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The Holy Grail: Its origins, secrets & meaning revealed
 
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The Holy Grail: Its origins, secrets & meaning revealed [Hardcover]

Malcolm Godwin (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)


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Book Description

1998
A lavishly illustrated volume explores the significance and endurance of the legend of the Holy Grail as an archetype of the journey of the soul, and traces its formation from Celtic, Christian, Eastern and alchemical traditions. 50,000 first printing. $20,000 ad/promo.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

An extensive treatment of the various legends of the Holy Grail that ultimately falls apart because of its pursuit of flimsy speculation. Godwin (Angels: An Endangered Species, not reviewed) explores one of the most intriguing and persistent myths of Western civilization. He begins by outlining in detail nine principal cycles of legend involving the Grail, tracing them through three separate strata of stories. Beginning with the earliest written account of the quest for the Grail, the 12th-century ``Le Conte del Graal'' by Chr‚tien de Troyes, the author convincingly shows that the origins of the Grail legend are in ancient Celtic oral tales in which the object of the quest was a magical vessel of plenty. This vessel evolved into the more familiar Grail of Arthurian romance, that holiest of Christian relics--the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper and which was used to catch his blood as it poured out on the cross. It was this object that was supposedly brought to England by Joseph of Arimathea and hidden at Glastonbury. The third branch of legend explored is what Godwin calls the ``chymical.'' Here he retells the mystical tale of rebirth and transformation, ``Parzifal'' by Wolfram von Eschenbach. Dating from about 1220, it became the basis of the famous Wagnerian opera. In the concluding section, Godwin explores the Grail's meaning as ``a myth for our time,'' connecting the quest for the vessel to Eastern philosophies such as the Tao (Godwin also is known as ``Yatri'' from his time spent on an Indian ashram). He explores, too, various archetypal images present in the various legends. The work will appeal to Grail enthusiasts more interested in conspiratorial and mystical elements than in serious scholarship. Lavishly illustrated, it will make a fine coffee-table book. (180 color and b&w illustrations) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 255 pages
  • Publisher: Barnes & Noble (1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0760707804
  • ISBN-13: 978-0760707807
  • Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Malcolm Godwin (aka Carder and Sw. Anand Yatri) was born in 1936. He came late to writing as originally he was a kinetic and constructionist artist exhibiting at such galleries as Fondation Maeght,Provence, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Kunsthalle, Köln, "The Kinetic Show"at the Hayward Gallery, London as well as well as creating a large kinetic artwork powered by a fuel cell at the British Pavilion at Expo67, Montreal. Works are owned by the Arts Council, The Contemporary Arts Society, the Tate Gallery, London, Glasgow Art Gallery, Museum of Modern Art Philadelphia and the Walker Arts Centre, Minneapolis. Worked with the architect, Theo Crosby, at Pentagram and contributed to "How to Play the Environment Game" exhibition at the Hayward Gallery and the Penguin book of the same name.
Was commissioned by the architect Colin St. John Wilson to create a preliminary survey of the originally proposed site in Bloomsbury for the new British Library. Iit might have had some effect on changing the Library's final location!
Invited to give a major retrospective exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in the East End of London, the artist instead chose to fly to India, confident that his mystic experiences would flower into enlightenment within a few hours of landing. He still awaits that supreme outcome of his quest for truth 34 years later.

He lived in India for seven years designing and helping to publish the books of the Indian mystic, Osho, and compiling a biography of the mystic's life up until 1980 called "The Sound of Running Water." After a year wandering Europe and then three years in the USA, mostly on a very un-mystical pipe and sewer crew, he and his designer wife, Magdalena, settled in Tuscany. There, they co-founded a publishing company called Labyrinth, for which they designed and illustrated such books as Stephen Hawking's "The Illustrated A Brief History of Time" and "Universe in a Nutshell" as well as writing and illustrating four original best sellers, one of which is "The Holy Grail."

In 1996 the design and illustration partnership called Moonrunner was founded. Apart from designing many works including "Mapping the Mind" by Rita Carter, and "Grandmere" by David Roosevelt, many computer generated illustrations have been created for such books as "The Ancestors Tale" by Richard Dawkins and "Universe" by Dorling Kindersley, The mainly cosmological and neurological illustrations are for magazines including The National Geographic, Scientific American, Discover, Kijk ,Welt der Wunder, The New York Times, and Mother Jones. The company is now venturing into translating earlier physical works into ebooks, as well as creating original graphic cartoons and digital apps for platforms like Kindle and the iPad.

 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A magical new look at a very old story, June 30, 1997
By A Customer
If nothing else, this is an extraordinarily beautiful book. Holding it and browsing through the chapters is almost magic in itself. The artwork is stunning, from rich reproductions of medieval art that not only enhance the text but contain stories of their own, to more contemporary works such as Alan Lee's Grail Knight and Thomas Gotch's Girl Enthroned. Looking at the age-old symbols on these pages fires the imagination and unleashes an unused, forgotten part of the brain (it's a must-have for artists and writers). Although scholars might argue with some of Godwin's assertions (for example, that the Cathar heretics were familiar with Tarot cards), the author does a phenomenal job of tying together many seemingly disparate elements of mysticism in a way that makes immediate sense. Being scholarly isn't the point; this kind of synthesis in which one takes what has gone before and remixes it with current thinking is what evolution is all about. Godwin's explanation of how the Grail legends grew out of the spiritual and political culture of the Middle Ages deserves contemplation. It is not just history; it is a commentary on the times in which we live. In providing a healing formula for changing centuries-old habits and patterns that have resulted in a dysfunctional society and the destruction of our natural world, Godwin is laying the groundwork for a transformational process, one that is independent of religion, nationality or social class. If this all sounds too New Age-y for you, then just enjoy the pretty pictures and the history of one of the most enduring legends of all time. The tales of King Arthur and the Quest for the Holy Grail are still among the most entertaining stories anywhere. I double dare you, however, to remain unchanged after reading this book. One doesn't so much read it as experience it. And it's a downright uncanny experience. If the Holy Grail exists, here is your map to find it.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Scholars Are As Scholars Do, April 22, 2003
By 
Loren Amsden (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I am a little disturbed at Kirkus Reviews' and others' statement that this is not a scholarly work. Don't be fooled. Mr. Godwin is clearly a master of the source material and has presented it in the context most likely to impart understanding to an open-minded reader. His sources and related materials are included in an extensive bibliography. The maps, diagrams, and broad, beautiful selection of artworks are the result of obviously deep and careful study. Typography and page ornaments are selected and placed to harmonize with the text and graphics with a discernment rare in our age. If this is not the result of "scholarship," the word has no meaning. Anyone with more than a passing interest in art, history, literature, or religion should have this book.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Beatiful book!, November 12, 2001
By A Customer
Although the book is a little scanty at first. Things became more clearer in the ending.. I liked the punchline at the end of the book, as it clearly demonstrates what we (humanity) have forgotten. This is definetly not scholarly work, one should be aware of that. But the message it sends about how women have been treated through history, and our unquestioning behaviour about our social system, should require a listening to. I read Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach shortly after i read this book, and found it to be really inspirational both spiritualy and mentally. I also found Malcolms book to be a bit New Age'y, but still i found to be really universal in it's message.
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