From Ritual to Romance

“...of this one thing we may be sure, the Grail is a living force, it will never die; it may indeed sink out of sight, and, for centuries even, disappear from the field of literature, but it will rise to the surface again, and become once more a theme of vital inspiration...””

— Jessie L. Weston

“Eliot later disparaged his own appreciation of Weston's book when he commented "It was just, no doubt, that I should pay my tribute to Miss Jessie Weston; but I regret having sent so many enquirers off on a wild goose chase after Tarot cards and the Holy Grail.””

— Jessie L. Weston

“...the Otherworld is not a myth, but a reality, and in all ages there have been souls who have been willing to brave the great adventure, and to risk all for the chance of bringing back with them some assurance of the future life.””

— Jessie L. Weston

“The Grail romances repose eventually, not upon a poet’s imagination, but upon the ruins of an august and ancient ritual, a ritual which once claimed to be the accredited guardian of the deepest secrets of Life.””

— Jessie L. Weston

“...the Grail is a living force, it will never die; it may indeed sink out of sight, and, for centuries even, disappear from the field of literature, but it will rise to the surface again, and become once more a theme of vital inspiration...””

— Jessie L. Weston

“The study and the criticism of the Grail literature will possess an even deeper interest, a more absorbing fascination, when it is definitely recognized that we possess in that literature a unique example of the restatement of an ancient and august Ritual in terms of imperishable Romance.””

— Jessie L. Weston

“Weston retained her reputation and position as one of the prominent medieval scholars of her time. She continued working until her death, which occurred at the age of 77 on September 29, 1928, after complications following cancer surgery. Her obituary in the Times included not just a mention of her work, but of her general positive attitude in the face of critics, noting that, "her charming personality and her great sense of humour won her the enduring affection of a host of friends all over the world...””

— Jessie L. Weston

“Today, the work that is most associated with Weston's memory is one that she wrote when she was 70 years old. From Rituals to Romance, published in 1921, is Weston's best known work largely in part due to the fact that T.S. Eliot named it as one of his great sources and influences for his poem, The Waste Land. In a note in the work, Eliot wrote: Not only the title, but the plan and a good deal of the incidental symbolism of the poem were suggested by Miss Jessie L. Weston's book on the Grail legend: From Ritual to Romance (Cambridge).””

— Jessie L. Weston