Six Degrees of the Grail Quest

I made my own Grail diary a few years ago and wanted to give it a uniqueness, so I added some notations only found in the novelization of the Last Crusade- most specifically the six degrees or levels of awareness in the Grail quest. It's conceivable that someone within the vastness of these numerous threads may have commented on the degrees once upon a time, but not recently as far as I can see. So, forgive me if I'm reiterating an old thread, but here are the degrees as as I wrote them, penned in the common style of the movie Grail Diary:
"There are six degrees or levels of awareness in the Grail quest and each one is represented by an animal.
The raven was the symbol of the first degree and represented the messenger of the Grail and the finger of fate that initiated the quest.
The peacock signified the second degree and symbolized the search for immortality. It is suggested that the colorful and imaginative nature of the quest is apparent.
The sign for the third degree was the swan because the one who took up the Grail quest sang a swan song to selfish and indulgent ways. In order to succeed in the quest, one must overcome weaknesses of the mind and heart and move beyond pety likes and dislikes.
The fourth degree was signified by the pelican, a bird willing to nurture its young by wounding its own breast. It symbolized the quality of self-sacrifice and the willingness to endanger self for the sake of saving one's own people.
The lion was the sign of the fifth degree. It stood for leadership, conquest, and the attainment of high goals.
The sixth and highest (degree) level, represented by the eagle, was achieved at the end of the quest. At that time the seeker of the Grail would have gained power and knowledge necessary to understand the significance of the search."
On the very last page of my diary, I added a "Final Note" that Henry, Sr. might have penned after a discussion with Junior. Some of these symbols appeared in the movie, but all are recorded in the novel: "This quest lead to all six degrees (or levels) of awareness. The first was represented by a raven that sat on the wondowsill of Junior's classroom. The second was represented by the peacock feathers in Donovan's home. The third degree was the swan in the pond at Brundwald Castle. The fourth was represented by the pelican on the fuselage of the zeppelin biplane. The fifth degree was the lion's heads at opposite ends of the 'invisible bridge'. The final (the sixth) was seen in a vision by Junior- an eagle."
I went on a quest of my own to locate the animal symbols in the film and, as aforementioned, some of these are found throughout the movie.

Very interesting, I've always wondered what the purpose of the Lion head sculpture was in LC, I'll need to look for the other Stage animals too. More reasons now that I need to get the LC Novelization.
Do you have any pics of your new custom Grail Diary pages?

I don't have any photos of my Grail diary but the Raven won't let me post any photos until I've established myself further. Thanks for the comment.

foreverwingnut said:

I went on a quest of my own to locate the animal symbols in the film and, as aforementioned, some of these are found throughout the movie.

Click to expand...

I'll have to remember to keep an eye out for them the next time I watch LC. However, I did very recently notice (and I don't know how I missed it for all these years) the lions in the library.....

The movie was never made to show these animal representations, but for continuity with the book, it is conceivable that the animals are represented whether seen or not. Ravens, peacock feathers, and swans are unseen as far as I've been able to tell, but certainly could have been present in their respective places as the film does show the college, Donovan's opulent home, and the lake at Brundwald Castle. There is no pelican on the movie biplane, but it might be conceivable that a pelican or two went through the propeller of the fighter plane (although doves were used as doubles for pidgeons in the making). The lion is in abundance throughout most of the film, as you noticed. The eagle was supposed to be Indy's vision, but it would have been visibly present at the end as the eagle was on the chests of each german soldier that tumbled into the earth. I continue to look in the paintings, tapestries ("There are tapestries aren't there?") and even the types of feathers in the hats of ladies, but so far I haven't found any other visible signs of the other animals. I've even read signs and the names on boats for any reference to animals, but I'm coming up empty-handed. If anybody spots something, let me know.