Ep 3. Nazi Raiders of the Holy Grail

Forbidden History is back with its sixth season, and this time, it explores several intriguing historical mysteries. In season six, episode three, the show investigates the enigmatic tales surrounding the Holy Grail and the alleged involvement of Nazis in its search.

Titled "Nazi Raiders of the Holy Grail," the episode revolves around the Holy Grail, a revered artifact that has captured people's imagination for centuries. While some believe that the Grail is a cup or chalice used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, others argue that it has a more significant metaphysical or spiritual meaning. Whatever the Grail may be, it has inspired countless legends, myths, and quests over the ages.

But as the episode reveals, one of the most bizarre chapters in the Holy Grail's story is its association with Nazi Germany. According to some historians and conspiracy theorists, the Nazis were obsessed with finding the Grail during World War II. They believed that the Grail's mystical powers could grant them supernatural abilities and help them win the war. As a result, they went on several expeditions to locate the Grail or its whereabouts.

The episode examines the evidence and theories behind this sensational claim, starting with the Nazis' interest in the occult. The show's host, Jamie Theakston, meets with experts who shed light on the Nazis' fascination with magic and esotericism. Some argue that the Nazis saw themselves as the heirs of ancient Germanic tribes, such as the Goths and the Celts, who had their own mystic traditions. Therefore, they sought to revive and exploit these traditions for their own purposes, including finding the Holy Grail.

The episode also delves into the Nazi expedition to the Middle East, where they believed the Grail might be hidden. Jamie visits Cairo, Egypt, where he learns about the German archaeologist Otto Rahn, who spearheaded the search for the Grail in the 1930s. Rahn's theories about the Grail's connection to the Cathars, a Gnostic sect persecuted by the Catholic Church, influenced the Nazis' outlook and motivated them to explore the Pyrenees mountains in southern France, where the Cathars once flourished.

Furthermore, the episode uncovers the alleged involvement of Nazi officers in stealing precious art objects and relics from European churches, including Grail-related artifacts. Jamie visits Austria, where he examines the case of the Goldenes Rössl or Golden Pony, a Grail-like sculpture that was taken by the Nazis from a monastery in the Tyrol region. He talks to local authorities and researchers who have been trying to recover the sculpture for decades, and who suspect that it might still be hidden somewhere in Austria.

The show also investigates the infamous "Rosendahl incident," where a Nazi officer and his team searched for the Grail in a remote castle in Czechoslovakia. The expedition, which was said to be authorized by Hitler himself, involved excavations and secret tunnels, but ultimately yielded no Grail. Jamie visits the castle, now a museum, where he talks to the curators and historians who recount the events and the myths surrounding them.

Overall, "Nazi Raiders of the Holy Grail" is a fascinating and thought-provoking episode of Forbidden History, as it raises many questions and debates about the Holy Grail's meaning and history. It also shows how even the most elusive and mystical objects can become enmeshed in human conflicts and ideologies, such as the Nazi regime's twisted worldview.