Extollager
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2010
- Messages
- 9,244
13 June 2022 St. Antony of Padua
Robert de Boron’s Perceval, translated by Nigel Bryant (in Merlin and the Grail, published by Brewer).
115/ Perceval is the son of Alain li Gros (thus the grandson of Bron the Rich Fisher, who was brother-in-law of Joseph of Arimathea, p. 119).
117-118/ The love of Perceval and Elainne the sister of Gawain. As her champion, Perceval defeats all the knights with whom he enters into contest, including Lancelot.
119/ Perceval wrongly insists on seating himself in the empty chair at the Round Table. Arthur reluctantly permits this. When Perceval sits down, the stone on which the chair was set splits, and an “anguished groan” is heard and everything grows dark. King Arthur is reproached for disobeying Merlin’s command, and told that Perceval would have “‘fallen into the abyss and died the terrible death that Moyse suffered when he wrongfully sat at the place that Joseph had forbidden him,’” if not for the goodness of Perceval’s father and grandfather.
120/ The voice further tells King Arthur that the Fisher King “‘has fallen into a great sickness and infirmity, and will never be healed – nor will the stone be mended in the place where Perceval sat at the Round Table – until one of the knights seated here has performed enough feats of arms and goodness and prowess. When such a knight is exalted above all other men,,, then God will guide him to the house of the rich Fisher King. And then, when he is asked what this Grail is for and who is served with it, then, when he has asked that question, the Fisher King will be healed, and the stone will mend beneath the place at the Round Table, and the enchantments which now lie upon the land of Britain will be cast out.’” The knights set out in the quest, but Robert says he will not tell the adventures of Gawain and others.
121-125/ Perceval’s adventure of the foul dwarf and the giant.
125ff./ Perceval and the chessboard with a seemingly invisible player (or the board itself is magical). When he loses, Perceval prepares to throw the chesspieces into the water (of a moat, I take it). A beautiful damsel begs him not to and he agrees, falling in love with her at first sight (so much for Elainne, I guess). She says she will give him her love, and make him lord of the castle, if he will bring her the head of a white hart. She loans him her dog for the hunt.
He gets the hart’s head, but an old woman steals the damsel’s hound. She says she will return it if Perceval fights with the black-armored knight who emerges from a tomb. The battle is a hard one, but Perceval is winning till the knight flees back into his tomb. Meanwhile a knight steals hound and hart’s-head. The old woman refuses to tell him who the thief is, if she even knows, and gets Perceval’s curse.
Robert de Boron’s Perceval, translated by Nigel Bryant (in Merlin and the Grail, published by Brewer).
115/ Perceval is the son of Alain li Gros (thus the grandson of Bron the Rich Fisher, who was brother-in-law of Joseph of Arimathea, p. 119).
117-118/ The love of Perceval and Elainne the sister of Gawain. As her champion, Perceval defeats all the knights with whom he enters into contest, including Lancelot.
119/ Perceval wrongly insists on seating himself in the empty chair at the Round Table. Arthur reluctantly permits this. When Perceval sits down, the stone on which the chair was set splits, and an “anguished groan” is heard and everything grows dark. King Arthur is reproached for disobeying Merlin’s command, and told that Perceval would have “‘fallen into the abyss and died the terrible death that Moyse suffered when he wrongfully sat at the place that Joseph had forbidden him,’” if not for the goodness of Perceval’s father and grandfather.
120/ The voice further tells King Arthur that the Fisher King “‘has fallen into a great sickness and infirmity, and will never be healed – nor will the stone be mended in the place where Perceval sat at the Round Table – until one of the knights seated here has performed enough feats of arms and goodness and prowess. When such a knight is exalted above all other men,,, then God will guide him to the house of the rich Fisher King. And then, when he is asked what this Grail is for and who is served with it, then, when he has asked that question, the Fisher King will be healed, and the stone will mend beneath the place at the Round Table, and the enchantments which now lie upon the land of Britain will be cast out.’” The knights set out in the quest, but Robert says he will not tell the adventures of Gawain and others.
121-125/ Perceval’s adventure of the foul dwarf and the giant.
125ff./ Perceval and the chessboard with a seemingly invisible player (or the board itself is magical). When he loses, Perceval prepares to throw the chesspieces into the water (of a moat, I take it). A beautiful damsel begs him not to and he agrees, falling in love with her at first sight (so much for Elainne, I guess). She says she will give him her love, and make him lord of the castle, if he will bring her the head of a white hart. She loans him her dog for the hunt.
He gets the hart’s head, but an old woman steals the damsel’s hound. She says she will return it if Perceval fights with the black-armored knight who emerges from a tomb. The battle is a hard one, but Perceval is winning till the knight flees back into his tomb. Meanwhile a knight steals hound and hart’s-head. The old woman refuses to tell him who the thief is, if she even knows, and gets Perceval’s curse.