ich only the first part and a portion of the second are in existence.
The most detailed history of the Grail is in the "Grand St. Graal" from the first half of the thirteenth century, where we are told that Christ Himself presented the book concerning this history to a pious hermit.
In the Early History versions the Grail is invested with the greatest sanctity. It is explained that the dish from which Christ ate the Paschal lamb, or the Chalice from which he drank his wine (depending on the particular version of the legend) passed into the possession of Joseph of Arimathea, and was used Joseph to gather the Precious Blood of the Lord, when His body was taken from the Cross.
Literary Tradition: The Grail and Joseph of Arimathea
As mentioned, the Grail Legend is closely intertwined with the legends of Joseph of Arimathea. As the story goes, Joseph was thrown into prison by the Jews, but was able to use the Grail to sustain himself for 42 years until his liberation. The legend has two versions; (1) that Jesus appeared to Joseph and gave him the Grail after he was imprisoned or (2) that Joseph still had the Grail following the crucifixion. Joseph's involvement in the Grail legend also higlights many of the mythological food producing properties of the Grail.
After Joseph's liberation, the Grail is then brought to Britain, either By Joseph himself and his son, Josephes (as told in "Grand St. Graal") or by Alian and one of his kin (as told in "Robert de Boron"). Galaad or Perceval, depending on the literary text, finally achieves the quest. However, upon his (Perceval or Gallad's) death the Grail vanished.
Origins of the Legend
In these texts, the legend appears to be in an advanced state of development. We know of no preceeding phases and therefore the history of the legend can only be conjectured. There are not only Christian parallels, but also Celtic and Oriental. The Oriental parallels such as; the persian cup of Jamshid, the Hindu Paradise, Cridavana and the Sun table of the Ethiopians, fail to be convincing.
The Celtic tradition on the other hand has far more reliable arguments in its favour. Both the Perceval legend, as well as the King Arthur legend are of Celtic origin. Various talismans and powerful or mystical trinkets feature strongly in Celtic folklore and often take the shape of magic lances, bowls or food-giving vessels (the clearest representation of the Grail as a food-giving vessel can be found in the Joseph of Arimathea legend). If one believes that the Grail legend has Celtic origins, then it would appear that "Mabinogion", with its simpler story of vengeance through talismans without much religious significance, would be the version nearest to the original form of the legend. Thus the religious element is a secondary one that occurred when the revenge tale was fused with that of Joseph of Arimathea
The Catholic Church, The Church of England and The Legend of The Holy Grail
Some state that the legend of Joseph of Arimathea, where he and his son bring the Grail, the most sacred and powerful religious icon to England, is essentially a legend of the conversion of Britain. This view is supported by the fact that only one clerical writer, Helinandus, writes of the Grail and the Catholic Church prefered to ignore the legend completely, although the cup of Christ remains an important part of the Eucharist. The Catholic Church's refusal to acknowledge the legend is quite acceptable considering that there are elements that are clearly not canonical. Furthermore it has a basis in apocryphy, not scripture.
However, possibly the most decisive obstacle between the Catholic Church and the acknowledgement of the Grail legend is the fact that the legend claims an illustrious and independant origin for the Church of England. It would not be suprising then if the legend of the Holy Grail was manipulated and contorted so that it could encourage separatist tendencies within Britain. It would be able to do this easily, especially when one remembers that written texts were rare and public opinion was swayed through folklore and