In Search of the Holy Grail Veronica Ortenberg The Middle Ages - the age of Charlemagne, Chaucer and Dante, of knights, castles, and cathedrals - had an indelible effect on European culture. Modern western civilization, in its search for roots, keeps resurrecting and reinventing our medieval past to suit the present. In Search of the Holy Grail is a survey of the fascination for the Middle Ages, and for perceived medieval values, on later periods and especially on the last 100 years, and shows the durability of medievalism as the 'holy grail' of European culture down the ages. Many artistic, political and literary movements have drawn inspiration and sought their roots in the thousand years between 500 and 1500 AD. Medieval Christianity, and its rich legacy, has been the essential background to European culture as a whole. The Celtic myth remains potent today and that of King Arthur ha been one of the most durable and popular, stretching form the Middle Ages to Hollywood. Today the Middle Ages are alive and well, flourishing in the Heritage industry, New Age Celticism, the media, murder mysteries, films and fantasy fiction. In a vivid account of how later ages learnt about and interpreted the past. Veronica Ortenberg shows how strongly medieval ideas and legacies surround us still in the twenty-first century. Veronica Ortenberg (m. West-Harling) is a medieval historian who has taught at the Universities of Durham, Lampeter and Oxford. She has published widely and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a member of the Institute of Historical Research, London. She now works in Oxford.