Overview
The mysterious and powerful legends surrounding the Holy Grail, often identified with the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper, provide a rich literature with its origins and meanings veiled by the distance of centuries.What has come down to us is an inheritance of early Celtic tales interwoven with medieval romances in a tapestry of magical stories full of symbols and wondrous events which still resonate strongly in the human soul. There is little of the vague mistiness known as "Celtic twilight" in these stories. On the contrary, they are often filled with brightness and elaborate detail which echo an ancient pre-Christian past.
Here, the well-known Arthurian scholar, John Matthews, has brought together a unique collection of texts and commentaries from the Grail literature, spanning many centuries, such as Perceval by Chretien de Troyes, Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, The Mass of the Sangraal by Arthur Machen, Mystic Aspects of the Graal Legend by A. E. Waite, and many more. This anthology represents a wonderful sourcebook for researching and enjoying the Grail legends and their interpretations from ancient to modern times.
Synopsis
The mysterious and powerful legends surrounding the Holy Grail, often identified with the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper, provide a rich literature with its origins and meanings veiled by the distance of centuries.
What has come down to us is an inheritance of early Celtic tales interwoven with medieval romances in a tapestry of magical stories full of symbols and wondrous events which still resonate strongly in the human soul. There is little of the vague mistiness known as "Celtic twilight" in these stories. On the contrary, they are often filled with brightness and elaborate detail which echo an ancient pre-Christian past.
Here, the well-known Arthurian scholar, John Matthews, has brought together a unique collection of texts and commentaries from the Grail literature, spanning many centuries, such as Perceval by Chretien de Troyes, Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, The Mass of the Sangraal by Arthur Machen, Mystic Aspects of the Graal Legend by A. E. Waite, and many more. This anthology represents a wonderful sourcebook for researching and enjoying the Grail legends and their interpretations from ancient to modern times.