Holy Grail
From Indiana Jones Wiki
| ARTIFACT | |
| The Holy Grail | |
|---|---|
| |
| Culture | Christian |
| Discovery | 1938 Canyon of the Crescent Moon, Republic of Hatay |
| Discovered by | Indiana Jones |
The Holy Grail was an artifact said to have supernatural powers. It was believed to be the cup that Jesus Christ used during the Last Supper then entrusted to Joseph of Arimathea. It was said that the Grail could give to whomever drank from it eternal life.
The Grail was discovered centuries later, by King Arthur. After the fall of Camelot, it was believed to be delivered by Sir Galahad to a monastery at Iona. The monastery however was sacked by Vikings.[1]. In the 13th century, a franciscan friar received his account of the Grail from a knight of the first crusade who claimed that his brothers had actually found the holy relic somewhere “in a canyon deep in a range of mountains” and made a painting about it.
Indiana Jones's father, Professor Jones Sr., was obsessed about the Grail after a vision he had in 1898. He made thorough researches and travels for its study and kept several notes about it in his Grail diary. Professor Jones was hired by antiquities collector Walter Donovan to search for the Grail but ended up captured by the Nazis. Donovan, who is in league with them, was also obsessed with the Grail and planned to acquire it and later give it to the Nazis for their own use.
The Grail was located in a mountain-side temple, in the Canyon of the Crescent Moon, in the Middle East. In order to get to it, the person must get past three challenges. The first was the Breath of God, the second being the Word of God, and the third being the Path of God. Afterwards, the person has to defeat the guardian of the Grail in single combat in order to succeed in being guardian. Finally, the person has to choose which cup is the Grail for it was placed on a large table amongst other cups. If the person chooses right, he/she will be granted eternal life but cannot leave the temple with the Grail for that is the price of immortality. If the person chooses wrong, he/she will have their life taken away.
Indiana recovered the grail in order to heal the gunshot wound that Donovan inflicted upon Henry Jones Sr. After Henry was healed, Elsa Schneider tried to take the grail from the temple. This caused a large earthquake, and the grail fell onto a small ledge in a ravine. Elsa, who had nearly fallen herself but was saved by Indiana, greedily tried to reach the grail below her. Because Elsa was wearing slippery gloves on her hands, Indiana could not hold her for long. Before she could grasp the chalice, her hand slipped from its glove and she fell to her death.
As a result, the grail was ultimately lost following the events of the adventure, but the experience gave both Indiana and his father the chance to rekindle their rocky relationship.
[edit] Behind the scenes
In The Last Crusade adventure game, it is possible to catch the Grail with the whip, and then surrender it back to the Grail Knight. This can be done even before Elsa tries to catch it, and that way, she can live till the end of the game.
[edit] Appearances
- The Mata Hari Affair (Mentioned only)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (First appearance)
