Eternal Chalice: The Enduring Legend of the Holy Grail

257 Pages·2008·2.46 MB·English

by  Juliette Wood

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ETERNAL CHALICE
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‘Eternal Chalice is an authoritative, informed and highly readable account of the
Grail and the traditions which accompany it, ranging from early Celtic legend to
The Da Vinci Code. Juliette Wood debunks, explains and brings to vivid life the
extraordinary true history of the Holy Grail.’
– Carolyne Larrington, St John’s College, Oxford, and author of King Arthur’s
Enchantresses
‘There are many valuable and exciting aspects to this book. First, it is wonderful
to have the Grail legend treated by somebody who is equally at home in the fields
of history, folklore, literary criticism and conspiracy theory. Second, it breaks new
and important ground to have the legend investigated by a scholar who is just as
conversant with its modern developments as with the medieval originals, and can
place both in a proper cultural context. The author’s careful analysis of the modern
aspects is particularly helpful. A great deal has now been published by proponents
and debunkers of one particular contemporary Grail tradition or another, but this
is the first book written by somebody who knows about the lot. In one sense
Eternal Chalice is a work about one of the world’s great mythical traditions; in
another, about what it meant to be medieval and means to be modern; and, in still
another, about the nature of myth itself. All aspects are handled equally well by
Juliette Wood, and with no little aplomb.’
– Ronald Hutton, Professor of History, University of Bristol and author of
Witches, Druids and King Arthur
‘The Grail is by definition the most mysterious of objects, and Juliette Wood is a
wise and well-informed guide to the numerous legends it has spawned. She tells
something of a wonder tale, not about the Grail itself, but about the unslakeable
thirst to identify it, explain it, and produce conspiracy theories about it, wherever
evidence is lacking. She explores the various beliefs about its origins in Christianity
or Celtic paganism; she discusses the earliest texts in which it appears and the many
later adaptations and inventions to which they gave rise. Glastonbury, Shugborough
Hall, Rosslyn and Rennes-le-Château are all here, as are the Cathars, the Templars,
the Freemasons, the Priory of Sion and all the eccentric personalities who promoted
their links with the Grail. The assorted objects that claim to be the thing itself are
discussed and illustrated. The book offers interesting insights into the various anthro-
pological movements, psychological needs, wishful thinking and gullibility that have
combined to generate our present-day obsessions.’
– Helen Cooper, Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English, University of
Cambridge
Marrying scholarly rigour with a lively, approachable style, Juliette Wood reveals
how – and why – the Grail theme has lent itself to reinterpretation for every age
under the influence of contemporary legends and concerns. Eternal Chalice bridges
the usual gulf between academic and popular writing and will become essential
reading for everyone fascinated by the Grail, from medievalists to the most enthu-
siastic fans of The Da Vinci Code.’
– Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan, formerly Head of Manuscripts and Visual Images,
National Library of Wales
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‘Juliette Wood’s Eternal Chaliceis a fascinating interdisciplinary study that attempts
to answer the question “What is the Holy Grail?” In exploring ways in which the
Grail weaves in and out of medieval and modern culture, Wood discusses crucial
aspects of the legend that have been overlooked or understudied by previous literary
and cultural scholars. Her research is comprehensive: in the course of her wide-
ranging investigation, she examines literary works, folklore and mythology, religion
and philosophy, medieval and modern history, and esoteric beliefs. And she incor-
porates texts from Chrétien’s Perceval to Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, places
from Glastonbury to Rosslyn Chapel, groups from the Templars to the Priory of
Sion. Drawing on folklorists and literary scholars – including such central figures as
James Frazer, Alfred Nutt, Jessie Weston, and R. S. Loomis – Wood analyses theo-
ries of the Grail from the Christian to the pagan to the New Age. One of the strengths
of Wood’s book is that it brings this diverse material together convincingly, thus
revealing the interconnectedness of the seemingly diverse strands of Grail lore. For
anyone interested in the Grail, either as a subject of literature and folklore or as a
key theme in modern conspiracy theories, Eternal Chalice is essential reading.’
– Alan Lupack, Director of the Robbins Library and Adjunct Professor of
English, University of Rochester; author of The Oxford Guide to Arthurian
Literature and Legend
‘The origins of the legend of the Holy Grail are as various as they are obscure.
The legend itself has fascinated western man for more than a thousand years. It
has been the subject of intense and often fanciful research. It has inspired devo-
tion and spawned conspiracy theories, and there is no sign of interest slackening.
Indeed in our age, which has lost any unifying coherent belief, the Grail myths are
the subject of ever more extravagant fantasies. Juliette Wood punctures many of
them in this comprehensive study of the subject. She brings true and thorough
scholarship and common sense to a subject which has often been devoid of both.
This is the best survey of all that pertains to the Grail legend that I have ever read.
Written with an admirable freedom from academic jargon, it shines light where
there was previously darkness.’
– Allan Massie, author of Arthur the King
‘Juliette Wood’s Eternal Chalice takes the reader through the sources, origins and
developments of the Grailmyth,covering its formulation in the medieval romances,
with extensive treatment of variants and later developments as a myth. But she
does something no one so far has done, in that she treats in detail its manifold
appearances in the modern secret societies, occult orders, mystical revivals and in
the adventure myths of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, as well as The Da
Vinci Code. Alone of all Grail historians, she takes as much care and attention
with these modern narratives as she does with their older inspirations. With the
respectful care of a scholar, but with the passion of a debunker, she demonstrates
in case after case how legend, myth, fabrication and spiritual aspirations have inter-
woven – and she leads us through the Freemasons, the Glastonbury Christians, the
earth mysteries adventurers, the modern pagans and more. Wood’s attention to the
particularities of the claims makes her book an essential resource in the scholar-
ship of western esotericism, Celtic identities, as well as The Grail itself.’
– Christina Oakley Harrington, Treadwell’s Bookshop, London
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Juliette Wood is one of Britain’s leading experts on myth and
folklore. A Director of the Folklore Society, London, she is also
an Associate Lecturer, School of Welsh, Cardiff University, and
an Honorary Research Fellow, Amgueddfa Cymru, National
Museum Wales. A regular contributor to TV and radio, she is
the author of several books on Celtic myth and legend.
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ETERNAL
CHALICE
The Enduring Legend
of the Holy Grail
JULIETTE WOOD
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To Olympia Aurelia,
scholar, inspiration and much loved godmother
Published in 2008by I.B.Tauris & Co. Ltd
6Salem Road, London w2 4bu
175Fifth Avenue, New York ny 10010
www.ibtauris.com
In the United States of America and Canada distributed by Palgrave Macmillan,
a division of St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York ny10010
Copyright © Juliette Wood, 2008
The right of Juliette Wood to be identified
as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance
with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review,
this book, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in
or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
isbn: 978 1 84511 360 5
A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
Typeset in Sabon by Ellipsis Books Limited, Glasgow
Printed and bound in Great Britain by cpiAntony Rowe, Chippenham
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Contents
Acknowledgements ix
List of Illustrations xi
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Romances and Relics 9
Chapter 2 The Grail at Glastonbury 29
Chapter 3 The Grail in Welsh Tradition 53
Chapter 4 Celtic Origins and the Grail Romances 85
Chapter 5 Secret Relics and Hidden Codes 107
Chapter 6 The Religion of the Grail 139
Conclusion The Grail Legend Today: Conspiracy and Beyond 167
Notes 181
Further Reading 219
Index 235
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Acknowledgements
I would like to express my thanks to the many friends, students and
colleagues who have listened to my thoughts and theories about the Grail
legends over the years. Special thanks go to Gerald Morgan in Aberystwyth,
who first invited me to speak about the Nanteos cup. The School of Welsh
and the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Cardiff University and the Folklore
Society have given me many opportunities to present various aspects of
the Grail legend. Both Professor Sioned Davies and Dr Clive Wood have
encouraged me throughout this project.
Alex Wright has been a patient and encouraging editor and I would like
to express my gratitude to him and to all the I.B.Tauris team. In partic-
ular I would like to thank those of my friends and colleagues who so gener-
ously allowed me to use their photographs and illustrations for this book:
Jennifer Westwood, Helen Nicholson, Robert Cooper, Carlos Sanz Mingo
and Nancy Hollinrake. Peter Keelan, Head of Special Collections and
Archives, Mark Barrett of Cardiff University Library Services,and Andrew
McVay helped so much with the images.
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright owners for illustra-
tions reproduced, but in some cases this has not proved possible. The
cooperation of everyone who has agreed to the reproduction of illustra-
tions is gratefully acknowledged.
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