The Ninth Century and the Holy Grail [Paperback]

W. J. Stein (Author), John Matthews (Author), Irene Groves (Author), W.J. Stein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1902636228 | ISBN-13: 978-1902636221 | Publication Date: April 15, 2001 | Edition: 3

Much plagiarised and its contents distorted over the years, Stein's seminal work is a classic of original scholarly and spiritual research. In studying the central Grail narrative - Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach - Stein takes a twofold approach. On the one hand he searches historical records in order to identify actual people and events hidden behind the Grail epic's veil of romance. And on the other hand, he deciphers Eschenbach's hidden spiritual messages, revealing Parzival to be an esoteric document containing mighty pictures of the human being's inner path of development.

Stein reveals the period of the ninth century to be of more than historical and academic interest. It is the karmic ground out of which the destiny of modern times grows - the mighty battle that must take place between the powers of the Grail and the sinister anti-Grail forces at large today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the most valuable and original works on the Grail yet to appear in any language." -- John Matthews, author of The Mystic Grail

"The definitive work on the historical background to the Grail Romances of the mediaeval age." -- Trevor Ravenscroft, author of The Spear of Destiny

About the Author

Born in 1891, Dr W.J. Stein was a personal pupil of the Austrian philosopher and spiritual initiate Rudolf Steiner. In 1919 Steiner called him to be a teacher at the Waldorf School in Stuttgart and asked him to teach German Literature and History - despite the fact that Stein's doctorate was in Philosophy and his training in Mathematics and Physics. It was through Stein's efforts to master this new material that he was able to bring a fresh approach to the Parzival epic. With the help of unconventional methods of research and the teaching of reincarnation and karma, he was able to develop groundbreaking new insights into the mystery of the Grail.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Clairview Books; 3 edition (April 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1902636228
• ISBN-13: 978-1902636221
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,186,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Speculative Grail Lore, February 23, 2006

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Stephen B. Renier (Cleveland, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ninth Century and the Holy Grail (Paperback)

This study, by Walter Johannes Stein, was the quintessential Stein. He was a life-long adventurer into the subject of the Grail. This study is an attempt to provide an historical setting for the characters of the Grail and suggests that the mythology was more than fiction. This is a bumpy path, the shadow-land of mystical societies and initiatic wisdom. Stein manages to realize a vision of the Grail as a source for European culture, particularly the German people, as he presents the world of the Grail as something far beyond a Christian legend. In fact, he suggests that the Grail is not Christian a mythology that belongs instead to a gnosticism. The book is fascinating, if you have an interest in the Grail.