The mysterious and haunting Grail makes its first appearance in literature in Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval at the end of the twelfth century. But Chrétien never finished his poem, leaving an unresolved story and an incomplete picture of the Grail. It was, however, far too attractive an idea to leave. Not only did it inspire quite separate works; his own unfinished poem was continued and finally completed by no fewer than four other writers. The Complete Story of the Grail is the first ever translation of the whole of the rich and compelling body of tales contained in Chrétien's poem and its four Continuations, which are finally attracting the scholarly attention they deserve. Besides Chrétien's original text, there are the anonymous First Continuation (translated here in its fullest version), the Second Continuation attributed to Wauchier de Denain, and the intriguing Third and Fourth Continuations - probably written simultaneously, with no knowledge of each other's work - by Manessier and Gerbert de Montreuil. Two other poets were drawn to create preludes explaining the background to Chrétien's story, and translated here also are their works: The Elucidation Prologue and Bliocadran. Only in this, The Story of the Grail's complete form, can the reader appreciate the narrative skill and invention of the medieval poets and their surprising responses to Chrétien's theme - not least their crucial focus on the knight as a crusader. Equally, Chrétien's original poem was almost always copied in conjunction withone or more of the Continuations, so this translation represents how most medieval readers would have encountered it. Nigel Bryant's previous translations from Medieval French include Perlesvaus - the High Bookof the Grail, Robert de Boron's trilogy Merlin and the Grail, the Medieval Romance of Alexander, The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel and Perceforest.

Splendid retelling of the adventures of Sir Galahad and the pursuit of the Holy Grail; last days of King Arthur, more. Rich medieval flavor enhanced with 39 of Pyle's atmospheric illustrations.

Many scholars are convinced that The Holy Chalice of Valencia is the Holy Grail, celebrated in medieval legends as it was venerated by monks in the secluded Monastery of San Juan de la Peña, built into a rocky outcropping of the Spanish Pyrenees. The tradition of Aragón has always insisted that the flaming agate cup of the Holy Chalice was sent to Spain by St. Laurence, the glorious Spaniard martyred on a gridiron during the Valerian persecution in Rome in 258 AD. Now there is new evidence: A sixth-century manuscript written in Latin by St. Donato, an Augustinian monk who founded a monastery in the area of Valencia, provides never-before-published details about Laurence, born in Valencia but destined for Italy, where he became treasurer and deacon of the Catholic Church under Pope Sixtus II. It explicitly mentions the details surrounding the transfer of the Holy Cup of the Last Supper to Spain. Janice Bennett acquaints the reader with the enthralling story of the Holy Chalice, the renowned relic that embarked from the Last Supper on an amazing pilgrimage that providentially ended in the Cathedral of Valencia, a miraculous odyssey that has been characterized by danger, greed, martyrdom and fire. It is a fascinating and captivating account that will dispel forever the erroneous notion that the famous relic was ever lost. The mythical Quest for the Holy Grail is now over. Includes 20 pages of color illustrations.

In this fascinating work, Barber traces the history of the legends surrounding the Holy Grail, beginning with Chrtien de Troyes's great romances of the 12th century and the medieval Church's religious version of the secular ideal.

Vivid translation of one of the earliest and most important Grail romances.

Recently discovered parchments in the Egyptian University of Al-Azhar have finally made it possible to retrace the spot where the Holy Grail has been kept for the last 1,000 years. The authors, a medieval history lecturer and an art historian, came across the clues leading to the Grail's discovery by chance when carrying out research in Cairo. The evidence in the ancient Egyptian parchments led them on a three-year investigation as they traced the Grail's journey across the globe and discovered its final resting place in the Basilica of San Isidoro in León, Spain. This is the definitive guide to one of history's most sought-after treasures, the origin and object of both Arthurian myth and Christian legend, offering objective information to support an extraordinary discovery, and looks back at the origins of Judaism and Catholicism, the significance of the Last Supper, and relics previously associated with the Grail. The Kings of the Grail presents the new, definitive historical and scientific facts that have come to light, unravelling the mystery that has surrounded the Holy Grail and taking the reader on a compelling and thought-provoking journey.