| Holy Hand Grenade Of Antioch |
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| monty python and the holy grail | |
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The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch is a fictional Weapon from the film '' Monty Python And The Holy Grail ''. It bears a striking resemblance to the Sovereign's Orb of the United Kingdom, and seems to draw some inspiration from Holy Spear Of Antioch . Although a minor gag in the film, the '''Holy Hand Grenade''' (as it is more popularly known) has gone on to be one of the most frequently referred to elements of Monty Python humour, notably in computer and RPG games, and also with TV and other movie references. DESCRIPTION The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch is a visual satire of a type of royal Regalia known as a Globus Cruciger , specifically the Sovereign's Orb of the United Kingdom. The Sovereign's Orb similarly has a band of jewels running along the center, and a half-band on the top hemisphere, with a cruciform at the crest. The center sphere of the Holy Hand Grenade appears to be made out of a Coconut (another recurring gag in the film). The fictional Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch is a reference to the "actual" Holy Spear Of Antioch . The supposed Holy Spear was unearthed from the floor of a Church during the Siege Of Antioch ( 1098 ) by crusaders on the First Crusade , found by a poor and otherwise unknown monk named Peter Bartholomew . Its "discovery", during the darkest hours of the siege when all hope seemed lost, quickly became a source of contention between the Pious crusaders who believed Peter, and the more Pragmatic who didn't; yet in the end its "discovery" was credited by the crusaders in inspiring them to overcome seemingly impossible odds in breaking through the siege to continue on their quest to Jerusalem. USAGE INSTRUCTIONS The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch was a "sacred relic" carried by Franciscan monk Brother Maynard and is used near the film's conclusion to destroy a Killer Rabbit that blocks the path of King Arthur and his hapless Knights Errant . Although unusually ornate in design, the Holy Hand Grenade functions like any other Hand Grenade . Its destructive power equals that of a medium size explosion. Particularly important is the counting to three after the pulling of the triggering pin (the surmounted cross), complicated by King Arthur 's mental block on counting. The instructions for its use are in the fictitious "Book of Armaments" ("Chapter 2, verses 9-21"): : ...And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying 'O Lord, bless this, Thy hand grenade, that with it, Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits... in Thy mercy.' And the LORD did grin, and the people did feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats and large chu...: Whereupon the Friar is urged to "skip a bit". :And the LORD spake, saying, first shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it. Amen." CULTURAL REFERENCES '']] The very name "holy hand grenade" has become a part of popular culture.
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