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Is it in the Bible? -

Many of us link the idea of the Holy Grail with Jesus at the Last Supper. This was supposedly the "grail" he used, so it's pretty special, right?

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Is it in the Bible? -

If Jesus using the grail wasn't enough, one of his followers, Joseph of Arimathea, is said to have used it to catch Christ's blood from the cross. This, of course, granted even more importance to the grail. But the question remains: is it in the Bible? And the answer is no.

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First reference -

In fact, it was not until the Middle Ages that the concept of the Holy Grail appeared. The first reference to it can be found in the 12th-century poem  'Percival, the Story of the Grail' by Chrétien de Troyes.

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What we know about the Holy Grail -

The poem makes reference to a grail made of gold and studded with jewels, but there is no link to the Last Supper, nor does the author call it "Holy."

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The origins of the word - The English word "grail" comes from the Old French graal, which has its roots in the Latin word gradali.

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The origins of the word -

Though it's likely that gradalis is actually a corruption of the word cratalis, which comes from the Greek krater.

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The origins of the word -

It turns out that a krater was actually a bowl, usually used for mixing wine. So, not quite a cup, as many of us would imagine.

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How the grail became holy -

About 10 years later, French author Robert de Boron picked up on the Percival story and wrote a work called 'Joseph d'Arimathie.' This book mentions the story of Joseph (who buried Jesus), who used the cup from the Last Supper to collect Jesus' blood.

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How the grail became holy -

When Jesus' tomb disappeared, Joseph was arrested. But then Christ appeared to him and gave him the Holy Grail, which sustained him for the duration of his imprisonment. Joseph was the first protector of the Holy Grail, and later more followed.

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Fisher King -

The story of the Fisher King varies, depending on the author, but in general he's a descendant of Joseph of Arimathea, and the last protector of the Grail. The Fisher King is cursed and he awaits a knight to save him and his kingdom.

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Fisher King -

That knight turns out to be Galahad (one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table). He finds the Holy Grail and heals the Fisher King. 

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Harry Potter and the Holy Grail? -

Wolfram von Eschenbach's poem 'Parzival' adds more juicy details to the story. Namely that the Grail is actually a stone from Lucifer's crown, called the lapsit exillis. Which, in turn, is another name for the philosopher's stone. So, now we have Harry Potter thrown into the mix!

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Is the story even Christian? -

The story of the Fisher King closely resembles that of an ancient Celtic myth. God-king Bran the Blessed had a sort of magic cauldron that restored life and granted wisdom. Coincidence?

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Holy Grail conspiracy theories -

English writer John Hardyng was the first one to make the unlikely connection. What if sangreal (the Old French word for "Holy Grail") actually meant sang-real ("royal blood")?

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Holy Grail conspiracy theories -

This would completely change everything. So, now we have a secret bloodline of Jesus Christ with his supposed-wife, Mary Magdalene. The descendants of Jesus are the Holy Grail!

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Holy Grail conspiracy theories -

In 2003, this theory became popular due to Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code.' Not only was it a best seller with a sequel, but both were turned into movies.

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Holy Grail conspiracy theories -

Though what many people might not know is that this conspiracy theory has been around for a lot longer than that. You can find it in 'The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail' by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, published in the early '80s.

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Pop culture -

The Holy Grail has been depicted in numerous art forms, including cinema. Before 2006's 'The Da Vinci Code,' the quest was led by Harrison Ford in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989).

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Where is the Holy Grail? -

Eschenbach's 'Parzival' makes reference to a military order called the Templeise. These have been linked to the Knights Templar. Rocco Zingaro di San Ferdinando, grand master of the Templars in Italy, claims to hold the Holy Grail.

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Where is the Holy Grail? -

The Basilica of San Isidoro in Leon, Spain, also claims to hold the Holy Grail.

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Where is the Holy Grail? -

The chalice was used by Infanta Doña Urraca, and it's believed to have been brought from the Holy Land via Egypt.

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Where is the Holy Grail? -

The Chapel of the Holy Grail in Valencia, Spain, is yet another possible location of the Holy Grail.

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Where is the Holy Grail? -

The Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Genoa, Italy, claims to have rescued the sacred cup during the crusades.

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Where is the Holy Grail? -

And then we have the Nanteos Cup, which is held in the National Library of Wales, and is believed to have been made from a piece of the True Cross (the cross on which Jesus was crucified).

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Possible location of the Holy Grail -

Glastonbury, in Somerset, England, is better known for its festival, but the Glastonbury Thorn tree is closely associated with Joseph of Arimathea and the arrival of Christianity in the country. It's consequently linked to the Holy Grail.

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Possible location of the Holy Grail -

This Cathar castle known as the Château de Montségur, located in southern France, has been named as a possible location for the Holy Grail.

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Possible location of the Holy Grail -

Finally, Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, whose walls are said to contain secrets of the Templars, is also a place to consider on the quest for the Holy Grail.

Sources: (Grunge)

See also: What it was like to be a Christian in Roman times

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