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Gemstone of Paradise: The Holy Grail in Wolfram's Parzival
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About Gemstone Of Paradise: The Holy Grail In Wolfram's
Product Description The story of the Holy Grail has gripped the imaginations of millions since it first appeared in medieval romances, among them Wolfram von Eschenbach's Middle High German Parzival (c. 1210). Strangely, the Grail is identified in Parzival not as a cup or dish, but as a stone. This oddity is usually interpreted merely as further evidence of the difficulty of discerning the true sources of the Grail legend. G. Ronald Murphy seeks to illuminate this mystery and to enable a far better appreciation of Wolfram's insight into the nature of the Grail and its relationship to the Crusades. Wolfram's "sacred stone" was in fact a consecrated altar, precious by virtue of the sacrament but also, Murphy argues, by virtue of the material from which it was made: a precious green stone associated with the rivers of Paradise. Parzival, Murphy believes, was intended as an argument against continued efforts by Latin Christians to recover the Sepulchre by force. In Wolfram's story, warring Christians and Muslims are brought together in peace by the power of the Grail - a stone Murphy believes still exists. An entirely original reading of Wolfram's famous text, this engrossing and accessible book appeals not only to scholars and students of medieval literature but to anyone who is drawn to the lasting mystery of the Holy Grail. Review "Murphy...offers an important, thoroughly documented argument that the Grail is a portable altar. ...This book is an invaluable addition to Wolfram scholarship...Essential." --Syndetic Solutions "I think his association of the grail/stone with a portable altar and in particular with the Paradise Altar at Bamberg is brilliant and very convincing." --Jonathan Riley-Smith "....readers will find Murphy's book a singular and thought-provoking scholarly quest. In the end one is left with the indelible impression of gems and the sense that they draw attention to aspects of Wolfram's text that have not yet been fully appreciated. Murphy's book points the way." --Will Hasty, H-Net Reviews "A convincing and well-written interpretation of the story." -- imes Literary Supplement "Wolfram von Eschenbach was certainly not an orthodox Christian, but a Christian after all. Yet his interpretation of the Holy Grail and the relationship between Christianity and other religions must have been quite provocative for his audience, as Murphy demonstrates in his refreshingly innovative reading of Parzival . In fact, Murphy's insightful and far-reaching interpretation of Parzival in light of the New Testament, carefully supported by philological analysis, reveals Wolfram's exuberant passion and love for all people, as perhaps best represented by the female figures in this romance. Did Murphy find the original model of the Grail used by Wolfram, as he argues in the frame narrative of his investigation? There are good reasons to embrace his conclusions, and it is a joy to follow Murphy on his research paths from the very first to the last page of his book." --Albrecht Classen, editor of Meeting the Foreign in the Middle Ages "In Murphy's reading, Wolfram's Parzival becomes at once a quest for the actual Grail and an exploration of the deepest mysteries of Christian sacrament and conversion. Lucid, transformative, and generous, Gemstone of Paradise is itself the work of a master craftsman of the symbolic arts, its purpose being to make visible the hitherto elusive physical and spiritual beauty of Parzival's long-sought Grail. This is a treasure of a book combining literary criticism, natural philosophy, and history with a sophisticated and rigorous theology of art. It should be required reading for all those who have ever asked the question: what is the Grail?" --Rachel Fulton, author of From Judgment to Passion: Devotion to Christ and the Virgin Mary, 800-1200 "The witty and graceful voyage of discovery in this book on Wolfram's Parzival and splendid imagery of the Holy Grail is immediately rewarding. Murphy provide
