JONATHAN PENDRAGON'S GRAIL QUEST :: PART 2
While Grail lore is undoubtedly a Christian tradition, the development of the legend does not stem from the Bible. Elements of Grail lore originally came from both Christian and Celtic sources, and later from the works of the 12th Century authors Chretien de Troyes and Robert de Boron. Undoubtedly the most significant framing device for Grail lore is the Arthurian legends, which include stories of the Fisher King, whose physical health is synonymous with the health of the land: the king and the land are one. The quest for the Grail, then, has always been a metaphor for a search for healing: if you heal the king you heal the land and, by implication, yourself. In short, a quest for redemption.
My introduction to Grail lore came early, largely due to my interest in King Arthur (no big surprise that someone who chose Pendragon as a nom de theatre might be interested in the Once and Future King). Grail lore is a very complex subject; you could spend a lifetime studying it without encompassing it all. It has been the inspiration for major works in art, music, theater, literature, and film, including Richard Wagners Parsifal, T.S. Eliots The Waste Land, Terry Gilliams The Fisher King, and, of course, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (fetchez la vache!).
The most elusive aspect of Grail lore may be the image of the Grail itself, which has appeared in many forms, including a silver chalice, a plate, a cauldron, a plain wooden cup, and as an abstract idea (as in the work of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell). My personal belief does not confine the Grail to a physical object, but rather sees it as an ideal. Thus the quest becomes the realization of the ideal and, as with all rewards of value, requires hard work and dedication. But know this: the value is not in the prize, but rather in the journey.
I have avoided talking about the incident that led to my fall from grace. The reasons are many and personal. But if you think you know the real story from idle gossip and reading the tabloids, trust me, you dont. This I will say: a series of events (some accidental, some of my own doing and some at the hands of others) brought me to the lowest point of my life. My soul was as desolate as anything imagined by Eliot. I wanted to die. I believed a cup of wine and a handful of pills were my Grail. When I awoke in the hospital, three days later, I was appalled; the fact that I had escaped death once again seemed not a triumph so much as a cruel joke.
In time, my usual cynicism and pedantic rationality were overwhelmed by consideration of the coincidences that lead to my constant survival. How often does one get to cheat death? I was forced to accept the idea that there might be something left for me to do in this life. ! Next time... The Quest Begins!
JonathanPendragon