The story of the Holy Grail is such a tangled tangle of European legends, Eastern legends, literary narratives and conjectures, rooted not at all in the biblical source, as one might suppose, but almost to the pagan folklore motives of the Celts, that it is time to exclaim: “And was there a boy? " Or rather, an elusive Christian relic in the form of a cup, from which the disciples of Jesus Christ communed at the Last Supper, into which the blood of the Savior crucified on the cross was later collected.
"Grail" is an Old French word for a large dish, tray. This purpose of the Grail is described by the oldest surviving documents about this relic - the novel by the Provençal poet-troubadour Chrétien de Trois "Persephal, or the Tale of the Grail", dating back to 1182. In this novel, the Grail is presented as a large platter laid out precious stones worn by the maiden through the halls of the castle. However, in other works about this artifact - poems and novels - the Grail appears in the form of a bowl, a goblet and even a stone. However, none of these works are known as authoritative sources of information.
The legend of the Grail is based on the Christian apocrypha about the journey to England of Joseph of Arimathea. The compatriot of Chrétien de Troyes, also the Provencal poet Robert de Born, refers to an old historical source- a manuscript in which it comes that Jesus gave Joseph of Arimathea the cup of the Last Supper, after which Joseph and his sister left Palestine and went to Western Europe to preach Christianity.
The chalice and spear, which pierced the body of Jesus, Joseph brought to Britain, and some legends even indicate a specific place where these relics were delivered - the monastery of Glastonbury. In this abbey stood old church however, it burned down in 1184 and a later church was built in its place. Tradition says that the Grail is hidden in the dungeons of the abbey.
The bowl itself is most often presented as a glass, carved from olive wood, 12 centimeters high and 6 centimeters in diameter.
One of the legends tells that the son of Saint Joseph descended from heaven and took part in the sacrament of the Eucharist, which was celebrated in the Grail castle. Another legend tells that the Celtic magician Merlin, who patronized King Arthur, sent the knights of the Round Table to seek the Grail, but this search did not bring success.
About a dozen Grail writings were compiled between 1180 and 1225 in French or are translations from French texts... And each of them offers its own version of the story about this mysterious thing. They are about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. These heroes - Perceval, Gawain, Lancelot, Bore, Galahad - are the knights of King Arthur who make mystical travels in search of a shrine. The desire to find it is dictated by the magical properties of the Grail: a person who drank from this cup receives forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and according to some information - and immortality, and besides, completely material goods- food and drink.
The only person who managed to obtain the Grail was the knight Galahad. From childhood, he was brought up by monks in chastity and a righteous life, and having touched the shrine, he ascended to heaven as a saint. Another knight, Persifal, only approached the find: he saw the Grail when he visited his relative, the Fisher King, and witnessed his healing, when the king drank holy water from this cup in front of the knight.
The German poet-minnesinger Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parsifal, in his poem written at the end of the 12th century, claims that the Holy Grail is kept by the Templaisen order of knights. In this name, the Order of the Templars is guessed - the knights of the Temple, active participants in the crusades to the Holy Land. This order was destroyed by the French king Philip IV the Fair at the beginning of the 14th century. In some medieval novels, the knight Parsephal searches for and finds the magical castle of Munsalves, in which the Templars keep the Grail under guard. In medieval legends, the Knights Templar are also the guardians of the Grail. In some of them, the Grail is the blood of the descendants of Jesus.
The etymology of this word is raised to "sang royal" - "royal blood" and even "sang real" - "true blood", which was understood as the blood of Christ. This understanding is dictated, obviously, by the double meaning of the old French word "cors" - and "cup" and "body". Perhaps that is why the Grail, understood sometimes as the "goblet of Christ", then as the "body of Christ", in the legends received a strong link to Joseph of Arimathea - the guard over the body of Christ. Therefore, one of the legends says about the sacrament of the Eucharist - communion with the body and blood of Christ in the Grail castle, in which the son of Joseph of Arimathea, who descended from heaven, allegedly participated.
The legend of the Grail also has another genealogical line rooted in Celtic mythology. And even deeper: in Indo-European myths, the magic goblet is a symbol of life and rebirth. In Celtic, Irish and Welsh myths, the story of a magic vessel that gave a person mystical bliss is repeated. In 12th century France, medieval troubadours and minnesingers worked on this narrative, as a result of which the legendary cup became associated with the Christian sacrament of the Eucharist.
In Celtic myths, there is another interesting container with magical properties: the shattered magical witch's cauldron of Keridwen, kept in Annun Castle, which can only be accessed by perfect people with pure thoughts. For all other people, this castle remains invisible. In yet another Celtic myth, the Grail appears as a stone that can scream. His cry symbolized the recognition of the true king and therefore was installed in the capital of Ireland, Tara.
The famous Russian scientist Academician Alexander Veselovsky devoted many years to the study of the legends about the Grail. He proved that the tradition of the Grail originated in the Christian East in the first centuries of our era, in the Christian communities of Syria, Ethiopia and Levko-Syria - Lesser Armenia. It came to the West during the era of the Crusades, and was brought there by knights and troubadours who participated in campaigns to the Holy Land and heard these oriental legends.
Later, oriental legends and images were creatively reinterpreted in the European artistic word. Therefore, in the European legends about the Grail there are many references to the East. The episodes where the personality of Joseph of Arimathea, who was present at the crucifixion of Christ, appears, have their roots in the popular apocryphal in Byzantium - the Gospel of Nicodemus, The Acts of Pilate and especially the Books of Joseph of Arimathea. One of the Byzantine written monuments "Mabinagion" refers to the keeping of the sacred bowl by the Empress in Constantinople. However, in the Western European source of the XIII century, "The Younger Titurel" by Albrecht von Scharfenberg, we are talking only about a copy of the Grail kept in Constantinople.
Among the holidays of the Byzantine Church was the feast of the discovery of the Holy Chalice of the Lord, celebrated on July 3. There is evidence that in 394 this cup was kept in Jerusalem, in the Temple of Zion, erected on the site where the Last Supper was held. Perhaps later it was transported to the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, and was kept there in one of the Orthodox churches. However, the further fate of the shrine is unknown: in 1204, as a result of the Fourth Crusade, Western European knights captured and plundered Constantinople. Mention that the bowl hit the ground Western Europe, side by side with information that it was hidden in one of the castles in the East.
One of the versions of the Grail seekers says that this shrine of Christians is hidden in Ukraine. The relic cache is located in Crimean mountains, and the history of his Crimean wanderings goes back to the Middle Ages. In the XII-XV centuries, on the territory of the mountainous and foothill Crimea, there was a small principality of Theodoro with its capital in the city of Mangup-Kale. Its territory stretched in a narrow strip from Yamboli (modern Balaklava) to Aluston (now Alushta). The principality was ruled by a dynasty of kings of Gavras, who were of Armenian origin, and were in the sphere of influence of the Byzantine Empire. The ethnic composition of the population was variegated: they lived there Crimean Goths, Alans and Greeks, but they were united by a common religion - the Theodorites professed Orthodoxy.
Position small state was shaky. One of the legends that have survived from those times tells about the war between the Theodorites and the Genoese (from history it is known that the principality was forced to wage frequent wars with the Genoese), who owned colonies in the southern-coastal part of the Crimean peninsula. During this war, the Genoese set a condition for the rulers of Theodoro: to give them a kind of golden cradle, after which the war would be ended. The situation was so threatening that the prince and his family took refuge in one of the caves of Mount Basman, where he hid this mysterious golden cradle.
After that, an earthquake and a landslide occurred in the mountains, and the golden cradle was reliably hidden from people. It is interesting that this legend is confirmed by the data of archaeological research. Scientists have established that there was a settlement on Mount Basman that was destroyed by a powerful earthquake in the 14th or 15th century. And inside one of mountain caves the skeleton of a man was found, crushed by a stone block that had fallen on him.
There are different opinions on what the Mangup golden cradle could have been. Some believe that it was a golden font donated to Prince Theodoro Isaac by the Moscow Tsar Ivan III. Others saw in it a resemblance to the cradle of Genghis Khan. However, the most astute researchers have noticed one important detail in the paintings of the temples left over from the time of the existence of this small state. They often contain the motive of a cradle bowl with a baby. V Christian tradition the child in the bowl symbolizes Christ. The blood of the crucified Christ, as we remember, was collected in a cup.
In the 20th century, the secret services of the two great empires waging war among themselves, including in the Crimean mountains, showed an unexpected interest in these Crimean legends. And again, as it happened before, the sides in this war were Western European warriors and the heirs of the Byzantine tradition.
In 1926-1927, a group of employees of the special department for cryptography of the NKVD of the USSR, headed by Alexander Barchenko, launched activities in Crimea. According to the official version, the group investigated cave cities Crimea. But this group included astrophysicist Alexander Kondiain, who spoke about another, unspoken goal of the KGB expedition, namely the search for a stone of extraterrestrial origin, which fell to Earth from the constellation Orion several hundred thousand years ago.
By the way, in the already mentioned poem by Wolfram Eschenbach "Parsifal", the Grail is presented in the form of a stone that fell to the ground from the crown of Lucifer, hence the allegorical name of the Grail - "stone from Orion". This case ended dramatically: the head of the expedition, Alexander Barchenko, was shot in 1941, just before the start of the war with Germany.
Interest in the Grail was not only the special services of the country of victorious socialism, but also their German colleagues. The Holy Grail was trying to get hold of Adolf Hitler, who ordered an active search for the relic at the height of World War II. The Fuhrer, inclined to mystical searches, wanted, so to speak, to privatize the legendary magical properties of this vessel. His henchmen in the Vienna Hofburg Museum found the spear of the Roman centurion Longinus, with which he pierced the body of Christ. The Nazis also saw this artifact as a source of magical power, and Hitler believed that the spear would help him defeat his enemies in the war - the USSR, America and Great Britain.
When the Germans came to Crimea, they, like their predecessors, launched a search for the Grail in the Crimean Mountains. The head of the search for the relic was Otto Ohlendorf, who bore the pseudonym Graalritter - the Knight of the Grail, under his command was "Einsatzgroup D". The search was carried out in the Dzhuft-Kale (Chufut-Kale) fortress, where the Karaite kenassas, the mausoleum of the daughter of Khan Tokhtamysh Janike-khanum and numerous caves were examined. They looked in Tatar mosques, in the ruins of old temples, and in the ruins of the Kermenchik fortress. However, the Germans never found the Grail. Nevertheless, for his work in the Crimea, Otto Ohlendorf received the Iron Cross of the first degree from Adolf Hitler.
There is one more interesting story Grail, associated with England, which is cited in their book "The Search for the Holy Grail and Precious Blood" Ian and Dyck Begg. Its origins lead all the way to the same Glastonbury Abbey. In the 16th century, during the reign of King Henry VIII, the Reformation was established in England. Catholic monasteries are being closed, and Catholic priests are being persecuted. In 1535-1539, the king created special commissions, which closed all monasteries in England. Their property was confiscated, and the brethren were dispersed. By order of the king, even the relics of the saints were opened and plundered.
The last abbot of Glastonbury Monastery, shortly before his death, gave the Grail to the monks he trusted. They went with the relic to Wales, to Aberystwyth Abbey. They took refuge in the wealthy estate of Nantes Maner, owned by Lord Powell. He offered the monks a refuge in his domain; there the monks lived and worked in peace. The last of the monks who lived there for many years, handed the Grail to the owner of the property and bequeathed to always keep it there, in Nantes Maner. The last member of the Powell family died in 1952, and then the Grail passed to the Mayeriless family. However, he did not stay with them for a long time and mysteriously disappeared.
As we can see, with the passing of the glorious times of the troubadours and knights, the search for the Grail did not stop. The Grail excites the minds of seekers today. Italian archaeologist Alfredo Barbagallo claims that the Holy Grail is located in Rome and is hidden in a room under the Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura. This church is one of the seven most visited churches in Rome by pilgrims. The scientist made this conclusion after two years of studying medieval iconography inside the church and the arrangement of the catacombs under it. According to the archaeologist, the Grail disappeared in 285, after the death of the priest Lorenzo, who was commissioned by Pope Sixtus V to take care of the preservation of early Christian church treasures.
"Secrets and mysteries of history and civilization"
60. THE STORY OF THE HOLY GRAIL
In the Middle Ages in European countries, along with canonical religious subjects known from scripture, that is, the books of the Old and New Testaments, folklore legends appeared, created in the traditions folk tales... In addition to the plots and images known from the scriptures, these stories told about events and characters created by folk fantasy.
One of these legends is the legend of the Holy Grail. The legend originated in the British Isles and was associated with a cycle of Celtic tales about King Arthur.
When Lucifer rebelled against God and was cast down from heaven, - the legend about the Holy Grail tells, - an agate stone fell out of his crown. For a long time this stone was worn in space, but when Christ was born, the agate fell to the ground.
A vessel called the Grail was made of this stone.
Various assumptions have been made about what the word "Grail" means. It was produced from consonant words and phrases meaning "a vessel for mixing wine and water", "true blood", "a basket of abundance", but they did not come to a consensus.
According to legend, Christ drank wine from the Grail at the Last Supper and treated his disciples. And when Christ was crucified on the cross and his chest pierced with a spear, the righteous Joseph of Arimathea, who later buried Christ, collected his blood in this cup.
The vessel disappeared in a mysterious way, but from the prophecy it was known that the Grail will still appear to people and will choose a guardian for itself.
Many years later, a son, Titurel, was born to a certain king. WITH young years he was distinguished by his purity of thoughts and adherence to the Christian faith. When the young man was fifteen years old, an angel flew down from heaven and informed Titurel that the Holy Grail had chosen him as its guardian.
Titurel said goodbye to his parents and went to where the Holy Grail awaited him. The angel flew in front, singing, pointing the way.
And then Titurel came to a dense forest, in the middle of which a mountain towered, and a sacred vessel, the Holy Grail, supported by invisible angels, hovered in the air above its top.
At the foot of Mount Titurel were waiting for the knights, bowing before him as before their master. They were a pious army, called to serve the Holy Grail and its guardian. This is how the knightly brotherhood of the Holy Grail appeared.
First of all, Titurel and his knights decided to build a fortified castle on the mountain, which would become their stronghold, and a temple in the center of the castle.
The construction lasted thirty years, and all this time the Holy Grail was floating in the air, miraculously giving food and drink to the pious builders, and precious aloe tree, gold and gems for construction.
When the construction was completed, the holy grail descended from heaven and was placed in the altar of the temple.
A large bell hung on a pillar in front of the castle, and if somewhere Christians were oppressed for their faith or an innocent person was offended, the bell began to ring by itself, and the knights of the Holy Grail rushed to help.
The Holy Grail still gave them everything they needed to live and, in addition, endowed with longevity exceeding the human limit: the knights of the Holy Grail lived for several hundred years.
Titurel took the daughter of the Spanish king as his wife and had two sons from her - Amfortas and Trevresenta. Having become young men, both of them were ordained knights of the Holy Grail and in time were to inherit from their father the dignity of the guardians of the shrine.
The brothers were strong and courageous, they fought bravely against the enemies christ faith but there was no true piety in their souls. It often happened that they fought not in a sacred battle for the glory of the Holy Grail, but in a knightly tournament for the glory of beautiful ladies.
Once, at such a tournament, Amfortas was seriously wounded in the chest with a spear. They took him to the castle and began to heal. But neither the smoke of a burning aloe tree, nor the blood of a pelican, nor the earth soaked in the bile of a dragon helped him. Many days passed, and the wound was bleeding, as if it had just been inflicted and inflicted immense suffering on the wounded man.
And everyone understood that Amfortas was punished for his lack of piety.
Trevresent, seeing the suffering of his brother, was afraid of such a fate for himself and made a vow never to participate in tournaments, not to eat meat or baked bread or drink wine, settled in the forest and began to live like a hermit, eating only wild herbs.
Great sadness reigned among the knights of the Holy Grail. Titurel was already old by that time, he was four hundred years old, and he felt the approach of death. But now he had no one to transfer the dignity of the guardian of the Holy Grail: one of his son was chained to the bed of suffering, the other - withdrew from the world.
The knights gathered in front of the sacred vessel and offered fervent prayer. And then letters appeared on the Holy Grail, informing that an unknown knight would soon come to the castle and ask what was happening here. As soon as he asks this question, Amfortas will heal from his wound.
In addition to two sons, old Titurel had a daughter, Herzenloide. She fell in love with the brave knight Gamuret and married him.
But their happiness was short-lived. This is always the case in love: whoever rejoiced for a moment will cry forever.
Once, when Hamuret fought pagans on a distant campaign, Herzenloid had a dream as if he flew into her Fire Dragon and tore the heart out of her chest.
And in the morning a messenger rode up from distant lands with the news that the brave Hamuret had died in battle.
Soon, Herzenloide gave birth to a son and vowed that she would save him from the fate of his father, and would not allow him to be exposed to the dangers of a knightly life.
She left the castle and settled with her newborn son, whom she named Parsifal, in a dense forest.
Parsifal grew up knowing nothing but the forest, not seeing anyone but his mother, forest animals and birds.
But one day, on a forest road, he met two knights in shiny armor, on light-legged horses. Parsifal decided that they were supernatural beings, and fell to his knees, but the knights spoke to him affably. The young man learned that there is another life in the world, and passionately wanted to experience it.
He went to his mother and told her that he was leaving the forest - going into the world to become a knight. Herzenloide realized that she could no longer keep her son by her side, and let him go.
Soon he reached Parsifal the city where the glorious King Arthur lived. At the city gates, he met a knight in red armor with a golden goblet in his hands.
Appearing before King Arthur, the young man asked to be knighted, and the king fulfilled his wish.
Parsifal learned that the Red Knight, whom he met at the city gates, had just audaciously stolen the golden goblet from the king's table. Parsifal immediately rushed after him in pursuit, caught up, challenged him to a duel and won, taking away the goblet, armor, horse and weapon.
He sent the cup to King Arthur, and took armor, horse and weapons for himself and set off to wander around the world in search of deeds.
Parsifal drove up to the city, which was besieged by enemies. A young queen, beautiful as a morning rose, ruled that city. The queen turned to Parsifal for help. He fought with the leader of the enemy army - and killed him. The city was saved, and the wandering knight took the beautiful queen as his wife. Soon she bore him two sons.
But Parsifal dreamed of exploits and glory, and not a quiet family happiness, so he left his wife - and set off again.
Wandering around the world, one day he found himself in a dense forest where the knights of the Holy Grail lived, and asked to spend the night in their castle.
They brought him into a huge hall. The walls of the hall glittered with gold and precious stones, four hundred knights sat at a large table, serving them with a hundred pages. But before the knights were empty dishes and cups, there was no food or drink.
At the head of the table, a man in rich clothes was reclining on a couch. A wound was bleeding on his chest, and he could hardly contain his groans. Parsifal was seated at the table with the knights. And then girls in white clothes like heavenly angels, brought into the hall a transparent bowl, from which a wonderful light emanated. Everyone stood up and offered prayer. And immediately the dishes and cups were full. The cup was carried away, and the knights began to eat.
Parsifal marveled at what he saw, but did not dare to ask about anything.
A year later, crowned with glory, he returned to the court of King Arthur and took an honorable place among his knights.
Once, when the knights of King Arthur were sitting and feasting, telling each other about their exploits, a strange, clumsy beast appeared in the hall. This beast was ugly, but even more ugly was the horsewoman riding it. She had yellow eyes, a dog's nose, boar's tusks and bear ears, and a black braid descended down her back, as stiff as a pig's bristle.
But appearances can be deceiving: the ugly horsewoman served the Grail, was wise and pious, knew different languages and knew how to read by the stars. Her name was Kundria. She came as a messenger to Parsifal.
Kundria said: “Alas, knight! You have been with us, you have seen the Holy Grail, you have seen Amfortas suffering from an incurable wound, you have seen dishes and cups filling by themselves, but you did not ask a single question. If you asked what this means, Amfortas would heal, become the keeper of the shrine, and peace and happiness would descend on our brotherhood. You did not fulfill the prophecy, and now, through your fault, when the guardian of the Grail dies, the sacred vessel will remain unprotected!
Sobbing, she left the Kundria castle of King Arthur. Parsifal was horrified by his involuntary guilt, confusion settled in his soul. Again he set off to wander around the world, tormented by the thought that he had sinned grossly, not having performed the intended good.
He stopped going to church, did not dare to converse with God and looked only for battles and battles.
Five years passed in this way. Once in winter, Parsifal was driving through the forest and came across a hermit's hut, covered with snow. In that hut lived Trevresent, the brother of the unfortunate Amfortas.
From Trevresenta Parsifal learned that his mother Herzenloide is the daughter of the old Titurel, the guardian of the Grail, and he himself is his grandson. Trevresent told Palsifal not to despair, but to trust in the mercy of God, to return to the court of King Arthur and there to wait for news from the knights of the Holy Grail.
Parsifal obeyed the advice, and soon Kundria appeared before him again. But this time she shone with great joy.
Kundria said: “Hail, knight! The writing reappeared on the Holy Grail. They inform that you have been chosen as the keeper of the shrine. "
Parsifal immediately went to the Holy Grail. The knights greeted him with joyful cries. He offered up a fervent prayer to God, and through this prayer Amfortas was healed of his wound. Parsifal called his wife and sons to him.
Parsifal became the head of the brotherhood of the Holy Grail, the keeper of the sacred vessel.
In the Middle Ages, many European poets processed the plot of the legend of the Holy Grail. In the 12th century in France, Robin de Boron wrote the poetic Novel on the History of the Grail, and Chrétien de Trois wrote the novel Parsifal, or the Legend of the Grail. In Germany in the 13th century, Wolfram von Eschenbach's novel Parsifal appeared. The Legend of the Grail is included in the novel The Death of Arthur by the 15th century English writer Thomas Mallory.
This plot also attracted the romantic poets of the 19th century (L. Uland, A. Tennysonidr.).
In 1882 the great German composer Richard Wagner wrote the opera Parsifal. Wagner gave great importance the literary basis of his operas and wrote the libretto himself. The libretto for Parsifal was mainly based on the novel by Wolfram von Eschenbach. But Wagner strengthened the religious and philosophical meaning of the legend, emphasized the Christian idea of sin and atonement. In Wagner's opera, Amfortas suffers not so much physical as mental anguish, because, not being worthy, he continues to serve the Holy Grail. He strives not for healing, but for death, and in the finale of the opera he dies.
A large role in the opera belongs to Kundria. For Wagner, this is not a monster from an ancient legend, but a beautiful girl under the power of an evil spell and forced - against her will - to seduce the knights of the Holy Grail, to persuade them to sin. Parsifal, resisting her spell, frees Kundria from the spell, and she dies enlightened.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The one who drinks from the Grail receives forgiveness of sins, eternal life, etc. In some versions, even close contemplation of a magical object gives immortality, as well as various benefits in the form of food, drink, etc. The words "Holy Grail" are often used figuratively as a designation of any cherished goal often unattainable or elusive.
Quest for the Grail
In the 9th century, Europe began to "hunt" for relics associated with the earthly life of Christ. This process reached its apogee in the 13th century, when Saint Louis brought to Paris from Constantinople and placed in the Saint Chapel, built for this purpose, a number of instruments of the Passion, whose authenticity was doubted by few.
However, among the instruments of the Passion, which were exhibited in various churches in Europe, there was no chalice from which Jesus ate at the Last Supper. This circumstance spurred rumors and legends about her whereabouts. In contrast to Paris, which "monopolized" many of the holy sites of Christianity, the part of modern France that belonged to the English crown, put forward the legend of a bowl, which is hidden somewhere in the vastness of Britain.
In the medieval novels about Persifal, the protagonist searches for and finds the magical castle of Munsalves, in which the Grail is kept under the protection of the Templars. In some descriptions, the Grail is very reminiscent of an inexhaustible vessel from more ancient Celtic legends, which in its function is similar to similar objects in the mythology of other Indo-European peoples, in particular, with a cornucopia (see below).
In medieval literature
- - years. - "Perceval, or the Legend of the Grail", Chrétien de Troyes
- - years. - trilogy "History of the Holy Grail": "The novel about Joseph of Arimathea", "Merlin" (partially preserved) and "Perceval"(not preserved), Robert de Boron (Burgundy)
- - years. - "Cycle of the Vulgate": "The Story of the Holy Grail", "The Story of Merlin", "The Book of Lancelot", "The Quest for the Holy Grail" and "Death of Arthur".
In the same Celtic legends, there is another myth associated with the Grail stone. It was a special stone that could scream. With a cry, he recognized the true king and was installed in the ancient Irish capital of Tara.
Grail and conspiracy theories
The search for the real meaning of the word "Grail" gave rise to many conspiracy theories. The most famous are the variants voiced in the novel "The Da Vinci Code" and dating back to the occult research of Otto Rahn:
- The grail is the blood of the descendants of Jesus, "Sang raal", "sang real", or "Sang royal"- "royal blood", the faithful guardians of which were the Templars, directly descended from the Zion Community.
- in a broad sense - this is the breast of Magdalene, then Mary Magdalene herself, whose cult, which originated in the early Middle Ages, according to conspiracy theorists, over time mixed with the cult of the Virgin Mary.
The Holy Grail in Modern Culture
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Literature
- Blum Jean. Rennes-le-Chateau. Visigoths, Cathars, Templars: the secret of the heretics. - SPb .: Eurasia, 2007 .-- 252 p. - Series "Historical Library".
- Dashkevich N.P. Legend of the Holy Grail // From the history of medieval romanticism. - Kiev, 1877.
- Dashkevich N.P. The Romance of the Round Table in the Literature and Life of the West. - Kiev, 1890.
- Veselovsky A. N. Where did the legend of the Holy Grail come about? - SPb., 1900.
- Averintsev A. Grail // Myths of the peoples of the world. - M .: Sov. encycl., 1991. - T. 1. - S. 317.
- Andreeva V., Rovner A. The Holy Grail // // Encyclopedia of symbols, signs, emblems / Auth.-comp. V. Andreeva et al. - M .: OOO Astrel Publishing House: MYTH: OOO AST Publishing House, 2001. - pp. 134-135.
- Brother D:., D :. L. The Search for the Grail // Phoenix. - 2002. - No. 16.
- Dashkevich N.P. The Legend of the Holy Grail // Dashkevich N.P. From the history of medieval romanticism. - K .: Naukova Dumka, 1877.
- Dugin A. The Crusade of the Sun // End of the World. - M .: Arktogeya, 1997 .-- S. 234-235.
- Eremin G. The Mystery of the Pentagonal Castle // Technology of Youth. - 1969. - No. 1.
- Cox S. The Titans of the Renaissance and the secrets of the Templars and Illuminati. - M .: OOO "AST", 2007. - 288 p. - Series "Historical Library".
- Mayer R. In space - time is here ... The history of the Grail. - M .: Enigma, 1997 .-- 352 p. - ISBN 5-7808-0018-9.
- Marcal Jean. Rennes-le-Chateau and the secret of the damned gold ... - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2008. - 368 p. - Series "Historical Library".
- Matthews D. The Grail Tradition. - M .: Publishing house of the Transpersonal Institute, 1997. - 160 p. - ISBN 5-88389-020-2.
- Nepomniachtchi N.N. The Cup of the Grail // Nepomniachtchi N.N. One hundred great mysteries of history. - M .: "Veche", 2002. - P.176-181.
- Romanchuk L. The Phenomenon of the Middle Ages and the Holy Grail // Threshold. - Kirovograd, 2004. - No. 6. - S. 22-27.
- B. A. Pechnikov Knights of the church who are they? Essays on history and modern activities Catholic orders. - M .: Politizdat, 1991 .-- 351 p.: Ill.
- Rudzitis R. The Brotherhood of the Grail. - Riga: Uguns. - 320 p. - ISBN 5-88484-022-5.
- Fantorp L. Secrets of the Templar treasures and the Holy Grail. Secrets of Rennes-le-Chateau / Per. from English N. A. Kirilenko. - SPb .: Eurasia, 2008 .-- 367 p. - Series "Historical Library".
- M. Bigent, R. Lay, G. Lincoln. / Per. from English - M., 1992.
- Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln. Holy Blood, Holy Grail. - Corgi, 1982 .-- ISBN ISBN 0-552-12138-X.
- Ran, Otto. Crusade against the Grail. - AST, 2004.
- // Order of the Russian Templars. Volume III. Documents 1922-1930 - Moscow: "The Past", 2003.
Links
- on the website of the Society of St. Theodore Gavras.
- Alexander Ladik. Full version of the article for the "Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine". Volume 7.2008.
- Abd-ru-shin. “In the Light of Truth. Grail Message "(" Im Lichte der Wahrheit. Gralsbotschaft "), report.
- and his searches
Filmography
- “Mysteries of History. Mysteries of History. Mysteries of the Holy Grail is a popular science film filmed in 2010.
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Excerpt from the Holy Grail
In the damp, cold air, in the cramped and incomplete darkness of the swaying carriage, for the first time she vividly imagined what awaited her there, at the ball, in the lighted halls - music, flowers, dances, the sovereign, all the brilliant youth of St. Petersburg. What awaited her was so beautiful that she did not even believe that it would be: it was so incongruous with the impression of the cold, cramped and dark carriage. She understood everything that awaited her only when, having walked along the red cloth of the entrance, she entered the entrance, took off her fur coat and walked next to Sonya in front of her mother among the flowers along the illuminated staircase. Only then did she remember how she had to behave at the ball and tried to adopt that majestic manner, which she considered necessary for a girl at the ball. But fortunately for her, she felt that her eyes were scattering: she could not see anything clearly, her pulse beat a hundred times a minute, and the blood began to pound at her heart. She could not accept the manner that would make her ridiculous, and walked, dying with excitement and trying with all her might to only hide him. And this was the very manner that most of all went to her. In front and behind them, talking in the same quiet manner and in the same ball gowns, the guests entered. The mirrors on the stairs reflected the ladies in white, blue, pink dresses, with diamonds and pearls on open arms and necks.Natasha looked in the mirrors and in the reflection could not distinguish herself from others. Everything blended into one brilliant procession. At the entrance to the first hall, the uniform hum of voices, steps, greetings - deafened Natasha; the light and brilliance blinded her even more. The owner and hostess, who had already stood at the front door for half an hour and said the same words to those who entered: "charme de vous voir," [in admiration that I see you,] met the Rostovs and Peronskaya in the same way.
Two girls in white dresses, with the same roses in black hair, sat down in the same way, but involuntarily the hostess stopped her eyes for a longer time at slender Natasha. She looked at her, and she alone smiled especially in addition to her master's smile. Looking at her, the hostess remembered, perhaps, her golden, irrevocable girlish time, and her first ball. The owner also watched Natasha with his eyes and asked the count, who is his daughter?
- Charmante! [Charming!] He said, kissing the tips of his fingers.
Guests were standing in the hall, crowding at the front door, waiting for the emperor. The Countess was at the forefront of this crowd. Natasha heard and felt that several voices asked about her and were looking at her. She realized that she was liked by those who paid attention to her, and this observation calmed her somewhat.
“There are people like us, there are worse than us,” she thought.
Peronskaya named the countess the most significant persons who were at the ball.
“This is the Dutch messenger, you see, gray-haired,” Peronskaya said, pointing to an old man with silver gray hair of curly, abundant hair, surrounded by ladies, whom he made laugh at something.
“And here she is, the queen of Petersburg, Countess Bezukhaya,” she said, pointing to Helene as she entered.
- How good! Will not yield to Marya Antonovna; see how both young and old crawl after her. And good, and smart ... They say the prince ... crazy about her. But these two, although not good, are even more surrounded.
She pointed to a lady passing through the hall with a very ugly daughter.
“This is a millionaire bride,” said Peronskaya. - And here are the suitors.
“This is Bezukhova’s brother, Anatol Kuragin,” she said, pointing to the handsome cavalry guard who walked past them, looking somewhere from the height of his raised head over the ladies. - How good! is not it? They say they marry him to this rich woman. .And your sauce, Drubetskoy, is also very curious. They say millions. “Why, it’s the French envoy himself,” she answered about Caulaincourt when the countess asked who it was. - Look how some kind of tsar. And all the same, the French are nice, very nice. There is no sweeter for the society. And here she is! No, everything is better than all our Marya, then Antonovna! And how simply dressed. Lovely! - And this one, fat, with glasses, worldwide freemason, - said Peronskaya, pointing at Bezukhov. - Put him next to your wife: now you are a pea jester!
Pierre walked, waddling his fat body, moving the crowd apart, nodding to the right and left as carelessly and good-naturedly as he would walk through the crowd of the bazaar. He moved through the crowd, apparently looking for someone.
Natasha looked with joy at the familiar face of Pierre, this pea jester, as Peronskaya called him, and knew that Pierre was looking for them, and especially her, in the crowd. Pierre promised her to be at the ball and introduce her gentlemen.
But, not reaching them, Bezukhoi stopped beside a short, very handsome brunette in a white uniform, who, standing at the window, was talking to some tall man wearing stars and a ribbon. Natasha immediately recognized a short young man in a white uniform: it was Bolkonsky, who seemed to her very much younger, more cheerful and prettier.
- Here's another friend, Bolkonsky, see, mom? - said Natasha, pointing to Prince Andrey. - Remember, he spent the night with us in Otradnoye.
- Do you know him? - said Peronskaya. - Hate. Il fait a present la pluie et le beau temps. [Rainy or good weather now depends on him. (French proverb meaning that he has success.)] And pride is such that there are no boundaries! I went after papa. And I got in touch with Speransky, they are writing some projects. See how he treats the ladies! She is talking to him, and he turned away, ”she said, pointing at him. - I would have finished him if he did to me as he did to these ladies.
Suddenly everything began to stir, the crowd began to talk, moved, parted again, and between the two parted rows, with the sound of music playing, the sovereign entered. The owner and the hostess followed him. The emperor walked quickly, bowing to the right and left, as if trying to get rid of this first minute of the meeting as soon as possible. The musicians played Polskaya, known then for the words composed on him. These words began: "Alexander, Elizabeth, you delight us ..." The Emperor walked into the living room, the crowd rushed to the door; several faces with changed expressions hurried back and forth. The crowd again rushed away from the door of the drawing-room, in which the sovereign appeared, talking with the hostess. Some young man with a bewildered look stepped on the ladies, asking them to step aside. Some ladies with faces expressing complete forgetfulness of all conditions of light, spoiling their toilets, crowded forward. The men began to approach the ladies and form in pairs of the Polish.
Everything parted, and the emperor, smiling and not in time leading the mistress of the house by the hand, went out of the drawing-room door. Behind him were the owner with M.A. Naryshkina, then the envoys, ministers, various generals, whom Peronskaya called incessantly. More than half of the ladies had cavaliers and went or were preparing to go to Polskaya. Natasha felt that she remained with her mother and Sonya among the minority of the ladies who were pushed back to the wall and were not taken to Polskaya. She stood with her slender arms lowered, and with a measured, slightly defined chest, holding her breath, gleaming, frightened eyes, looked ahead of her, with an expression of readiness for the greatest joy and the greatest sorrow. She was not occupied either by the sovereign or by all the important persons to whom Peronskaya pointed out - she had only one thought: “Can it be that no one will come up to me like that, really I won’t dance between the first, really, I won’t be noticed by all these men who now, they don't seem to see me, but if they look at me, they look with such an expression as if they were saying: Ah! it’s not her, and there’s nothing to watch. No, it can't be! " She thought. "They should know how much I want to dance, how great I dance, and how much fun it will be for them to dance with me."
The sounds of Polsky, which had been going on for quite a long time, were already beginning to sound sad - a memory in Natasha's ears. She wanted to cry. Peronskaya moved away from them. The count was at the other end of the room, the countess, Sonya and she stood alone as in a forest in this alien crowd, uninteresting and unnecessary to anyone. Prince Andrew walked past them with a lady, obviously not recognizing them. Handsome Anatole, smiling, was saying something to the lady he was leading, and looked at Natasha's face with the same look as they look at the walls. Boris walked past them twice and turned away each time. Berg and his wife, who were not dancing, approached them.
Natasha found this family closeness insulting here, at the ball, as if there was no other place for family conversations except at the ball. She did not listen or look at Vera, who was saying something to her about her green dress.
Finally, the sovereign stopped beside his last lady (he danced with three), the music stopped; the preoccupied adjutant ran up to the Rostovs, asking them to step aside somewhere else, although they were standing against the wall, and from the chorus came the distinct, cautious and captivatingly measured sounds of a waltz. The Emperor looked at the hall with a smile. A minute has passed - no one has started yet. The adjutant manager approached Countess Bezukhova and invited her. Smiling, she raised her hand and laid it, without looking at him, on the adjutant's shoulder. The adjutant manager, a master of his craft, confidently, unhurriedly and measuredly, hugging his lady tightly, set off with her first a glide path, along the edge of the circle, at the corner of the hall, grabbed her left hand, turned it, and from the ever-accelerating sounds of music, only measured the clicks of the spurs of the adjutant's quick and dexterous feet, and every three beats at the turn the velvet dress of his lady flashed, as it were, fluttering. Natasha looked at them and was ready to cry that it was not she who was dancing this first round of the waltz.
Prince Andrey, in his colonel's white (for cavalry) uniform, in stockings and shoes, lively and cheerful, stood in the first rows of the circle, not far from the Rostovs. Baron Firgoff spoke to him about tomorrow's proposed first meeting state council... Prince Andrey, as a person close to Speransky and participating in the work of the legislative commission, could give correct information about the meeting tomorrow, about which there were various rumors. But he did not listen to what Firgof was telling him, and looked first at the sovereign, then at the gentlemen who were getting ready to dance, who did not dare to enter the circle.
Prince Andrew watched these gentlemen and ladies who were shy in the presence of the sovereign, and died from the desire to be invited.
Pierre went up to Prince Andrew and grabbed his hand.
- You always dance. There is my protegee [favorite], young Rostova, invite her, ”he said.
- Where? Bolkonsky asked. “I’m sorry,” he said, addressing the baron, “we’ll bring this conversation to the end in another place, but we have to dance at the ball. - He stepped forward, in the direction that Pierre indicated to him. The desperate, dying face of Natasha caught the eye of Prince Andrey. He recognized her, guessed her feelings, realized that she was a beginner, remembered her conversation at the window and with a cheerful expression went up to Countess Rostova.
“Let me introduce you to my daughter,” said the Countess, blushing.
`` I have the pleasure of being familiar, if the Countess remembers me, '' said Prince Andrey with a courteous and low bow, completely contradicting Peronskaya's remarks about his rudeness, going up to Natasha and raising his hand to hug her waist even before he finished the invitation to dance. He offered a waltz tour. That dying expression on Natasha's face, ready for despair and delight, suddenly lit up with a happy, grateful, childish smile.
“I have been waiting for you for a long time,” as if this frightened and happy girl said, with her smile that emerged from ready tears, raising her hand on the shoulder of Prince Andrey. They were the second pair to enter the circle. Prince Andrey was one of the best dancers of his time. Natasha danced beautifully. Her legs in ballroom satin shoes quickly, easily and independently of her did their job, and her face shone with delight of happiness. Her bare neck and arms were thin and ugly. Compared to Helene's, her shoulders were thin, her breasts were indefinite, her arms were thin; but Helen was already as if varnish from all the thousands of glances gliding over her body, and Natasha seemed like a girl who had been naked for the first time, and who would have been very ashamed of it if she had not been assured that it was so necessary.
Prince Andrew loved to dance, and wanting to quickly get rid of the political and intelligent conversations with which everyone turned to him, and wanting to quickly break this annoying circle of embarrassment resulting from the presence of the sovereign, he went to dance and chose Natasha, because Pierre had pointed out her to him. and because she was the first of the pretty women to catch his eye; but as soon as he embraced this thin, mobile body, and she stirred so close to him and smiled so close to him, the wine of her delight hit him in his head: he felt revived and rejuvenated when, taking a breath and leaving her, he stopped and began to look on the dancers.
The Holy Grail is a mysterious Christian artifact found and lost. The words "Holy Grail" are often used figuratively as a designation of some cherished goal, often unattainable or difficult to achieve.
It is believed that the legend is based on the Christian Apocrypha (a book that interprets the subjects contained in Holy Scripture, but not recognized by the Church) on the arrival of Joseph of Arimathea in Britain.
According to another version, this legend has local roots, going back to the mythology of the ancient Celts.
Still others believe that the legend of the Grail is associated with a secret occult society founded in time immemorial and possessing secret knowledge that is passed down from generation to generation.
If we combine all versions of the origin of the Holy Grail into one, it turns out that the Grail in its original form is Lapis Exilis, a precious emerald from the crown of Lucifer himself. Archangel Michael, at the head of the angelic army, attacked Lucifer and his legions of rebellious spirits. During the battle, Michael knocked Lapis Exilis out of the enemy's crown with a fiery sword, and the green stone fell into the Abyss. Subsequently, a bowl was made from this stone, which is called the Holy Grail, or the Grail.
There are several theories regarding the nature of the Holy Grail:
The first, the most common, says that this is the cup from which the disciples of Jesus Christ communed at the Last Supper, in which later his followers collected a few drops of the blood of the Savior crucified on the cross. The cup and spear, which inflicted wounds on Christ, were preserved and brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea.
Thus, it turns out that the Grail became the very first chalice - the cup for communion.
According to another version, the Grail is a kind of sacred stone associated with the secret life of Jesus.
The third version says that the Grail is a precious mystical relic that survived during the flood.
The one who drinks from the Grail receives forgiveness of sins, eternal life, etc. In some versions, even close contemplation gives immortality for a while, as well as various benefits in the form of food, drink, etc. (based on the book of Wolfram von Eschenbach "Parzival" ).
A version that is fundamentally different from the rest is the version that the Grail is a state of the soul, the connection of a person with God, that is, finding the Grail means reaching enlightenment.
The atheistic version of this version can be considered the Wellerian idea of the Grail, as ultimate goal development of mankind. In this sense, the Grail is a human civilization that has achieved the ability to create new worlds and universes. That is, the Grail is a bowl in which new worlds ripen.
It is clear that such an object cannot be obtained by a simple (let alone sinful) mortal, therefore, anyone unworthy who approaches the shrine is punished with a serious wound or illness.
Where to look for the Holy Grail? On this point, the legends give conflicting indications.
The most popular version is that Joseph of Arimathea, obeying the instructions of Saint Philip, left Jerusalem and transferred the relics entrusted to him to Britain. There, in the town of Glastonbury, he stuck his stick into the ground, which took root and became a beautiful thorny bush that bloomed twice a year. Seeing in this miracle a sign from above, Joseph built a church in Glastonbury, which eventually grew into an abbey. It is believed that the Holy Grail is hidden somewhere in the dungeons of a certain Glastonbury Abbey.
Other sources call the magic castle of Salvat in Spain, as if built by angels in one night, as a possible storage place for the relic.
In the medieval novels about Persifal, the protagonist searches for and finds the magical castle of Munsalves, in which the Grail is kept under the protection of the Templars. There is no doubt that this idea is based on the legends that exist to this day that the Templars are the keepers of the Grail.
If we open the volume "The Death of Arthur" by Thomas Malory in the classic edition, then we can easily find in this work, first published in 1485, a rather lengthy section under the heading "The Tale of the Holy Grail in a short version from French, which is a about the truest and most sacred thing in this world. " From this story we learn how one hundred and fifty knights of the Round Table, leaving Camelot, went in search of the Holy Grail. Sir Lancelot was the first to reach the castle, where the sacred relic was kept:
"And with this he saw how the door opened to that peace and great clarity poured out from there, and it became so bright at once, as if all the torches in the world were burning behind that door. He approached the threshold and was about to enter. But then a voice sounded to him. :
- Sir Lancelot, stay and do not enter, for you are not entitled to enter here. And if you enter, you will be bitterly repentant.
And Sir Lancelot retreated in deep sorrow. And he looked across the threshold and saw there in the middle of the rest a silver throne, and on it a sacred bowl covered with red brocade, and many angels around, and one of them held a candle of burning wax, and the other - a cross and altar accessories. And in front of the sacred cup, he saw the blessed elder in church vestments, as if doing a prayer. Over the raised palms of the priest, Sir Lancelot saw three husbands, and the one that seemed younger of them, they placed between the palms of the priest, he raised him high up and seemed to show so to the whole people.
Sir Lancelot marveled at this, for it seemed to him that the priest, under the weight of that figure, was about to fall to the ground. And not seeing anyone around who could support the elder, he rushed to the door and said:
- Merciful Father Jesus Christ! It's almost a sin for me to support this kind person who needs help so much! - And with that he stepped over the threshold and rushed to the silver throne, but when he approached, he felt a breath on himself, as if mixed with flame, and it hit him right in the face and severely scorched him. At the same moment he fell to the ground, and he did not have the strength to rise, like a man who had lost power over his limbs and hearing and sight from shock. And then he felt how many hands grabbed him and carried him out of that room, and left him there outside the door, seemingly dead for everyone. "
Sir Lancelot proved unworthy of the Holy Grail, and the relic rejected him. More fortunate were his comrades - Sir Galahad, Sir Bors and Sir Percival. Jesus himself came down to them to hand over the Grail and ask for a service - to deliver the relic to the "spiritual temple" in the city of Sarras. There they were greeted unfriendly - the local king, "a great tyrant, descended from pagans" ordered to throw the knights into the pit. However, the Holy Grail supported the godly sirs until the king died. Then Joseph of Arimathea came for Sir Galahad, and he went to heaven. The remaining two knights witnessed how "a hand stretched out from heaven, and that hand reached the sacred vessel and raised it, and carried it to heaven." Since then, according to Malory, there has not been a person on earth who could say that he had seen the Holy Grail.
So far, no convincing interpretation of the above ritual has been given. Some scholars believe that the Knights of the Holy Grail were a powerful organization of Christian mystics who developed an ancient tradition through the symbolism of the cup. There are also serious arguments in favor of the version that the legend of the Grail is the development of an early pagan (Celtic) myth, which was preserved and instilled in the Christian cult. From these positions, the Holy Grail appears as something like a container of life, a sign of Nature. Green color the bowl associates it with Venus and the symbolism of rebirth, as well as with the faith of Islam with its sacred green color, whose Saturday is Friday, the day of Venus.
The Nazis were very fascinated by mysticism. A. Hitler, taking from Vienna the spear of Longinus, which according to legend killed Jesus Christ, did not want to share it with the head of the SS Heinrich Himmler. Tom had to be content with a copy of the spear and the search for other relics. Himmler was especially fired up in search of the Holy Grail, continuing the tradition of knightly orders.
One of the German explorers, influenced by Parzifal and ancient legends, went in search of him. His name was Otto Rahn. The researcher claimed to have discovered the place where the Holy Grail is kept! In his opinion, this is the Montsegur fortress in the French Pyrenees.
In 1931 he went on an expedition to France. According to old legend, on the night before the decisive assault of the papal knights, taking their relics, three heretics-Cathars quietly left. At risk for own life they preserved magical items and a cup that was considered the Holy Grail.
Otto thoroughly studied every meter of the castle and discovered secret rooms in which, according to him, "the treasure of the ages" is hidden. In 1933 he published his book on the finds in the castle - "The Crusade Against the Grail."
Further events unfold with amazing speed! He returned to Berlin and began work in the Ahnenerbe, in 1936 he was awarded the rank of Unterscharführer and soon his second book, "The Servants of Lucifer", was published.
According to some reports, in 1937 he handed over his Montsegur finds to Himler. In the book of the French historian Angeber J.M. "Hitler and the Cathar Tradition" claims the Holy Grail was there too! Angeber also reports that the vessel was also transported to Wewelsburg, where it was kept on a marble pedestal. In 1945, before the surrender of Germany, the chalice allegedly disappeared from the castle.
In 1937, Otto Rahn fell into disgrace and was sent to the Dachau concentration camp as a disciplinary measure. At the very end of 1938, disillusioned with the politics of Nazism, Rahn filed a letter of resignation from the SS. According to the official version, Otto Rahn committed suicide by taking potassium cyanide.
In 1939 Ahnenerbe undertook a second expedition to Montsegur. Everything found there is transported to the Reich ...
The legend of the Grail said the following: every 700 years a hidden treasure appears from the depths of the earth, and then it can be possessed. According to estimates, in 544 the guardian of the Grail, Saint Benedict, died, seven hundred years later the crusaders took Montsegur (1244), and the next significant date attacked on March 16, 1944. The battles for Montsegur were fought for four months. And although the fortress in the south of France no longer had any meaning for the outcome of the war, all its defenders fought to their last breath. V the last days defense over the highest tower of Montsegur fluttered a huge banner with a Celtic cross.
It is curious that the famous saboteur Otto Skorzeny was specially sent to Montsegur, who was not sent to the ancient fortresses just like that. Büchner writes that it was O. Skorzeny who managed to get hold of the Grail, which arose exactly at the appointed time. And then, supposedly, “exactly at noon on March 16, 1944, a small German plane appeared there. He flew over Montsegur several times in greeting. After that, equipment was used to trace symbols in the sky, which formed a huge Celtic cross in the sky. The Celtic cross was the sacred emblem of the Cathars. "
Further destiny The Grail, according to Büchner, developed like this. He (that is, the Grail) was carefully transported from the castle to Wewelsburg, where a pedestal was already waiting for him. The treasure itself, according to Buechner, consisted of many items: “Probably these items came from the Temple of Solomon and included pieces of gold and pieces of wood that once belonged to the Ark of Moses ... 12 stone tablets with pre-runic inscriptions that no expert was able to read ... and a beautiful gold bowl with an emerald-like bottom made of a material similar to jasper. 3 gold plates on the bowl were covered with ancient cuneiform. "
But no one anywhere describes the Grail allegedly found in Monsegur. But eyewitnesses recall something else - a strange procession that was seen in the mountains in the last days of the war. These were, of course, SS units carrying heavy lead boxes:
"The column of cover moved towards high mountain... Arriving at the foot of the Zellertal mountain range, a small group of Ahnenerbe performed a torchlight ceremony, took a heavy lead box and headed along the trail leading to the Schleigeis glacier at the foot of the Hochfeiler three-thousander. They entered a cave on the glacier, and no one else saw them. As you know, an underground passage led from the Schleigeis Cave to Monsegur. Apparently, the Aryans decided to return the Grail to Montsegur. Soon, all the underground passages and grottoes leading to Monsegur began to be laid with stones and concreted. " According to this version, the Grail is in the mountains or moved to Montsegur and again hidden from human eyes.
There is another version: the Grail was buried at the castle wall of Wewelsburg.
And according to the third version, the sacred relic was transported by submarine to the secret fascist base New Swabia, hidden in the caves of Antarctica. Even a specific place is indicated: "in an ice cave in the Mühlig Hoffmann mountains." Later this cave became known as "Emerald". It presumably leads into a secret tunnel down to the inner Earth (Hollow Earth hypothesis). A stone obelisk about a meter high, "made of polished black basalt", was placed at the entrance to the cave and had the inscription:
“Indeed, there are many more things both in heaven and in Earth than a person can imagine. (Beyond this line is Agartha.) "
According to Tracy Twyman, “The inscription was made by Professor Karl Haushofer. The Emerald Bowl itself was supposed to be placed inside this obelisk. But instead Haushofer wrote a note on a piece of parchment, specifying the actual location of the Chalice, and put it inside the obelisk. "
According to the fourth version, the Grail returned to its owners - the inhabitants of the Hollow Earth.
In June 2007, an article appeared in some publications with the following content:
"According to PhysOrg, Italian archaeologist Alfredo Barbagallo claims that the Holy Grail - the cup from which Jesus Christ drank during the Last Supper - is in Rome.
According to him, the bowl is buried in a room under the Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura, one of the seven most visited churches in Rome by pilgrims. Barbagallo came to this conclusion after two years of studying medieval iconography inside the basilica and the structure of the catacombs, described in a guide to the catacombs, compiled in 1938 by the Capuchin monk Giuseppe Da Bra.
According to Barbagallo, the cup, which was given the name of the Holy Grail in the Middle Ages, disappeared in 258 after the death of a priest named Lorenzo, whom Pope Sixtus V entrusted with taking care of the treasures of the early Christian church.
A Vatican spokesman said that so far no one has made any decisions about opening the catacombs. "
edited news aptiriman - 19-07-2011, 15:05
The life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth formed the basis of the world Abrahamic religion, which originated in Palestine in the first century AD, among the Jews who believe in the coming coming of the Messiah. 3.5 years after the execution of Christ, the new religion began to spread rapidly among non-Jewish peoples. Thanks to the closest followers and disciples of Jesus, numerous facts of his earthly life became known. From one to another, from country to country, stories were passed down, acquiring details and turning into legends.
The words of the Teacher, pronounced by him during his lifetime and after his resurrection, that is, after death, now acquired a special meaning. The very triumph over the invincibility of Death gave people hope. Everything that somehow connected with the Savior was endowed with magical properties: his personal belongings, objects that He touched, the numbers that he pronounced, the dates on which he performed acts…. All the more important, impregnated with an incredibly powerful energy force, were considered items related to the mystery of the death of the Son of Man and his subsequent Resurrection, among which the greatest relics are still:
The Shroud is a canvas with which the body of Christ was wrapped at the moment of burial;
Spear of Destiny - the lance with which the Roman warrior - the centurion Longinus - pierced the body of the crucified Jesus;
The Holy Grail is the cup used by the Teacher at the Last Supper.
Legends of the Holy Grail
Whether Jesus himself attached any importance to the vessel from the above-mentioned last point, today it is impossible to know. The cult of the Holy Grail took shape in Britain in the Middle Ages, but its origins lie in Jerusalem, where it all began.
Cradle of legend
The current capital of Israel is a very ancient city, which has seen a lot during the millennia of its existence. It is no coincidence that travelers flying from international airports of the countries of the world arrive here, to the very roots of the foundation: from the French Orly and Catalan El Prat, and the Dutch Schiphol, from the British Heathrow and the American airport. John F. Kennedy. Tourists (singly or in groups) get to the Golden Jerusalem from Israel and, after a short rest in one of them, go to meet the Old City: walk along the picturesque narrow streets, write notes at the Western Wall, join the one chosen from a long list titles.
Atheists and secular travelers to the core, along with pilgrims, climb the Mount of Olives to or Mount Zion to the Catholic abbey. In the City of David, it suddenly becomes clear to everyone that the Creator is one, and belonging to a particular religion is not so important, but much more valuable is sincere respect for any religion and the ability to tune in to the “divine wave” of the Higher Forces, endowing with energy, wisdom, kindness and compassion. Here, in the ancient Holy City, pilgrims and tourists from Vienna, vacationers from and travelers from Australia meet - Jerusalem has learned to cope with its own troubles and unite people seeking spiritual enlightenment. Here myths take on reality, and the soul becomes materially tangible.
Holy grail
The Zion Upper Room, located on the eponymous Jerusalem hill - Mount Zion, is open to the public today, which means that everyone can see the very room in which the last meal of Christ with the closest disciples took place. The event is known as " The last supper”, And the room where the Teacher predicted the betrayal of“ one of the twelve ”and established the sacrament of the ritual of Holy Communion is determined by the Gospels of Luke, Mark and Matthew as the location of the first vessel (chalice) used for communion. The apostles drank from the cup given by Jesus that evening, partaking of His blood, which is already ready to be shed in atonement for human sins.
The character, whose name is intertwined with the history of the Holy Grail, was called Joseph of Arimathea. This noble and wealthy man, a member of the Sanhedrin from the city of Ramatha (Arimathea), secretly sympathized with the ideas of Christ, although he did not openly enter the circle of his followers. Some biblical texts claim that Joseph was Christ's uncle, in any case, he received permission from Pontius Pilate to remove the executed Jesus from the cross and perform the burial ceremony. The burial of the deceased Teacher took place in Joseph's own tomb. But the above-named character is famous for another deed. Legend has it that Joseph collected the blood flowing from the wounds of the crucified Savior and kept it in a vessel, from which the Messiah ate during the meal at the Last Supper. The sad circle is closed: the wine in the cup, personifying the atoning blood of Christ, turned into the real blood of the martyr, which filled the Grail. The vessel has become part of an alluring and mysterious legend.
Thanks to the divine content, the sacred Grail has fantastic and magical properties:
It has incredible healing power;
She bestows biological immortality on her guardian;
She guarantees the forgiveness of sins to the one who has drunk from her;
She is able, like a "cornucopia", to drink and saturate its owner with unearthly dishes.
Obviously, many mortals dreamed of possessing such an item. But another thing is also clear: such a sacred thing cannot belong to an ordinary person. Moreover, only a sinless righteous person had the opportunity to see the Cup; an unworthy person, with only one approach to the relic, was punished with illness or a serious wound.
Search for the shrine
The "hunt" for artifacts related to the period of the earthly fate of the Son of Man begins in Europe in the 9th century. The fruitless search for the Holy Grail, to which the knights of the Round Table devoted their entire lives, are described in the Arthurian cycle of legends (Arturians), which includes the mythological and Celtic history of the British Isles.
Why did the search for a Jerusalem relic suddenly move to Britain? In fact, this is only one of the versions, however, it is especially popular. Legend claims that Joseph of Arimathea had to leave Jerusalem (according to some sources, for commercial matters, according to others - at the direction of Saint Philip) and transport the sacred relic entrusted to him to Britain, with which, according to archaeologists, the Holy Land had long-standing ties.
Arriving in the English town of Glastonbury, Joseph stuck his traveling staff into the ground, and it took root, turned into a wonderful thorny bush that bloomed twice a year. Considering such a sign as a divine omen, Joseph built a church in the town, later it grew and became an abbey. In the dungeons of Glastonbury Abbey - this is where the Holy Grail is - the works with conviction reported medieval literature... And in the small town, until the destruction of the temple in the 16th century (by order of King Henry VIII), the stream of believers did not dry up. By the way, W. Blake's poem is based on the same beliefs, known as the hymn "Jerusalem" and even unofficially became the anthem of the whole of Great Britain.
A number of other sources tell about the magical Spanish castle of Salvat, erected by the angels in just one night - as if this were the real repository of the Chalice.
What does the Holy Grail look like? Even on this issue, opinions differ! Let's say in Celtic traditions it is said about magic stone Grail, who knows how to shout and, thus, recognize the "voice" of the true king and his right to the throne.
But more often in legends, the form of the Grail is still a bowl made of a precious gem (emerald) that fell from the crown of Lucifer during the battle of the Fallen Angel with the army of the Archangel Michael.
The meaning of the word "grail" has led some researchers to think that this is "royal blood" or the blood of the descendants of Christ, and, perhaps, the Sacred Chalice is Mary Magdalene, whose cult arose at the beginning of the Middle Ages.
History also knows examples when certain cups were passed off as ancient artifact... This happened in the 19th century, and guidebooks to Italian Turin today inform readers that the Chalice is located in this city.
The Holy Grail still excites the imagination of romantics, modern magicians and scientists, religious and creative figures are looking for it. And it also denotes a cherished dream, a goal, which, at times, are given best years life.
