Source: “Cracking the Symbol Code: The Hidden Messages Within Church and Renaissance Art”, By Tim Wallace-Murphy, Watkins Publishing, London, 2010.
13. Secret History - Grail, Templars & Tarot.mp4
This topic explores the intertwined narratives of the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar, and the symbolic origins of Tarot cards, presenting them as a vehicle for heretical teachings that challenged the medieval Church. It posits that the Grail, often described as a "stone of light" or "Philosopher's Stone" capable of granting eternal youth and healing, was a Christianized version of older, pre-Christian legends, infused with pagan, Celtic, Jewish mystical, alchemical, and Kabbalistic symbolism. The text highlights how authors like Wolfram von Essenbach and Chrétien de Troyes, connected to the "Rex Deus" families, deliberately encoded these alternative teachings within the Grail sagas to bypass Church censorship. The document further argues that Tarot trumps served as "portable teaching boards" for these very heresies, incorporating symbolic representations of the Grail quest, the suppressed "Church of Love" (Catharism), and the "Sang Real" or royal bloodline descending from Jesus through Joseph of Arimathea. Ultimately, the persecution and demise of the Templars, driven by royal greed and fear of their spiritual independence, are presented as a direct consequence of their adherence to these forbidden beliefs and their respect for non-Christian traditions like Islam.
Topic 1: Nature and Symbolism of the Grail The Grail is depicted in various forms throughout legends, including a chalice, a cup, a magical bowl, or a stone that descended from heaven. It is associated with extraordinary powers, such as the ability to restore the dead to life and grant good health to the injured or maimed. Wolfram von Essenbach, identified as a Templar author, referred to the Grail as a "stone of light" brought by angels, naming it "Lapis Exulis." This "Lapis Exulis" was also called the "Philosopher's Stone" by the alchemist Arnold of Villanova, directly connecting the Grail to alchemical practices. Pre-Christian Celtic legends describe the Grail as a cauldron possessing similar magical properties. These varied descriptions underscore the Grail's mystical and life-affirming qualities across different traditions.
Topic 2: Origins and Authors of Grail Sagas The Grail sagas are presented as Christianized versions of much older legends, masterfully crafted by Wolfram von Essenbach and Chrétien de Troyes. These authors intricately wove together a rich tapestry of influences, including pagan legends, Celtic folklore, Jewish mysticism, Rex Deus tradition, alchemical symbolism, and Kabbalistic symbolism. The resulting narratives created a "magical 'Christian' legend" that outwardly appeared to revere the cup supposedly used by Jesus at the Last Supper and by Joseph of Arimathea to collect Christ's blood after the Crucifixion. This complex synthesis was a deliberate literary effort to disseminate what are referred to as the "true initiatory teachings of Jesus" to a broader audience beyond the exclusive circles of the descended families.
Topic 3: The Rex Deus Tradition and Grail Families The Rex Deus tradition is presented as fundamental to understanding the true, hidden meanings behind the Grail sagas. Dr. Walter Johannes Stein, decades before the widespread disclosure of Rex Deus secrets, documented "the Grail Families," tracing their lineage from Charlemagne through to prominent European royal houses, including Godfroi de Bouillion. The creation and circulation of the Holy Grail stories are described as a strategic "masterstroke" designed to immortalize Rex Deus traditions. These traditions are characterized as embodying the "true initiatory teachings of Jesus," which were intended to be shared with the general public, moving beyond the secretive confines of families descended from the high priests of the Temple in Jerusalem. The city of Troyes in the twelfth century is highlighted as a hub for the "conspiring Rex Deus families" and the origin of the first Grail romance.
Topic 4: Grail Sagas as Coded Heretical Guides The original Grail sagas by Chrétien de Troyes and Wolfram von Essenbach are not merely medieval romances but are depicted as "coded guides to initiation" containing a concealed, "heretical truth" intended to evade the scrutiny of the clergy. While outwardly appearing as tales of knightly quests for holy relics—a theme consistent with the era's veneration of such items—they inwardly functioned as a "prescribed path to the development of spiritual faculties, the attainment of higher levels of consciousness and further dimensions of time." This allegorical nature, perceived as an "alchemical quest" or a "spiritual pathway in search of enlightenment," quickly led the Church to view them as heretical.
Topic 5: The Church's Opposition to Grail Sagas Initially, the Roman Catholic Church showed a "grudging acceptance" of the Grail sagas, possibly because their superficial narrative of seeking a holy relic aligned with contemporary religious practices. However, this tolerance was short-lived as the sagas came to be seen as an "allegorical guide to an alchemical quest" and a "heretical guide to a spiritual pathway in search of enlightenment." The inherent "heresy" within the original works was evident to educated readers, causing significant concern for the Church hierarchy. Due to the sagas' widespread public acceptance, direct suppression was impractical. Consequently, the Church adopted a strategy of creating their own "highly sanitised and censored variation," known as the Vulgate Cycle, which conformed to Church doctrine and served as an "official" version to replace the original, problematic narratives.
Topic 6: The "Lapis Exulis" and Philosopher's Stone Wolfram von Essenbach, in his Grail saga, described the Grail as a "stone of light" descended from heaven, which he named "Lapis Exulis." This stone was believed to bestow eternal youth. Significantly, the alchemist Arnold of Villanova also referred to this same "Grail stone" as "Lapis Exulis," and explicitly equated it with the "Philosopher's Stone." This connection directly established an "overt link between alchemy and the Grail," suggesting that the miraculous properties of the Grail and the alchemical pursuit of transformation and longevity were conceptually intertwined.
Topic 7: The Fisher King and the Wasted Kingdom A central allegorical figure in the Grail sagas is the Fisher King, the wounded ruler of the Grail castle whose infirmity mirrors the desolate state of his realm. This portrayal is interpreted as a direct allegory for the "hierarchy of the Christian Church," who are depicted as "usurpers of the true teachings of Jesus" and as exploiting those they claim to serve. The sagas suggest that this "wasted kingdom" can only be restored when someone sufficiently "pure" discerns the Grail and heals the Fisher King. This symbolizes the belief that "heaven will be made manifest upon earth" when the "true teachings of Jesus triumph over dogma, corruption and distortion" within the Christian Church.
Topic 8: The Meanings of "Holy Grail" The term "Holy Grail" is presented with two distinct, non-literal interpretations. One suggests it is a corruption of "Holy Gradual," implying a "gradual spiritual ascent" or an "ascending initiatory way," linking the Grail quest to a path of spiritual enlightenment. The second interpretation, which gained prominence with the 1981 publication of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, posits that "Holy Grail" or "Sangraal" (in French) is a corrupted form of "sang real," meaning "Holy Blood." This interpretation controversially claimed that Jesus had married and founded a dynasty, generating strong reactions of both "blasphemy" and "brilliance."
Topic 9: Joseph of Arimathea and Alternative Apostolic Succession A profound "heresy" embedded in the original Grail sagas is the claim that the protagonist, Parzival or Perceval, was a direct descendant of Joseph of Arimathea. This lineage is highly significant when considered alongside the Rex Deus tradition, which posits descent from the high priests of the Temple in Jerusalem. This genealogical claim presented a "disturbing" challenge to Church dogma, which asserts that Jesus appointed Peter as his successor. The sagas, by contrast, suggest Jesus appointed Joseph of Arimathea as the Grail's guardian, which scholars interpret as a "visible and tangible symbol of an alternative apostolic succession," undermining the basis of the Church's claimed authority.