Prof. Dr. Roland Rotherham

Arthurian Specialist

Contribution to the Show

Roland offered a talk at the Anderida Gorsedd Conference on 11th July 2009 about the Ladies of the Grail. We have great pleasure in bringing you a recording of this wonderful and ertertaining lecture as a special treat for our Autumn Equinox 2009 Holiday Special, SP14.

Biography

Prof. Dr. Roland Rotherham B.A.hons, M.A, Ph.D., Ed.D, M.I.H.G.S. holds degrees in Ancient and Medieval studies, Anglo-Saxon Culture, Heraldry, Anglo-Norman Culture, Ancient and Medieval Cultural Studies, and Education.

He is a member of the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, and The Fellowship Of The Knights Of The Round Table Of King Arthur.

Referred to as 'The Doctor' even by his colleagues, Roly to his friends and even Uncle Roly to the few chosen ones, he has been described as "the quintessential Englishman" and has devoted his life to the study of Arthurian and Grail Lore with frequent forays into the world of associated legends and mythology.

Following a brief but distinguished career in the cavalry, visiting many of the worlds trouble spots and, more importantly he says, learning how to mix "A bitch of a martini" his own quest for The Grail has seen him travelling extensively across the globe including visits to the Indies, Lama herding in Peru, and being captured by river pirates in Indonesia.

Always delivered with a sense of humour the Doctor's lectures are greeted internationally by students who are left with a deeper knowledge of the subjects covered and some of the Doctors infectious enthusiasm which burns richly through all his talks. He also has meetings every week with a group who follow his talks and lessons, often for years and years; they call themselves 'The Heraldics'.

Not only has Roland been published on these subjects, he is also an avid Cricket player and has published a book about it together with Guy Clifford. 'The Greatest Cricketing Tips in the World'.

Roly is a great cook, specializing in Medieval cooking. He has published a book called 'The Greatest Etiquette & Dining Tips in the World'. He also has a love for Unicorns and Pan.

The Ladies of the Grail

Many people are aware of the legends relating to this relic and its importance in the "Quest" but the actual story regarding the possible origin of The Grail is as complex as the legends that surround it.

Firstly we can look at the Celtic Grail with its dark mysticism and the stories of the cauldron of Annwn, a magical vessel that belonged to the mythical Giant/King Bran The Blessed, this was one of the earliest legends and tells us of a great cauldron that, if a dead warrior was placed into it at the end of a day he would rise again in the morning live and well but without the power of speech. There also exists a tale of the Celtic Cauldron of Knowledge, one taste from this vessel and all wisdom past, present, and future is the gift of the tasters, this also links with the tale of Taliesin.

There is also an Eastern tradition of Grail legends associated with Suffism and the Zoroastran faith, there also exist tales of an other-worldly green stone that give us tantalising glimpses into another dimension of the tales but it is with the Christian Grail that most are familiar.

Even here though things are not as straightforward as they seem. What if we consider the possibility of not one Christian Grail but three? There may be every chance that three separate cups give rise to these best known of stories, the cup of The Last Supper, the cup of Joseph of Arimathea, and a cup used by Mary Magdalene. Each of these cups is separate and distinct from each other, but each one contributes to the tapestry that eventually becomes the legend.

DVD

Roland has 1 DVD available - I can't find a link to it at the moment :(

© All non-original items about Roland Rotherham on this page are copyright Roland Rotherhamp 2009