The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-03

water; and To- the heavens were opened
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God
iii:lG)
The Holy Grail is a chalice. II is
brought into the temple in solemn nro-
cession, jn a yelled shrine. and depos-
tied on a table. Thus also is the
chalice within its pail brought in at the
sacrament Of the mass and placed on
the altar before the celebrant Boys
voices sing in the invisible heights.
Nehnet hin moin Blut
I'm unsere- Liebe Wllcn!
Nehmet hin meinea Leb
AUf dass ihr mein gedenkt
A ParaphaSe OF q Parody?
Are these words. or are they not. a
paraphrase Of those which in the canon
Of the mass follow the first and second
lblotutions Of the celebrant: "Quod ore
sumpsimus. Domino, etc" and Corpus
tuum. Domino, etc. p He would be but
little critical who would deny IT,
Yet Wagner did not necessarily par
or the eucharistic rite. He attempted
TO create n ceremonial which should
be beautiful solemn. and moving: which
should be an appropriate accOmpani-
ment to the alteration of a mystic relic;
which should. in "A sense. be neither
Buddhistic. Catholic, nor Protestant:
which should symbolic a conception Of
atonement which is as old as the hui
man imagination.
AS was his custom in all things, he
drew from whatever source seemed good
and fruitful TO him; and though he
doubtless thought himself at liberty 10
receive suggestions from the Roman
Catholic Church as well as the German
Lutheran, il is even possible. as F. C
Burnand once suggested. that he ha6
also before his mind scenes from Chris
tian Masonry.
There are more clements assocIatec
with the medieval Knights Templars
and their rites in "ParsifaT' than VIC
are able or have time TO discuss. In tn
old Welsh tale Of Peredur the substi.
tute for the Grail is a dish containing
bloody head; that head in time be
came the head of John the Bapust
and there was a belief IN the Middl
Ages that the Knights Templars wor-
SHIPPED a bloody head. The head Of Johu
the Baptist enters into Wagners drama
too. in the conceit that Kundry is a re-
incarnation of Herodias, who danced
II off the prophets shoulders.
But it is idle TO pursue speculation IN
such vague regions. Enlightenment for
us must come here through pity Of our
ignorance on the part of one order OF
Free Masons as II exists today.
Let It suffice 10 say. in conclusion
that. according to Mr. Burnand. tn
scene OF the Alteration Of the Grail an,
the Love Feast may also have a rela-
tonship with the ceremony Of installa-
tion in the Masonic Orders Of Chivalry
in which cup Of brotherly love is pre-
sented TO the grand commander, who
drinks and asks the Sir Knights to
pledge him In the cup I'm cOmmemora-
ton OF the Last supper Of our Grand
Heavenly Captain with His twelve dis
ciples whom He commanded thus to re-
member Him Then the cup Is passed
around. Here. says Mr. Burnand, there
Is no pretense TO sacrifice. Particioa-
ton IN the wine is a symbol OF par
ticuiar and peculiarly close intercom-
muniOn OF brotherhood.
Alteration of the Holy Grail.
1t was in contemplation of these facts
that the writer Of these lines, years ago.
when 'Parsifal' was new, character
lied the play as follows:
THE ethical idea Of thcJdrama is that
II is the enlightenment which comes
through conscious pity that brings sal
walton. The alluslOn Is 10 the redcmp-
ton OF man by the sufferings and com
stupendous tragedy IS the prefiguration
OF the mimic tragedy which Wagner has
constructed. The spectacle to which he
Invites US, and with which he hopes to
impress us ana move US 10 an accep-
lance of the lesson underlying his
drama. is the alteration OF the Holy
Grail. cast In the form OF mimicry OF
the Last supper, bedizened with some
OF the glittering pageantry Of medieval
knighthood and romance"