The Grail: the Truth Behind the Myth - John Matthews

Fictional accounts of the Grail top best-seller lists around the world, but the real truth is far more exciting.

This entertaining and informative book seeks to trace the evolution of the Grail myth from the prehistoric religious beliefs of our distant ancestors to the present day. Historian and Grail scholar John Matthews shows how the ideas of sacred vessels in ancient creation tales flowed into the visionary writings of the Celts, and through them directly into the great melting pot of Western mysticism and Christian theology which produced the first stories featuring the Grail in a form that we would recognize today.

He explores in fascinating detail how the Arthurian legends, including tales of the chalice at Camelot and the adventures and quests of the knights, became the chief carriers of the myth during the Middle Ages and considers how the idea of the Grail found fresh inspiration from the East as Crusaders came into contact with Islamic culture.

From the medieval secret societies who were believed to be the guardians of the Grail's secrets to contemporary theories about the chalice as a symbol of the feminine mysteries, this compelling book shows how the Grail has continued to evolve providing new meaning for each generation.