History of the Holy Grail

The Holy Grail is traditionally believed to be the cup Jesus and his disciples drank from at the Last Supper the night before he was crucified. Joseph of Arimathea also used this cup to collect the blood that flowed from Jesus' side when he was pierced by the soldier's lance. One legend has Joseph bring the Grail to Glastonbury, England. 

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"At last Amfortas, the Fisher King, lineally descended from Joseph of Arimathea, became the head of the knights of the Grail...Under the influence of some evil enchantment...he and his court were cast under a spell that was neither sleeping nor waking; and from this spell they could not be released until the coming of a knight pure in body and thought..." (Baxter, 1904, pp. 58-9). Here is where the story of Sir Galahad in this mural begins.

The Holy Grail is also believed to possess magical healing qualities making it an object much desired. Throughout the ages, soldiers, pilgrims, and historians have sought to find the Holy Grail. One example is King Arthur from around the 5th century and the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot including Sir Galahad, always portrayed in red in this mural. Another legend has the Knights Templar being the guardians for the Holy Grail.

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While the Holy Grail is shrouded in ancient tales, tantalizing bits of truth corroborated by historical findings continue to fascinate. One recent example from 2014 is two historians claiming to have discovered it at a church in León in northern Spain where it has been since the 11th century. Scientific dating confirmed that the cup was made between 200 B.C.E. and 100 A.D.

As Sylvester Baxter writes in his 1904 book, The Legend of the Holy Grail As Set Forth in the Frieze Painted by Edwin A. Abbey for the Boston Public Library, "The Holy Grail is the symbol of spiritual enlightenment..." (p. 17). May your quest for knowledge never be satisfied!  

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