The chalice, derived from the Greek kalyx and Latin calyx, is a cup used for drinking liquids. It is often associated with Christian masses and is considered a religious object. The chalice has been used in Christian services since the early Church and is usually intricately decorated and made of precious materials. In neo-pagan faiths, it represents the feminine principle and is used in rituals. The chalice is also one of the four suits of the tarot, associated with the water element, love, emotions, and clergy. Historically, chalices came in various shapes, sizes, and materials.
The word chalice comes from the Greek kalyx through the Latin calyx, in which it simply means ‘cup’. A goblet is, in fact, simply a cup intended to contain drinkable liquid, even if it has come to have more specific connotations. Generally chalices are considered religious objects and in the modern world they are more often associated with Christian masses, from which the wine of the Eucharist is drunk.
The most common shape for a goblet is with a large bowl on top, with a stem that widens as it descends to a flat base. Most chalices have fairly large bowls, but some are smaller, sometimes called a chalice instead.
The chalice plays a central role in Christianity, serving as a vessel for the liquid that represents, or is seen literally as, the blood of Christ. A chalice has therefore been used in Christian services since the early Church, and in many periods of history religious chalices were intricately decorated and often made of precious materials and encrusted with gems. Because of its central place in the Mass, as well as its material beauty, the Christian chalice is usually treated with much respect and reverence.
The cup used by Christ at the Last Supper is, in some traditions, seen as imbued with miraculous powers. In this context the chalice is usually referred to as the Holy Grail, and a whole body of literature has sprung up around speculation about its history, purported powers, and current whereabouts. This same chalice is often said to have been used to collect Christ’s blood after his crucifixion.
Many neo-pagan faiths also make use of the chalice in their rituals. In this context the chalice is usually understood to represent the feminine principle, and as in Christianity it often contains a liquid intended to be ceremoniously shared by participants in a ritual. In the Great Wiccan Rite the chalice is used in conjunction with a ceremonial dagger (the Athame) to represent the fusion of feminine and masculine energies.
The chalice is also traditionally one of the four suits of the tarot. Together with swords, wands and discs, the chalices make up the 56 cards of the minor arcana. In this context, the term chalice is often replaced by cup. The tarot chalice is associated with the water element, love and emotions, and clergy. It is also analogous to the suit of hearts in modern playing cards.
Historically stemware came in all shapes, sizes and materials. Old stone chalices can be found all over the Mediterranean going back thousands of years, modern Anglican churches can have unadorned silver chalices and many Catholic examples are made of gold with rubies, emeralds and sapphires adorning them.
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