The Indiana Jones film franchise began in 1981 with the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film is based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton Indiana Jones, Jr. played by Harrison Ford. The series was created by George Lucas and was a complete hit. But did you know that there was a real-life Indiana Jones?
During the height of their reign, the Nazis were in pursuit of various mythical objects. One of which was the Holy Grail. Otto Rahn was so fixated on finding the Holy Grail that he is known to be the real-life Indiana Jones.
Otto Rahn: The Real Indiana Jones
Otto Wilhelm Rahn was a German writer, medievalist, Ariosophist and an officer of the Schutzstaffel (SS). He was obsessed with the Holy Grail myth since he was a child. At the University of Giessen, his professor, Baron vol Gall influenced him to study the Albigensian.
Because of his oddness, Rahn has been the center of many stories. In fact, even until modern times, Rahn is part of pop culture. Richard Stanely made a documentary about Rahn and his obsession with the Holy Grail. Katherine Kerr also used Rhan as a character in her novel called the Sorcerer’s Feud. (Source: Telegraph)
Did Otto Rahn Ever Find the Holy Grail?
It is rumored that Otto Rahn found the Holy Grail and kept it until the end of World War II in the Wewelsburg, the SS castle near Paderborn. However, this rumor can easily be debunked. While there was a grail in Wewelsburg, it was nothing more than a massive rock crystal.
Rene Nelli, a well-known Cathar scholar, claims that the Holy Grail is not mentioned in any of the remaining Cathar texts, and Julius Evola dismissed the Cathar Grail theory. (Source: All That Interesting)
What is The Holy Grail?
The Holy Grail is traditionally thought to be the cup from which Jesus Christ drank at the Last Supper, as well as the cup from which Joseph of Arimathea collected Jesus’ blood during his crucifixion. For centuries, the Holy Grail has been a source of mystery and fascination, from ancient legends to modern films.
The Holy Grail first appears around 1180 in Chrétien de Troyes’ Old French poem Perceval, le Conte del Graal, or the Story of the Grail. Over the next 50 years, several other literary works focused on the Holy Grail as a primary goal.
This culminated in a cycle of five prose stories, published in France and translated into other languages, telling the history of the Grail from the crucifixion to Arthur’s death. (Source: History)
What Happened to The Holy Grail?
Several locations around the world claim to have the original Holy Grail. Historians Margarita Torres and José Miguel Ortega del Rio claim that the Holy Grail is housed in the Basilica of San Isidoro in León, northern Spain.
Others contend that the Holy Grail can be found in Valencia Cathedral. However, with over 200 claimants in Europe alone and no proof to back any of them up, its final resting place appears to be a mystery. (Source: Arts and Culture)