail" by those seeking such. A mysterious "grail" (Old French: ''graal'' or ''greal''), wondrous but not unequivocally holy, first appears in ''

Perceval, the Story of the Grail ''Perceval, the Story of the Grail'' () is an unfinished verse romance written by Chrétien de Troyes in Old French in the late 12th century. Later authors added 54,000 more lines to the original 9,000 in what is known collectively as the ''Four ...

'', an unfinished chivalric romance written by

Chrétien de Troyes Chrétien de Troyes (; ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on King Arthur, Arthurian subjects such as Gawain, Lancelot, Perceval and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's chivalric romances, including ''Erec and Enide'' ...

around 1190. Chrétien's story inspired many continuations, translators and interpreters in the later-12th and early-13th centuries, including

Wolfram von Eschenbach Wolfram von Eschenbach (; – ) was a German knight, poet and composer, regarded as one of the greatest epic poets of medieval German literature. As a Minnesinger, he also wrote lyric poetry. Life Little is known of Wolfram's life. Ther ...

, who portrayed the Grail as a stone in ''

Parzival ''Parzival'' () is a medieval chivalric romance by the poet and knight Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) ...

''. The Christian, Celtic or possibly other origins of the Arthurian grail

trope Trope or tropes may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Trope (cinema), a cinematic convention for conveying a concept * Trope (literature), a figure of speech or common literary device * Trope (music), any of a variety of different things in medi ...

are uncertain and have been debated among literary scholars and historians. Writing soon after Chrétien,

Robert de Boron Robert de Boron (also spelled in the manuscripts "Roberz", "Borron", "Bouron", "Beron") was a French poet active around the late 12th and early 13th centuries, notable as the reputed author of the poems and ''Merlin''. Although little is known of ...

in ' portrayed the Grail as

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

's vessel from the

Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, ''The Last Supper (Leonardo), The Last Supper'' (1495-1498). Mural, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic ...

, which

Joseph of Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea () is a Biblical figure who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion. Three of the four Biblical Canon, canonical Gospels identify him as a member of the Sanhedrin, while the ...

used to catch Christ's blood at

the crucifixion The crucifixion of Jesus was the death of Jesus by being nailed to a cross.The instrument of crucifixion is taken to be an upright wooden beam to which was added a transverse wooden beam, thus forming a "cruciform" or T-shaped structure. ...

. Thereafter, the Holy Grail became interwoven with the legend of the

Holy Chalice The Holy Chalice, also known as the Holy Grail, is in some Christian traditions the vessel that Jesus used at the Last Supper to share his blood. The Synoptic Gospels refer to Jesus sharing a cup of wine with the Apostles in the New Testamen ...

, the Last Supper cup, an idea continued in works such as the ''

Lancelot-Grail The ''Lancelot-Grail Cycle'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian legend, Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance originally writte ...

'' cycle, and subsequently the 15th-century ''

Le Morte d'Arthur ' (originally written as '; Anglo-Norman French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...

''.Campbell 1990, p. 210. In this form, it is now a popular theme in modern culture, and has become the subject of

folklore studies Folklore studies (also known as folkloristics, tradition studies or folk life studies in the UK) is the academic discipline devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currency in the 1950s to distinguish the ac ...

pseudohistorical Pseudohistory is a form of pseudoscholarship that attempts to distort or misrepresent the historical record, often by employing methods resembling those used in scholarly historical research. The related term cryptohistory is applied to pseudoh ...

writings, works of fiction, and

conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...

Etymology

The word , as it is spelled in its earliest appearances, comes from

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

Old Occitan Old Occitan (, ), also called Old Provençal, was the earliest form of the Occitano-Romance languages, as attested in writings dating from the 8th to the 14th centuries. Old Occitan generally includes Early and Old Occitan. Middle Occitan is some ...

and Old Catalan , meaning "a cup or bowl of earth, wood, or metal" (or other various types of vessels in different Occitan language, Occitan dialects).Diez, Friedrich. ''An etymological dictionary of the Romance languages'', Williams and Norgate, 1864, p. 236. Its origin is uncertain. One unlikely is the Old Welsh word ''griol''. The most commonly accepted etymology derives it from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

or via an earlier form, , a derivative of or , which was, in turn, borrowed from

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

(, a large wine-mixing vessel). Alternative suggestions include a derivative of , a name for a type of woven basket that came to refer to a dish,Barber 2004, p. 93. or a derivative of Latin meaning by degree', 'by stages', applied to a dish brought to the table in different stages or services during a meal". In the 15th century, English writer

John Hardyng John Hardyng (or Harding; 1378–1465) was an English chronicler. He was born in Northern England. Biography As a boy Hardyng entered the service of Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur), with whom he was present at the Battle of Shrewsbury (1403). He the ...

invented a fanciful new etymology for Old French (or ), meaning "Holy Grail", by parsing it as , meaning "royal blood". This etymology was used by some later medieval British writers such as

Thomas Malory Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'A ...

, and became prominent in the conspiracy theory developed in the book ''

The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail ''The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail'', published as ''Holy Blood, Holy Grail'' in the United States, is a book by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. The book was first published in 1982 by Jonathan Cape in London as an unoffici ...

'', in which refers to the

Jesus bloodline The Jesus bloodline refers to the proposition that a lineal sequence of the historical Jesus has persisted, possibly to the present time. Although absent from the Gospels or historical records, the concept of Jesus having descendants has gained a ...

.Wood 2012, p. 77.

Medieval literature

Overview

The literature surrounding the Grail can be divided into two branches. The first concerns

King Arthur's knights ''King Arthur's Knights'' is an Arthurian board game published by Chaosium in 1978 in which knights of the Round Table perform chivalrous quests for artifacts and treasure. Description ''King Arthur's Knights'' is a game for 2-5 players in which ...

visiting the Grail castle or questing after the object: * ''

'', a chivalric romance poem by

where a girl mysteriously carries it in a procession. When first described by Chrétien, the marvelous nature of "a grail" is mysteriously unexplained. There, it is a

salver A salver is a flat heavy tray of silver, other metal or glass used for carrying or serving glasses, cups, and dishes at a table, or for the presenting of a letter or card by a servant. In a royal or noble household the fear of poisoning led to ...

, a tray used to serve at a feast. *The four continuations of Chrétien's unfinished poem, by authors of differing vision, designed to bring the story to a close. * The , purportedly a prosification of

's lost sequel to his romance poems ' and ''

Merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...

''. * ''

'' by

, where it is a gemstone linked to the fall of the angels. *

Welsh romance The Three Welsh Romances (Welsh language, Welsh: ') are three Middle Welsh tales associated with the ''Mabinogion''. They are versions of Arthurian tales that also appear in the work of Chrétien de Troyes. Critics have debated whether the Welsh R ...

Peredur son of Efrawg ''Peredur son of Efrawg'' is one of the Three Welsh Romances associated with the '' Mabinogion''. It tells a story roughly analogous to Chrétien de Troyes' unfinished romance '' Perceval, the Story of the Grail'', but it contains many strikin ...

'', a loose translation of Chrétien's poem and the Continuations, with some influence from native Welsh literature. It had no Grail as such, presenting the hero instead with a platter containing his kinsman's bloody, severed head. * ''

Perlesvaus ''Perlesvaus'', also called ''Li Hauz Livres du Graal'' (''The High Book of the Grail''), is an Old French Arthurian romance from the 13th century. It purports to be a continuation of romance (heroic literature)">romance from the 13th century. ...

'', an alternative work inspired by ''Perceval''. * German poem ''

Diu Crône ''Diu Crône'' () is a Middle High German poem of about 30,000 lines treating of King Arthur and the Matter of Britain, dating from around the 1220s and attributed to the epic poet Heinrich von dem Türlin. Little is known of the author thoug ...

'' (''The Crown''), in which

Gawain Gawain ( ), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Matter of Britain, Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and one of the premier Knights of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned und ...

, rather than

Perceval Perceval (, also written Percival, Parzival, Parsifal), alternatively called Peredur (), is a figure in the legend of King Arthur, often appearing as one of the Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Tro ...

, achieves the Grail. * The Prose ''Lancelot'' section of the vast

(Vulgate) cycle introduced the new Grail hero,

Galahad Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name (originally ''Galaad'', ''Galaaz'', or ''Galaaus''), is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Ar ...

. The Vulgate ''Queste del Saint Graal'', a follow-up part of the cycle, ends with the eventual achievement of the Grail by Galahad. The story was rewritten in the

Post-Vulgate Cycle The Post-Vulgate Cycle, also known as the Post-Vulgate Arthuriad, the Post-Vulgate ''Roman du Graal'' (''Romance of the Grail'') or the Pseudo-Robert de Boron Cycle, is one of the major Old French -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at wh ...

and other derivative works. The other branch tells the Grail's earlier history since the time of

: * Robert de Boron's ''Joseph d'Arimathie'' and ''Merlin'' (the Little Grail Cycle), establishing the Grail as the vessel of the

. * The Vulgate ''Estoire del Saint Graal'' and the Vulgate ''Merlin'', parts of the Lancelot-Grail cycle (but written after ''Lancelot'' and the ''Queste'') based on Robert's telling but expanding it greatly with many new details. It, too, was then rewritten in the Post-Vulgate.

Chrétien de Troyes

The subject is first featured in ''Perceval, le Conte du Graal'' (''The Story of the Grail'') by Chrétien de Troyes, who claims he was working from a source book given to him by his patron, Count Philip of Flanders. In this incomplete poem, dated sometime between 1180 and 1191, the object has not yet acquired the implications it would have in later works. While dining in the magical castle of the

, Perceval witnesses a wondrous procession in which youths carry magnificent objects from one chamber to another, passing before him at each course of the meal. First comes a young man carrying a bleeding lance, then two boys carrying candelabras. Finally, a beautiful young girl emerges bearing an elaborately decorated ''graal'', or "grail". Perceval, who had been warned against talking too much, remains silent through all of this and wakes up the next morning alone. Later, a hermit informs Perceval that the latter is a "very holy thing" in which a host is served that miraculously keeps the crippled Fisher King alive. If Perceval had asked the appropriate questions about the meaning of the lance and the grail, he would have healed his maimed host. Chrétien refers to this object not as "the Grail" but as "a grail" (''un graal''), showing the word was used, in its earliest literary context, as a common noun. For Chrétien, a grail was a wide, somewhat deep, dish or bowl, interesting because it contained not a pike, salmon, or lamprey, as the audience may have expected for such a container, but a single

Communion wafer Sacramental bread, also called Communion bread, Communion wafer, Sacred host, Eucharistic bread, the Lamb or simply the host (), is the bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist. Along with sacramental wine, it is one of two elements ...

. The story of the Wounded King's mystical fasting is not unique; several saints were said to have lived without food besides communion, for instance Saint

Catherine of Genoa Catherine of Genoa (Caterina Fieschi Adorno, 1447 – 15 September 1510) was an Italian Catholic saint and mystic, admired for her work among the sick and the poor and remembered because of various writings describing both these actions an ...

. This may imply that Chrétien intended the Communion wafer to be the significant part of the ritual, and the Grail to be a mere prop.

Hélinand of Froidmont Helinand of Froidmont (c. 1150—after 1229 (probably 1237)) was a The Middle Ages, medieval poet, chronicler, and ecclesiastical writer. Biography He was born of Flemish people, Flemish parents at Pronleroy in France around 1150. He studied un ...

's ''Chronicon'' described it as a "wide and deep saucer" (''scutella lata et aliquantulum profunda''). It is also mentioned by others such as Rigaut de Barbezieux. Chrétien's Perceval does not achieve the quest, but four different authors attempted to completed his unfinished story in their own poems known as ''Perceval Continuations'' that include two successive follow up tales and then two alternative endings. In these works, the mysteries left unsolved by Chrétien (the bleeding lance, the broken sword, the wounded king) develop an explicitly Christian character, transforming a chivalric adventure into a mystical religious quest, undertaken by not only Perceval but also Gawain. The ''First Continuation'' (''Gawain Continuation'') seemingly features two grails: a floating dish and a carved head of Jesus. The ''Third Continuation'' has it again as carried by a girl. Here, the Fisher King dies and is replaced by Perceval, after whose death the Grail is taken to the Heaven.

Wolfram von Eschenbach

In ''Parzival'', the author Wolfram von Eschenbach, citing the authority of a certain (probably fictional) Kyot the Provençal, claimed the Grail was a gemstone, the sanctuary of the neutral angels who took neither side during Lucifer's rebellion. It is called ''lapis exillis'' (other forms ''lapsis'', ''lapsit'', ''exilis''), which in alchemy is the name of the

philosopher's stone The philosopher's stone is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver; it was also known as "the tincture" and "the powder". Alchemists additionally believed that it could be used to mak ...

.Von Eschenbach, Wolfram. ''Parzival''. Hatto, A.T. translator. Penguin Books, 1980, page 239. In Wolfram's telling, the Grail was kept safe at the castle of Munsalvaesche (''mons salvationis''), entrusted to Titurel, the first Grail King. The stone grants eternal life to its guardian. In the end, Parzival replaces the maimed and long suffering Anfortas as the new Grail King, having finally released him by correctly answering his question.

Robert de Boron

Though Chrétien's account is the earliest and most influential of all Grail texts, it was in the work of Robert de Boron that the Grail truly became the "Holy Grail" and assumed the form most familiar to modern readers in its Christian context. In his ''Joseph d'Arimathie'', composed between 1191 and 1202, Robert tells the story of Joseph of Arimathea acquiring the chalice of the Last Supper to collect Christ's blood upon his removal from the cross. Joseph is thrown in prison, where Christ visits him and explains the mysteries of the blessed cup. Upon his release, Joseph gathers his in-laws and other followers and travels west to Britain, where he founds a dynasty of Grail keepers that eventually includes Perceval. Robert returned to the subject of the Grail as a major theme in ''Merlin'' where he linked it to the figure of

, turned by him into a Grail prophet who orders the construction of the

Round Table The Round Table (; ; ; ) is King Arthur's famed table (furniture), table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status, unlike co ...

as a successor item to the previous Grail tables of Jesus and Joseph. Perceval himself is the subject of the ''Prose Perceval'' (''Perceval en prose''), a rare work sometimes attributed to Robert that presents a revised and completed version of Chrétien's story while simultaneously also serving as a continuation to ''Joseph'' and ''Merlin''. In the anonymous prose ''Perlesvaus'', another but markedly different continuation of Chrétien's ''Perceval'', the Grail is a holy blood relic creating mystical visions and appearing in the form of a hovering chalice, apparently as inspired by the works of de Boron. It a religious militant work where its hero Perlesvaus (i.e. Perceval) punishes infidels and conquers the Grail castle in an allegory for establishing the

Kingdom of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem, also known as the Crusader Kingdom, was one of the Crusader states established in the Levant immediately after the First Crusade. It lasted for almost two hundred years, from the accession of Godfrey of Bouillon in 1 ...

The vast prose ''Vulgate Cycle'' (''Lancelot-Grail'') finished the story set up by Robert de Boron in ''Joseph'' and ''Merlin'', the works themselves incorporated into the cycle in an expanded form as the Vulgate ''Estoire dou Graal'' (''History of the Grail'') and the Vulgate ''Merlin'', in the continuation known as the Vulgate ''Queste del Saint Graal'' (''Quest for the Holy Grail''). Here, the main Grail hero is Galahad, son of the world's hitherto greatest knight,

Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), alternatively written as Launcelot and other variants, is a popular character in the Matter of Britain, Arthurian legend's chivalric romance tradition. He is typically depicted as King Arthu ...

, and the Fisher King's daughter and the Grail Bearer at the castle of

Corbenic Corbenic (Carbone ''c''k, Corbin) is the name of the Grail castle, the edifice housing the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. It is a magical domain of the Grail keeper, often known as the Fisher King. The castle's descriptions vary greatly in dif ...

, Elaine. Both of his parents come from Biblical lineages and he is destined to achieve the Grail, a symbol of divine grace, as the virgin Galahad's spiritual purity makes him superior to even his illustrious father. In the ''Estoire'', the definition and characterization of the Grail change over the course of the story. It is initially only mentioned as the holy "bowl", then is referred to as a "vase", before definitively becoming a cup and the "grail". It is also kept in a marvelous ark and forbidden to ordinary mortals, reminiscent of the

Ark of the Covenant The Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, was a religious storage chest and relic held to be the most sacred object by the Israelites. Religious tradition describes it as a wooden storage chest decorat ...

. The Grail again appears in the Vulgate ''Lancelot'', featured in a story loosely based on Chrétien (the procession here is witnessed by Lancelot and later by Bors), as well as in a new original episode of Elaine using it to cure Lancelot's madness (having also physically healed Hector and Bors in previous chapter). In the ''Queste'', the corruption of the inhabitants of Britain resulted in the loss of the Grail and its return to the Middle Eastern city of

Sarras Sarras is a mystical island to which the Holy Grail is brought in the Arthurian legend. In the Lancelot-Grail Cycle, Joseph of Arimathea and his followers visit the island on their way to Britain; while there Joseph's son Josephus is invested as ...

. The ''Queste'' tells of the adventures of various

Knights of the Round Table The Knights of the Round Table (, , ) are the legendary knights of the fellowship of King Arthur that first appeared in the Matter of Britain literature in the mid-12th century. The Knights are a chivalric order dedicated to ensuring the peace ...

in their eponymous great quest in search of the Grail, who embark on it against the worried

Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

's reservations and wander throughout Britain and the broader world alone or in small groups. Perceval and

Bors the Younger Bors (; ) is the name of two knights in Arthurian legend, an elder and a younger. The two first appear in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail romance prose cycle. Bors the Elder is the King of Gaunnes (Gannes/Gaunes/Ganis) during the early period o ...

eventually join Galahad, who had been earlier proved uniquely worthy and predestined for it by surviving the

Siege Perilous In Arthurian legend, the Siege Perilous (, also known as The Perilous Seat, ) is a vacant seat at the Round Table reserved by Merlin for the knight who would one day be successful in the quest for the Holy Grail. History The English word "sie ...

. They are present as his companions at the successful end of the Grail Quest, when they witness his ascension to Heaven. The mystery of the Grail is finally unveiled as containing an incarnation of Christ. Perceval himself dies on their voyage back. A total of 72 knights perish and the Round Table never fully recovers, setting the stage for the collapse of the Arthurian world in the cycle's final part, the ''Mort Artu''. Alternative versions of the Grail Quest based on that from the ''Vulgate Cycle'' are featured in the ''

Prose Tristan The Prose ''Tristan'' ( French: '' oman de' ''Tristan en prose''), also known as ''Tristan de Léonois,'' is a 13th-century Old French adaptation of the Tristan and Iseult">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate t ...

'' (long version) and the ''Post-Vulgate Cycle''. The Galahad-centered tradition was later picked by Thomas Malory for his ''

'' and remains popular today. Based on the Vulgate ''Queste'' in an abridged form, Malory's telling accordingly elevates Galahad above Perceval (Percivale), the latter reduced to a secondary role in the Quest. Uniquely, Malory described the Grail as invisible, apparently confused by his French source text's mention of an invisible Grail bearer.

Later traditions

Relics

In the wake of the Arthurian romances, several artifacts came to be identified as the Holy Grail in medieval

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

veneration. These artifacts are said to have been the vessel used at the Last Supper, but other details vary. Despite the prominence of the Grail literature, traditions about a Last Supper relic remained rare in contrast to other items associated with Jesus' last days, such as the

True Cross According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the real instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, cross on which Jesus of Nazareth was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified. It is related by numerous historical accounts and Christian mythology, legends ...

and

Holy Lance The Holy Lance, also known as the Spear of Longinus (named after Longinus, Saint Longinus), the Spear of Destiny, or the Holy Spear, is alleged to be the lance that pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross during his Crucifixion of Jes ...

.Wood 2012, p. 91. One tradition predates the Grail romances: in the 7th century, the pilgrim

Arculf Arculf was a Frankish churchman who toured the Holy Land around 670. Bede claimed he was a bishop from Gaul (). According to Bede's ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People'' (V, 15), Arculf was shipwrecked on the shore of Iona on his return ...

reported that the Last Supper chalice was displayed near Jerusalem. In the wake of Robert de Boron's Grail works, several other items came to be claimed as the true Last Supper vessel. In the late 12th century, one was said to be in

Byzantium Byzantium () or Byzantion () was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' continued to be used as a n ...

;

Albrecht von Scharfenberg Albrecht ("noble", "bright") is a given name or surname of German origin and may refer to: First name * Albrecht Agthe, (1790–1873), German music teacher * Albrecht Altdorfer, (c. 1480–1538) German Renaissance painter * Albrecht Becker, ( ...

's Grail romance '' Der Jüngere Titurel'' associated it explicitly with the Arthurian Grail, but claimed it was only a copy. This item was said to have been looted in the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

and brought to

Troyes Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...

in France, but it was lost during the French Revolution.Wood 2012, p. 94. Two relics associated with the Grail survive today. The '' Sacro Catino'' (Sacred Basin, also known as the Genoa Chalice) is a green glass dish held at the

Genoa Cathedral Genoa Cathedral or Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Lawrence (, ''Cattedrale di San Lorenzo'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Italian city of Genoa. It is dedicated to Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo), and is the seat of the Archbishop of Gen ...

said to have been used at the Last Supper. Its provenance is unknown, and there are two divergent accounts of how it was brought to Genoa by

Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...

in the 12th century. It was not associated with the Last Supper until later, in the wake of the Grail romances; the first known association is in

Jacobus de Voragine Jacobus de Voragine, OP (13/16 July 1298) was an Italian chronicler and archbishop of Genoa. He was the author, or more accurately the compiler, of the '' Golden Legend'', a collection of the legendary lives of the greater saints of the mediev ...

's chronicle of Genoa in the late 13th century, which draws on the Grail literary tradition. The Catino was moved and broken during

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's conquest in the early 19th century, revealing that it is glass rather than emerald. The Holy Chalice of Valencia is an

agate Agate ( ) is a banded variety of chalcedony. Agate stones are characterized by alternating bands of different colored chalcedony and sometimes include macroscopic quartz. They are common in nature and can be found globally in a large number of d ...

dish with a mounting for use as a chalice. The bowl may date to

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...

times, but its dating is unclear, and its provenance is unknown before 1399, when it was gifted to

Martin I of Aragon Martin the Humane (29 July 1356 – 31 May 1410), also called the Elder and the Ecclesiastic, was King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia and Corsica and Count of Barcelona from 1396 and King of Sicily from 1409 (as Martin II). He failed to secure th ...

. By the 14th century, an elaborate tradition had developed that this object was the Last Supper chalice. This tradition mirrors aspects of the Grail material, with several major differences, suggesting a separate tradition entirely. It is not associated with Joseph of Arimathea or Jesus' blood; it is said to have been taken to Rome by

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

and later entrusted to

Saint Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence (; 31 December 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the Persecution of Christians, persecution of the Christians that the Roman Empire, Rom ...

. Early references do not call the object the "Grail". The first evidence connecting it to the Grail tradition is from the 15th century, when the monarchy sold the cup to

Valencia Cathedral Valencia Cathedral, at greater length the Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia (, ), also known as St Mary's Cathedral, is a Catholic church in Valencia, Spain. The cathedral was consecrated in 1238 by ...

. It remains a significant local icon. Several objects were identified with the Holy Grail in the 17th century. In the 20th century, a series of new items became associated with it. These include the

Nanteos Cup The Nanteos Cup () is a medieval wood mazer bowl, held for many years at Nanteos Mansion, near Aberystwyth in Wales. Since at least the late 19th century, it has been attributed with a supernatural ability to heal those who drink from it and tra ...

, a medieval wooden bowl found near

Rhydyfelin Rhydyfelin () is a large village (originally known as Rhydfelen) and part of the community of Pontypridd Town, about to its south east of Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf. It is on the eastern bank of the River Taff, close ...

, Wales; a glass dish found near

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

, England; the Antioch chalice, a 6th-century

silver-gilt Silver-gilt or gilded/gilt silver, sometimes known in American English by the French language, French term vermeil, is silver (either pure or sterling silver, sterling) which has been gilding, gilded. Most large objects made in goldsmithing tha ...

object that became attached to the Grail legend in the 1930s; and the

Chalice of Doña Urraca The Chalice of Doña Urraca is a jewel-encrusted onyx chalice kept at St. Isidore's Basilica, León, St. Isidore's Basilica in León, Spain, which belonged to Infante, ''infanta'' Urraca of Zamora, daughter of Ferdinand I of Leon. In March 2014, ...

, a cup made between 200 BC and 100 AD, kept in León’s Basilica of Saint Isidore.

Locations associated with the Holy Grail

In the modern era, a number of places have become associated with the Holy Grail. One of the most prominent is

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, England. Glastonbury was associated with King Arthur and his resting place of

Avalon Avalon () is an island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' as a place of magic where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was made and later where Arthur was taken to recove ...

by the 12th century. In the 13th century, a legend arose that Joseph of Arimathea was the founder of

Glastonbury Abbey Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Its ruins, a grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument, are open as a visitor attraction. The abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It wa ...

. Early accounts of Joseph at Glastonbury focus on his role as the evangelist of Britain rather than as the custodian of the Holy Grail, but from the 15th century, the Grail became a more prominent part of the legends surrounding Glastonbury. Interest in Glastonbury resurged in the late 19th century, inspired by renewed interest in the Arthurian legend and contemporary spiritual movements centered on ancient sacred sites. In the late 19th century, John Goodchild hid a glass bowl near Glastonbury; a group of his friends, including

Wellesley Tudor Pole Wellesley Tudor Pole OBE (23 April 1884 – 13 September 1968) was an English Baháʼí, psychic, spiritualist and activist for vegetarianism. Pole authored many pamphlets and books and was a lifelong pursuer of religious and mystical qu ...

, retrieved the cup in 1906 and promoted it as the original Holy Grail. Glastonbury and its Holy Grail legend have since become a point of focus for various

New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...

and

Neopagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, spans a range of new religious movements variously influenced by the beliefs of pre-modern peoples across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Despite some common simila ...

groups. Some, not least the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monks, have identified the castle from ''Parzival'' with their real sanctuary of

Montserrat Montserrat ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, wit ...

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

. In the early 20th century, esoteric writers identified

Montségur Montségur (; Languedocien: ''Montsegur'') is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. It is famous for its fortification, the Château de Montségur, that was built on the "pog" (mountain) on the ruins of one of the la ...

, a stronghold of the heretical

Cathar Catharism ( ; from the , "the pure ones") was a Christian quasi- dualist and pseudo-Gnostic movement which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. Denounced as a he ...

sect in the 13th century, as the Grail castle. Similarly, the 14th-century

Rosslyn Chapel Rosslyn Chapel, also known as the Collegiate Chapel of Saint Matthew, is a 15th-century Scottish Episcopal Church, Episcopal chapel located in the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Roslin in Midlothian, Scotland. The chapel was founded by William Si ...

Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...

, Scotland, became attached to the Grail legend in the mid-20th century when a succession of conspiracy books identified it as a secret hiding place of the Grail.

Modern interpretations

Scholarly hypotheses

Scholars have long speculated on the origins of the Holy Grail before Chrétien, suggesting that it may contain elements of the trope of magical

cauldrons A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot (kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, an ...

from

Celtic mythology Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples.Cunliffe, Barry, (1997) ''The Ancient Celts''. Oxford, Oxford University Press , pp. 183 (religion), 202, 204–8. Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed ...

and later

Welsh mythology Welsh mythology (also commonly known as ''Y Chwedlau'', meaning "The Legends") consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of t ...

, combined with Christian legend surrounding the

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

, the latter found in

Eastern Christian Eastern Christianity comprises Christianity, Christian traditions and Christian denomination, church families that originally developed during Classical antiquity, classical and late antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean region or locations fu ...

sources, conceivably in that of the Byzantine Mass, or even Persian sources. The view that the "origin" of the Grail legend should be seen as deriving from Celtic mythology was championed by

Roger Sherman Loomis Roger Sherman Loomis (1887–1966) was an American scholar and one of the foremost authorities on medieval and Arthurian literature. Loomis is perhaps best known for showing the roots of Arthurian legend, in particular the Holy Grail, in native C ...

(''The Grail: From Celtic Myth to Christian Symbol''),

Alfred Nutt Alfred Trübner Nutt (22 November 1856 – 21 May 1910) was an English publisher, folklorist, and Arthurian and Celtic scholar. Born in 1856 into a literary family in London, he took over his late father's publishing business in 1878 after st ...

(''Studies on the Legend of the Holy Grail'', available at Wikisource), and

Jessie Weston Jessie Weston may refer to: * Jessie Weston (scholar) (1850–1928), English independent scholar, medievalist and folklorist * Jessie Weston (writer) (1865–1939), New Zealand novelist and journalist {{human name disambiguation, Weston, Jessie ...

('' From Ritual to Romance'' and ''The Quest of the Holy Grail''). Loomis traced a number of parallels between medieval Welsh literature and Irish material, and the Grail romances, including similarities between the ''

Mabinogion The ''Mabinogion'' () is a collection of the earliest Welsh prose stories, compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, created –1410, as well as a few earlier frag ...

''s

Bran the Blessed Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the component of a cereal grain consisting of the hard layersthe combined aleurone and pericarpsurrounding the endosperm. Corn (maize) bran also includes the pedicel (tip cap). Along with the germ, it is ...

and the Arthurian Fisher King, and between Bran's life-restoring cauldron and the Grail. The opposing view dismissed the "Celtic" connections as spurious, and interpreted the legend as essentially Christian in origin. Joseph Goering identified sources for Grail imagery in 12th-century wall paintings from churches in the Catalan

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

(now mostly moved to the

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya The (; ), abbreviated as MNAC (), is a museum of Catalonia, Catalan visual art located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Situated on Montjuïc hill at the end of Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, near Plaça d'Espanya, Barcelona, Pl Espanya, th ...

), which present unique iconic images of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

holding a bowl that radiates tongues of fire, images that predate the first literary account by Chrétien de Troyes. Goering argues that they were the original inspiration for the Grail legend. Psychologists

Emma Jung Emma Jung (born Emma Marie Rauschenbach, 30 March 1882 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss Jungian analyst and author. She married Carl Jung, financing and helping him to become the prominent psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology, and ...

and

Marie-Louise von Franz Marie-Louise von Franz (4 January 1915 – 17 February 1998) was a Swiss Jungian psychologist and scholar, known for her psychological interpretations of fairy tales and of alchemical manuscripts. She worked and collaborated with Carl Jung from ...

used

analytical psychology Analytical psychology (, sometimes translated as analytic psychology; also Jungian analysis) is a term referring to the psychological practices of Carl Jung. It was designed to distinguish it from Freud's psychoanalytic theories as their ...

to interpret the Grail as a series of symbols in their book ''The Grail Legend''.Barber 2004, p. 248–252. They directly expanded on interpretations by

Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychologist who founded the school of analytical psychology. A prolific author of Carl Jung publications, over 20 books, illustrator, and corr ...

, which were later invoked by

Joseph Campbell Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of t ...

. Philosopher

Henry Corbin Henry Corbin (14 April 1903 – 7 October 1978) was a French philosopher, theologian, and Iranologist, professor of Islamic studies at the École pratique des hautes études. He was influential in extending the modern study of traditional Islami ...

, a member of the

Eranos Eranos is an intellectual discussion group dedicated to humanistic and religious studies, as well as to the natural sciences which has met annually in Moscia (Lago Maggiore), the Collegio Papio and on the Monte Verità in Ascona, Switzerland sin ...

circle founded by Jung, also commented on the esoteric significance of the grail, relating it to the Iranian Islamic symbols that he studied. Daniel Scavone (1999, 2003) argued that the "Grail" originally referred to the

Image of Edessa According to Christian tradition, the Image of Edessa was a holy relic consisting of a square or rectangle of cloth upon which a miraculous image of the face of Jesus Christ had been imprinted—the first icon (). The image is also known as the ...

. According to

Richard Barber Richard William Barber (born 30 October 1941) is a British historian who has published several books about medieval history and literature. His book ''The Knight and Chivalry'', about the interplay between history and literature, won the Somer ...

(2004), the Grail legend is connected to the introduction of "more ceremony and mysticism" surrounding the sacrament of the Eucharist in the high medieval period, proposing that the first Grail stories may have been connected to the "renewal in this traditional sacrament". Goulven Peron (2016) suggested that the Holy Grail may reflect the

horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...

of the river-god

Achelous In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Achelous (also Acheloos or Acheloios) (; Ancient Greek: Ἀχελώϊος, and later , ''Akhelôios'') was the god associated with the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece. Accordi ...

, as described by

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

in the ''

Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...

''.Peron, Goulven. L'influence des Metamorphoses d'Ovide sur la visite de Perceval au chateau du Roi Pecheur, ''Journal of the International Arthurian Society'', Vol. 4, Issue 1, 2016, p. 113-134.

Pseudohistory and conspiracy theories

Since the 19th century, the Holy Grail has been linked to various conspiracy theories. In 1818, Austrian pseudohistorical writer

Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall (; 9 June 1774 – 23 November 1856) was an Austrian orientalist, historian and diplomat. He is considered one of the most accomplished orientalists of his time. Life Born Joseph Hammer in Graz, Duchy of S ...

connected the Grail to contemporary myths surrounding the

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

that cast the order as a secret society dedicated to mystical knowledge and relics. In Hammer-Purgstall's work, the Grail is not a physical relic, but a symbol of the secret knowledge that the Templars sought. There is no historical evidence linking the Templars to a search for the Grail, but subsequent writers have elaborated on the Templar theories. Starting in the early 20th century, writers, particularly in France, further connected the Templars and Grail to the Cathars. In 1906, French esoteric writer

Joséphin Péladan Joséphin Péladan (28 March 1858 – 27 June 1918) was a French novelist and Rosicrucian who later briefly joined the Martinist order led by Papus (Gérard Encausse). His father was a journalist who had written on prophecies, and professed ...

identified the Cathar castle of Montségur with

Munsalväsche Corbenic (Carbone ''c''k, Corbin) is the name of the Grail castle, the edifice housing the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. It is a magical domain of the Grail keeper, often known as the Fisher King. The castle's descriptions vary greatly in diff ...

or Montsalvat, the Grail castle in Wolfram's ''Parzival''. This identification has inspired a wider legend asserting that the Cathars possessed the Holy Grail. According to these stories, the Cathars guarded the Grail at Montségur, and smuggled it out when the castle fell in 1244. Parsifal1933

Beginning in 1933, German writer

Otto Rahn Otto Wilhelm Rahn (18 February 1904 – 13 March 1939) was a German medievalist, Ariosophist, and SS officer who researched Holy Grail myths. Early life and work Rahn was born on 18 February 1904 to Karl and Clara (née Hamburger) in M ...

published a series of books tying the Grail, Templars, and Cathars to modern German nationalist mythology. According to Rahn, the Grail was a symbol of a pure Germanic religion repressed by Christianity. Rahn's books inspired interest in the Grail within Nazi occultist circles, and led to the SS chief

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...

's abortive sponsorship of Rahn's search for the Grail, as well as many subsequent conspiracy theories and fictional works about the Nazis searching for the Grail. In the late 20th century, writers

Michael Baigent Michael Baigent (born Michael Barry Meehan, 27 February 1948 – 17 June 2013) was a New Zealand writer who published a number of popular works questioning traditional perceptions of history and the life of Jesus. He is known best as a co-author ...

, Richard Leigh, and

Henry Lincoln Henry Soskin (12 February 1930 – 23 February 2022), better known as Henry Lincoln, was a British author, television presenter, scriptwriter, and actor. He co-wrote three ''Doctor Who'' multi-part serials in the 1960s, and — starting in th ...

created one of the most widely known conspiracy theories about the Holy Grail. The theory first appeared on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

documentary series ''

Chronicle A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events ...

'' in the 1970s, and was elaborated upon in the bestselling 1982 book ''

Holy Blood, Holy Grail ''The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail'', published as ''Holy Blood, Holy Grail'' in the United States, is a book by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. The book was first published in 1982 by Jonathan Cape in London as an unoffic ...

''. The theory combines myths about the Templars and Cathars with various other legends, and a prominent

hoax A hoax (plural: hoaxes) is a widely publicised falsehood created to deceive its audience with false and often astonishing information, with the either malicious or humorous intent of causing shock and interest in as many people as possible. S ...

about a secret order called the

Priory of Sion The ''Prieuré de Sion'' (), translated as Priory of Sion, was a fraternal organisation founded in France and dissolved in 1956 by hoaxer Pierre Plantard in his failed attempt to create a prestigious neo-chivalric order. In the 1960s, Plantar ...

. According to this theory, the Holy Grail is not a physical object, but a symbol of the bloodline of Jesus. The blood connection is based on the etymological reading of ''san greal'' (holy grail) as ''sang real'' (royal blood), which dates to the 15th century. The narrative developed is that

was not divine, and had children with

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

, who took the family to France where their descendants became the

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...

dynasty. Supposedly, while the Catholic Church worked to destroy the dynasty, they were protected by the Priory of Sion and their associates, including the Templars, Cathars, and other secret societies. The book, its arguments, and its evidence have been widely dismissed by scholars as pseudohistorical, but it has had a vast influence on conspiracy and

alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...

books. It has also inspired fiction, most notably

Dan Brown Daniel Gerhard Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author best known for his Thriller (genre), thriller novels, including the Robert Langdon (book series), Robert Langdon novels ''Angels & Demons'' (2000), ''The Da Vinci Code'' (2003), '' ...

's 2003 novel ''

The Da Vinci Code ''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is “the best-selling American novel of all time.” Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon—the first was his 2000 novel '' Angels & Demons''� ...

'' and its 2006

film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...

Music and painting

The combination of hushed reverence, chromatic harmonies and sexualized imagery in

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's final music drama ''

Parsifal ''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is freely based on the 13th-century Middle High German chivalric romance ''Parzival'' of th ...

'', premiered in 1882, developed this theme, associating the Grail – now periodically producing blood – directly with female fertility. The high seriousness of the subject was also epitomized in

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( ; ), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator, and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brother ...

's painting in which a woman modeled by

Alexa Wilding Alexa Wilding (born Alice Wilding, c. 1847 – 25 April 1884) was one of the favourite models of the Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, featuring in some of his finest paintings of the later 1860s and 1870s. She sat for more of h ...

holds the Grail with one hand, while adopting a gesture of blessing with the other. A major mural series depicting the Quest for the Holy Grail was done by the artist

Edwin Austin Abbey Edwin Austin Abbey (April 1, 1852August 1, 1911) was an American muralist, illustrator, and painter. He flourished at the beginning of what is now referred to as the "golden age" of illustration, and is best known for his drawings and paintings ...

during the first decade of the 20th century for the

Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also Massachusetts' Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse''), meaning all adult re ...

. Other artists, including

George Frederic Watts George Frederic Watts (23 February 1817 – 1 July 1904) was a British painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolism (arts), Symbolist movement. Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical works, such as ''Hope (Watts), Hop ...

and

William Dyce William Dyce (; 19 September 1806 in Aberdeen14 February 1864) was a Scottish painter, who played a part in the formation of public art education in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom, and the South Kensington Schoo ...

, also portrayed grail subjects.

Literature

The story of the Grail and of the quest to find it became increasingly popular in the 19th century, referred to in literature such as

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of ...

's Arthurian cycle ''

Idylls of the King ''Idylls of the King'', published between 1859 and 1885, is a cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892; Poet Laureate from 1850) which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love f ...

''. A sexualised interpretation of the grail, now identified with female genitalia, appeared in 1870 in

Hargrave Jennings Hargrave Jennings (1817–1890) was a British Freemason, Rosicrucian, author on occultism and esotericism, and amateur student of comparative religion. Jennings was a member of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia and was involved with a Pagan grou ...

' book ''The Rosicrucians, Their Rites and Mysteries''. *

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

's poem ''

The Waste Land ''The Waste Land'' is a poem by T. S. Eliot, widely regarded as one of the most important English-language poems of the 20th century and a central work of modernist poetry. Published in 1922, the 434-line poem first appeared in the United ...

'' (1922) loosely follows the legend of the Holy Grail and the Fisher King combined with vignettes of contemporary British society. In his first note to the poem, Eliot attributes the title to Jessie Weston's book on the Grail legend, '' From Ritual to Romance''. The allusion is to the wounding of the Fisher King and the subsequent sterility of his lands. A poem of the same title, though otherwise dissimilar, written by

Madison Cawein Madison Julius Cawein (March 23, 1865 – December 8, 1914) was a poet from Louisville, Kentucky. Biography Madison Julius Cawein was born in Louisville, Kentucky on March 23, 1865, the fifth child of William and Christiana (Stelsly) Cawein. His ...

, was published in 1913 in ''Poetry''. * In

John Cowper Powys John Cowper Powys ( ; 8 October 187217 June 1963) was an English novelist, philosopher, lecturer, critic and poet born in Shirley, Derbyshire, where his father was vicar of the parish church in 1871–1879. Powys appeared with a volume of verse ...

's ''

A Glastonbury Romance ''A Glastonbury Romance'' was written by John Cowper Powys (1873–1963) in rural upstate New York (state), New York and first published by Simon and Schuster in New York City in March 1932. An English edition published by John Lane (publis ...

'' (1932), the "heroine is the Grail," and its central concerns are with the various myths and legends, along with the history associated with Glastonbury. It is also possible to see most of the main characters as undertaking a Grail quest. * The Grail is central in Charles Williams' novel ''War in Heaven'' (1930) and his two collections of poems about Taliessin, ''Taliessin Through Logres'' and ''Region of the Summer Stars'' (1938). *'' The Silver Chalice'' (1952) is a non-Arthurian historical Grail novel by Thomas B. Costain. * A quest for the Grail appears in

Nelson DeMille Nelson Richard DeMille (August 23, 1943 – September 17, 2024) was an American author of Adventure fiction, action adventure and Thriller (genre), suspense novels. His novels include ''Plum Island (novel), Plum Island'', ''The Charm School (nov ...

's adventure novel ''The Quest'' (1975), set during the 1970s. *

Marion Zimmer Bradley Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of fantasy, historical fantasy, science fiction, and science fantasy novels and is best known for the Arthurian fiction novel '' The Mists of Avalon'' and ...

's Arthurian revisionist fantasy novel ''

The Mists of Avalon ''The Mists of Avalon'' is a 1983 historical fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which the author relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine ...

'' (1983) presented the Grail as a symbol of water, part of a set of objects representing the four

classical elements The classical elements typically refer to earth, water, air, fire, and (later) aether which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Ancient cultures in Greece, Angola, Tibet, India, ...

. * The main theme of Rosalind Miles' ''Child of the Holy Grail'' (2000) in her ''Guenevere'' series is the story of the Grail quest by the 14-year-old Galahad. * The Grail motif features heavily in

Umberto Eco Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 – 19 February 2016) was an Italian Medieval studies, medievalist, philosopher, Semiotics, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. In English, he is best known for his popular ...

's 2000 novel ''

Baudolino ''Baudolino'' is a 2000 in literature, 2000 novel by Umberto Eco about the adventures of a man named Baudolino in the known and mythical Christianity, Christian world of the 12th century. ''Baudolino'' was translated into English in 2001 by Wil ...

'', set in the 12th century. * It is the subject of

Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his long-running series of novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also writ ...

's historical fiction series of books '' The Grail Quest'' (2000–2012), set during the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a c ...

. In his earlier series ''

The Warlord Chronicles ''The Warlord Chronicles'' or ''The Warlord Trilogy'' is a series of three novels about Arthurian Britain written by Bernard Cornwell. The story is written as a mixture of historical fiction and Arthurian legend. The books were originally publis ...

'', an adaptation of the Arthurian legend, Cornwell also reimagines the Grail quest as a quest for a cauldron that is one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain from Celtic mythology. * Influenced by the 1982 publication of the ostensibly non-fiction ''

'', Dan Brown's ''

'' (2003) has the "grail" taken to refer to Mary Magdalene as the "receptacle" of Jesus' bloodline (playing on the ''sang real'' etymology). In Brown's novel, it is hinted that this Grail was long buried beneath

in Scotland, but that in recent decades, its guardians had it moved to a secret chamber embedded in the floor beneath the Inverted Pyramid in the entrance of the

Louvre museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

. *

Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has wo ...

's fantasy novel ''

The War Hound and the World's Pain ''The War Hound and the World's Pain'' is a 1981 fantasy novel by English writer Michael Moorcock, the first of the "von Bek" series of novels. Plot summary The book is set in Europe ravaged by the Thirty Years' War. Its hero Ulrich von Bek is ...

'' (1981) depicts a supernatural Grail quest set in the era of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

. *German history and fantasy novel author

Rainer M. Schröder Rainer Maria Schröder (born 3 January 1951 in Rostock) is a German author known for adventure fiction for juveniles, mystery thrillers, and historical novels for adults. He also writes under the pseudonyms Ashley Carrington and Raymond M. Sherida ...

wrote the trilogy ''

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'' (''The Brotherhood of the Holy Grail'') about a group of four Knights Templar who save the Grail from the

Fall of Acre The siege of Acre (also called the fall of Acre) took place in 1291 and resulted in the Crusaders' losing control of Acre to the Mamluks. It is considered one of the most important battles of the period. Although the crusading movement continu ...

in 1291 and go through an odyssey to bring it to the Temple in Paris in the first two books, ''Der Fall von Akkon'' (2006) and ''Das Amulett der Wüstenkrieger'' (2006), while defending the holy relic from the attempts of a Satanic sect called Iscarians to steal it. In the third book, ''Das Labyrinth der schwarzen Abtei'' (2007), the four heroes must reunite to smuggle the Holy Grail out of the Temple in Paris after the

trials of the Knights Templar The downfall of the Knights Templar was initiated by King Philip IV of France. Philip, who was heavily in debt due to his lavish policies and military endeavours, saw the Templars as a way of alleviating his financial hardship and at the same t ...

in 1307, again pursued by the Iscarians. Schröder indirectly addresses the Cathar theory by letting the four heroes encounter Cathars – among them old friends from their flight from Acre – on their way to Portugal to seek refuge with the King of Portugal and travel further west. * The 15th novel in ''

The Dresden Files ''The Dresden Files'' is a series of contemporary fantasy/Mystery fiction, mystery novels written by American author Jim Butcher. The first novel, ''Storm Front (The Dresden Files), Storm Front''—which was also Butcher's writing debut—was p ...

'' series by

Jim Butcher Jim Butcher (born October 26, 1971) is an American author., He has written the contemporary Fantasy literature, fantasy ''The Dresden Files'', ''Codex Alera'', and ''Cinder Spires'' book series. Personal life Butcher was born in Independence, M ...

, ''Skin Game'' (2014), features

Harry Dresden ''The Dresden Files'' is a series of contemporary fantasy/ mystery novels written by American author Jim Butcher. The first novel, '' Storm Front''—which was also Butcher's writing debut—was published in 2000 by Roc Books. The books are w ...

being recruited by Denarian and longtime enemy Nicodemus into a heist team seeking to retrieve the Holy Grail from the vault of

Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...

, the lord of the Underworld. The properties of the item are not explicit, but the relic itself makes an appearance and is in the hands of Nicodemus by the end of the novel's events. * The Holy Grail features prominently in Jack Vance's ''Lyonesse Trilogy'', where it is the subject of an earlier quest, several generations before the birth of King Arthur. However, in contrast to the Arthurian canon, Vance's Grail is a common object lacking any magical or spiritual qualities, and the characters finding it derive little benefit. * ''Grails: Quests of the Dawn'' (1994), edited by Richard Gilliam, Martin H. Greenberg, and Edward E. Kramer is a collection of 25 short stories about the grail by various science fiction and fantasy writers. * In Robert Bruton's ''Empire in Apocalypse'' (2023), the Holy Grail appears as General Belisarius's Vandal chalice, recovered with other treasures the Vandals had stolen during the sacking of Rome.

Film and other media

In the cinema, the Holy Grail debuted in the 1904 silent film ''Parsifal (1904 film), Parsifal'', an adaptation of Wagner's opera by Edwin S. Porter. More recent cinematic adaptations include Costain's ''The Silver Chalice'' made into a The Silver Chalice (film), 1954 film by Victor Saville and Brown's ''The Da Vinci Code'' turned into a The Da Vinci Code (film), 2006 film by Ron Howard. * The silent drama film ''The Light in the Dark'' (1922) involves discovery of the Grail in modern times. * Robert Bresson's fantasy film ''Lancelot du Lac (film), Lancelot du Lac'' (1974) includes a more realistic version of the Grail quest from Arthurian romances. * ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' (1975) is a comedic take on the Arthurian Grail quest, adapted in 2004 as the stage production ''Spamalot''. * John Boorman, in his fantasy film ''Excalibur (film), Excalibur'' (1981), attempted to restore a more traditional heroic representation of an Arthurian tale, in which the Grail is revealed as a mystical means to revitalise Arthur and the barren land to which his depressive sickness is connected. * Steven Spielberg's adventure film ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' (1989) features Indiana Jones (character), Indiana Jones and Henry Jones, Sr., his father in a race for the Grail against the Nazis. * In a pair of fifth-season episodes (September 1989), entitled "Legend of the Holy Rose," MacGyver (1985 TV series), MacGyver undertakes a quest for the Grail. * Terry Gilliam's comedy-drama film ''The Fisher King'' (1991) features the Grail quest in the modern New York City. * In the season one episode "Grail (Babylon 5), Grail" (1994) of the television series ''Babylon 5'', a man named Aldous Gajic visits Babylon 5 in his continuing quest to find the Holy Grail. His quest is primarily a plot device, as the episode's action revolves not around the quest but rather around his presence and impact on the life of a station resident. * The video game ''Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned'' (1999) features an alternate version of the Grail, interwoven with the mythology of the

. The Holy Grail is revealed in the story to be the blood of Jesus Christ that contains his power, only accessible to those descended from him, with the vessel of the Grail being defined as his body itself which the Templars uncovered in the Holy Lands. * In ''Sailor Moon, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon,'' the Holy Grail (Sehai in the anime, or Rainbow Moon Chalice) is the magical object with which Sailor Moon transforms in her Super form. * A science fiction version of the Grail Quest is central theme in the Stargate SG-1 season 10, ''Stargate SG-1'' season 10 episode "The Quest" (2006). * The song "Holy Grail (Hunters & Collectors song), Holy Grail" by Australian band Hunters & Collectors was released in 1993. * The song "Holy Grail (Jay-Z song), Holy Grail" by Jay-Z featuring Justin Timberlake was released in 2013. * In the video game ''Persona 5'' (2016), the Holy Grail is the Treasure of the game's final Palace, representing the combined desires of all of humanity for a higher power to take control of their lives and make a world that has no sense of individuality. * In the television series Knightfall (TV series), ''Knightfall'' (2017), the search for the Holy Grail by the Knights Templar is a major theme of the series' first season. The Grail, which appears as a simple earthenware cup, is coveted by various factions including the Pope, who thinks that possession of it will enable him to ignite another Crusade. * In the ''Fate/stay night, Fate'' franchise, the Holy Grail serves as the prize of the Holy Grail War, granting a single wish to the victor of the battle royale. However, it is hinted at throughout the series that this Grail is not the real chalice of Christ, but is actually an item of uncertain nature created by mages some generations ago. * In the ''Assassin's Creed'' video game franchise the Holy Grail is mentioned. In the original game, one Templar refers to the main relic of the game as the Holy Grail, although it was later discovered to be one of many Apples of Eden. The Holy Grail was mentioned again in Templar Legends, ending up in either Scotland or Spain by different accounts. The Holy Grail appears again in ''Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles'', by the name of the Chalice, however this time not as an object but as a woman named Adha, similar to the sang rael, or royal blood, interpretation. * In the fourth series of ''The Grand Tour'', the trio goes to Île Sainte-Marie, Nosy Boraha where they accidentally find the Holy Grail while searching for Olivier Levasseur, La Buse's buried treasure. * In the 17th episode of ''Little Witch Academia'', "Amanda O'Neill and the Holy Grail", the Holy Grail is used as a plot device in which witches Amanda O'Neill and Akko Kagari set out to find the item itself at Appleton School. * In the 12th episode of season 9 of the American show ''The Office (American TV series), The Office'', Jim Halpert sends Dwight Schrute on a wild goose chase to find the Holy Grail. After Dwight completing all the clues to find it, but coming up empty handed, the camera cuts to Glenn drinking out of it in his office. * In the 2022 Christmas special episode of the British TV series ''Detectorists'', "Special", Lance finds a crockery cup, eyes only, in a field that turns out to be where a historic battle took place and a reliquary containing the Holy Grail was lost. A montage shows how the same crockery cup went from the hands of Jesus at the Last Supper (implied) to being lost in the field. * The 2023 limited television series ''Mrs. Davis'' revolves around Sister Simone's quest to find and destroy the Holy Grail, both as the central plot device and also as metacommentary on quests for the Holy Grail, which one character observes might be the "most overused MacGuffin ever".

References

External links

*
The Holy Grail at the Camelot Project
at the ''Catholic Encyclopedia''
The Holy Grail today in Valencia Cathedral
*

Bibliothèque Nationale de France, selection of illuminated folios, Modern French Translation, Commentaries. * {{Authority control Holy Grail, Cauldrons Christian terminology Fictional elements introduced in the 12th century Literary motifs Magic items