Holy Grail: what would this famous sacred relic be?

Over the centuries, the Holy Grail has always been a source of mystery and speculation. Even today, no one knows exactly what this sacred relic was, nor its whereabouts. Films, series and books that use the Grail in their stories help to further fuel curiosity about the supposed object, which has become a symbol of pop culture, such is its relevance and popularity, especially in art.

But what would this sacred relic actually be?

Origin of the Holy Grail

According to Christianity, the Holy Grail was probably the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper. However, this information is still unconfirmed. The Grail, although often associated with the image of a cup, is not actually a cup. Scholars and historians claim that the shape of the cup as we know it would have officially emerged long after Jesus, probably during the Middle Ages, when the object began to be used. In fact, the 'real Grail', which would have been used by Jesus at the Last Supper and also by Joseph of Arimathea after Jesus' crucifixion, would have had a very different shape from the cup as we know it.

The Grail could probably have been something like a cup, a gourd, a plate, a ceramic or wooden bowl or a simple vessel or stone that was used by Jesus to cut the bread at the Last Supper. The idea of the Grail being a ceramic or wooden bowl is based on the fact that, at the time, these utensils were used by the population of more humble origins. Because of this, and given the time that has passed, it is quite likely that, if the Grail was really a utensil used by Jesus, it no longer exists.

The controversy over what the Grail might be became even stronger after Dan Brown's book, "The Da Vinci Code" (and the film based on the book), where it was assumed that the Grail would actually be a person, the sacred lineage of Christ, since he had an affair with Mary Magdalene and the two had a son. This is also one of the legends and stories involving the Grail. In this context, the word Graal would mean Sangreal , or Royal Blood . However, this theory, although possible, since Jesus came as a man and it makes no sense that he would not have had romantic relationships with anyone, has never been confirmed as true. This theory is also based on the fact that, at that time, it was very common for men of Jesus' age to already be married, and celibacy, when practiced by men, was not seen favorably in society. Furthermore, nowhere in the gospels is Jesus' marital status mentioned (neither that he was single nor that he was married), which leaves much room for different interpretations around this theory of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

One of the most famous works that helped popularize this theory (and which Dan Brown based his novel on) is the painting "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci. Analyzing the painting, there is a figure next to Jesus who has feminine features. This figure could possibly be Mary Magdalene. The controversy surrounding the painting is due to the fact that, according to theories, Leonardo da Vinci was part of a secret society called Priory of Sion , which would be responsible for guarding the secret of the Holy Grail; in this case, the son of Jesus with Mary Magdalene and the sacred lineage of the rest of humanity. However, in an enigmatic way, da Vinci would have left some clues about this explosive secret in his works, such as this painting.

"A Última Ceia", de Leonardo da Vinci

The origin story of the Grail is still uncertain. Joseph of Arimathea, a biblical character mentioned in the New Testament, is said to have witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus and collected Christ's blood in a type of bowl. This blood is said to have spurted from his rib through a wound made with a spear by a Roman soldier (the so-called "coup de grace"). Because he was considered a disciple of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea was arrested and later released when he decided to go on a pilgrimage, taking the Grail with him. He is said to have then gone to Glastonbury, England, where he built a small chapel and buried the Holy Grail somewhere there. Many years later, Glastonbury Abbey was built exactly on the same site where the chapel had stood, but the object has never been found. To this day, the Grail is still sought after by those who visit the site.

Ruínas da Abadia de Glastonbury

It is known that the story of the Holy Grail is much older than Christianity and possibly began with the Celtic people, who believed in a kind of "magic cauldron" or "cauldron of abundance". This large object could be used to bring dead warriors back to life when they were dipped into it, heal wounds and grant wishes. In another version of the legend, the "magic cauldron" is transformed into the "magic bowl", which would be able to perform the same feats for whoever ate or drank from it. The Greek people also believed in a container with the same magical characteristics, the so-called "Cornucopia". To this day, the Cornucopia is used as a symbol of fertility and abundance. During the Middle Ages, in order to better convert pagan peoples, many ancient myths and legends were adapted to Christianity; therefore, it is likely that the same thing happened with the Grail.

Representação da Cornucópia

Myths and mysteries surrounding the Grail

There are a number of stories and legends surrounding the Grail and its whereabouts. The stories probably began to emerge in the Middle Ages. However, to this day, none of them have been proven, and are nothing more than speculation, which has only fueled curiosity about this relic over the centuries. Even today, many churches in Europe claim to possess the real Grail, which is said to be a chalice. In fact, there is no way of knowing the truth (there are more than 200 churches that attest to this), since the Catholic Church itself does not even confirm the existence of the object. The most famous church that claims to have the real Grail is the Cathedral of Valencia, in Spain.

O suposto "Graal" na Catedral de Valência, Espanha

Catedral de Valência, Espanha

The myth of the Holy Grail was probably created around 1180, in the Middle Ages, through the French Chrétien de Troyes , who was one of the first people to write about the object (he was the one who named the relic "Grail"), with the poem "Le conte du Graal" (The Tale of the Grail). Years later, the Grail would also become popular through the French poet Robert de Boron , who published the work Roman de L'Histoire du Graal, becoming the most popular version of the story as we know it.

The most famous stories about the Grail are those involving the Templars and King Arthur, and probably the story about the origin of the Grail is linked to the mythical king of Great Britain (because of Glastonbury Abbey).

King Arthur and the Round Table

According to one story, the legendary King Arthur had a vision that only the Grail would bring peace and save the kingdom of Camelot. He instructed his bravest knights, the so-called "Knights of the Round Table", to set out in search of the Holy Grail, but they never found it. In the earliest legends involving King Arthur and the search for the Grail, the relic is described as the Celtic "Magic Cauldron". Almost all versions of the Arthurian legends combine Christian and pagan elements related to Celtic culture.

The Holy Grail and the Templars

When we talk about the Grail, we automatically remember the Knights Templar . There are many legends surrounding the Templars, but one of the most famous is certainly the one involving the Grail. According to the story, the Templars were the guardians of this sacred relic, and were responsible for keeping it safe and out of the public eye.

The legend begins with the construction of the Temple of Solomon by the Knights in Jerusalem. When the order was founded in 1118 by the French knight Hugo de Payens , the French king Baldwin II, gave the Templars as a residence part of what he believed to be Solomon's Temple. There, the Templars are said to have found many treasures and relics, including the Grail. They then took the Grail to Europe, but instead of delivering it to the Pope, they preferred to leave the object in the care of another Order, the Cathars , who were against the Catholic Church (they were even considered Heretics by the Church). As they were on the run all the time, the Cathars hid the Grail in several different places (mostly castles), until the object ended up being lost in time and history.

The Templars also appear in legends involving Mary Magdalene. They were responsible for protecting her and her son (who was supposedly Jesus's - some versions of the legend suggest that there were two sons), when, after the crucifixion of Jesus, she and her son fled to France (there are also versions of the story where she was still pregnant). After the dissolution of the Templars in 1312, another order (which was a secret sect), the Priory of Sion , would be responsible for guarding the secret of the Grail.

Cavaleiro Templário

Because the Grail is based on several legends and conflicting stories, it is unlikely to confirm the existence of the object (or the lineage of Jesus). The Catholic Church itself does not recognize the story of the Grail as true, but rather as a medieval myth that was created and incorporated into various versions of the legend.

To know more in depth

There are several films and series that portray the discovery and history of the Grail. The most recent one I watched, which treats the Grail as a metal chalice, is the English series Knightfall ("Templars" - review here ), which shows the Knights Templar as responsible for guarding the object. However, although the series shows some things about the legend of the Grail, the story does not revolve around it. Other very famous films/books are the already mentioned The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, the series The Adventures of Merlin (which tells the Arthurian legend) and the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , where the adventurer goes in search of the sacred relic.

There are some good documentaries on YouTube that I recommend to anyone who wants to know more about the history of the Grail. These documentaries helped me to write this text, and they are "The Holy Grail: in search of the sacred treasure" (History Channel), "The Grail and the Templars" (History) and"Relics of the Past: The Holy Grail" (Discovery Channel) .

A very good book that I recommend for a more in-depth reading about the Templars and the Grail is "The Knights of Christ", Collection Hidden Truths. In this book, you can learn in detail about the foundation of the order, the relics and medieval temples spread throughout Europe, the legends, occultism and Templar texts, written by the Knights themselves at the time. I bought this book at a newsstand, but some time ago. You can probably find it in some second-hand bookstores or on Estante Virtual.