On the trail of the Holy Grail : Mail & Guardian Online

Die "heilige graal". Almal praat daaroor, maar wat is dit?

In The Da Vinci Code, the Holy Grail is neither an object nor an objective. It symbolises an earthshaking secret: Mary Magdalene bore a child with Jesus.

The mega-selling book -- the film version of which opens next week -- is fiction. But, as far as Grail legends go, it's in good company. The only undeniable truth about the Grail is that there's no shortage of tales about it.

Since the Holy Grail became part of the popular Christian imagination in the Middle Ages, it's taken an array of forms. The most enduring Grail image is as a vessel -- perhaps a chalice -- held by Christ at the Last Supper and later used to catch his blood during his final hours.