The Nanteos Cup: Folklore and Heritage from Country House to the Internet

Abstract

The colourful urban legend that surrounds the Nanteos cup features escaping monks, secret tunnels, and a crusader, but perhaps more than any other factor, it is a tribute to the power of the Internet. This damaged medieval mazer bowl, unearthed during renovations at a monastic site, found its way into a stately home in Wales. It was exhibited at an archaeological meeting, gained a local reputation for ‘healing’, and was absorbed into early twentieth-century speculations about the holy grail. At the end of the twentieth century, references to the object could be found in a handful of paper scraps recording cures, occasional accounts in local newspapers and guides, and a series of family letters in the National Library of Wales, plus hints in popular works about the grail. In the twenty-first century, Internet notices have risen exponentially, and the object is now on display at the National Library in Aberystwyth.