PREFACE

THE present study follows the lines of my previous work upon the subject: "Studies on the Legend of the Holy Grail, with special reference to the hypothesis of its Celtic Origin, 1888," in so far as I first lay before the reader the facts in the shape of brief summaries of the romances, and then endeavour to interpret these facts in the most natural and unforced manner. Limits of space have compelled me to cite only the salient, absolutely essential facts, to disregard many secondary points on which I dwelt fully in my 1888 work, and to discard absolutely all polemic against other investigators of the Grail literature. I may say briefly that the conclusions to which I came in 1888 have, in the main, been strengthened by the subsequent course of research, in especial by the work of Miss Weston, to whom are due the most pregnant and illuminating suggestions in the field of Arthurian study during the last ten years, and whom I must thank for reading the proofs of the following pages and for many valuable remarks.

In the Bibliographical Appendix I have only cited such books and articles as have appeared since 1888, with which the serious student of the cycle needs to make himself acquainted. For Grail literature prior to 1888 I refer, in so far as it is not cited in the Appendix, to my previous work.

ALFRED NUTT.

Quelle: The Legends of The Holy Grail, Alfred Nutt, London 1902, S. 2