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The '''Holy Grail''', also called the '''Sangreal''', was believed to be the cup that [[Jesus]] used in the [[Last Supper]] to present the wine used to represent the new covenant in his blood. Legends claim that the Grail was a golden goblet similar to the holy vessels for the drink offerings in the temple, that the Grail was protected by the [[Templar Knight]]s and that the Grail was eventually hidden on the island of [[Avalon]]. In ''King Arthur and His Knights'', by Sir James Knowles, on the death of Sir Galahad a hand came from heaven and took the ''Sangreal'' and the [[Holy Lance|spear of Longinus]] and bore them out of sight.<ref>''King Arthur and His Knights'', compiled and arranged by Sir James Knowles 1927, based on Mallory's ''Morte d'Arthur'', illustrated by Louis Rhead, Random House Value Publishing © 1989, Children's Classics, Chapter XII, page 329.</ref>

The grail is a frequent goal for legendary heroes, and it, like the [[Holy Lance]], is rumored to have special healing properties. The Holy Grail was first featured in literature sometime late in the 12th century, when [[Chretien de Troyes]] wrote his poem, ''The Story of the Grail''. While common knowledge describes the grail as a [[chalice]] or cup of sorts, in reality, it was first portrayed as a bowl or dish.

According to author and professor Salvador Antuñano Alea, the Last Supper’s holy chalice, kept in the [[cathedral]] of [[Valencia|Valencia, Spain]] bases its probability on tradition and “very reasonable archaeological and historical evidence” but for Christians what is most important is “its condition as a sacred icon.”<ref>''The Mystery of the Holy Grail: Tradition and Legend of the Holy Chalice,'' Salvador Antuñano Alea, published by EDICEP, 1999. Salvador Antuñano Alea is a doctor in philosophy and professor at the University of Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid.</ref>

The Holy Grail has inspired authors and directors for centuries, notably [[Dan Brown]] for his book ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'', [[Stephen Spielberg]] for his film ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]'' and British comedians for their film ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]''. Other popular uses of the grail include the search by [[King Arthur]] and his knights of the round table, and the use of the grail as a metaphor for a very lofty trophy. It is frequently alluded in works of historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/inourtime_20030515.shtml BBC discussion about the Holy Grail]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06719a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia]
*[http://www.usao.edu/~facshaferi/GRAIL.HTML Ecole initiative]
*[https://zenit.org/articles/pope-to-venerate-holy-grail/ Pope to Venerate Holy Grail: Chalice Kept in Valencia Is Sacred Icon (zenit.org)]


[[Category:New Testament]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Catholicism]]
[[Category:Literature]]
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