Editing Holy Grail


{{short description|Cup, dish, or stone with miraculous powers, important motif in Arthurian literature}}
{{about|the object of Arthurian legend|the cup from the Last Supper|Holy Chalice}}
{{redirect2|Grail|Grail Quest||Grail (disambiguation)|and|Grail Quest (disambiguation)|and|Holy Grail (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox fictional artifact
|name            = Grail
|image           = File:Dante Gabriel Rossetti - The Damsel of the Sanct Grael (1874).jpg
|caption         = ''The Damsel of the Sanct Grael''<br>by [[Dante Gabriel Rossetti]] (1874)
|alt             =
|source          = [[Matter of Britain]]
|first           = [[Perceval, le Conte du Graal]]
|creator         = [[Chrétien de Troyes]]
|genre           = [[Chivalric romance]]
|type            = [[Religious relic]]
|owner           = [[Perceval]] and [[Percival's sister|his sister]], Grail Family ([[Fisher King]], [[Elaine of Corbenic|Grail Maiden]]), [[Joseph of Arimathea]], [[Knights of the Round Table]] ([[Galahad]], [[Bors]]), [[Morgan le Fay|Morgan]]
|uses            = [[Quest]] subject
|traits          = Healing, restoring the [[Wasteland (mythology)|Wasteland]], providing nourishment, granting [[Entering heaven alive|ascension]] or [[Immortality in fiction|eternal life]]
|affiliation = [[Avalon]], [[Corbenic|Grail Castle]]
}}
The '''Holy Grail''' ({{langx|fr|Saint Graal}}, {{langx|br|Graal Santel}}, {{langx|cy|Greal Sanctaidd}}, {{langx|kw|Gral}}) is a treasure that serves as an important [[Motif (narrative)|motif]] in [[Arthurian literature]]. 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]] 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of Holy Grail |url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Holy%20Grail |publisher= Merriam-Webster |access-date=December 18, 2017}}</ref>

A mysterious "grail" (Old French: ''graal'' or ''greal''), wondrous but not unequivocally holy, first appears in ''[[Perceval, the Story of the Grail]]'', an unfinished chivalric romance written by [[Chrétien de Troyes]] around 1190. Chrétien's story inspired many continuations, translators and interpreters in the later-12th and early-13th centuries, including [[Wolfram von Eschenbach]], who portrayed the Grail as a stone in ''[[Parzival]]''. The Christian, Celtic or possibly other origins of the Arthurian grail [[Trope (literature)|trope]] are uncertain and have been debated among literary scholars and historians.

Writing soon after Chrétien, [[Robert de Boron]] in ''{{ill|Joseph d'Arimathie (poem)|lt=Joseph d'Arimathie|fr|Joseph d'Arimathie (roman)}}'' portrayed the Grail as [[Jesus]]'s [[Bowl|vessel]] from the [[Last Supper]], which [[Joseph of Arimathea]] used to catch [[Blood of Christ|Christ's blood]] at [[Crucifixion of Jesus|the crucifixion]]. Thereafter, the Holy Grail became interwoven with the legend of the [[Holy Chalice]], the Last Supper cup, an idea continued in works such as the ''[[Lancelot-Grail]]'' cycle, and subsequently the 15th-century ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]''.<ref name="Campbell, Joseph 1990, page 210">Campbell 1990, p. 210.</ref> In this form, it is now a popular theme in modern culture, and has become the subject of [[folklore studies]], [[pseudohistory|pseudohistorical]] writings, works of fiction, and [[conspiracy theories]].

==Etymology==
The word {{lang|fro|graal}}, as it is spelled in its earliest appearances, comes from [[Old French]] common noun {{lang|fro|graal}} or {{lang|fro|greal}}, cognate with [[Old Provençal|Old Occitan]] {{lang|pro|grazal}} and [[Old Catalan]] {{lang|mis|gresal}}, meaning "a cup or bowl of earth, wood, or metal" (or other various types of vessels in different [[Occitan language|Occitan]] dialects).<ref name=bnf>{{Cite web|url=https://essentiels.bnf.fr/fr/litterature/moyen-age-1/ed6c3713-b2d5-4b94-8cac-a35fbd9471b1-mythe-arthurien/article/5b08fd7a-10aa-4347-be36-f623b5bddf1c-graal-et-sa-quete|title=Le Graal et sa quête|website=BnF Essentiels}}</ref><ref name="Diez, Friedrich 1864, p. 236">Diez, Friedrich. ''An etymological dictionary of the Romance languages'', Williams and Norgate, 1864, p. 236.</ref> Its origin is uncertain. One unlikely<ref name=bnf/> is the Old Welsh word ''griol''. The most commonly accepted etymology derives it from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|gradalis}} or {{lang|la|gradale}} via an earlier form, {{lang|la|cratalis}}, a derivative of {{lang|la|crater}} or {{lang|la|cratus}}, which was, in turn, borrowed from [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc-Latn|[[krater]]}} ({{wikt-lang|grc|κρᾱτήρ}}, a large wine-mixing vessel).<ref name="Diez, Friedrich 1864, p. 236" /><ref>Nitze, William A. ''Concerning the Word Graal, Greal'', ''Modern Philology'', Vol. 13, No. 11 (Mar., 1916), pp. 681–684 .</ref><ref>Jung, Emma and von Franz, Marie-Louise. ''The Grail Legend'', Princeton University Press, 1998, pp. 116–117.</ref><ref>Skeat, Walter William. ''Joseph of Arimathie'', Pub. for the Early English Text Society, by N. Trübner & Co., 1871, pp. xxxvi–xxxvii</ref><ref>Mueller, Eduard. {{lang|de|Etymologisches Wörterbuch der englischen Sprache: A–K}}, ''chettler'', 1865, p. 461.</ref> Alternative suggestions include a derivative of {{lang|la|cratis}}, a name for a type of woven basket that came to refer to a dish,<ref name=barber93>Barber 2004, p. 93.</ref> or a derivative of Latin {{lang|la|gradus}} meaning {{"'}}by degree', 'by stages', applied to a dish brought to the table in different stages or services during a meal".<ref>Richard O'Gorman, "Grail" in Norris J. Lacy, ''The Arthurian Encyclopedia'', 1986</ref>

In the 15th century, English writer [[John Hardyng]] invented a fanciful new etymology for Old French {{lang|fro|san-graal}} (or {{lang|fro|san-gréal}}), meaning "Holy Grail", by parsing it as {{lang|fro|sang réal}}, meaning "royal blood".<ref>Barber 2004, p. 215.</ref><ref>Wood 2012, p. 55, 77.</ref> This etymology was used by some later medieval British writers such as [[Thomas Malory]], and became prominent in the conspiracy theory developed in the book ''[[The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail]]'', in which {{lang|fro|sang real}} refers to the [[Jesus bloodline]].<ref name=Wood77>Wood 2012, p. 77.</ref>

==Medieval literature==
===Overview===
[[File:Galahad grail.jpg|thumb|350x350px|[[Galahad]], [[Bors]] and [[Percival]] achieve the Grail. Tapestry woven by [[William Morris|Morris & Co.]] (19th century)|alt=]]

The literature surrounding the Grail can be divided into two branches. The first concerns [[Knights of the Round Table|King Arthur's knights]] visiting the Grail castle or questing after the object:

* ''[[Perceval, the Story of the Grail]]'', a chivalric romance poem by [[Chrétien de Troyes]] where a girl mysteriously carries it in a procession. When first described by Chrétien, the marvelous nature of "a grail" is mysteriously unexplained.<ref name=bnf/> There, it is a [[salver]], a tray used to serve at a feast.<ref>Staines, David. (Trans.) ''The Complete Romances of Chrétien de Troyes''. Indiana University Press, Bloomington & Indianapolis, 1990, page 380.</ref>

*The [[Perceval, the Story of the Grail#The Continuations|four continuations]] of Chrétien's unfinished poem, by authors of differing vision, designed to bring the story to a close.

* The {{ill|Didot Perceval|lt=Didot ''Perceval''|fr|Perceval de Didot}}, purportedly a prosification of [[Robert de Boron]]'s lost sequel to his romance poems ''{{ill|Joseph d'Arimathie (poem)|lt=Joseph d'Arimathie|fr|Joseph d'Arimathie (roman)}}'' and ''[[Merlin (Robert de Boron poem)|Merlin]]''.

* ''[[Parzival]]'' by [[Wolfram von Eschenbach]], where it is a gemstone linked to the [[fall of the angels]].

* [[Welsh romance]] ''[[Peredur son of Efrawg]]'', 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.<ref>Guest, Lady Charlotte. ''The Mabinogion. A Facsimile Reproduction of the Complete 1877 Edition'', Academy Press Limited Edition 1978, Chicago, Ill. page 124.</ref> 

* ''[[Perlesvaus]]'', an alternative work inspired by ''Perceval''.

* German poem ''[[Diu Crône]]'' (''The Crown''), in which [[Gawain]], rather than [[Perceval]], achieves the Grail.

* The Prose ''Lancelot'' section of the vast [[Lancelot-Grail]] (Vulgate) cycle introduced the new Grail hero, [[Galahad]]. 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]] and other derivative works.

The other branch tells the Grail's earlier history since the time of [[Joseph of Arimathea]]:

* Robert de Boron's ''Joseph d'Arimathie'' and ''Merlin'' (the Little Grail Cycle), establishing the Grail as the vessel of the [[Last Supper]].

* 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,<ref>Loomis 1991.</ref> who claims he was working from a source book given to him by his patron, Count [[Philip I, Count of Flanders|Philip of Flanders]].<ref>According to a French scholar, the book given by Philip I may be Ovid's ''The Metamorphoses'', in [http://www.zetetique.fr/index.php/nl/450-poz-76#dossier/ POZ #76] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420082314/http://zetetique.fr/index.php/nl/450-poz-76#dossier/ |date=2013-04-20 }}(in French).</ref> 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 [[Fisher King]], 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".<ref>Staines, David. (Trans.) ''The Complete Romances of Chrétien de Troyes''. Indiana University Press, Bloomington & Indianapolis, 1990, page 379.</ref> 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.<ref name=bnf/> 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 [[Sacramental bread|Communion wafer]]. The story of the Wounded King's [[inedia|mystical fasting]] is not unique; several saints were said to have lived without food besides communion, for instance Saint [[Catherine of Genoa]]. 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.<ref>Loomis 1991, p. 184.</ref>

[[Hélinand of Froidmont]]'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 Berbezilh|Rigaut de Barbezieux]].<ref>"Like Perceval when he lived, who stood amazed in contemplation, so that he was quite unable to ask what purpose the lance and grail." ("''Attressi con Persavaus el temps que vivia, que s'esbait d'esgarder tant qu'anc non saup demandar de que servia la lansa ni-l grazaus.''") Sayce, Olive. ''Exemplary comparison from Homer to Petrarch'', DS Brewer, 2008, p. 143.</ref>

===''Perceval Continuations''===
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.<ref name=bnf/>

The ''First Continuation'' (''Gawain Continuation'') seemingly features two grails: a floating dish and a carved head of Jesus.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rmrYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA44|title=The Search for the Grail|first=Graham|last=Phillips|date=January 4, 1995|publisher=Century|isbn=978-0-7126-7533-8 |via=Google Books}}</ref> The ''Third Continuation'' has it again as carried by a girl.<ref name=bnf/> Here, the Fisher King dies and is replaced by Perceval, after whose death the Grail is taken to the Heaven.<ref name="mh">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jacBvHiRUWwC&pg=PA196|title=A Dictionary of Medieval Heroes: Characters in Medieval Narrative Traditions and Their Afterlife in Literature, Theatre and the Visual Arts|first1=Willem Pieter|last1=Gerritsen|first2=A. G. van|last2=Melle|date=January 4, 1998|publisher=Boydell & Brewer|isbn=978-0-85115-780-1 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

===Wolfram von Eschenbach===
In ''Parzival'', the author Wolfram von Eschenbach, citing the authority of a certain (probably fictional) [[Kyot|Kyot the Provençal]], claimed the Grail was a gemstone, the sanctuary of the neutral angels who took neither side during [[War in Heaven|Lucifer's rebellion]]. It is called ''lapis exillis'' (other forms ''lapsis'', ''lapsit'', ''exilis''), which in alchemy is the name of the [[philosopher's stone]].<ref name="Von Eschenbach 1980, page 239">Von Eschenbach, Wolfram. ''Parzival''. [[Arthur Thomas Hatto|Hatto, A.T.]] translator. Penguin Books, 1980, page 239.</ref> 

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.<ref name=mh/>

===Robert de Boron===
[[File:Kath Illustratie 1894 Parcival vertoont den heiligen Graal, naar Pixis.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Theodor Pixis, ''Parcival Shows the Holy Grail'' (c. 1892—1894)]]

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.<ref>Weston 1993, p.161.</ref> 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 [[Merlin]], turned by him into a Grail prophet who orders the construction of the [[Round Table]] 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''.<ref name="mh"/>

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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=of9ZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA118|title=The Grail: From Celtic Myth to Christian Symbol|first=Roger Sherman|last=Loomis|date=June 5, 2018|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-18719-8 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6kXOwn0RfWgC&pg=PA162|title=Le Haut Livre Du Graal, Perlesvaus: A Structural Study|first=Thomas Edward|last=Kelly|date=January 4, 1974|publisher=Librairie Droz|isbn=978-2-600-03537-8 |via=Google Books}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=mh/>

=== ''Lancelot-Grail'' ===
[[File:Arthur Hughes - Sir Galahad.jpg|thumb|250px|''Sir Galahad, the Quest for the Holy Grail'' by [[Arthur Hughes (artist)|Arthur Hughes]] (1870)]]

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''). Galahad, the son of the world's hitherto greatest knight, [[Lancelot]], and the Fisher King's daughter and the Grail Bearer at the castle of [[Corbenic]], [[Elaine of Corbenic|Elaine]] (both of them coming from Biblical lineages), is destined to achieve the Grail. The Grail is a symbol of [[divine grace]] and the virgin Galahad's spiritual purity makes him superior to even his illustrious father.<ref>''The Quest of The Holy Grail'', translated by Matarasso, P.M., Penguin Books, 1969, page 60.</ref>

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".<ref name=bnf/> It is also kept in a marvelous ark and forbidden to ordinary mortals, reminiscent of the [[Ark of the Covenant]].<ref name=bnf/> 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).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M2fUvn72bLgC&pg=PR4|title=Lancelot-Grail: Lancelot, pt. V|first=Norris J.|last=Lacy|date=April 29, 2010|publisher=Boydell & Brewer Ltd|via=Google Books}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=bnf/>

The ''Queste'' tells of the adventures of various [[Knights of the Round Table]] in their eponymous great quest in search of the Grail, who embark on it against the worried [[King Arthur|Arthur]]'s reservations and wander throughout Britain and the broader world alone or in small groups. Perceval and [[Bors the Younger]] eventually join Galahad, who had been earlier proved uniquely worthy and predestined for it by surviving the [[Siege Perilous]].<ref name=bnf2>{{Cite web|url=https://essentiels.bnf.fr/fr/litterature/moyen-age-1/ed6c3713-b2d5-4b94-8cac-a35fbd9471b1-mythe-arthurien/article/55444b98-acc6-4b87-9e77-a2ea2c146253-une-quete-initiatique-et-christique|title=Une quête initiatique et christique|website=BnF Essentiels}}</ref> They are present as his companions at the successful end of the Grail Quest, when they witness his [[Entering heaven alive|ascension to Heaven]]. The mystery of the Grail is finally unveiled as containing an incarnation of Christ.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://essentiels.bnf.fr/fr/litterature/moyen-age-1/ed6c3713-b2d5-4b94-8cac-a35fbd9471b1-mythe-arthurien/album/716fb06a-84ca-4062-a1cc-714180c06f55-legende-arthurienne-16-episodes|title=La légende arthurienne en 16 épisodes|website=BnF Essentiels}}</ref> 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''.<ref name=bnf2/>

Alternative versions of the Grail Quest based on that from the ''Vulgate Cycle'' are featured in the ''[[Prose Tristan]]'' (long version) and the ''Post-Vulgate Cycle''.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Leitch |first1=Megan G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OAk7EAAAQBAJ |title=A New Companion to Malory |last2=Rushton |first2=Cory |date=2019 |publisher=Boydell & Brewer |isbn=978-1-84384-523-2 |language=en |page=37}}</ref> The Galahad-centered tradition was later picked by Thomas Malory for his ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'' 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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DkshHF9V8NUC&pg=PA256|title=Perceval/Parzival: A Casebook|first1=Arthur|last1=Groos|first2=Norris J.|last2=Lacy|date=December 6, 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-51000-7 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Uniquely, Malory described the Grail as invisible, apparently confused by his French source text's mention of an invisible Grail bearer.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9WBZAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT70|title=Relics and Writing in Late Medieval England|first=Robyn|last=Malo|date=December 6, 2013|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=978-1-4426-6326-8 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

==Later traditions==
===Relics===
{{main|Holy Chalice}}

[[File:Quimper - Cathédrale Saint-Corentin - PA00090326 - 159.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The Holy Grail depicted on a stained glass window at [[Quimper Cathedral]]]]

In the wake of the Arthurian romances, [[Holy Chalice|several artifacts]] came to be identified as the Holy Grail in medieval [[relic]] 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]] and [[Holy Lance]].<ref name="Wood, Juliette 2012 p. 91">Wood 2012, p. 91.</ref>

One tradition predates the Grail romances: in the 7th century, the pilgrim [[Arculf]] reported that the Last Supper chalice was displayed near Jerusalem.<ref name="Wood, Juliette 2012 p. 91"/><ref>Barber 2004, p. 167.</ref> 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]]; [[Albrecht von Scharfenberg]]'s Grail romance ''[[Der Jüngere Titurel]]'' associated it explicitly with the Arthurian Grail, but claimed it was only a copy.<ref name=barber93/> This item was said to have been looted in the [[Fourth Crusade]] and brought to [[Troyes]] in France, but it was lost during the [[French Revolution]].<ref name="Wood, Juliette 2012 p. 94">Wood 2012, p. 94.</ref><ref>Barber 2004, p. 168.</ref>

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]] 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 [[Caesarea Maritima#Crusades|Crusaders]] 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]]'s chronicle of Genoa in the late 13th century, which draws on the Grail literary tradition. The Catino was moved and broken during [[Napoleon]]'s conquest in the early 19th century, revealing that it is glass rather than emerald.<ref name=barber93/><ref>Wood 2012, p. 94–95.</ref>

The [[Holy Chalice#Valencia Chalice|Holy Chalice of Valencia]] is an [[agate]] dish with a mounting for use as a chalice. The bowl may date to [[Greco-Roman]] times, but its dating is unclear, and its provenance is unknown before 1399, when it was gifted to [[Martin I of Aragon]]. 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]] and later entrusted to [[Saint Lawrence]].<ref>Wood 2012, p. 95–96.</ref><ref>Barber 2004, p. 169–170.</ref> Early references do not call the object the "Grail". The first evidence connecting it to the Grail tradition is from the 15th century,<ref>Barber 2004, p. 170.</ref> when the monarchy sold the cup to [[Valencia Cathedral]]. It remains a significant local icon.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 95.</ref>

Several objects were identified with the Holy Grail in the 17th century.<ref name="Wood, Juliette 2012 p. 94"/> In the 20th century, a series of new items became associated with it. These include the [[Nanteos Cup]], a medieval wooden bowl found near [[Rhydyfelin]], Wales; a glass dish found near [[Glastonbury]], England; the [[Antioch chalice]], a 6th-century [[silver-gilt]] object that became attached to the Grail legend in the 1930s;<ref>Wood 2012, p. 96–97.</ref> and the [[Chalice of Doña Urraca]], a cup made between 200 BC and 100 AD, kept in [[León, Spain|León]]’s [[St. Isidore's Basilica, León|Basilica of Saint Isidore]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hedgecoe |first=Guy |date=2014-03-28 |title=Spanish historians claim to have found Holy Grail |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/spanish-historians-claim-to-have-found-holy-grail-1.1740900 |access-date=2022-05-28 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref>

===Locations associated with the Holy Grail===
[[File:Hans Thoma - Die Gralsburg.jpg|thumb|''Die Gralsburg'' (''The Grail Castle'') by [[Hans Thoma]] (1899)]]

In the modern era, a number of places have become associated with the Holy Grail. One of the most prominent is [[Glastonbury]] in [[Somerset]], England. Glastonbury was associated with King Arthur and his resting place of [[Avalon]] by the 12th century.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 51–52.</ref> In the 13th century, a legend arose that Joseph of Arimathea was the founder of [[Glastonbury Abbey]]. 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.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 53–55.</ref> 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.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 55–60.</ref> In the late 19th century, [[John Goodchild]] hid a glass bowl near Glastonbury; a group of his friends, including [[Wellesley Tudor Pole]], retrieved the cup in 1906 and promoted it as the original Holy Grail.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 57–58.</ref> Glastonbury and its Holy Grail legend have since become a point of focus for various [[New Age]] and [[Neopagan]] groups.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 58–60.</ref>

Some, not least the [[Order of Saint Benedict|Benedictine]] monks, have identified the castle from ''Parzival'' with their real sanctuary of [[Montserrat (mountain)|Montserrat]] in [[Catalonia]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aTfQDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT240 | title=Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music | isbn=978-1-4299-4454-0 | last1=Ross | first1=Alex | date=15 September 2020 | publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux }}</ref> In the early 20th century, esoteric writers identified [[Château de Montségur|Montségur]], a stronghold of the heretical [[Cathar]] sect in the 13th century, as the Grail castle. Similarly, the 14th-century [[Rosslyn Chapel]] in [[Midlothian]], 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.<ref>Wood 2012, pp. 75–76, 88–89.</ref>

==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 [[Cauldron|cauldrons]] from [[Celtic mythology]] and later [[Welsh mythology]], combined with Christian legend surrounding the [[Eucharist]],<ref>Weston 1993, p. 74, 129.</ref> the latter found in [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christian]] sources, conceivably in that of the [[Byzantine Rite|Byzantine Mass]], or even Persian sources.<ref>Jung, Emma and von Franz, Marie-Louise. ''The Grail Legend'', Sigo Press, Boston, 1980, p. 14.</ref> The view that the "origin" of the Grail legend should be seen as deriving from Celtic mythology was championed by [[Roger Sherman Loomis]] (''The Grail: From Celtic Myth to Christian Symbol''), [[Alfred Nutt]] (''Studies on the Legend of the Holy Grail'', available at Wikisource), and [[Jessie Weston (scholar)|Jessie Weston]] (''[[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]]''{{'}}s [[Bran the Blessed]] 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]] (now mostly moved to the [[Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya]]), which present unique iconic images of the [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]] 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.<ref>Goering, Joseph (2005). ''The Virgin and the Grail: Origins of a Legend''. Yale University Press. {{ISBN|0-300-10661-0}}. [http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=0300106610]</ref><ref>Rynor, Micah (October 20, 2005). [http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/051020-1720.asp "Holy Grail legend may be tied to paintings"]. www.news.utoronto.ca.</ref>

Psychologists [[Emma Jung]] and [[Marie-Louise von Franz]] used [[analytical psychology]] to interpret the Grail as a series of symbols in their book ''The Grail Legend''.<ref name="Barber2482">Barber 2004, p. 248–252.</ref> They directly expanded on interpretations by [[Carl Jung]], which were later invoked by [[Joseph Campbell]].<ref name="Barber2482"/> Philosopher [[Henry Corbin]], a member of the [[Eranos]] circle founded by Jung, also commented on the esoteric significance of the grail, relating it to the [[Iranian Islam|Iranian Islamic]] symbols that he studied.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carey |first=John |title=Henry Corbin and the Secret of the Grail |url=https://www.temenosacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/JOHN-CAREY-Henry-Corbin-and-the-Secre-of-the-Grail_Optimized-Copy-Copy.pdf |publisher=The Temenos Academy |publication-place= |page=159-178 |access-date=|journal=Temenos Academy Review|issue=14|year=2011}}</ref>

Daniel Scavone (1999, 2003) argued that the "Grail" originally referred to the [[Image of Edessa]].<ref>D. Scavone: "Joseph of Arimathea, the Holy Grail and the Edessa Icon," ''[[Arthuriana]]'' vol. 9, no. 4, 3-31 (Winter 1999) ([http://www.shroud.it/SCAVONE1.PDF Article] and [http://www.shroud.com/scavone2.htm abstract]); Scavone, "British King Lucius, the Grail and Joseph of Arimathea: The Question of Byzantine Origins.", Publications of the Medieval Association of the Midwest 10 (2003): 101-42, vol. 10, 101-142 (2003).</ref> According to [[Richard Barber]] (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".<ref>Barber 2004.</ref> Goulven Peron (2016) suggested that the Holy Grail may reflect the [[Cornucopia#In mythology|horn]] of the river-god [[Achelous]], as described by [[Ovid]] in the ''[[Metamorphoses (Ovid)|Metamorphoses]]''.<ref name="Peron, Goulven 2016, p. 1132">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.</ref>

===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]] connected the Grail to contemporary myths surrounding the [[Knights Templar]] 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.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 70, 73–74.</ref>

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]] identified the Cathar castle of Montségur with [[Munsalväsche]] or Montsalvat, the Grail castle in Wolfram's ''Parzival''. This identification has inspired a wider legend asserting that the Cathars possessed the Holy Grail.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 75–76.</ref> According to these stories, the Cathars guarded the Grail at Montségur, and smuggled it out when the castle fell in 1244.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 74–76.</ref>

[[File:Parsifal1933.jpg|thumb|The Grail depicted on a 1933 German stamp]]

Beginning in 1933, German writer [[Otto Rahn]] 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 [[Occultism in Nazism|Nazi occultist]] circles, and led to the SS chief [[Heinrich Himmler]]'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.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 76–77.</ref>

In the late 20th century, writers [[Michael Baigent]], [[Richard Leigh (author)|Richard Leigh]], and [[Henry Lincoln]] created one of the most widely known conspiracy theories about the Holy Grail. The theory first appeared on the [[BBC]] documentary series ''[[Chronicle (UK TV series)|Chronicle]]'' in the 1970s, and was elaborated upon in the bestselling 1982 book ''[[Holy Blood, Holy Grail]]''.<ref name=Wood77/> The theory combines myths about the Templars and Cathars with various other legends, and a prominent [[hoax]] about a secret order called the [[Priory of Sion]]. 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.<ref name=Wood77/> The narrative developed is that [[Jesus]] was not divine, and had children with [[Mary Magdalene]], who took the family to France where their descendants became the [[Merovingians|Merovingian]] 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.<ref>Wood 2012, p. 77–82.</ref> 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]] books. It has also inspired fiction, most notably [[Dan Brown]]'s 2003 novel ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'' and its 2006 [[The Da Vinci Code (film)|film adaptation]].<ref>Wood 2012, p. 77, 81–82.</ref>

===Music and painting===
[[File:Frederick Sandys - King Pelles Daughter.jpg|thumb|upright|''King Pelles' Daughter Bearing the Sancgraal'' by [[Frederick Sandys]] (1861)|alt=]]

The combination of hushed reverence, chromatic harmonies and sexualized imagery in [[Richard Wagner]]'s final music drama ''[[Parsifal]]'', premiered in 1882, developed this theme, associating the Grail – now periodically producing blood – directly with female fertility.<ref>Donington, Robert (1963). ''Wagner's "Ring" and its Symbols: the Music and the Myth''. Faber</ref> The high seriousness of the subject was also epitomized in [[Dante Gabriel Rossetti]]'s painting in which a woman modeled by [[Alexa Wilding]] holds the Grail with one hand, while adopting a gesture of blessing with the other.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/dante-gabriel-rossetti-461|title=Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1828–1882|website=Tate}}</ref>

A major mural series depicting the Quest for the Holy Grail was done by the artist [[Edwin Austin Abbey]] during the first decade of the 20th century for the [[Boston Public Library]]. Other artists, including [[George Frederic Watts]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/230160?position=8|title=Sir Galahad &#124; Harvard Art Museums|website=harvardartmuseums.org}}</ref> and [[William Dyce]], also portrayed grail subjects.<ref>Shichtman, Martin B.; Carley, James P., (eds.) ''Culture and the King: The Social Implications of the Arthurian Legend'', SUNY Press, Albany, N.Y., 1994, p. 264.</ref>

===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]]'s Arthurian cycle ''[[Idylls of the King]]''. A sexualised interpretation of the grail, now identified with female genitalia, appeared in 1870 in [[Hargrave Jennings]]' book ''The Rosicrucians, Their Rites and Mysteries''.<ref>Writing of the Order of the Garter ceremonies Jennings writes on page 323:- The whole refers to King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table; set round as sentinels ('in lodge') of the Sangreal, or Holy Graal--the 'Sacrifice Mysterious', or 'Eucharist'. But how is all this magic and sacred in the estimate of the Rosicrucians?' an inquirer will very naturally ask. The answer to all this is very, ample and satisfactory; but particulars must be left to the sagacity of the querist himself, because propriety does not admit of explanation. Suffice it to say, that it is one of the most curious and wonderful subjects which has occupied the attention of antiquaries. That archaeological puzzle, the 'Round Table of King Arthur', is a perfect display of this whole subject of the origin of the 'Garter'; it springs directly from it, being the same object as that enclosed by the mythic garter, 'garder', or 'girther.'</ref>

* [[T. S. Eliot]]'s poem ''[[The Waste Land]]'' (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]], was published in 1913 in [[Poetry (magazine)|''Poetry'']].<ref>{{cite web |title=January 1913 : Poetry Magazine |url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?volume=1&issue=4&page=4 |access-date=25 November 2024 |publisher=Poetryfoundation.org}}</ref>
* In [[John Cowper Powys]]'s ''[[A Glastonbury Romance]]'' (1932), the "heroine is the Grail,"<ref>"Preface" to ''A Glastonbury Romance''. London: Macdonald, 1955, p. xiii.</ref> 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.<ref>Krissdottir, Morine. ''Descent of Memory: The Life of John Cowper Powys''. London: Overlook Press, 2007, pp. 252-3.</ref>
* The Grail is central in [[Charles Williams (UK writer)|Charles Williams]]' novel ''War in Heaven'' (1930) and his two collections of poems about [[Taliesin|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]]'s adventure novel ''The Quest'' (1975), set during the 1970s.
* [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]]'s Arthurian revisionist fantasy novel ''[[The Mists of Avalon]]'' (1983) presented the Grail as a symbol of water, part of a set of objects representing the four [[classical elements]]. 
* The main theme of [[Rosalind Miles (author)|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]]'s 2000 novel ''[[Baudolino]]'', set in the 12th century.
* It is the subject of [[Bernard Cornwell]]'s historical fiction series of books ''[[The Grail Quest]]'' (2000–2012), set during the [[Hundred Years War]]. In his earlier series ''[[The Warlord Chronicles]]'', 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 ''[[The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail]]'', Dan Brown's ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'' (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 [[Rosslyn Chapel]] in Scotland, but that in recent decades, its guardians had it moved to a secret chamber embedded in the floor beneath the [[La Pyramide Inversée|Inverted Pyramid]] in the entrance of the [[Louvre|Louvre museum]].
* [[Michael Moorcock]]'s fantasy novel ''[[The War Hound and the World's Pain]]'' (1981) depicts a supernatural Grail quest set in the era of the [[Thirty Years' War]].
*German history and fantasy novel author [[Rainer M. Schröder]] wrote the trilogy ''[[:de:Die Bruderschaft vom Heiligen Gral|Die Bruderschaft vom Heiligen Gral]]'' (''The Brotherhood of the Holy Grail'') about a group of four Knights Templar who save the Grail from the [[Siege of Acre (1291)|Fall of Acre]] in 1291 and go through an odyssey to bring it to the [[Square du Temple|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]] 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]]'' series by [[Jim Butcher]], [[Skin Game (The Dresden Files)|''Skin Game'']] (2014), features [[Harry Dresden]] being recruited by Denarian and longtime enemy Nicodemus into a heist team seeking to retrieve the Holy Grail from the vault of [[Hades]], 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===
[[File:Hollywood Museum - Indiana Jones' Grail Diary (7659583966).jpg|thumb|Grail diary of [[Henry Jones, Sr.]] from the 1989 film ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]'' at the [[Hollywood Museum]]]]

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 [[Knights Templar]]. 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.<ref>"A massive Hunt", [[The Grand Tour]]:
*Hammond: "There's something there!"
*Clarkson: "What's that?"
*May: "What is it?"
*Hammond: "I think it's the Holy Grail."
*May: "Oh cock."
*Clarkson: "And on that terrible disappointment, it's time to end."</ref>
* 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.<ref>{{Citation|title=Watch The Office Highlight: The Dunder Code - NBC.com|date=2013-01-25|url=https://www.nbc.com/the-office/video/the-dunder-code/3850902|language=en-US|access-date=2021-12-09}}</ref>
* 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".<ref>{{Citation|title=An Algorithm Could Never Come Up With AI Drama 'Mrs. Davis': TV Review|date=2013-04-18|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/tv-reviews/mrs-davis-review-betty-gilpin-damon-lindelof-ai-1235579968/|language=en-US|access-date=2023-07-04}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Akshaya Patra]] (Hindu mythology)
* [[Ark of the Covenant]]
* [[Arma Christi]]
* [[Black Stone]]
* [[Cornucopia]] (Greek mythology)
* [[Cup of Jamshid]] (Persian mythology)
* [[Fairy cup legend]]
* [[Holy Chalice]] (Christian mythology)
* [[List of mythological objects]]
* [[Relics associated with Jesus]]
* [[Sampo]] (Finnish mythology)
* [[Salsabil (Quran)]] 
*[[Kingdom of Galicia#The Chalice, symbol of the_kingdom|Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Galicia]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Barber, Richard (2004). ''The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief''. Harvard University Press.
*Campbell, Joseph (1990). ''Transformations of Myth Through Time''. Harper & Row Publishers, New York.
*Loomis, Roger Sherman (1991). ''The Grail: From Celtic Myth to Christian Symbol''. Princeton. {{ISBN|0-691-02075-2}}
*Weston, Jessie L.  (1993; originally published 1920). ''From Ritual To Romance''. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
*Wood, Juliette (2012). ''The Holy Grail: History and Legend''. University of Wales Press. {{ISBN|9780708325247}}.

==External links==
{{wiktionary | grail}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Holy Grail}}
{{EB1911 poster|Grail, The Holy}}
* {{In Our Time|Holy Grail|p00548y9|Holy_Grail}}
*[https://d.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/theme/holy-grail.html The Holy Grail at the Camelot Project]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06719a.htm The Holy Grail] at the ''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]''
*[http://www.valenciavalencia.com/sights-guide/holy-grail-valencia.htm The Holy Grail today in Valencia Cathedral] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728115221/http://www.valenciavalencia.com/sights-guide/holy-grail-valencia.htm |date=2017-07-28 }}
* {{in lang|fr}} [http://expositions.bnf.fr/arthur/livres/estoire/index.htm ''XVth-century Old French Estoire del saint Graal manuscript BNF fr. 113''] Bibliothèque Nationale de France, selection of illuminated folios, Modern French Translation, Commentaries.
*{{wikisource-inline|Studies on the legend of the Holy Grail|single=true}}

{{Arthurian Legend}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Holy Grail| ]]
[[Category:Cauldrons]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]
[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in the 12th century]]
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