Holy Grail, in its earliest form in medieval legend, was a mysterious food-producing vessel. It was usually depicted as a dish or cup, or sometimes a magical stone. The Grail later became identified with the vessel of the Last Supper. Joseph of Arimathea used it to catch the blood of Jesus as He hung from the cross.
European poets established the basic parts of the Holy Grail story between about 1180 and 1240. They may have adapted the legend from a tale told much earlier by pagan Celtic people. The Celtic story described a magic cup or dish. Chrétien de Troyes, a French poet, wrote an unfinished poem about the Grail that later writers completed. Chrétien’s poem became the best-known Grail story. Another poet, Wolfram von Eschenbach of Germany, wrote an important account of the legend that he based, at least partly, on Chrétien’s work.
Early history of the Grail.
According to a version that developed from Robert de Boron about 1200, the Grail story begins with Joseph of Arimathea. The Romans imprisoned Joseph because he had been a follower of Jesus. While Joseph was in prison, the Grail mysteriously appeared to him. After being freed, Joseph led a group of Christians who carried the Grail throughout the Holy Land.
Joseph later took the Grail to Britain, where he built a castle called Corbenic. He kept the Grail in the castle. Joseph and his descendants served as rulers of Corbenic and guardians of the Grail. The legend tells how Pelles, one of the castle rulers, suffered a wound that did not heal. According to the version found in Chrétien and Wolfram, the young knight Perceval accidentally came to the Grail castle, where he witnessed the Grail procession. Later, he actively sought the Grail.
The search for the Grail.
Later versions of the quest of the Holy Grail replaced Perceval with Galahad, and the quest itself became the main adventure of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. According to versions found in the French Vulgate Cycle (about 1215) and in Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur (1470), on the feast of Pentecost, the knights gathered in a hall in Arthur’s castle. Suddenly, in a brief vision, they saw the Grail suspended in the air. About 150 knights decided to search throughout Britain for the Grail.
The knights underwent many dangerous adventures during their search. Their actions during these adventures revealed that only three knights—Bors, Galahad, and Perceval—were morally perfect and therefore fit to complete the quest. After searching for years, the three knights, with nine men from other lands, entered Castle Corbenic. There they saw a vision in which Joseph of Arimathea appeared as a priest. Angels brought in the Grail and the bloody spear that had pierced Christ’s side during the Crucifixion. A child appeared above the Grail and changed into bread. Then Christ emerged from the cup and gave Communion to the men. The vision was meant to prove that, in the Mass, the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ.
Galahad healed Pelles with blood from the holy spear. After leaving the castle, the three knights sailed on a ship which, they discovered, carried the Grail. Guided by supernatural forces, the ship took the knights and the Grail to the distant city of Sarras. There, after Galahad died, Bors and Perceval saw the Grail rise into heaven. According to the legend, no one has seen the Holy Grail since that time.
