Holy Grail (redirected from Queste du Graal)

Holy Grail: see Grail, Holy.

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grail

 or Holy Grail

In Arthurian legend, a sacred cup that was the object of a mystical quest by knights of the Round Table. The grail legend may have been inspired by classical and Celtic stories of magic cauldrons and horns of plenty. It was first given Christian significance as a mysterious, holy object by Chrétien de Troyes in the 12th-century romance Perceval, or the Count of the Holy Grail. The grail was sometimes said to be the same cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and later by Joseph of Arimathea to catch the blood flowing from the wounds of Jesus on the cross. The most notable figure connected with the grail was Sir Galahad, who, according to Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur, found the grail and achieved mystical union with God.

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Holy Grail

A very desired object or outcome that borders on a sacred quest. There are several Holy Grails in the computer business. Standards tend to be high on the list; for example, having "one" standard that everybody uses and is happy with for each required area. Writing software once and having it run on every computer platform is also desired by many. Another is a software component architecture that allows software modules to "plug together" like hardware components, no matter the platform they run on or which programming language they were written in.

Christian Mythology
There are several derivations of the meaning of the Holy Grail that come from Christian mythology. For example, some people believe it was the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. Some say it was the cup that Joseph of Arimathea used to collect drops of Jesus' blood at the Crucifixion, while others believe it was the same cup in both instances. Numerous legends of the quest for the Holy Grail, which would bring healing and eternal life, have been recounted in various ancient treatises.

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Holy Grail

a. (in medieval legend) the bowl used by Jesus at the Last Supper. It was allegedly brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, where it became the quest of many knights

b. (in modern spirituality) a symbol of the spiritual wholeness that leads a person to union with the divine

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Holy Grail

chalice enabled Sir Galahad to heal a cripple. [Br. Lit.: Le Morte d’Arthur]

See : Miracle

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Holy Grail

cup said to have been used by Jesus at the Last Supper. [Christian Tradition: Brewer Dictionary, 412]

See : Sacred Objects