Gillian Clark, Christianity and Roman Society - Huntington University

106 BOOK REVIEWS
Richard Barber, The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief. Cambridge: Harvard
University Press, 2005. Pp. 464. $16.95.
Reviewed by David W. Leinweber, Oxford College of Emory University
The legends of Arthur and the Grail rank among the most significant and vital bodies of
myth in Western culture—not only in the English-speaking world, but also in much of
continental Europe. Richard Barber’s new book, The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief,
provides one of the most solid and insightful recent treatments of the rich and
labyrinthine corpus these stories have created for themselves over the centuries. Above
all, Barber highlights the paradox of the Grail legends—that the mystery and murky roots
surrounding the Grail are not only responsible for the many problematic interpretations of
Arthurian myths over the years, but also the primary source of their great historical
significance and vitality.
Barber is one of England’s leading medievalists, a fact that shows in his selection of
material. Much of The Holy Grail deals with the medieval traditions of the Arthurian
legends down through Malory; a strong secondary component of the book explores the
legacy of the Grail in more modern guises—especially the revival of interest in Arthur
that emerged in the Victorian period, and also the rich legacy found in twentieth century
arts and literature. Even popular Arthurian fixtures such as John Boorman’s 1981 film
Excalibur, and, yes, Monty Python, make brief appearances. In this sense, The Holy Grail
not only proves to be not only a fascinating and informative read, but a useful and
authoritative resource, as well. Nonetheless, The Holy Grail resists the temptation to
provide a putative compendium of Arthurian legends. Nor does it become a mere work of
literary or cultural criticism in drag. Instead, throughout its 464 pages, The Holy Grail
maintains a disciplined historical voice—one that provides an organized, informative, and
straightforward treatment of the Holy Grail’s complex mythical legacies.
The Holy Grail gives relatively scant treatment to the “Historical Arthur” and the
often highly technical detective work that others have endured in trying to pinpoint the
source of legends about the Grail, Arthur, Camelot, and Merlin. The relevant contexts of
late Roman Britain, and early Medieval England, for example, are largely ignored.
Writers such as Nennius, Venerable Bede, or, especially, Geoffrey of Monmouth,
who provide the most well-known and influential written treatments of the ancient British
monarchs, make virtually no substantial appearance in Barber’s book. The tribal chaos of
late Ancient Britain, the struggle against Anglo-Saxon conquests, and the murky religious
tensions on the island during the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries, are not really
discussed. On the other hand, significant attention is given to such important and easily
overlooked sources as stained-glass windows, medieval tapestries, and wall paintings.
Actually, the proverbial “Historical Arthur” might have been something of a dirtroad
for Barber. Instead, his book begins with a long and thorough discussion of Chrétien
de Troyes, the French writer who wrote about Arthur and the Grail in the late-twelfth
century. Chrétien wrote in French, as opposed to the Scholastic Latin of the period.
Moreover, he embraced the lighter and more romantic styles of writing that were starting