Jay:

All references are to Weston's "From Ritual to Romance"; Princeton,
Princeton University Press; 1993.

"Thus, the theory of Christian origin breaks down when faced with the
awkward fact that there is no Christian legend concerning Joseph of
Arimathea and the Grail."  page 2.

On pages 144-146 she discusses the adoption of the Attis/Adonis cult by
Roman legionnaires

"Now in view of all this evidence is it not at least possible that the
higher form of the Attis cult, that in which it was known and practiced by
early Gnostic Christians , may have been known in Great Britain"  (page 170)
prior to this statement she considers findings in England of Roman
inscriptions related to Attis.

"I am firmly and entirely convinced that the root origin of the whole
bewildering complex is to be found in the Vegetative Ritual, treated from
the esoteric point of view as a Life-Cult, *and in that alone*.  Christian
Legend and traditional Folk-tale have undoubtedly contributed to the
perfected romantic *corpus*, but they are in truth subsidiary and secondary
features; a criticism that would treat them as original and primary can but
defeat its own object" (Page 163)  (emphasis in the original)

"From Ritual to Romance" is essentially an essay which endeavors to posit a
non-Christian origin to the legend.  Fraser's methodology in "The Golden
Baugh" and his fascination with Vegetative Rituals were her inspiration.
Another major influence was her occult studies with Mead's "The Quest"
society.

An interesting study is her much more occult essay "The Quest of the Holy
Grail" 1913.  I have the Dover reproduction.  On page 116 of that edition
she says:

 "...we have the fact of the Phoenician settlements on British coasts, which
would render possible the introduction of the Adonis cult by the original
founders".

She conflates Adonis with Attis.  I will leave it to you to unite her
Phoenician settlements with her Roman legionnaires> :>).

Rick Seddon
McIntosh, NM