On a television channel a Badacsony area winemaker once said that grapevine is one of the few things capable of Resurrection. After all, the bunches are picked, treaded out, ground, crushed out - it almost looks like it's had it. But then comes resurrection! The new grapevine gets a new life, and if treated well, it comes to life again in the form of a marvellous wine. The hand-laboring winemaker interviewed on television had a glimpse of the transcendence characteristic to grapes and especially the wine made from them. And of which József Zelnik's ambitious work, The Great Ceremony speaks.

"Our world is a fabric of theophanies", is the simple declarative sentence the book begins with. Before embarking on detailing his message the author immediately outlines the total context of his book's subject also in the philosophical sense. Because what he says is no less than the fact that the divine dimension is reflected in our world (or it so appears) at every step. The divine fingerprint is seen in so many steps and phenomena of earthly existence, and all a mortal man needs to recognize the divine in the commonplace, is a sharp eye, an open mind and the determination to learn.

With his statement "Our world is a fabric of theophanies", the author gives a very precise description of the purpose he aims at achieving with his book. Since wine is one of the theophanies, József Zelnik engages to disguise the spiritual presence of wine in the world's major, traditional cultures as well as the important characteristics and symbols of cultural history of that presence. In the Preface of his book about he writes how wine conveys a message, and that wine really is a message from another world above us. One form of manifestation of this message is a fact we cannot deny: In the great cultures of the world, wine is the drink of Gods. As of the very beginning, from Dionysus of the ancient Greeks to the Holy Communion, wine is seen present in every major civilization, and not just marginally. Wine is mystical and yet earthly, at the same time. Just like in the poem "Szüret az Athoszhegyen" ("Vintage on Mount Athos") by Endre Ady, creator of modern Hungarian poetry, wine is both rapture and grace. In his work, József Zelnik also mentions the drink of rapture, yet his book eventually only discusses the question of how wine becomes the drink and representation of divine grace.

In earthly life, wine belongs to luxury goods, it brings enjoyment and forgetfulness, cures the sorrows. Yet rapture lasts only for a short time. So, then due to what factor, from what point on, does the concept of wine move toward mysticism? In order to examine how the drink of earthly rapture becomes the subject of mysticism reaching its peak in the Holy Communion of Christianity, József Zelnik discusses the subject chronologically, in the sequence the great civilizations, against a complete backdrop of both philosophy and cultural history, as I noted above. Art, being exactly one of the mystical ways of learning about life, is in alliance with wine and earthly ecstasy. "We could also consider art being the favorite flower of wine's earthly soul, and the Holy Communion being its heavenly image...", the author says. (11. p.). This statement of the author, again, induces a multitude of thoughts. For example, that art itself belongs into the divine dimension, given that a work of art is a "heavenly image" of earthly reality, filtered through the artist's soul. He also points out that the world's great creative minds from Horace to Leonardo da Vinci and from Baudelaire to Endre Ady, have yet one more thing in common, which is that in their works, wine is held up as a representative of ecstasy and mysticism. And last but not least, Zelnik suggests in advance that, in the course of his reasoning and explanations, he will keep referring to the continued presence of wine as a material and spiritual motif, both in literature and the visual arts as well as in human culture in general.

Following that, and also indicating the essence of his message, he returns to the Holy Communion, the pinnacle of wine mysticism. The blood of Christ is the most important symbol of the Christian world as it conveys the message of salvation. It's no coincidence that anti-Christianity uses - an denies - this symbol (as well) in trying to pull Christ's sacrifice back to the ground. According to the legend, it was Joseph of Arimathea who gathered Christ's blood in a cup, which becomes the starting point of the all so popular Legend of the Holy Grail. For the Christians, the blood of Christ represents the hope of redemption, while anti-Christian radicalism sees in it nothing more than the relic of an earthly messiah. This discrepancy or debate, however, does not belong to the subject of the book, and the author deals with intellectual errors and quackery only to the degree of giving his criticism on them. And as for two hundred years, desolate as materialism is, it has reduced wine to being no more than a stimulant of intellectual ecstasy, without the grace of faith. Yet a mind that thinks responsibly, seeking real knowledge of the subject, however, continues its quest, and waits until God unveils the secret shown by the transformation: how ecstasy turns into grace.

Zelnik's book, just like its subject, is food for thought, pointing into a multitude of directions. His Preface outlines the phenomenon of wine mysticism and the full context of its cultural history, assigning in the guidelines, criteria, and methods for his investigation. This then begins the fifteen chapter-long great journey, finally culminating in the reader understanding the real and complex meaning of the word wine.

In the first chapter of the book (Bor a Vízözön előtt [Wine Before the Deluge]) printed in the format of an album, the author starts with the assumption that the Deluge was the first natural disaster to be preserved by the collective memory of humanity. The Deluge - the punishment of the Lord - was a dramatic turning point, the terrible sight of which prompted Noah, the only surviving head of a family, to start drinking. He sought inebriety to ease the pain of his soul. In other words, the Deluge, this turning point in the life of mankind, is in a direct relationship with wine, and it is already here at the beginnings that we see a connection between the earthly and heavenly dimensions also perpetuated by wine.

Written records of wine can be found even from the era before the Deluge, such as the Hittite epic Kingdom in the Sky also mentioning a cup. We see concepts and terms, also emerging from the shadows of the ancient past, such as "elixir", the "water of life". The latter one also meant blood (menstrual fluid), that is, it was already at this point, this early stage of the history and culture of humanity that the blood-wine relationship, the mysticism of blood-wine transformation appear. Another important motif in the mysticism of wine emerging also in the ancient world, Egypt, was symbol of the eye. The word "wine" originally also had the meaning of green eyes of the god Horus. Affixing the letter Q to the beginning of the Hebrew word yayin (wine) we get the name of Qayin (Cain), which means "where the King comes from". In the first chapter of his book the author formulates a multitude of such and similar allegations, facts and suppositions, as well as strongly judicious decisions, indicating the ancientry of wine mysticism on the one hand, while on the other hand referring to its cultural diversity, particularly to the fact that the whole fabric of human civilization is repeatedly interwoven by wine, and of course, not only as an earthly tool used for inebriation, but also as a hieratic mask. In other words, wine, as a representative of divine, sacred spirituality also determined by traditions, has been present in the mind of humanity for several millennia.

It is extremely difficult to decipher signs and symbols we are left with, of a human knowledge lost in the shadows of the ancient past, the author says speaking with fair restraint and humility toward science. But even if we try to decipher and trace back no more than just the basic motives, the hieratic mask of wine reveals a distinct world shaping behind it, the age in which Heaven and Earth were joined together, to a degree almost inconceivable to us today. A time, when human and divine dimensions were in a close, or one might say, natural relationship with each other. Thus, at the end of the first chapter, the author repeatedly indicates his intention to examine how wine, as a hieratic mask, forms a connection between Heaven and Earth, worldly and otherworldly, human and divine, throughout the different ages and cultures.

After giving an outline of the antediluvian section lost in the solar nebula, the second chapter of the book (A Nagy Szertartás: a bor a Földre jön [The Grand Ceremony: Wine Comes to Earth]) is probably the most important part, a key to the whole work. This section forms the starting point of all of Zelnik's reasoning, based on which all subsequent chapters can be understood, and where a number of his explications refer back to. Using a profane analogy, this section is "square one", knowing which is a prerequisite to proceed and embark upon the intellectual adventure. Therefore, describing the contents and vein of thinking of this chapter in a little more detail, is worth the effort.

The major focus of great ancient mythologies is the creation myth, the story of man's creation by God (gods). A recurring motif in the ancient Mesopotamian depictions is shown in a picture (Figure 10, page 23) where we see a man and a woman standing across from each other, with chalice in hand, raised up above a table (altar) toward the deity. It clearly shows the offering of a sacrifice. The sacrifice or oblation are evidently sacred acts during which the man and the woman ask the deity's blessing for their alliance on earth. Their marriage will be fulfilled in their wedding, their offspring shall populate the Earth. This event, the author says, is the Grand Ceremony itself; this is the sublime moment and spiritual act of Man and God as they connect with each other. This is the event and moment of wine becoming a link between the worlds of Heaven and Earth.

Situated between the human couple (Ninhursag and Enki) offering a sacrifice, the picture of the Sumerian relief shows a trestle table, presumably functioning as an altar. Extending from the free hands of the two characters is an omega symbol, which originally was a crescent-shaped blade used for cutting the umbilical chord of the newborn. The same omega-like letter is observed in the ancient Egyptian representations of Isis. Isis' hairstyle and her face begirded by the omega symbol mean divine clarity, completeness of knowledge. This shape symbolizes radiant energy, which probably is the origin of the halo around the heads of Christian saints.

The representation of the Grand Ceremony and that of the sacrifice offered by Ninhursag and Enki is one of the archetypes and topoi of human culture. It displays the mythical idea that earthly existence and culture are a part of deus ex machina, and that the Old Testament was concluded between God and Man. This ancient tradition, however, has faded throughout the history of mankind. And when ancient knowledge and faith grow dim, so do life-giving traditions become faint and institutions ever to rely upon fade away, sacralities in Man's existence abate, followed replaced by void and nihil. The picture of Ninhursag and Enki offering a sacrifice, the image capturing the relationship between the human and the divine dimensions is the Grand Ceremony of human existence. But remembrance of this holy act and the awareness of its importance have gradually faded throughout the millennia. Folklore, however, has preserved the memory of the Great Ceremony, and it keeps recurring from time to time as a folk motif or image, atavistically evoking the act of the Great Ceremony of the ancients, with man and woman standing in front of each other, raising their wine cups representing creation, the promise of birth, and ultimately, the community of love with God. The original Sumerian representations are the archetype and topoi of the Holy Communion, and perhaps also the first depictions of the wonders of wine. This is how wine appears in ancient depictions as a hieratic mask, and it is the in-depth analysis of this representation as well as a thorough knowledge of its meaning that provide a key to an accurate interpretation of the remaining chapters of the book.

Following an analysis of the representation and interpretation of the motivics of the picture of the Great Ceremony, the author continues his "time travel", and in the next chapter of his book (A Vízözön bora [The Wine of The Deluge]), he reviews the major dividing line of human history and its related aspects of wine mysticism. Zelnik once again ascertains that it is the character of the "ancient vine-dresser" Noah and wine itself that create a link between the two worlds, the era before and after the cataclysm. Noah's role is to survive the Deluge, the wrath and punishment of the Lord, and to salvage and carry over the wine of consolation for the future. This is how sacral wine from before the Deluge turns into an earthly drink, a profane consoler, a drink of rapture. (To later win back its full sacrality again, in the Holy Communion.) After the Deluge Noah gets drunk. He does have a good reason to drink, having seen a world destroyed in front of his eyes. Noah knew that God's punishment is no other than cleansing grace, and the fact that mankind has a chance to survive is an even higher grace. Punishment and grace, sorrow and joy, both made Noah drink - after all, wine is a drink of both sorrow and joy.

Mortals cannot exist without God (the divine), there is no earthly existence without a sacrifice offered to Heaven. This is how wine comes to the altar, and the earthly drink becomes a hieratic mask constituting a vehicle for the holy act. After the Deluge, wine has taken on and forever retained its role of divine consolation. Noah is merely one, albeit the first testifier of wine's sacred significance, with Melchizedek, Horus, Dionysus, and ultimately, Christ following in his footsteps. "They are the ones to form the mythical and sacred divine-royal bloodline of wine during the postdiluvian age" (36.p.), the author concludes his discussion on Noah's wine.

The next section (Közeledés a bor szó jelentéséhez [Getting closer to the meaning of the word "wine"]) is a "detour" in the line of chapters otherwise chronologically following the history of culture and the sequence of major cultures in the world. In this chapter, Zelnik takes upon himself to linguistically, lexicologically and etymologically examine the word "wine" in different languages. Of course, the purpose of this section is not merely to philologize and compare words just for the sake of doing so, rather, it provides a key and an essential explanation for definite interpretation of further data.

First of all, he states that in order to get to the source of the (symbolic) meaning of the word "wine", one needs to dive down to the sunken Atlantis of language. His starting point based on Wilhelm Schmitt's research, is that, similarly to what the ancient peoples believed, the natural people of today also believe in the existence of some kind of a Supreme Being. The man of prehistoric ages too believed in a supreme creator and ruler, the archaic revelation and its symbolism were present. Similarly, we also know that wine existed at the beginning, before the development of sacrality took place as it is mentioned even by the earliest written sources, in fact often associated with the concept of light and clarity. The word "wine", therefore, should only be approached with the spirit in mind that it is the vehicle of eternal divine love, creation, light and the whole of existence. The question now is whether the word itself carries the mysticism of divine creation.

The origin of the word "wine" in European cultures is the Latin word vinum. Vinum originally meant wine mixed with water, while clean wine was called merum. However, people in the Mediterranean region only drank wine mixed with water and the word merum was not used by them. The Hebrew name for wine is yayin, the Greek one is oinos. Comparing the very roots of those words with each other we will immediately see that the relationship between the words vin, oin and yin consists of more than formal similarity. The language relationship is clear, and this is also the origin of the word "wine" in European languages, such as wine, wein, vino, or the Georgian gvino. But what could be the ancestor of these terms?

The 16^th letter of the Hebrew alphabet is ayin (meaning: eye). The shape of this letter in the ancient Hebrew language looks like a ring, the shape of an eye. According to the Kabbalah, ayin symbolizes the eye of God. We also know from the chapter Wine before the Deluge, that ancient Egyptian sources interpreted the concept of wine as the green eyes of Horus. And, according to Egyptian mythology, the eye of Horus was the gate between gods and humans! The gate between heavenly and terrestrial worlds, through which messages flow. In the hierarchy of Egyptian mythology, Horus is the personification of fulfillment, the character of light and revelation. It was through his eyes, perhaps the most important symbol of Egyptian mythology, that the drink of gods, wine, was communicated to men. Wine thus being an earthly consolation while at the same time also a carrier of a heavenly message. This is how, already in the antiquity, the drink of rapture became linked with the grace of the "world above". In other words, the word vinum in European cultures also refers to the green eye of Horus, the author concludes.

Unlike it was seen in the case of most European languages, bor, which is the Hungarian word for wine, does not originate from the Latin word. Our word originates from the Hunnish Bor Tengri, the name of the God of Rebirth. Apparently there is an immense distance between the origin of the word vinum, having the basic definition of eye, and the origin of the Hungarian word. We should however know that the word bor originally meant effervescence, ebullition. (In Transylvania, even today, carbonated mineral water is called borvíz or, in other words, bubbly or sparkling water.) Following this logic, however, one can easily see that the distance between the eye, being a symbol of transformation and of maturation, and the Hungarian bor, carrying the meaning of the effervescence, is not quite that big. As Zelnik summarizes in conclusion of his linguistic explications: "As it can probably be seen from what I have written so far, God, the eye, the acts of transformation, maturation and wine itself are all rooted in the same ground, the symbology of earthly mysticism" (42. p.).

God and the all-seeing eye are one and the same (depiction of the eye in a triangle is an artistic motif very common in Christianity). Gods always wished to become humans, humans always wanted to become gods - this is what the word wine is all about, it is a symbol of maturation, metamorphosis and transformation. After all, maturation, metamorphosis and transformation are also the way wine itself is born, and this process in which grapes resurrect in the form of wine. This is the resurrection that happens in the chalice of the altar in the moment of elevation: wine becomes blood, the drink of eternal life.

Through the next eleven chapters, this time adhering to the chronological sequence of major civilizations, the author continues by tracking down the various forms and meanings of wine as a hieratic mask, within very broad limits of space and time. He reviews the world's major cultures known today as to how the sacrality of wine and the mysticism of ecstasy are represented in them.

Ancient Egypt is among the first of those carefully evaluated cultures also known to modern man, so the next chapter (Egyiptom bormisztikája: Zöld Hórusz-szem [The Wine Mysticism of Egypt: The Green Eye of Horus]) assesses key wine related data of this culture and mythology.

Ancient Egypt had a flourishing, high level grape and wine culture, so wine mysticism evolved early on (such as the Festival of Intoxication for Hathor). Like so many aspects of life in Egypt at the time, festivals related to intoxication and ecstasy were connected to the periods of the flooding of the Nile. Wine-related rites evolved several meanings: wine was the beverage of rejuventation and purification, but wine was also a regenerator of force and power, a strengthener of the power of gods. There could have existed an initiation rite associated with Horus, cosidering that in esotherics, green (see Green Eyes of Horus) is the color of secret, the secret of secrets. Not to mention the idea that they attributed healing powers to the divine blood flowing from the eyes of Horus.

In ancient Egypt "wine mysticism already evolves the entirety of its sacred earthly and heavenly significance", Zelnik summarizes. In this culture, wine is already (...) situated in the center of salvation of heaven and earth" (53. p.). The study of ancient Egyptian culture and mythology finally leads the author to the conclusion that wine mysticism and liturgy are antitypical of all that wine mysticism of the Holy Communion will involve.

Continuing the mapping of wine mysticism in major cultures of the world, the author poses the question, "What is the significance of wine in Jewish tradition?" (A bor szerepe a zsidó kultúrában: Izrael Babilon és Egyiptom között [The Role of Wine in Jewish culture between Israel, Babylon and Egypt]). Jewish religion has no ceremonies related to wine being the drink of alliance with god, yet wine as a symbol of prosperity and wealth is part and parcel of the Jewish festivities and holidays, and it is seen on the festive table. Even if wine bears no significance in Jewish cultural tradition, the religion does not prohibit the consumption of it as the Islamic religion does. In Zelnik's view, somewhere in between the "extremes" of the sublime wine mysticism of Christianity and the Islamic prohibition, Jews have developed a very realistic, worldly wine culture. Wine is taken with an everyday naturalness, in fact, during the holiday of Purim it is mandatory to consume wine, yet the sacrality of the wine-blood relationship is meaningless in the Jewish religion.

In the chapter addressing one of the above mentioned "extremes", which is the relationship of Islamic faith and culture with wine, (Az iszlám és a bormisztika [Islam and Wine Mysticism]), the author must start with the assumption that Prophet Muhammad had banished wine from the sacrality of Islam. And not only from its sacrality but also from everyday life, from culinary culture, and the culture of drinking as well. Mohamed expected his followers to deliberately deny the consumption of alcohol. (Here, it is interesting to note that the word "alcohol" is of Arabic origin, due to the fact that the technique of distillation was developed by Moorish scientists.) The only mentions of wine are to be found within the symbolism of literary works of Sufi poetry, and in this regard the author cites Omar Khayyám's passages on wine at great length. Then he demonstrates that the cult of wine transformed into a mysticism of the rose-wine duality, something that usually remained hidden from public appreciation, and turned into a symbology of transposal, mystery and implications.

The other "extreme" regarding wine is the cult of Dionysus (Dionüszosz, a bor és vér feltámadó istene [Dionysus, the Resurrecting God of Wine And Blood]). In this section, the author assumes that the ancient Greeks did not separate between earthly enjoyment and otherworldly elevation, in other words, rapture and grace had not yet become separated. "A culture admirably bohemian as Greek culture was, could still keep cult and intoxication together, and it created a Dionysus of ecstasy protective of the soul, this unfathomable miracle. It turned a cult into a culture." (69. p.).

The intellectual roots of the Dionysus cult date back to Egypt, with the antitype of the Greek god being Osiris, whose sacred plant was grapevine. Grapevine is the plant of rebirth and resurrection, so with this data in mind it makes sense that the festivals of Dionysus were originally solemn and dignified celebrations and only later did they start to, especially for the common people, turn into times of profligacy and bacchanals of intoxication. For all its profanity, the Dionysian ritual carried in itself the ultimate questions of life and death, it explored life after death, the subjectmatter of eternity and this, if remotely, was already hinting at the message of the Holy Communion.

At this point, Zelnik takes the time to go into detail about the fact that wine's liberating effect, its power of salvation is a fundamental experience in the history of mankind. The man liberated from his inhibitions is a profane character, nevertheless, wine gives him a glimpse of the otherworldly, of eternity, or more specifically, the desire for eternity and the intention and opportunity to explore it. Man not only uses wine for merry-making, but it also helps him to realize his own divine circle, the possibility of existence in a dimension higher than earth. "Those who enjoy this donation", Zelnik goes on to say "shall be accepted by God, and they shall be granted the possibility of salvation." The Dionysian ritual usually began by praying for the divinity to appear, then after drinking up the wine the divine presence materialized, creating an opportunity to become sons of gods and making salvation possible. Thus, a constantly renascent alliance between man and the world above was created. During the Great Ceremony, because this is what it eventually is, a man's faith in God is revived, and man is revived in divinity. This feature, again, draws an analogy to the Holy Communion.

Another, and an already much closer antecedent to the Holy Communion is the character of Melchizedek (Melkizedek: Krisztus és az Eucharisztia előképe [Melchizedek, the Antitype of Christ and the Holy Communion]). He is the king of bread and wine, the High Priest of the Great Ceremony, wearing a mitre and a royal crown at the same time, just like in Dirck Boutsen's painting of Abraham and Melchizedek (Figure 47, page 83). A jug of wine in his right hand, bread in his left, descended to one knee in front of him is Abraham, ready to take the wine and bread, the objects of communion liturgy.

Melchizedek is an old Canaanite name, probably meaning The King of Righteousness. Zelnik considers that there is no indication that he ever lived or was a historical character, rather, he is to be looked at as a metaphor, a personification. He is the symbolic figure of a tradition referring back to mankind's pristine age of happiness when justice and peace earth was upheld by the great priest-kings. Melchizedek's identity, as also in the works of the ancient Fathers of the Church, is vague, translucent, soaring; some view him as an angel, others consider him the Holy Spirit. Historical references make his person really unfathomable, the statements made regarding him rather conceal than reveal his identity. The author considers that the best approach to his character is through the symbolism of the wine. "Soma", a very important symbol of the Eastern tradition, used to be the sap of immortality, the drink of existence. According to the tradition, soma, the drink of drinks was lost, so it had to be substituted, and its substitute was wine. This is how wine became a hieratic mask. This is how faith in salvation learned through the drink of eternal light and everlasting life is transmitted in the symbology of Melchizedek. Melchizedek's vague, enigmatic and metaphoric character constitutes the high priest who carries on the tradition of salvation preluding the wine miracle of Christ. He is definitely a symbol, since he is holding bread and wine in his hands, in direct anticipation of the Holy Communion.

The climax and full realization of wine mysticism is the Holy Communion of Christianity, and the chapter covering this subject (Eucharisztia: a bor az égbe megy [Holy Communion: Wine Goes to Heaven]) is a contentual and intellectual center of Zelnik's book. This is where all previous chapters were pointing to, this is what they all lead to. Nearly all of the author's data, statements, analyses, hypotheses and expectations were intended to demonstrate how early cultures laid the foundation of the Holy Communion and how all of wine mysticism preludes the sacred act of the Last Supper. And for this exact reason it is worth presenting the author's train of thought once again, but this time in more detail.

In his self-descriptions, Jesus Christ sometimes compares himself to grapevine: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser" (John 15:1), then, "I am the vine, ye are the branches" (John 15:5). But even beyond these, he uses the allegory of viticulture and wine several times. "Based on these parables", the author concludes, "God is the vinedresser who asks his son to oversee the harvest." With this, Jesus Christ replaces Israel, since vineyard itself, as God's property, used to be Israel; the Old Testament is now substituted by the the New Testament. If the vine is Jesus Christ, then wine is his blood, the wine of the new alliance.

The miracle at the wedding at Cana of how Jesus Christ turned water into wine, is also a precursor to the Holy Communion. (It is not without interest to note that based on some hypotheses Dionysus was born in Cana; several researchers saw a link between the miracle at Cana and the Dionysian traditions.) Zelnik scrutinizes every aspect of the Holy Communion related to wine describing the relevant findings of the most important historical and theological literature. He addresses issues such as that Moses turned the river into blood thus conveying the message of furious Yahweh's vengeance and puts this motif into contrast with Jesus' miracle in Cana, an act of the Son signalling the love of the Father. Needless to say, he also suggest that Christianity often puts the angry Jewish God of the Old Testament into contrast with the loving Father of the New Testament. "After all, it is the act of the Great Ceremony, the oblation of Enki and Ninhursag we see repeated in Cana, even in the formal sense, as it is about wedding and wine", he writes. Here too, we have everything and everyone together for the Great Ceremony: man and woman, God and wine, the Heaven and Earth.

The climax and highest sense of universal wine mysticism is the Holy Communion itself: Jesus Christ's sacrificial body and blood in the form of bread and wine, just like he left his memory to the church at the Last Supper. It is the Holy Communion that elevates wine as a symbol to the highest rank. "And, as a symbol it is decipherable, yet its mystery remains unfathomable", the author adds.

The offering of the sacrifice is an essential part and the most mystical moment of religion. The sacrifice connects earthly and heavenly and revives the world in the most profound sense of the word, it revives and strengthens the relationship between Heaven and Earth. The rite of sacrifice has always been present in all religions: the ancient Egyptians, the Hindus, the people of pre-Columbian Mexico, the Incas and the ancient Scandinavians had it just as well as the Persian Empire. The author gives quite a taste of these to point out that the one thing they all have in common is that the mysticism of bread and wine is present in their religious consciousness.

Liturgy is where the bread-wine / body-blood sacrifice "gathers volume", consecration (the priest's sanctification of the wafer and wine) being the oldest part of the canon. So does the wine of the Sumerian Great Ceremony become the blood of salvation in Christianity. "The highest level of earthly sacrality is the Holy Communion", Zelnik sums up. In the Holy Communion Jesus Christ will be present in space and time, as consecration lifts the veil of dependence on space and time, thus making the promise of eternity visible.

Therefore, the finest material symbol of the sacral world is wine, the hieratic mask of the Great Ceremony, the vocation of which is to "restore the soul's primordial order, the order of existence without deterioration, in the transformation" (106. p.). That is, to carry over pristine knowledge and order of tradition in their entirety, and revive them.

The sections following the chapter on wine mysticism of the Holy Communion are an overview of the mainly profane manifestations making use of transcendent nature of the wine. It is not without a reason that the author claims that today's world dominated by materialism shows an increased interest in mysticism and esoterics. A typical example of this intellectual adventure is the Legend of the Holy Grail (A Grál bora - a Grál vére: a vérmisztika edénye [The Wine of the Holy Grail - The Blood of the Holy Grail, the Vessel of Blood Mysticism]). According to the tradition, the Grail is a vessel made of emerald and it symbolizes perfection and purity. It had to come to Earth because of the angel rebelling against God (Lucifer), to be a tool to fight Lucifer.

The symbols related to the chalice make up an almost inexhaustible topic for the researcher, so he gathers up and runs through the most significant relevant data (A kehely: a bor Grál-létezése [The Goblet: The Holy Grail Existence of Wine]). The chalice is present in almost all cultures of the world as a tool for and a part and a symbol of the ceremony. Usually it contains sacrificial wine as an expression of the alliance between heaven and earth. The illustration of the chalice accompanies the history of painting from the ancient vase paintings to El Greco and more. As a part of chalice imagery, a subject of thorough examination by the author, we see a snake appearing numerous times as the inhabitant of the chalice. "Snake is the symbol of affliction and sin, and the snake crawling out of the chalice and leaving it is an ancient symbol, an atavistic memory and a profound knowledge and tradition", Zelnik says at the end of the chapter, concluding that the Holy Communion paves the way not only before earthly but also cosmic salvation. This finding or the logic leading him to this very well expresses and characterizes the author's method of examination. Zelnik normally starts out from a literary conclusion, a literary or artistic work, a literary source or materials remains, and having included the important findings of relevant literature, he makes his own objective, sometimes very abstract conclusions. He mainly uses the inductive method of acquiring and imparting knowledge, starting from a specific fact and arriving at the overall, making is conclusion and formulating the thesis. He arrives at his far-reaching conclusions by the presentation, analysis and expressive "decipherment" of a multitude of works fine art. His method quasi confirms the link between rational analysis and the work of art showing the divine replica of earthly reality, connectivity of earthly and heavenly dimensions.

His approach and analytical method used regarding the wine mysticism of alchemy is the exact same as already introduced in the previous chapters (Az alkímia, a mágia és a bor [Alchemy, Magic and Wine]). He ascertains that all of the secret sciences, esoterics and alchemy also "used" wine, because when alchemists sought a panacea to heal all diseases, they often experimented with wine. As to its the ultimate goal, alchemy sought to elevate nature to the rank of divine creation, and it used the chalice and wine, the symbols of liturgy, as necessary. The alchemists, however, did not use wine in the sense of sacrifice as in the Great Ceremony, but with the idea and intent of experimenting. They were not interested in the sacral significance of wine.

In essence, the same can be said about the secret societies as well (A szabadkőművesség és a bor [Freemasonry and Wine]). Masonic tradition considers that their ancestors were master builders of Dionysus, the overseers of the mysteries of Bacchus. While Masonic ceremonies did not employ wine, the subsequent banquets did, plentifully. (Since only men were allowed to become Freemasons, it is very hard to picture their feasts to miss wine.) In their case, therefore, we can only talk about the enjoyment of wine only in the profane sense of earthly intoxication.

The thematic chapter of the volume (Bor és bűn: a fekete mise [Wine and Sin: The Black Mass]) discusses the Antichrist's relation to wine. If God, the vinedresser, has wine, so must the great imitator, the Evil One. But his wine is obviously fake. "Just like sacral literature developed into world literature, Gregorian music grew into world music, worship of the Virgin Mary became a Madonna cult, so did the wine of the Evil One wine turn out a successful forgery", Zelnik lists his fitting similes. But how can identify fakes? How can the Antichrist be unmasked? By the way uses wine. "The attack of the Antichrist is directed toward the mass and liturgy", the author explains "and this is how black mass and black magic were created". Its purpose is to the pervert and desecrate the essence and message of the Catholic rite, to degrade the sanctities to look infernal. Modern satanism seems to follow the image of the original liturgy, but degrades it to an obscene travesty (such as the cross turned upside down, naked women on the altar, blood and genital secretions mixed with wine, etc.). "The evil in man", the author says, "shows itself unmasked in this ceremony, as it brings the body, a carrier of the soul, down to the level of defecation in a sado-masochistic séance.

"For thousands of years, the wine was related to sacred contents just like water, blood or oil", Zelnik says in his epilogue following his journey of cultural history (Utószó: A két oltár bora [Epilogue: The Wine of the Two Altars]). In earthly existence, wine turning into blood or blood turning into wine refer to a mystical initiation, that is, they go beyond earthly existence. And exactly in this context, from the Dionysus cult of the Greeks to the Holy Communion of Christianity, it has been a primal purpose of mankind to seek the restoration and revival of the alliance between the Creator and the created world and humanity. Demand for the Great Ceremony and the restoration of the alliance particularly increases in times when nihilism presents itself in human existence bringing about a feeling of loneliness and the concept of damnation. These are the times when man recognizes the importance of the Great Ceremony. Many consider that "the destruction of European culture, the erosion of human phenomenon, can only be prevented by this transcendental surplus, but only they return to this sacred world", Zelnik writes. (150. p.). Given this background, there is no need to try to prove the book's pertinence and importance.

The wine-and-blood transformation has been a primal and determinative "cathedral of symbols" of human culture, and encoded in it we find the meaning of human existence and the possibility and importance of the superiority of this existence. When examining the symbolism of wine the researcher will inevitably slide into the realm of transcendence. After all, no matter where the symbolism of wine presents itself in history, "the human phenomenon is found in a cross over of time and space which the possible acceptance or rejection of the heavenly universe shines through." (151. p.). In other words, any in-depth study of the symbolism of wine and the significances of this symbolism will inevitably lead to basic questions of faith and the fundamental problems of human ideology. And the author is not afraid to say that his research in wine mysticism convinced him that Gnosticism is heresy not only from the point of Christian ideology, but it is also an enemy ethos. And the war between the two ethoses and their representatives runs through the history of humanity.

Jesus chose wine. First, at the time of his miracle at Cana when he turned water into wine, and second, at the Last Supper, with his miracle of the turning blood into wine. It was the consequences of these acts he had to face with crucifixion. His conviction and execution were the earthly evil's act of punishment of the one restoring alliance between divine and human. This, however, failed ultimately, because the two altars, the one on earth and the other in heaven were joined together. That which began with the Great Ceremony of the ancient times and later reached a climax in the Holy Communion, is the ladder that connects Earth and Heaven. This is the act through which soul descends into material to later rise up to heaven.

"Symbols are even more far-reaching than the universality of knowledge", Zelnik says. (152. p.). With this, he says no less than the fact an in-depth, interdisciplinary analysis of symbols, signs and hierograms carried out with a necessary amount of inventiveness may disclose much more of the world, than a common learning procedure.

The author of this book reminiscent of an album with a spectacular design, entitled The Great Ceremony bearing the subtitle of The Wonders of Wine, provides a full and complete overview of all there is to now about wine mysticism. As I already pointed out, Zelnik will usually (but not exclusively) use the inductive method of acquiring and imparting knowledge, that is he will present a written source (or a part or a statement of it), a work of fine art or materials remains, i.e. a piece of the past, and with the help of relevant literature, he will make his own conclusions. In order to analyze the pieces of the past he mobilizes ample data of universal knowledge, the relevant findings of literature or even the theses of the Fathers of the Church or the results of various scientific disciplines. In this sense, he musters up an incredible amount of knowledge of awesome diversity. It is almost impossible to list the number of sciences from the history of literature, through philosophy, theology and history of culture to cult history, from linguistics to the history of medicine, from orientalism to gastronomy and all the auxiliary and social studies related to these sciences he uses to guide his readers through the journey of wine mysticism along the history of mankind.

It is worth mentioning that, as far as Zelnik's working method and mind-set are concerned, it can constantly be felt to be striving for balance. He maintains a balance between his statements confirmed by literature and his suppositions and hypotheses substantiated by reason. He maintains a balance between objective and analytical explanations and abstract interpretations. Above all he uses inventiveness to discuss "detours", i.e. data only loosely related to the subject being discussed, such as the true character of Cardinal Richelieu, a subject deliberately distorted in the novel of Masonic writer, Alexandre Dumas. But the author maintains a balance between science and faith as well, while also clear indicating which of the items are verified facts, and which ones are transcendental recognitions. He also maintains a balance between the exactness of science and the inspiration of art, considering that wine mysticism is represented in an amazing amount of pieces of fine art, and this is something that should be given a thorough analysis. Here too, the reader meets a superabundance.

The style and direction of explanations also has a specific duality, that is balance. A great many of Zelnik's statements are like axioms that can be carved into stone. (For example, his book starts with the sentence "Our world is a fabric of theophanies".) Almost every paragraph contains an impressively formulated sentence that can easily be cited as a quotation, some smart wording. At other times he gives detailed arguments, thorough developments and careful explanations. And he does it with renaissance diversity. He embraces an enormous body of data suggesting the universality of human mind, yet never allowing his reasoning to detour from its purpose and the essence of the conclusion. Meanwhile he is inventive enough to point out any related information and outline the relevant background, make mention of other results branching off the main subject, indicating more distant relationships. In short, Zelnik has developed a language that, though very strong and ambitious, is still flexible enough to fit the diversity of the subject matter discussed and which he uses to guides his readers to an area of human knowledge that usually remains hidden from public thought.

Using the tremendous abundance of knowledge thus displayed the author makes conclusions, yet in many cases his findings already belong to the world of faith. (After all, it was he who said in his epilogue that his research will often slide into transcendence.) Zelnik has a strongly Christian position and a Christian mindset from which he views the sacrality of wine. He is not trying to convince us that he is "ideologically impartial". Therefore, as I have already pointed out, he sometimes uses the deductive method of learning and imparting data, starting from an axiom or other known thesis or dogma, then mustering up a set of arguments, numerous factual data and illustrations to confirm and demonstrate it in detail.

The book is published in the format of an album illustrated by a rich array (almost 90 numbered figures) of images. He uses all the possible visual genres and means of expression from photos of archaeological finds through reproductions of paintings and reconstructional drawings, from early manuscripts through photographs reflecting the current conditions of today, to make his message plastically and vividly presented. If the reader views nothing but the illustrations, he feels like he is looking at the "Picturebook of Wine Mysticism". But the images, as diverse in terms of content as in color, do not simply serve as illustrations of what is said: in many cases they themselves are the starting point of discussion. The most lively example of this method of "image analysis" is a Sumerian drawing made of the scene in a relief depicting the Great Ceremony (Figure 10), being the starting point and a basis of the author's reasoning. Similarly, we can mention the conceptual starting point of the ancient allegorization of the eye of Horus, even or Dirck Boutsen's painting of Abraham and Melchizedek. As a general statement it can be said that text and image are constantly and intensively interrelated, the text continually referring to the relevant figure. It should also be noted that the ratio of text and image, the healthy balance between narrative and illustration also elevates The Great Ceremony into the rank of classical educational publications as opposed to the line of all-too-common "picturebooks" or dazzling albums wanting to impress the reader with their picturesqueness, seen in today's bookstores. Very suitably for the noble intention of popularizing science, images or text do not suppress each other. On the contrary, they there for each other. The amount of color and black-and-white illustrations in the book is just what is needed for the most useful and most expedient illustration and substantiation of what is said. The images provide exactly as much as is necessary for pleasurable absorption.

The author, however, is not satisfied with the method of mere "demonstration" or visualization and illustration; he adds inserts of explanatory passages taken from literature to the narration of his chapters and the decipherment of the symbols. These inserts printed with colorful highlights (actually long quotations from various sources or works) introduce Noah, Dionysus, Bacchus, Jesus Christ, the actual historical personalities or emblematic figures whose portraits are essentially relevant in the interpretation of the narrative. The book ends with up to 130 explanatory Notes, a Concise Encyclopedia providing definitions of concepts and a Bibliography. This latter one can safely be described as the Bibliography of Hungarian and International Wine Mysticism.

The framework and structure of the book are a faithful and thought-provoking reflection of the authors message. They focus on two key chapters or, pillars of thought: The Grand Ceremony: Wine Comes to Earth and Holy Communion: Wine Goes to Heaven. Is now clear to the reader that the discussion that started from the Sumerian relief really is an earthly starting point of the sacrality of wine, while the part on the Holy Communion is an appreciation of its climax. Zelnik's guidance helps the reader get to from the earthly oblation of the wedding to the Holy Communion providing the possibility of salvation, the culmination of wine mysticism. And this is how the earthly dimension meets the heavenly within the book itself, the author giving a panoramic view of the entirety of completeness of wine mysticism.