Realm of the Ring Lords: The Myth and Magic of the Grail Quest (Paperback)

by Laurence Gardner (Author) "J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings is one of the most enchanting and successful tales of all time..." (more)
Key Phrases: northern feast, endocrinal secretions, fairy culture, Old Testament, Roman Church, Star Fire (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
This is a remarkable book that delves into the human psyche and advances some maverick theories. Not least, it suggests that our folklore, myths and legends built up over the centuries are no mere fairytales but ancestral memories of deeper truths. According to Gardner, we now live not in an age of enlightenment but one of slavery, having lost knowledge that the Church and others systematically crushed out of us. This may sound bizarre, but Gardner is no crank. A scholar, historian and multi-linguist, he has amassed a wealth of evidence which he says points to a much earlier age when Earth was populated by more enlightened beings. As a starting point, Gardner takes a look at Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings, claiming that it is far more than a fantasy story. 'It can perhaps be seen as an intuitive parable of governmental suppression and of the combative quest for liberty and justice,' he writes. Which is not to say he believes Tolkien had inside knowledge, only that tribal subconscious memories were surfacing through his writing. Vampires, goblins, trolls and even Santa Claus are all part of that same tribal set of memories, Gardner declares. Writing in an academic but easily grasped style, he goes further than the ground covered in his earlier books such as The Bloodline of the Holy Grail, in which he set out evidence for the present-day bloodline of Jesus Christ. This time he suggests that tales of quests for the Ring and the Grail are essentially the same - legends of a forgotten battle between good and evil. The text is complemented by glorious colour plates of old masters' paintings which Gardner says trace a repressed thread of knowledge through mediaeval times. A good and challenging read, whether you agree with Gardner's conclusions or not. (Kirkus UK) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Realm of the Ring Lords exposes the magical world – and historical fact – behind the grail and ring legends. In the course of this breathtaking exploration, Gardner demonstrates the historical truths and significance behind much of European folklore and fairy tales – ranging from Dracula to Santa Claus, from Robin Hood to Lorna Doone, and the grail quest to the Lord of the Rings. Most important, he demonstrates how these basic themes have consistently represented the best and brightest aspirations of humanity.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Fair Winds Press (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931412146
• ISBN-13: 978-1931412148
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #237,676 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fairy Tale Come True, May 12, 2002

By	John Holt (Upstate New York ([e-mail])) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Realm of the Ring Lords (Hardcover)

In anticipation of Laurence Gardner's new book, Realm of the Ring Lords, I re-read his previous two works, Bloodline of the Holy Grail, and Genesis of the Grail Kings. Both of them were groundbreaking books, revealing, in the first instance, convincing theories about the progeny of the dynastic marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, and the intriguing influence of their descendents throughout European history; and, in the second instance, a fascinating theory of the origin of the Grail King lineage, starting in ancient Sumer, and evolving, through Babylonia, Egypt, and Canaan, up to, and including, Jesus.

Gardner not only has access to the private libraries of the current Grail Family members, but he has a remarkable facility with languages. Both of these assets come into play in his newest work, The Realm of the Ring Lords. As a result of the incontrovertible practice of the Roman Church to exterminate anyone whom it declared a "heretic", the Grail Family, and the theology and tradition it represented, were forced to remain underground for many centuries. The powerful and persuasive essence of the Grail tradition, though, was kept alive all the while by a coded folklore, which created all kinds of elves, fairies, leprechauns, pixies, gnomes, heroes/heroines, etc., many of which we have all heard of at one time or another. Gardner has successfully translated all the fairy-tale "fiction" into an enchanting, but very real history, based on his deep understanding of the Grail tradition, and his adept use of etymology.

While this book doesn't rival his other two in terms of earth-shaking revelations, it does complement the other two by providing a deeply satisfying explanation of the effects of the Grail tradition on European cultural and literary heritage that, heretofore, had been accepted as fantasy, but now are very real and significant.

If you haven't read any of Gardner's work, don't start with this one. He makes frequent references to his previous books, and assumes that the reader is familiar with them. If you have read both of his other books, I think you will enjoy this guided tour and interpretation of Europe's folklore.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Behind The Fantasy: The Truth About Fiction, March 2, 2003

By	Rachel Garret (Beverly Hills) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Realm of the Ring Lords (Hardcover)

Laurence Gardner completes his "Holy Grail" trilogy (Bloodline Of The Holy Grail, Genesis Of Thee Grail Kings) with this book, "Realm of the Ring Lords". The book is once again full of a plethora of information, as well as lush illustrations. Laurence Gardner may write like a mystic novelist, but his keen perception of words (he is as much an etymologist as he is a historian) make the fiction very truthful. After all, myth has some basis on true facts. In "Realm of the Ring Lords", Gardner takes an inside look on the mystic origins of "ring" legends and how they relate to the Holy Grail. Garder has proposed that the Holy Grail, a feminine symbol, represents the bloodline of Jesus and his union with Mary Magdalene. In "Genesis Of The Grail Kings", he further explores the personages of Abraham and Moses. Time after time, in true Kabbala tradition, Gardner elevates the man/woman relationship and the procreational power, especially of prominent figures.

In fairy tales, such as Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel, there is always a helpless maiden, a woman frustrated because she has no male consort- Sleeping Beauty was cursed with a sleeping spell and Rapunzel was kept a prisoner in a tower, only to be saved by a handsome prince. This, Gardner insists, is only another manifestation of the Grail legends, of the inevitable union of man and woman for dynastic intentions, such as those dating back to old Sumerian civilizations. The same applies to the ring lore. Rings, symbols of eternity and perpetual bloodline. The rings of power have been the source of inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" and the Wagner opera "Ring of the Nibelung" which he had himself taken from the Norse sagas.

Gardner further explores the great cycle of legends revolving around King Arthur, the Round Table and the Knights Of The Holy Grail. King Arthur, without a question, is a parody of Jesus, a triumphant Christian king who will return once again in dark days to save people, a wounded king during "the wasteland" who can only be saved and healed by the life-giving Holy Grail. Arthur's purity was never a question in the old legends. Lancelot and his carnal affair with Guenevere, a violation of the balance between Arthur and Guenevere's marriage and the stability of the Round Table (which both coexisted in a mystic bond), made the ideal of Camelot become merely an ideal, and less a reality.

A great book, with deep insight on mythology and the meaning of legends. Laurence Gardner concludes his trilogy with a very thought-provoking book. Eventhough one cannot believe every thing, per letter about anything, one must always have in mind that in fiction, there is always some element of truth.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Fails to deliver on the title, November 21, 2006

By	Commentator - See all my reviews

Waste of money. Gardner is resting on his laurels. There is so much that could be done with this title, but it was not. Instead we get a recital of stuff already said elsewhere not particularly related to the extensive lore which Tolkien drew upon. Way too little to do with the Realms of the Ring Lords, as if he was knocking off a book to exploit the popularity of Tolkien.

Pity, I was expecting more.