Romance of the Grail

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Romance of the Grail - The Magic and Mystery of Arthurian Myth by Joseph Campbell. Published in hard back with b/w illustrations by New World Library.RRP US $24.95 : UK £22.00

The first double page of this book is a mind map by Joseph Campbell of his ideas of this topic. Campbell was an expert in the study of Grail Quests and Arthurian legends and he found metaphors for psychological growth and the development of ‘amor’ - the love where we become more fully ourselves through our loving connection to others. This is the full collected written and lecture works of Campbell on these subjects. His Masters Thesis was on the “Dolorous Stroke”. 

This book covers the backgrounds of this myth, from Neolithic, Celtic, Roman and German sources and including Irish and French writers. The Knights of the Quest have their own chapters, and the Round Table is fully explained and followed up by an explanation of The Wasteland. 

The high period of the Arthurian romances coincides with the building of the Gothic cathedrals, with Sufism, and the love of Krishna and Radha in India and Japanese love poetry. Campbell researches possible Celtic and Eastern origins. From mining to horse power, matriarchy and fairy stories, we enjoy the earliest of Celtic history, via the Troubadours to the Waste Land, the Grail stone (unlike the earlier Chretien story where the Grail was a bowl. The monastic story of Galahad and Joseph of Arimathea’s cups is later). Wolfram’s saga of Parzival - and Gawain - is presented here as a marvellous comedy sketch, all the details are there in 50 pages of outstanding commentary. Time lines, such as the Albigensian Crusade in the same year as Wolfram’s Parzival, Sts Francis and Dominic, are added for reference. The characters are all closely related, brother fighting brother, with many insights described and explained. 

From the author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, we have a valuable delight in the reading of this book and all the magic and beauty this marvellous subject has in store for us. 

Rich in wonder and nourishing in content. It’s a joy to read! 

Reviewer: Wendy Stokes https://wendystokes.co.uk