The Lost Book of the Grail
Acclaimed authors Caitlín and John Matthews use their years of scholarship and study to unravel another thread in the strange and beautiful knot work of Grail lore and legend. This thread concerns the 13C French text The Elucidation of the Grail and sheds new light on certain important aspects of the Grail quest; for while the Elucidation has “A very ancient ring” it also has some very modern resonances.
If you think you know the Grail story, you may need to think again; for this is nothing less than a prequel to the Grail myth itself; different from earlier versions, yet encompassing the entire legend. There is an exact translation and annotation of the poem as well as a more general ‘reading’ version; also a literary and historical context of the Grail story and storytellers; it then deals with, among other aspects, The Maidens of the Wells and the Faery Accord, The Land of Women and The Grail Kings and Anti Kings.
This is not a work about holy relics or historical artifacts but something more – an ever living, sacred, timeless catalyst of myth and the quest for its truth; a journey into the very origins of the Grail legend. This is a book for all who seek to ‘heal the wasteland’ to renew and strengthen the bonds between human and Fae which nurture the land.
While it may have its roots in a tangled interweaving of myth; while it may be, in the authors’ words, “a brief peering through the wicket gate into the deeper mysteries of the Grail” it is, thanks to their skill, a glimpse that will fascinate both the student and the general reader alike.
Book Details: Caitlín and John Matthews. The Lost Book of the Grail. Inner Traditions (22 Aug. 2019). ISBN: 978-1620558294
Review Details: The Lost Book of the Grail was reviewed by Martin Pallot for Indie Shaman magazine and this review was published in Issue 44.
