Gemstone of paradise: the Holy Grail in Wolfram's Parzival

Prologue : in the beginning : grails, the Grail, and the stars

The idea of the Holy Grail

The world of precious stones

The crusaders' quest : the Holy Sepulcher

The frame story : Feirefiz, Parzival, and their father

The frame story ending : the overflowing Grail

The Grail in the inner story

The Paradise Altar of Bamberg

Afterword : aftermath

Appendix I. Etymological excursus : the meaning of the five women's names

Appendix II. Two medieval texts on the consecration of the altar and veneration of the Sepulcher.