Voices of the Living Grail by W. Bradford DeLong

About the book

Voices of the Living Grail is a spiritual adventure that takes place in a 13th century European kingdom ruled by Grail descendents. The mystery of the Holy Grail took form when the Fisher Kings sought lives of humility and service. To them had been given the secret of its meaning and they called it the sangraal. This was later interpreted to mean san greal, or "Holy Grail," taken to be the vessel used by Jesus at the last supper. But the Grail is far more than a magical articfact. The translation of sangraal should have been sang réal, "blood royal." Sangraal, therefore, pertained to the holy bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, carried by her to Europe when she fled from Roman oppression.

The original Grail, then, was the body of Mary Magdalene herself. The descendents of Jesus and her became a Living Grail, which has carried the true mystical message of Jesus down through the ages.

Voices of the Living Grail is a high-spirited drama that involves troubadours charged with the protection of the Grail family. It is they who keep the knowledge and spirit of the Grail alive against the backdrop of the Inquisition. The Grail kingdom, with its assertive beautiful princess, is challenged by the power, greed, and subterfuge of the Cardinal sent by Rome to oversee the workings of the Inquisition in the kingdom.

Opposing the Cardinal is a mysterious, ageless teacher who has traveled the world gathering wisdom from many sources, enriching the plot with inspiration, mysticism, and magic.

Voices of the Living Grail stands on its own as an exciting work of Visionary Fiction. But beyond that specific readership, there is a much broader appeal, demonstrated by the large enthusiastic following that developed for Jesus the Man; Holy Blood, Holy Grail; and Bloodline of the Holy Grail. Voices of the Living Grail is a teaching vehicle that not only discloses ancient wisdom, practice, and inspiration, but also promotes a worldview that integrates the spiritual paths offered by this planet's rich and varied cultures.

About the author

Dr. W. Bradford DeLong is a retired neurosurgeon living among the beautiful mountains of North Central Idaho, along with his chiropractor wife, Dr. Irene Lamberti. Brad practiced and taught neurosurgery in San Francisco for over thirty years, moving to Idaho in the mid 1990s.

Through the years, Brad and Irene have explored many avenues of personal and spiritual development. They have led seminars and workshops in the areas of personal development, sacred dance, and contemplative practice. They have produced a video series of participatory sacred dance called Moving Meditations through Dance, airing on public television nationally. The couple co-authored the book Spirit In Action, published in 2000 by Ballantine/Wellspring.

Dr. DeLong has written a number of medical articles and has contributed to several collaborative textbooks on spinal surgery. After moving to Idaho, he was able to spend more time in the country, and authored a book on ecologically-orientated outdoor recreation, 4-Wheel Freedom: The Art of Off-Road Driving, originally published in 1996. The book was revised and updated for a 2001 edition and is currently in its fourth printing. He has also published a number of articles on outdoor recreation in a variety of specialty magazines. Voices of the Living Grail is his first novel.