[UA] Dark Grail?

[Ville Halonen]

Bruce MacMonkey McSpade <greatbuthulhu at hotmail.com> wrote:

> >3) Both are -- in a way -- containers; the tape in a very modern way.
> >(Okay, this may suck, at least in itself.)
> Let us re-phrase.  The Naked Goddess herself was a vessel, at least prior
> to ascension.  One wonders at the transforming powers of her vagina upon 
> all those millions of litle spermazoids.

Yes, of course. Thanks for guiding an obviously blind GM. 

> Not necessarily did one have to be innocent to achieve or view the Grail.
> The Knights on the quest were, afterall, warriors and therefore killers. 
> Not so innocent.  But pure in faith and outlook.  Check out The Grail 
> Knights.  Lancelot would more than likely get involved if word got out. 
> He's not so innocent.

Well, Lancelot didn't find the Grail, did he? :) But yes, your point on 
innocence is a good one. I think I read too much into the virginity thing. 
Am I at least correct on that part? A couple of Grail-related stories I 
know hint at that.

> >6) The Grail may be seen as a symbol of the Paradise Lost, the Golden
> > Age: the state of perfect happiness and even innocence that has been 
> > lost, but may still be found; the return to paradise, to God -- after 
> > which nothing of this earth and flesh means anything: you don't have to 
> > desire anything, because you have attained the highest thing anyone can 
> > have.

> I'm not so sure how this plays out in the cosmology of UA.

Well, literally it doesn't mean that much. But I think the Golden Age theme 
is quite common in the Western tradition and it's bound to have some mystic 
potential.

I also like to use such thematical elements and contrasts as story seeds 
and writer anti-blocks. Maybe there's two cults, both trying to achieve 
perfect happiness: the first one seeks Unity with God, innocence, grace, 
spirituality, bodylessness; the other seeks earthly happiness, pleasures of 
the flesh, etc. The first one seeks the Grail, the other seeks the NG tape. 

The Tape Seekers may have split from the first cult after realising that 
the body should not be abandoned, but embraced: the Grail is the ultimate 
symbol of purity and spirituality. They want to destroy it and give rise to 
the new God. The Grail Seekers, of course, want to destroy the Tape and 
preserve the old one.

The Grail Seekers would be slightly clueless unless they worshiped (or 
thought so) the Archetype that Jesus became. It's a shame I can't remember 
anything about the PoMoMa Grail Knights; I'll have to check them when I get 
home. Thanks for the advice, everyone who mentioned it.

The Tape Seekers would of course be very hostile towards the Sect of the 
NG, and vice versa.

Well, there I went a little off the track :) As a theme the paradise lost 
could be a modern, mystic version of it; or a GMC might long for her lost 
youth and try to bring it back (or change a tragic thing in her life) etc. 
My stories are usually stuffed with all kinds of small, thematical elements 
like this; they don't (necessarily) have anything to do with the main plot, 
but I hope to give birth to a few thoughts and create atmosphere.
 
> Nice work.  Hope my two cents helps.

Thanks, it does. If I'm still way off course with my Grail interpretation, 
feel free to correct me :)

By the way, does anyone know of a good introductory book to the Grail 
mythos? There are plenty of stories, and I'd like to get an overlook.

-V