Otto Rahn was born in Michelstadt, Germany, in 1904. After earning his degree in philology in 1924, he traveled extensively to the caves and castles of southern France, researching his belief that the Cathars were the last custodians of the Grail. Induced by Himmler to become a member of the SS as a civilian archaeologist and historian, Rahn quickly grew disillusioned with the direction his country was taking and resigned in 1939. He died, an alleged suicide, on March 13, 1939, in the snows of the Tyrolean Mountains.

"A better study of the Cathar spirituality could not be found. And beyond delving into it uniquely and sympathetically, Rahn uses it like a prism to bring out the religious conflicts of the time."

• Translator’s Foreword Map of Southern FrancePrologue Part One Parsifal Part Two The GrailThe Golden Fleece Gwion’s Cup How the Bard Taliesin Came to the World The Legend of the Bard Cervorix The “Pure Ones” and Their Doctrine The Caves of Trevrizent Close to the Fountain Called La Salvaesche Monmur, the Enchanted Castle of Oberon Muntsalvaesche and Montségur Repanse de Schoye Part Three The Crusade Part Four The Apotheosis of the Grail Appendix: Observations on the Theoretical Part Notes Bibliography Index

Otto Rahn was born in Michelstadt, Germany, in 1904. After earning his degree in philology in 1924, he traveled extensively to the caves and castles of southern France, researching his belief that the Cathars were the last custodians of the Grail. Induced by Himmler to become a member of the SS as a civilian archaeologist and historian, Rahn quickly grew disillusioned with the direction his country was taking and resigned in 1939. He died, an alleged suicide, on March 13, 1939, in the snows of the Tyrolean Mountains.

"A better study of the Cathar spirituality could not be found. And beyond delving into it uniquely and sympathetically, Rahn uses it like a prism to bring out the religious conflicts of the time."

• Translator’s Foreword Map of Southern FrancePrologue Part One Parsifal Part Two The GrailThe Golden Fleece Gwion’s Cup How the Bard Taliesin Came to the World The Legend of the Bard Cervorix The “Pure Ones” and Their Doctrine The Caves of Trevrizent Close to the Fountain Called La Salvaesche Monmur, the Enchanted Castle of Oberon Muntsalvaesche and Montségur Repanse de Schoye Part Three The Crusade Part Four The Apotheosis of the Grail Appendix: Observations on the Theoretical Part Notes Bibliography Index