An Attempt To Date
the Holy Grail
April 3, 2015
G.D.O'Bradovich III
In Christian tradition, the Holy Grail is the cup that received the blood of Jesus while he was on the cross. The following citations are courtesy of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Forms:
In ME sangrayle, sangrayll(e, seynt graal, 16–18 sangreal, 18 sangreall.
Etymology:
< Old French Saint Graal ‘Holy Grail’: see saint adj. and grail n.2
The pseudo-etymological form sang roial (confusing the word with sang royal n. 2) appears in Anglo-Norman of the 15th cent.: see Godefroy Compl. s.v. sanc.
Another spurious etymology formerly common appears in the following quot. 1685 <1685 E. Stillingfleet Origines Britannicæ i. 13
Others think that the word was Sangreal, being some of Christ's real blood..said to be somewhere found by King Arthur.
1. = grail n.2
a1450 Le Morte Arth. 10
The knights of the table Round, The sangrayle when they had sought.
1470–85 Malory Morte d'Arthur ii. xi. 88
Soone after the aduentures of the Sangrayll shalle come among yow and be encheued.
a1500 (▸?c1450) Merlin (1899) ii. 32
Thi boke shalbe cleped.., the boke of the seynt Graal.
1808 Scott Marmion i. Introd. xv. 17
He took the Sangreal's holy quest.
1871 G. Meredith Harry Richmond II. xii. 145
They bear the veiled sun like a sangreal aloft to the wavy marble flooring of stainless cloud.
†2. The book of the Grail. Obs.
1470–85 Malory Morte d'Arthur ii. xiii. 91
As it telleth after in the sangraylle.
Forms:
Also ME, 18 greal, ME, 16, 18 graal, 15 graile.
Etymology:
< Old French graal, grael, greel, greil = Provençal grasal, grazal whence Old Catalan gresal-s)
< medieval Latin gradālisa cup or platter, of uncertain origin; commonly referred to a popular Latin type *crātālis,
< *crātus altered form of Latin crāter cup.
1. the (Holy) Grail , the Saint Grail or sangrail n.: (in mediæval legend) the platter used by Jesus at the Last Supper, in which Joseph of Arimathea received his blood at the cross. The fortunes of ‘the Holy Grail’ (Old French le saint graal, whence Malory has the corrupt form sancgreal: see sangrailn.), and the adventures undergone in the search for it by various knights of Arthur's Round Table, form an important part of the matter of mediæval romance.
According to one story, it was brought by Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury (see the 14th cent. Joseph Arim., where it is called ‘þe dische wiþ þe blode’). Sometimes the Grail or Sangreal has been erroneously supposed to be the cup or chalice used at the Last Supper.
Secondary sources are in red.
c1330 Arth. & Merl. (Kölbing) 2222
Til he wer born þat schuld do al Fulfille þe meruails of þe greal.
a1500 (▸?c1450) Merlin (1899) iii. 59
The peple that were ther-at cleped this vessell that thei hadden in so grete grace, the Graal.
1590 Spenser Faerie Queene ii. x. sig. Y3v,
Ioseph of Arimathy..Brought with him the holy grayle, (they say).
1685 E. Stillingfleet Origines Britannicæ i. 13
And for all that I can see, the holy Graal deserves as much credit as the Book taken out of Pilat's Palace.
1833 H. W. Longfellow Drift-wood in Prose Wks. (1886) I. 301
The former, indeed, founded upon the marvels of the Saint Graal, contain nothing but strange and miraculous adventures.
1842 Tennyson Sir Galahad iv, in Poems (new ed.) II. 176
Three angels bear the holy Grail.
Fig.
1876 S. Lanier Psalm of West 505
Godly Hearts that, Grails of gold, Still the blood of Faith do hold.
1894 W. T. Stead If Christ came to Chicago 110
The quest of the almighty dollar is their Holy Grail.
2. Perh.: misused (for rhyme) in the sense of ‘cup’. In recent Dicts. this passage is given as authenticating a sense ‘foam’ for grail n.3
1653 Exaletation of Ale vii, in F. Beaumont Poems M 3 b,
To see how it flowers and mantles in grayle.
The previous citations in chronological order. Secondary sources are in red.
1330c Arth. & Merl. (Kölbing) 2222 Til he wer born þat schuld do al Fulfille þe meruails of þe greal.
1450a Le Morte Arth. 10 The knights of the table Round, The sangrayle when they had sought.
1470–85 Malory Morte d'Arthur ii. xi. 88 Soone after the aduentures of the Sangrayll shalle come among yow and be encheued.
1470–85 Malory Morte d'Arthur ii. xiii. 91 As it telleth after in the sangraylle.
1500a (▸?c1450) Merlin (1899) iii. 59 The peple that were ther-at cleped this vessell that thei hadden in so grete grace, the Graal.
1500c (▸?c1450) Merlin (1899) ii. 32 Thi boke shalbe cleped.., the boke of the seynt Graal.
1590 Spenser Faerie Queene ii. x. sig. Y3v, Ioseph of Arimathy..Brought with him the holy grayle, (they say).
1653 Exaletation of Ale vii, in F. Beaumont Poems M 3 b, To see how it flowers and mantles in grayle.
1685 E. Stillingfleet Origines Britannicæ i. 13 And for all that I can see, the holy Graal deserves as much credit as the Book taken out of Pilat's Palace.
1685 E. Stillingfleet Origines Britannicæ i. 13 Others think that the word was Sangreal, being some of Christ's real blood..said to be somewhere found by King Arthur.
1808 Scott Marmion i. Introd. xv. 17 He took the Sangreal's holy quest.
1833 H. W. Longfellow Drift-wood in Prose Wks. (1886) I. 301 The former, indeed, founded upon the marvels of the Saint Graal, contain nothing but strange and miraculous adventures.
1842 Tennyson Sir Galahad iv, in Poems (new ed.) II. 176 Three angels bear the holy Grail.
1871 G. Meredith Harry Richmond II. xii. 145 They bear the veiled sun like a sangreal aloft to the wavy marble flooring of stainless cloud.
1876 S. Lanier Psalm of West 505 Godly Hearts that, Grails of gold, Still the blood of Faith do hold.
1894 W. T. Stead If Christ came to Chicago 110 The quest of the almighty dollar is their Holy Grail.
The Holy Grail does not have a long history in English and the first reference dates from the year 1685.
Forms:
In ME sangrayle, sangrayll(e, seynt graal, 16–18 sangreal, 18 sangreall.
Etymology:
< Old French Saint Graal ‘Holy Grail’: see saint adj. and grail n.2
The pseudo-etymological form sang roial (confusing the word with sang royal n. 2) appears in Anglo-Norman of the 15th cent.: see Godefroy Compl. s.v. sanc.
Another spurious etymology formerly common appears in the following quot. 1685 <1685 E. Stillingfleet Origines Britannicæ i. 13
Others think that the word was Sangreal, being some of Christ's real blood..said to be somewhere found by King Arthur.
1. = grail n.2
a1450 Le Morte Arth. 10
The knights of the table Round, The sangrayle when they had sought.
1470–85 Malory Morte d'Arthur ii. xi. 88
Soone after the aduentures of the Sangrayll shalle come among yow and be encheued.
a1500 (▸?c1450) Merlin (1899) ii. 32
Thi boke shalbe cleped.., the boke of the seynt Graal.
1808 Scott Marmion i. Introd. xv. 17
He took the Sangreal's holy quest.
1871 G. Meredith Harry Richmond II. xii. 145
They bear the veiled sun like a sangreal aloft to the wavy marble flooring of stainless cloud.
†2. The book of the Grail. Obs.
1470–85 Malory Morte d'Arthur ii. xiii. 91
As it telleth after in the sangraylle.
Forms:
Also ME, 18 greal, ME, 16, 18 graal, 15 graile.
Etymology:
< Old French graal, grael, greel, greil = Provençal grasal, grazal whence Old Catalan gresal-s)
< medieval Latin gradālisa cup or platter, of uncertain origin; commonly referred to a popular Latin type *crātālis,
< *crātus altered form of Latin crāter cup.
1. the (Holy) Grail , the Saint Grail or sangrail n.: (in mediæval legend) the platter used by Jesus at the Last Supper, in which Joseph of Arimathea received his blood at the cross. The fortunes of ‘the Holy Grail’ (Old French le saint graal, whence Malory has the corrupt form sancgreal: see sangrailn.), and the adventures undergone in the search for it by various knights of Arthur's Round Table, form an important part of the matter of mediæval romance.
According to one story, it was brought by Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury (see the 14th cent. Joseph Arim., where it is called ‘þe dische wiþ þe blode’). Sometimes the Grail or Sangreal has been erroneously supposed to be the cup or chalice used at the Last Supper.
Secondary sources are in red.
c1330 Arth. & Merl. (Kölbing) 2222
Til he wer born þat schuld do al Fulfille þe meruails of þe greal.
a1500 (▸?c1450) Merlin (1899) iii. 59
The peple that were ther-at cleped this vessell that thei hadden in so grete grace, the Graal.
1590 Spenser Faerie Queene ii. x. sig. Y3v,
Ioseph of Arimathy..Brought with him the holy grayle, (they say).
1685 E. Stillingfleet Origines Britannicæ i. 13
And for all that I can see, the holy Graal deserves as much credit as the Book taken out of Pilat's Palace.
1833 H. W. Longfellow Drift-wood in Prose Wks. (1886) I. 301
The former, indeed, founded upon the marvels of the Saint Graal, contain nothing but strange and miraculous adventures.
1842 Tennyson Sir Galahad iv, in Poems (new ed.) II. 176
Three angels bear the holy Grail.
Fig.
1876 S. Lanier Psalm of West 505
Godly Hearts that, Grails of gold, Still the blood of Faith do hold.
1894 W. T. Stead If Christ came to Chicago 110
The quest of the almighty dollar is their Holy Grail.
2. Perh.: misused (for rhyme) in the sense of ‘cup’. In recent Dicts. this passage is given as authenticating a sense ‘foam’ for grail n.3
1653 Exaletation of Ale vii, in F. Beaumont Poems M 3 b,
To see how it flowers and mantles in grayle.
The previous citations in chronological order. Secondary sources are in red.
1330c Arth. & Merl. (Kölbing) 2222 Til he wer born þat schuld do al Fulfille þe meruails of þe greal.
1450a Le Morte Arth. 10 The knights of the table Round, The sangrayle when they had sought.
1470–85 Malory Morte d'Arthur ii. xi. 88 Soone after the aduentures of the Sangrayll shalle come among yow and be encheued.
1470–85 Malory Morte d'Arthur ii. xiii. 91 As it telleth after in the sangraylle.
1500a (▸?c1450) Merlin (1899) iii. 59 The peple that were ther-at cleped this vessell that thei hadden in so grete grace, the Graal.
1500c (▸?c1450) Merlin (1899) ii. 32 Thi boke shalbe cleped.., the boke of the seynt Graal.
1590 Spenser Faerie Queene ii. x. sig. Y3v, Ioseph of Arimathy..Brought with him the holy grayle, (they say).
1653 Exaletation of Ale vii, in F. Beaumont Poems M 3 b, To see how it flowers and mantles in grayle.
1685 E. Stillingfleet Origines Britannicæ i. 13 And for all that I can see, the holy Graal deserves as much credit as the Book taken out of Pilat's Palace.
1685 E. Stillingfleet Origines Britannicæ i. 13 Others think that the word was Sangreal, being some of Christ's real blood..said to be somewhere found by King Arthur.
1808 Scott Marmion i. Introd. xv. 17 He took the Sangreal's holy quest.
1833 H. W. Longfellow Drift-wood in Prose Wks. (1886) I. 301 The former, indeed, founded upon the marvels of the Saint Graal, contain nothing but strange and miraculous adventures.
1842 Tennyson Sir Galahad iv, in Poems (new ed.) II. 176 Three angels bear the holy Grail.
1871 G. Meredith Harry Richmond II. xii. 145 They bear the veiled sun like a sangreal aloft to the wavy marble flooring of stainless cloud.
1876 S. Lanier Psalm of West 505 Godly Hearts that, Grails of gold, Still the blood of Faith do hold.
1894 W. T. Stead If Christ came to Chicago 110 The quest of the almighty dollar is their Holy Grail.
The Holy Grail does not have a long history in English and the first reference dates from the year 1685.