Sources of the Grail

Still stands the destined Knight, aloof in his passionate patience, His hand over his eyes? Is he doomed to fulfil or fail? Shall he dare the hells and the heavens of the strange illuminations, Initiate at last of the dread mysterious Graal? The editor, John Matthews, tells us that, at the beginning of the twelfth century, the poet Crétien de Troyes composed a poem he called Il Conte del Graal (“The Story of the Grail”). It told the story of a search taken up by a simple young man who was brought up away from the ways of ordinary people. His search was for a mysterious object known as the “Graal,” but Crétien left the poem unfinished, dying before he could complete it, thus creating a mystery that has stirred the imagination of countless seekers ever since. The Grail may be almost anything―or it may be something that has no form at all or even exist in our world. The important thing is that it provides an object for personal search, for growth and human development. We are dealing here with high things, with a Mystery that is almost too much for us. But we can learn and grow from studying it and by sharing the adventure of the Quest. Sources of the Grail is the most complete anthology of Grail texts available. Organized into three parts, the first deals with the Celtic sources; the second presents the medieval quest; and part three continues the search and represents some of the most far-reaching and deepest contemporary Grail seekers. Anyone interested in Western spiritual traditions will find this a valuable, thought-provoking resource.