MYSTICAL MENTORS cniud fo ae 7 otne rm pg
Testament narrative underscores the importance of tracing the royal succession to Jesus, to connect Jesus with the bloodline of the first divinely appointed kings of Israel, even if he was not fathered by Joseph.
The authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail express the unavoidable conclusion that “Quite clearly, the Grail would appear to pertain in some way to blood and a bloodline.” The revolutionary thesis set out in their book is that the bloodline of Jesus did not, in fact, end with his death on the cross but was perpetuated through the lineage of Mary Magdalene, that she was, in a sense, the vessel, or chalice in which the royal blood was carried and transmitted to succeeding generations. The authors make a compelling case for this possibility in spite of the fact that it runs contrary to orthodox belief. The evidence they have amassed is difficult to dismiss and it does indeed seem likely that Jesus married and sired progeny. However, even accepting this possibility does
not resolve the question of the Grail, rather, it deepens the mystery. The question we must ask is this—was the importance of the bloodline of Jesus specifically, or the bloodlines of royal families in general throughout the ancient world, based merely on the need to track a hereditary transmission of secular power, or was there something unique about the blood itself that made it special, that set it apart from that of common folk, that is, in the words of Holy Blood, Holy Grail “. . . a blood that was deemed to be sacred and invested with magi- cal or miraculous properties”? Other than the possibility of proving descent from Jesus, the authors of this work do not explore further what, if anything, constituted the “magical or miraculous properties” unique to ‘Royal Blood’ especially that of Jesus.
In search of insight into this question let us return to the Grail narrative Perceval, le Conte du Graal, (Percival, the story of the Grail) as first presented by Chretien. In his unfinished poem the pagan roots of the Mythos are less obscure than in later accounts. In fact, a Christian context for the Grail is barely discernable.
The poem commences with the story of young man living in the wild forests of Wales with his widowed mother. Initially in the story we do not know that this boys name, only later, as the story progresses do we learn that his name is Perceval. His father had been a great knight who was killed in battle, so his mother, not wanting him to follow in his father’s footsteps, raises him in the wilderness without knowledge of his heritage.
One day, while out hunting with his javelins, he encoun- ters five knights and is so taken with them that he resolves, against his mothers wishes, to follow them to King Arthur’s court and there seek admission to train as a knight. This he does and eventually proves himself by defeating the Red Knight, who had stolen a chalice from King Arthur and shamed the Queen at the same time. After a period of training at Arthur’s court Perceval rides out in search of adventure. He apprentices under an elderly, skilled knight named Gonemans who admon- ishes him to be temperate in all things including in his speech and discourse. Upon leaving the old knight Perceval encounters two fishermen in a boat and is directed to a nearby castle where he may obtain succor and lodging. It is in this castle that the vision of the Grail unfolds before his awestruck eyes. When he first arrives he is led into a vast hall whereupon a squire presents him with a sword and he is told that it is given “to whom it was adjudged and destined.” Upon the sword it is written that it will never break except in “sore peril.” In the hall, seated upon a couch is an old man. As Perceval reclines another squire enters the hall bearing a white lance from which blood drips. Two more squires enter carrying two-branched candlesticks. They are followed by a beautiful damsel bearing the “graal” which shines with such a brilliant light it overwhelms the light of the candles “as the sun does that of the stars” and is so dazzling Perceval cannot even look directly at it. Finally follows another damsel bearing a beautiful, richly jew- eled silver platter. During this “procession of the Grail” Perceval is wonderstruck and desirous of understand-
8 Oracle 20/20 September 2013
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