Medieval Myth Arthur and the Grail

The Order of St Michael & St Raphael Healing, Teaching & Chivalry Medieval Myth Arthur and the Grail There is a tradition that lies at the root of many of today s conventions to which we have lost the meaning, but the ideas and principles are strong in the psyche of mankind and the symbols keep appearing in one form or another. One of the oldest traditions is that of the Holy Grail and the modern filmmakers tap into this ancient archetype not necessarily showing a deep understanding of the subject matter, but accessing the need within man to achieve the difficult or seeming impossible, and of good overcoming evil. The Grail Tradition is very much linked to the Arthurian cycle of legends and slightly more obscurely, at least to the man in the street, to that of Joseph of Arimathea. The Grail and Arthurian traditions as they come to us today have been turned over many times and scholars are forever turning up new information to say it was this way or that but not necessarily based on any degree of certainty. Early traditions put Arthur s lifetime around 500AD although there is still much debate about his role, it is thought that he was a Christian Briton fighting the encroachment of the pagans who invaded the British Isles at that time. However, the Grail stories come into their own during the 12 th and 13 th century and two major sources for these are Cretian de Troyes and Wolfram von Eschenbach, both of whom wrote extensively. These stories were taken by the troubadours and retold throughout Europe. What has to be remembered about the storytelling of this time is that the stories were meant to impart an ethical and spiritual code and were not necessarily recounting accurately an historical event, rather using it to convey an ideal. Therefore to look for verification of the tales being told within the genre itself is unfruitful but general movements of history may be conveyed. More significantly the ideals and aims of the societies spoken about were passed on. Alison Weir in the research for her book Eleanor of Aquitaine makes this clear in her explanation that there was little or no attempt to distinguish between fact and fiction. On occasion, stories were even fabricated for the enjoyment and edification of a credulous public. Furthermore, there are discrepancies between accounts of real events in the works of different chroniclers, which oblige the historian to seek corroboration from as many sources as possible. Sir Thomas Malory was responsible for a new presentation of the Arthurian legends in the fifteenth century and there have been many writers since that time. One of the latest books on the market is that by Andrew Moffat who, through research, has established Arthur as a key figure fighting the Romans in the border countries in Scotland. Today many films including such modern interpretations as The Fisher King, a fantasy drama broadcast on the television; cartoons such as The Sword in the Stone and a more recent one, The Magic Sword Quest for Camelot which had an interesting twist in that there was a heroine performing the knightly deeds to protect the people and Camelot. Another film is that based on Chaucer s story The Knights Journey, and there are many others of which you will be aware. 1

Romantic literature was flourishing in the twelfth century and there was a great celebration of military ideals of courage in battle, and emphasis on the qualities of honour, loyalty and endurance. In tandem with this was the development and popularisation of the concepts of courtly love that were quite revolutionary for their time but reflected the interest, particularly in Southern France, of a more esoteric form of Christianity within the context of the Mary Magdalene traditions. The troubadours were suppressed along with the persecution of the Cathars to stamp out such heresies, but the ideals had already infiltrated into the hearts and minds of the people throughout Europe. We can trace the Arthurian legends in many areas of Europe. In England, Tintagel and Glastonbury, the Isle of Avalon, are of particular note, also Carlisle and Winchester. As mentioned above Andrew Moffat has shown that the stories of Arthur fit into a geographical area to the North of England and the lowlands of Scotland. The Snowdonian region of Wales has its Arthurian legends, many linked to earlier Celtic traditions that draw on pre-christian ideas that can be found in Irish as well as Welsh folklore. In both England and Wales you have the concept of the return of Arthur and his knights when the country needs them. Brittany with its historic links with the British Isles shares similar myths and legends, particularly with the people of Cornwall. Interestingly at the time that Parzival was being composed, there was a Duke Arthur of Brittany and it is probable that some of his exploits and contemporary events were woven into Eschenbach s poem. In 1125 William of Malmesbury wrote of Arthur as a Breton hero for whom the Celtic inhabitants of Brittany made fabulous claims. Arthurian scenes were carved on the archivolt of the cathedral in Modena, naming the figures in a Latinised form of Welsh and Breton names. The Cathedral of Oranto includes a mosaic pavement depicting a king astride a goat bearing the legend Rex Arturus. In the Romanesque Church of Monte Seipe, a sword set in a stone can be found. All these indicate that the Arthurian legends and ideals of knighthood were known in Italy. As Eschenbach was a German, he linked much of his work to places that were known to him. It is interesting to note that Eschenbach lived at the same time as Frederick II and came from the Swabian region of Bavaria. Frederick II is known to have strong links with the traditions from the East that he introduced to his circle. Toledo in Spain also has a connection as it was the headquarters of magicians, who knew Arabic and Latin, and were well versed in the literature and history of the day, and a poet called Kyot was reputed to have lived there. Kyot has been identified as an additional source of material that Eschenbach used for his rendering of Parzival. When we speak of the Arthurian legends it brings to mind such things as the round table, the sword in the stone, and the adventures of various knights who fought duals and dragons, and rescued maidens and people from all kinds of peril, and tales of the Grail. These stories focus largely on the exploits of the knights, such as Lancelot, Gawain, Parzival, Tristran, Galahad, etc. and Arthur himself becomes a figure in the background. These are tales that have parallels in the myths of many nations and the change from pagan to Christian ideals can be traced in the development of the stories. There are common themes within the cycles of the stories themselves as well as the reflection of earlier tales. Several of the knights were reputed to have had unusual conception, birth and childhood and they erupt into the life of Camelot from obscurity and eventually win their places as supreme 2

hero. Arthur himself was supposedly conceived by a trick arranged by Merlin. Arthur s father, Uther Pendragon, had fallen in love with the wife of the King of Cornwall and by changing Uther s appearance Merlin enabled him to enter the castle and spend a night with the Queen when Arthur was conceived. The Queen was widowed the next day when her husband was killed in battle, and the illicit relationship was then legitimised. When Arthur was born he was adopted and brought up in another household, eventually being recognised as the King when he pulled the sword from the stone. This gives him a mythical genesis that implies being blessed by the Gods and not until he has attained control of his physical nature, as symbolised by his taking the sword from the stone, was he fit to rule the land. There was a strongly held idea that the King married the land that he ruled and was one with its fortunes as the king prospered, so did the land; if the king died or was ill, this also was reflected in the state of the land and the welfare of the people. The knights then rode forth to right the injustices being perpetrated and thus heal the land. Whilst on the one hand great store is laid on the inspiration that a lady gives to a knight, and the sacredness of their union, with the consequent challenge to action, there is another side to the interaction with women that is depicted as entrapment. It is the knight who can find his way through the woods and enter the castle, and find his way out again that has the profoundest affect on the world. These symbolic obstacles represent aspects of the inner world of the psyche and it is a knight s ability to persevere and resist the temptations and fears encountered in such a realm that enable him to overcome in the world. Parzival, as one of the key figures, depicts this somewhat and his failures also had an impact, but his final overcoming had its reward and a blessing on the lands. Parzival was brought up entirely by his mother, a recurring theme that indicates soul development, but he was something of a duffer when he first aspired to be a knight as he had no idea what was expected of him. He left his mother s castle dressed in rags and with a minimum of instruction on how to conduct himself when meeting other people - this is reminiscent of the fool in the tarot pack. In spite of failures in his conduct he was recognised as having the qualities required of a knight and that his courage, demeanour and physique marked him as an exceptional man. In following Parzival s adventures we can learn a lot about our own path through life. On his arrival at King Arthur s court he was taken under the wing of Gurnemanz who instructed him in the ways of a knight how to joust and fight, his responsibility to women and how to conduct himself: Never to lose a sense of shame. Have compassion on the needy. Be both poor and rich appropriately. Leave bad manners to their own quarrel. Do not ask too many questions. Give thoughtful answers when you are being sounded out. You can hear, see, taste and smell: these should bring you wisdom. Let mercy go along with daring. If a man gives you his oath after defeat, take his word of honour unless he has done something so wrong it would give you grief. Be manly and cheerful of spirit. Let women be dear to you and do not waver in manly conduct towards them. Do not deceive them, i.e. tell lies. Husband and wife are one, as are the sun that shone today and the thing called day itself; neither can be separated from the other; they blossom from a single seed. Strive to understand this. 3

Having learned all he could Parzival was then keen to find adventure, leaving his mentor s castle he sallied forth and eventually found the Grail. The Grail is a very powerful symbol used within the Arthurian cycles but its actual form and purpose remains unspecified and mysterious. It has been described as a platter or dish, a cup or chalice, a ciborium and as a stone that some interpret as meaning the philosopher s stone; all these demonstrating the mythical nature of the Grail and its links with the Celtic legends of cauldrons, dishes and horns of plenty. A consistent point in the description of events surrounding the sight of the Grail is that it was carried by a virgin, or pure person, either male or female, and that when it passed by everyone was satisfied by the abundance of food according to their individual needs and taste. The Grail also had an other world connotation in that when it was claimed, or the right questions were asked, it would bring healing but, coincidentally, it also brought the breaking of the fellowship of the round table. Parzival and Galahad were the two knights most closely identified with the Grail and it is interesting to note that they were related to the Grail King or Fisher King as he is known in some of the stories on their maternal side and were thus the legitimate heirs to the land through this connection, as there were no direct heirs. It was after Parzival had seen the Grail and failed to ask about what he saw in the castle that he went back into the world and realised the consequences of the actions that he had taken both before and after this specific event. Until this time he had moved from being naïve and untutored, to being fearless and completely self-reliant, he now had to learn the hard lessons from failure that ensured that he developed and grew. From his past mistakes he learned compassion and eventually a hermit taught him about God. Throughout the Grail and Arthurian stories there is a distinct lack of involvement of the Church. The Grail, the summit of achievement, was housed in a castle and not in a Cathedral or Church that might have been supposed to be the natural repository of such an artefact. The Knight is also praised for his action and integrity in his exploits and involvement in the affairs of the world, and any knowledge of God is gained from the teaching given by hermits those whose spiritual development has been made in solitude and away from the mainstream of ecclesiastical doctrine. Thus we have emerging a picture of the ideal man being independent in both his material and spiritual life and it could well be for this reason alone that the stories were suppressed and/or given a Christian makeover in later renditions. The Ideal is something that is always in the human consciousness, be it in the external world or as the goal of the attainment of immortality, or union with God, and those people who strive towards it grow and develop. There may only be the few who attain, as in the Arthurian legends, but the archetype of the Hero ever urges us on and Bravery never goes out of fashion. The tales of Arthur and his knights have continued to impress and inspire long after the disappearance of the world in which they are set. Their setting, in a deeper sense, is not the middle ages but the world in which each of us makes the journey from birth to death. Their jousts and combats and valorous adventures are metaphors for all the struggles and battles of life. Their values of courage, loyalty and honour are not cheapened by circumstances or tarnished by time. Their themes are always relevant: the need for action, risk and danger, the conflict between action and ease, and between action and love, the hope of immortality and the longing to score a defiant victory against death, the last enemy. Above all perhaps, in our age of uncertainly, the central Arthurian theme has a particular urgency and appeal. This is the search for integrity, the attempt to find and realize one s true and best self: Ideal manhood closed in real man. (King Arthur and the Grail by Richard Cavendish) 4

The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a story based upon the processes embarked upon when a person enters the spiritual quest. The names of the knights and other persons indicate certain qualities and experiences of the one on the quest. Because the allegories used in this legend are based upon inner experiences of human existence, the realities of such stories hold much importance to those who respond to the inner life. To give a very brief explanation of how this works: Arthur represents the human ruler with the several sides of his nature depicted as knights. His wife Genevieve represents his own inner soul. Sir Lancelot represents the spiritualised nature within who rescues Genevieve from being burned alive by the jealousy and hatred of the uncontrolled human desires. Mordred, who was the effect of past misdeeds, arrives to destroy the good works which Arthur had spent most of his life to achieve. Arthur, the material man, must die; Genevieve and Lancelot must live on, for it was Lancelot, along with others, who went on the quest for the Holy Grail, the essence of the life of humanity. In the story Lancelot received a vision of the Grail, and of its importance to the whole of the human race. This represents the basic ideas within the story. Life is likened to a search for inner happiness and contentment which many fail to find because they chase after the wrong things: many people seek for happiness in transient experiences which are short lived and create cravings for more. Whilst those who seek for transient joys sooner or later become a burden to themselves and to society, the ones who learn the qualities in life which are eternal gain a deep inner joy and a sense of completeness, they become mature people and a benefit to humanity as a whole. In his book on the life of St. George, I. Hill Elder also refers to the deeds of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table: Arthur s vision of a Round Table of Fellowship embodying the spirit of humility, patience, chivalry and service was truly noble. It was a step forward in practical Christianity, an object lesson to the nation which has never been forgotten. From the Table the knights went into the world to redress wrongs or assist others it was the centre of their service to man. The oldest and most authentic copy of the Rules of the Round Table is in the fifteenth MS in the Hareian collection, British Museum. The following are the Oathes of the Knights of the Round Table in the time of the noble King Arthur. (1) Not to put off your armour from your bodies but to requisite rest in the night. (2) To search for marvellous adventures whereby to attain bruit and renown. (3) To defend to your power and might the poor and simple people in their right. (4) Not to refuse aid to them which shall ask a just quarrel. (5) Not to hurt, offend or play and lewd part the one to the other. (6) To fight for the protection, defence and welfare of Britain. (7) Not to perseugh any or particular profit, but honour and your title to honesty. (8) Not to break your promise or service for any reason or occasion whatsoever. (9) To prove your life to maintain the honour of the country. (10) Sooner choose to dye honestly than to fly shamefully. 5

He further gives a copy of THE CHARGE given by King Arthur to his Knights when they were invested. God make you a good man and to fail not of beauty. The Round Table was founded in patience, and in humility and in meekness. Thou are never to do outrageously, nor murder, and always to flee treason, by no means to be cruel and always to do ladies, damosels and gentlewomen succour. Also, to take no battles in a wrongful quarrel for no law nor for no world s goods. Thou must keep thy word to all and not be feeble of good belief and faith. Right must be defended against might, and the distressed must be protected. Thou must know good from evil and the vain glory of the world, because great pride and great bobance maketh great sorrow. Should anyone require ye of any quest so that it is not to thy shame, thou should st fulfil the desire. Ever it is a worshipful knight s need to help another worshipful knight when he seeth him in danger, for ever a worshipful man should be loath to see a worshipful man shamed, for it is only he that is of no worship and who fareth with cowardice that shall never show gentleness nor no manner of goodness when he seeth a man in any danger, but that always a good man will do ever to another as he would be done to himself. It should never be said that a sworn brother hath injured or slain another brother. Thou should st not fail in these things: charity, abstinence and truth. No knight shall win worship but if he be of worship himself, and of good living and that loveth God and dreadeth God and that he getteth no worship be he ever so hardy. An envious knight shall never win worship for an it happeth an envious man once to win worship he shall be dishonoured twice therefore, and for this cause all men of worship hate an envious man and will shew him no favour. Do not, nor say not, anything that will in any way dishonour the fair name of Christian Knighthood, for only by stainless and honourable lives and not by prowess and courage shall the great goal be reached. Therefore, be a good knight and so I pray to God so ye may be, and if ye be of prowess of worthiness ye shall be a Knight of the Round Table. The author also believed that the legend of the Holy Grail could be traced back to Egypt and Palestine, along with the references to the Fisher King. Therefore knighthood existed in many lands, and represented the noble warrior who defended his county, those in need, and displayed the best qualities which enhanced the lives of the many. * * * * * * * * * * Suggested additional reading: Arthurian Romances Cretian de Troyes (a small selection of a wide Le Morte Darthur Sir Thomas Malory variety of books available on The Elements of The Grail Tradition John Matthews the subject) Parzival Wolfram von Eschenbach King Arthur and The Grail Richard Cavendish Andrew Moffat King Arthur s Avalon Geoffrey Ashe Exercise: Write down the characteristics that you think are important for the development of true chivalry. What are the lessons that can be learned from the medieval mythology and their traditions of chivalry? P.03/2005 6