The Great Return

“The Great Return” is a 1915 short story by Welsh author and mystic Arthur Machan. Set in a small Welsh village, the story revolves around the return of the Holy Grail to the home of its alleged origin. The story refers to the Nanteos Cup, a medieval wood mazer bowl held for many years at Nanteos Mansion, Rhydyfelin, near Aberystwyth in Wales. It is believed by some that this Bowl is a candidate for the Holy Grail, which has the supernatural ability to heal those who drink from it and that is traditionally believed to be fashioned from a piece of the True Cross. Arthur Machen (1863 – 1947) was a Welsh author and renowned mystic during the 1890s and early 20th century who garnered literary acclaim for his contributions to the supernatural, horror, and fantasy fiction genres. His seminal novella “The Great God Pan” (1890) has become a classic of horror fiction, with Stephen King describing it as one of the best horror stories ever written in the English language. Other notable fans of his gruesome tales include William Butler Yeats and Arthur Conan Doyle; and his work has been compared to that of Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.