Customer Reviews

The Virgin and the Grail: Origins of a Legend

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Dr. Goering's book is a fascinating scientific adventure into the roots of the most controversial mystery of the Western culture.

This fresh insight into the subject is the most illuminating. It is interesting to note that though the origin of the Grail as the Virgin was lost to the medieval authors, still the later versions of the story correctly associated the relic with her.

An important point to remember is that the Grail cycles are a rich fabric woven with elements of different origins. Thus, Goering's findings do not invalidate the Celtic and other pagan influences on the legends, pointed by earlier scholars.

A warmly recommended book for all Da Vinci Code enthusiasts!

Goering balances fidelity to his discipline with an openness to possibility in this delightful quest for the historical "grail."

In straightforward, down-to-earth prose he surveys the earliest literary incarnations of the "graal" and suggests an antecedent in the Romanesque art of the high Pyrenees. The evidence adduced for this unlikely connection ranges from well-known literary masterpieces to the kinds of things only a specialist can illuminate, like episcopal registers, obscure liturgies, Catalan charters, and difficult etymologies, to name a few. The arguments are thoughtful, well-documented, and deliciously risky. As an enthusiast for most things Arthurian (and thus "sangrealian"), I was pleased to see something fresh introduced into the burgeoning but mostly stale literature on the subject. A nice addition to the library and much-needed antidote to the stuff behind Dan Brown's books.

One small complaint and two words of caution:

Price tag? Goering's economical prose -- without notes, the whole thing is only c. 165 pgs. -- might allow for a more modest price.

But where are the Celts? Don't mistake the Virgin and the Grail for an exhaustive introduction to the subject or expect it to deal with your pet theory.

And what about the Templars? Although the work seems written for a more popular audience, the author knows the context too well to be interested by the conspiracy theories. Still, enough intrigue and arcana to keep the Da Vinci crowd reading, I would hope!

Go ahead, read it!