The Quest for the Holy Grail

by Lacy, Norris J.

• ISBN13: 9781843842378
• ISBN10: 1843842378
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-31
• Publisher: Ds Brewer

Summary

The Quest of the Holy Grail adds a spiritual dimension to the adventures of Arthur's knights. Galahad replaces Lancelot as the central figure, though he appears and disappears so often that many of the knights are engaged in a quest to find him rather than the Grail. The central concept of the Grail was never accepted by the Church, and the Quest remains a secular romance which can be interpreted as a spiritual allegory. This is done by the hermits who appear throughout the story, pointing out the meaning of each adventure. The adventures have a strong element of the magical and otherworldly, and the story is more closely structured than Lancelot, with the accomplishment of the Grail adventure by Galahad, Perceval and Bors as its centre and culmination. For a full description of the Vulgate Cycle see the blurb for the complete set.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
The Quest for the Holy Grail
Lancelot Dubs Galahad, and the Knights Discuss the Perilous Seat	p. 3
Gawain and Lancelot Attempt to Remove the Sword in the Stone	p. 6
Galahad Arrives at Arthur's Court	p. 7
Galahad Sits in the Perilous Seat	p. 8
A Stranger Announces the Arrival of the Grail, and King Arthur Holds a Tournament to Celebrate	p. 11
The Court Mourns the Knights' Departure, and the Queen Reveals Galahad's Identity to Him	p. 13
The Knights Swear Solemn Devotion to the Quest	p. 16
The Knights Depart and Journey Together to Vagan's Castle	p. 17
King Bademagu Wrongly Takes the Shield from the Abbey	p. 19
Galahad Wears the Shield, and "The White Knight" Recounts Its History	p. 21
Galahad Lifts the Tombstone, and a Good Man Explains Its Significance; Meliant Is Dubbed and Accompanies Galahad	p. 24
Meliant Is Wounded in a Battle with a Stranger in the Forest, and a Monk Explains Its Significance	p. 27
Galahad Battles Seven Knights at the Castle of the Maidens	p. 31
Gawain and His Companions Battle the Seven Brothers, and a Hermit Explains Its Significance	p. 34
Galahad Battles Lancelot and Perceval; A Knight Is Healed by the Grail	p. 36
The Hermit Tells Lancelot the Parable of the Gold Coins	p. 39
Lancelot Confesses His Infidelity to the Hermit	p. 41
The Hermit Explains How Lancelot Is Like Stone, Wood, and a Fig Tree	p. 43
Lancelot Converts	p. 45
The Recluse Reveals Her Identity to Perceval	p. 46
Perceval's Aunt Recounts the Story of the Three Tables	p. 48
Perceval's Aunt Recalls Merlin's Prophecies	p. 49
Perceval's Aunt Advises Perceval Before His Departure	p. 51
Perceval Observes an Old Man at Mass	p. 52
Perceval Hears the Story of Mordrain	p. 53
Perceval Attacked by Knights and Rescued by "The Red Knight."	p. 55
Left Without a Horse, Perceval Swears Allegiance to His Rescuer	p. 57
Perceval Awakes on an Island and Befriends a Lion	p. 59
Perceval Dreams of Women on a Lion and a Serpent	p. 61
The Hermit Explains the Allegory of the Old and the New Laws	p. 64
Perceval Pledges His Love to a Lady Who Tempts Him	p. 66
Perceval Repents His Weakness and Meets the Hermit Again	p. 69
The Hermit Explains the Temptation of Perceval	p. 70
A Squire Humiliates Lancelot for His Sinful Love of the Queen	p. 72
The Devil Is Conjured to Explain the Death of the Religious	p. 74
The Hermit Condemns Lancelot's Sin with Guenevere	p. 77
The Hermit Recounts the Parable of the Banquet	p. 79
The Hermit Guides Lancelot's Conduct	p. 80
Lancelot Has a Vision and Prays for God's Help in His Effort to Remain Pure	p. 81
Lancelot Meets a Hospitable and Wise Hermit	p. 83
The Hermit Explains Lancelot's Vision of the Man Surrounded by Kings	p. 84
After Participating in a Tournament, Lancelot Is Captured and Released	p. 86
Lancelot Reflects on His Moral Failings	p. 88
The Recluse Explains the Meaning of the Tournament; Lancelot Gets Lost in the Wilderness	p. 89
Gawain and Hector Meet and Decide to Travel Together	p. 91
Gawain and Hector Are Puzzled by Strange Visions	p. 93
Gawain Kills Yvain in Combat	p. 94
Hector and Gawain Meet a Hermit	p. 96
The Hermit Explains Gawain's and Hector's Visions	p. 97
Bors Meets the Religious, Who Explains the Importance of Confession to Him	p. 100
Bors Vows to Eat the Food of the Spirit and Sees the Bird Sacrifice Itself to Its Young	p. 102
Bors Hears the Story of King Amant and Volunteers to Combat Priadan the Black	p. 104
Bors Dreams a Series of Strange Visions	p. 106
Bors Defeats Priadan the Black in Combat	p. 107
Bors Must Choose Between Saving Lionel and Rescuing a Captive Maiden	p. 108
Bors Buries His Brother, and a Religious Chastises Him for Saving the Maiden	p. 110
A Beautiful Maiden Tempts Bors	p. 112
Bors Arrives at an Abbey of White Monks and Asks for Guidance	p. 113
The Abbot Interprets Bors's Adventures	p. 114
Bors Meets Lionel and Refuses to Fight Him	p. 116
Lionel Kills Calogrenant in the Battle Against Bors	p. 118
God Intervenes and Commands Bors to Meet Perceval at the Sea	p. 119
After a Tournament, Galahad Rides to the Magic Ship and Meets Bors and Perceval	p. 121
Perceval Meets His Sister on a Second Magic Ship	p. 124
The Knights Discover the Magic Sword	p. 125
Perceval's Sister Recounts the Story of the Sword	p. 126
The Legend of the Tree of Life	p. 130
The Story of the Death of Abel	p. 133
The Tree of Life Throughout Time	p. 135
Solomon's Wife Suggests How to Signal That Galahad Is Anticipated	p. 136
Solomon Constructs the Ship and Dreams of Its Consecration	p. 137
A Belt Is Fashioned from the Hair of Perceval's Sister	p. 139
The Companions Liberate Carcelois Castle and Witness the Death of Count Ernol	p. 141
A White Stag Changes into a Man, and a Priest Explains Its Significance	p. 144
The Leper Woman Is Cured with Blood from Perceval's Sister, Who Dies	p. 145
Perceval and Galahad Witness Divine Punishment and Decide to Separate	p. 150
Lancelot Happens upon a Ship and Meets Galahad, Who Explains the Strange Straps	p. 151
Lancelot Arrives at the Castle of the Grail, Where He Is Injured in His Attempts to Approach the Holy Grail	p. 155
Lancelot Finds Bademagu's Tomb and Returns to Court	p. 159
Galahad Witnesses Mordrain's Death, Hears Simeon's Voice, and Rides to the Castle of the Maimed King	p. 160
The Three Companions Witness the Wonders of Corbenic Castle	p. 162
Josephus Performs the Grail Liturgy, and the Knights Witness the Mysteries of the Grail	p. 164
The Ship Departs with the Three Companions and the Holy Grail	p. 166
The Companions Come to Sarras, Where Galahad Performs a Miracle and Perceval's Sister Is Buried	p. 167
Galahad Dies	p. 169
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