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The Grail Legend / Edition 2 - Paperback | Diverse Reads

The Grail Legend / Edition 2

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The Holy Grail and its quest is a legend that has had a powerful impact on our civilization and culture. The Grail itself is an ancient Celtic symbol of plenty as well as a Christian symbol of redemption and eternal life, the chalice that caught the blood of the crucified Christ. The story of the Grail sheds profound light on man's search for the supreme value of life, for that which makes life most meaningful.


Writing in a clear and readable style, two leading women of the Jungian school of psychology present this legend as a living myth that is profoundly relevant to modern life. We encounter such universal figures as the Fool (the naive young Perceval), the Wise Old Man (the Hermit Gornemanz), the Virgin Maiden (Blancheflor), the Loathly Damsel, and such important themes as the Waste Land, the Trinity, and the vessel of the Grail. Weaving together narrative and interpretation, the authors show us how the legend reflects not only fundamental human problems but also the dramatic psychic events that form the background of our Christian culture. Emma Jung—analyst, writer, and wife of the famous psychologist C. G. Jung—researched and worked on this book for thirty years, until her death in 1955. Marie-Louise von Franz, also eminent in the field of depth psychology, completed the project.

ISBN-13: 9780691002378

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Publication Date: 10-25-1998

Pages: 472

Product Dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

Emma Jungwas a life-long student of Arthurian mythology, and the author of Animus and Anima. Marie-Louise von Franz, who passed away in 1998, made major contributions to Jungian analysis and the study of myth. Her many books include Individuation in Fairy Tales, Number and Time, and Puer Aeternus. She is also coauthor of Man and His Symbols.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"The Grail Legend is a beautifully sustained application of Jungian theory to a whole story rather than merely to isolated motifs or archetypes. The work is far better researched than many other Jungian studies, and is written with a spritely, charming touch. A delightful volume."—Robert Segal, University of Lancaster, editor of Jung on Mythology and The Gnostic Jung

Robert Segal

The Grail Legend is a beautifully sustained application of Jungian theory to a whole story rather than merely to isolated motifs or archetypes. The work is far better researched than many other Jungian studies, and is written with a spritely, charming touch. A delightful volume.
— Robert Segal, University of Lancaster, editor of "Jung on Mythology" and "The Gnostic Jung"

Table of Contents

Foreword 7

I Introduction 9

II Perceval's Early History, according to Chretien de Troyes 39

III The Defeat of the Red Knight and the Meeting with Blancheflor 52

IV Perceval's First Visit to the Grail Castle 66

V The Sword and the Lance 79

VI Perceval's Task 98

VII The Central Symbol of the Legend: The Grail as Vessel 113

VIII The Grail as Stone 142

IX The Table, the Carving Platter and the Two Knives 161

X The Continuation of Perceval's Quest 173

XI The Suffering Grail King 187

XII The Figure of Gauvain; Perceval's Return to Christianity 213

XIII Gauvain's Adventures 228

XIV Perceval's Further Adventures 253

XV The Redemption of the Grail Kingdom; Perceval's End 290

XVI Robert de Boron's Roman de l'Estoire dou Graal 302

XVII The Problem of the Trinity 317

XVIII The Figure of Adam 331

XIX The Trinity: The Problem of the Fourth 338

XX The Figure of Merlin 347

XXI Merlin as Medicine Man and Prophet 357

XXII Merlin and the Alchemical Mercurius 367

XXIII Merlin's Solution of the Grail Problem 379

XXIV The Disappearance of Merlin 390

Bibliography 401

Index 419