The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-29
The Rnn dsrenI.

The London Athen@u1n, in reviewing work
on ''The Origin and Significance of the Ro-
mances of the San Greal' that has just been
published, gives the origin and definition of
the word Cereal" or "Grail:-
I Sin fact. one of the most curious points
about the romances of this "cycle" is that we
can trace, more or less distinctly, gradual yet
considerable alterations in the whole tone
and complexion of them. Even the very form
and Specification of the word "Graal' was
constantly changing and short account of
the word will at once show this. In the first
place, it must be carefully noted that this
word has two distinct and altogether separate
sources, which at an early period were con-
fused. A certain verse which was sung by the
choir upon ihe altar steps On grddjbuSJ at
the time of the performance of High Mass,
was called grdddte; as, for instance, in the
Sarum Missal:-"Quando epistola legitur, duo
pueri in superpelliceis. facta inclinatione ad
altare ante gradUne chori in pulpitum per
medium chori ad GradaLe incipiendum Sc
pr@parent, etc.
From this circumstance the Antiphonarium,
containing the portions thus sung by the
choir, was called also GrGdaJe or GrGdWdt6.
Now it was into this very book that certain
priest 1--WE here follow NJ. Paulin Paris) in
serted the story of Joseph of Arimathea about
the year 720 and hence this legend was
naturally spoken of ever after as being con-
tanned in the GTddaLe. Here then is one
reason why the legend had this name attached
to it; the derivation of the name being, so
far, from the Latin word grGdnS, a step.
But it so happened that there was another
Latin word grdddle in use, which, az tes-
titled by Helinand, had the significance of a
dish wherein to carry delicate meats and
gravy; this word was spelled grGzdL in old
Provencal, but was afterwards shortened in
the same dialect into grdGJ. 1t seems to
have been nothing more than a corruption
of crdteUG, the diminutive of crater, cup, a
well-known word of Greek origin. Similar
corruptions are exhibited in the French words
!grdS, from crdsSuS, and pGeHe, from pGteHd
This Provencal grGdI was in Norman-French
spelt gredI, and it was obviously easy to con-
meet gTdddle, q dish, with the legend of Jo-
seph contained N the GTGdGte. Hence arose,
successively, various reasons for the name
First, the dish was supposed to be that in
which Joseph collected the blood of Christ at
the time of sepulture. Next, to give greater
sanctity to the vessel, it was said to have
been the same with the one which contained
the bread at the Last Supper this identity
being easily proved by inventing the story
that a Jew stole the bread-vessel on Maunday
Thursday, and brought it to PLATE, who
qOdShed hiS hands IN ID before the
multitude, and almost Immediately after
gave it to Joseph as a keepsake.
But this was soon perceived to be a
blunder, as the vessel containing Christ s
blood should rather have been identified with
the cap; and accordingly the story was duly
altered and cup it remains to this very day,
as in Tennysons last volume of poems. The
Norman-French, however, invented yet
another derivation; for, by confusing gr6aI
with the French gre, they said the GreaJ was
so called because it was SO agreeable to the
sight. Next came the invariable prefix of san,
giving san greaI, the Holy Grail, which was
very speedily twisted into sang real, the true
or very blood, in spite of the fact that the
more usual signifcation of sang real is royal
blood; and this last derivation, probably as
being the latest (and therefore the falsest), is
the one most generally accepted at the present
day