Frappier concurs with Bergman, pointing out that the 'a' that Chretien de Troyes , author of the Conte del Graal , used in graal is more similar to the Provencal grazal and langue d'oc variations than to the langue d'ol greel. The Chalice itself generally is formed of precious metal. Glass chalices were known and used in the ancient world, but they were outlawed by Charlemagne. In 873 the word garalis appeared in the will of Count Eberhard von Treviso, the grandfather of the German King Henry I, who left his son Adalardus V, among other items, three silver vessels. In another copy of the same will, the word calix is used for garalis.
Similar examples appear in other wills and ecclesiastical inventories.
In fact all of these words can be used to designate a chalice of precious metal. Some scholars have offered various other etymologies for graal. In a further development of Helinand's etymology, some scholars propose that the Low Latin cratalis or gradalis derived from Ancient Greek krater, which is likely enough, but then these scholars go on to derive the Grail from the krater of the hermetic cults. The evidence for the motif of the Chalice at the Cross, however, simply does not support such a derivation. She declares that the Grail is not of the same metal as the other vessels in the Grail Procession and is, therefore, not a communion vessel.