Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Mythology truth within a myth truth within a myth Sir Thomas Malory described a small fraction of the myth surrounding the Holy Grail, in his book, Le Morte D’Arthur. In the “The Sangreal”, Sir Malory gives an in depth account of The Knights of the Round Table’s quest for the ever famous gilded cup. However, the tale of the Holy Grail does not begin nor end there. Within Christianity the form of the Grail is debatable, and throughout society the truth of the Grail is questionable. In Le Morte D’Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory describes a quest in which the Knights of the Round Table search and fight for the Holy Grail. This quest is particularly trying. As King Arthur said himself, “My lords… never again shall our complete fellowship be assembled at this castle, for soon you shall depart on the quest of the Holy Grail, from which some of you shall not return” (Baines 364). And many of the knights did not return. They were either to impure or to stricken by the holiness of the object to go on in the physical world. The Grail was said to sit on “an altar covered by a fresh silk cloth, {on this cloth} stood a silver candlestick with six candles all burning. Above, angels were flying; one held a sacred cross, another a brilliant-burning cross” (Baines 422). The Grail itself was not thoroughly explained. To Sir Thomas Malory the Grail was an object that would bring a kingdom together and promote peace. However, religious groups have other perspectives concerning the Grail. According to the most common Christian interpretations, the Holy Grail is a Chalice that touched Jesus’ lips during the Last Supper, and caught His blood while He was being crucified. During the crucifixion “Joseph [of Arimathea] is said to have gathered the blood of the fallen Christ” (Grail Myths). There are many different theories as to what happened after Joseph gathered the blood of Christ. “The most well known [account] is that Joseph… left Jerusalem and sailed to France. Joseph [then]… sailed to England where he set up the first Christian church at Glastonbury. Some legends… tell of him bringing the Cup to Glastonbury, which to this day is still associated with the Grail Legends.” (Theories about Grail). Although the golden chalice is the most recognized Christian Grail, there is a multitude of other theories concerning its true nature. Some believe that the Grail is actually the bloodline of Christ. This is because the “word used for Grail changed subtly many times” (Theories about Grail). It is thought that one of the words used, can be split to mean “Royal Blood” (Theories about Grail). Scholars, such as Walter Stein, have been investigating the possibility of Jesus siring a child or children with Mary Magdalene. These scholars have deduced that Christ’s bloodline was mixed with those of the thrones of Europe sometime during the Merovingians dynasty. “There are [now] at least a dozen families in Britain and Europe today—with numerous collateral branches who are of Merovingian lineage” (Holy Blood Holy Grail / Messianic Legacy Connection). Therefore it is believed that Christ’s genetic descendants are walking among people of today. The Grail is also thought to be a stone or large emerald that fell from Lucifer’s crown as he was cast out of heaven. “This emerald is said to have been the source of his power” (Theories about Grail). Another theory concerning the Holy Grail is that Jesus wrote a text that would contain his genealogy. This text is “associated to an astonishing light” (Theories about Grail). This text would be the original words of Jesus, and would be written by his own hand. The Christian Religion has many more interpretations of the true form of the Grail. It could be the onyx cup that Mary Magdalene used to hold the scents that perfumed Christ’s feet. Scholars also claim that the Holy Shroud that bears an imprint of Christ’s face and the gold box that contains the Shroud may be the Grail. Perhaps it is a mutant object that is able to assume different shapes. “The chalice collected Jesus’ blood, the silver dish supported John the Baptist’s head, the sword cut Baptist’s throat, the lance belonged to Longino, the Roman soldier who transfixed Jesus’ chest, the book was the secret Gospel written by Jesus Himself” (Theories about Grail). The proceeding objects converged into one all-powerful object that can heal wounds, extend life, and preserve peace. However, the Christian religion is not the only sect to believe in a Holy Grail. The Irish, more specifically the Druids, believe that the Holy Grail is a series of cauldrons. “A famous Welsh poem, The Preiddeu Annwn, describes Arthur and his men venturing into the Celtic underworld to steal the Cauldron of Annwn which had pearls and is blown on by nine maidens” (The March of Arthur). According to the poem, the cauldron has life replenishing powers. There is also another cauldron known as Awen. Instead of restoring life, this cauldron contains a potion that grants unsurpassed knowledge. “Many authors have thus tried to show that the Celtic cauldrons are in some sense a forerunner to the modern Grail image” (The March of Arthur). However, the cauldron theory is questionable because the Druids also believed in internal cauldrons. According to their beliefs, “each person was born with three metaphorical cauldrons within his human body” (The Celtic Cauldrons). This line of thinking would suggest that the Holy Grail was not a physical object; rather a plane of enlightenment one reaches depending on their internal balance, and spiritual health. The Hebrews also have a myth concerning a Gail like object. “The sacred lot by means of which the ancient Hebrews were wont to seek manifestations of the Divine will” (Catholic Encyclopedia: Urim and Thummim) are called the Urim and Thummim. These objects most commonly consisted of two peepstones, which fit into spectacles attached to a warrior’s breastplate. “The Urim and Thummim were among the items buried with the Golden Plates and delivered to Joseph Smith by the angel Moroni” (Speaking in Tongues – U). However, Lady Flavia Anderson is now presenting new theories concerning the Urim and Thummim. “She claims that the Grail is a round ball of glass filled with water. This is held in a tree like stand” (The March of Arthur). She supports her claim by presenting how many metaphors for light and rays of light appear in the Arthurian legends. She also states that throughout the Jewish religious text there are multiple light and water connotations. “Undoubtedly such objects existed and it is likely that the Jews at the time of Solomon used such objects” (The March of Arthur). Just like the Christians, the Hebrews have many different interpretations of the grail, although those theories differ from the Christian theories due to the chronology of the items. The peepstones were the original Grail like images and then the crystal ball took over the powers of the peep stones. With so many different understandings of the Grail, perhaps the Aquarian Grail makes the most sense. This idea takes all of the aforementioned Grail theories and wraps it up by saying that the Grail is somehow a spiritual path to God, much like the internal Celtic Cauldrons. According to this new age theory, the Grail takes no form; rather it is a union with God while still on earth. “Thus a grail seeker attempts, through study of the legends and personal search, to find the Grail internally” (The March of Arthur). This contemplation during ancient times would have been thought of as heretical. Anyone that would have claimed the Grail as an internal path to enlightenment would have been shunned and scorned. Therefore it is a relatively new age theory. And “the Aquarian Grail theory says that all religions have a fundamental core of common truth and that this is best represented by the symbol of the Grail” (The March of Arthur). This is why the Aquarian Grail theory is the most logical. Also, a union with God on earth would promote longevity, knowledge, and well being; and all of those factors are similar to the ones that are portrayed by other myths. Sir Thomas Malory exemplified the most common Grail theme in the Sangreal chapter of his book, Le Morte D’Arthur. However, throughout history the Grail has switched formation and religions various times. Therefore every theory is debatable. The only thing that remains true is that the Grail is something that will bring one closer to the Supreme Being and it takes an ultimate quest to obtain the Grail. Bibliography: Works Cited Baines, Keith. Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. New York; MENTOR, 1962. Catholic Encyclopedia: Urim and Thummim. 14 October 2001 The Celtic Cauldron. 14 October 2001 Grail Myths. 11 October 2001 The March of Arthur. 14 October 2001 Speaking In Tongues – U. 14 October 2001 Theories about Grail. 11 October 2001 Word Count: 1430
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