Le Conte du Graal

Le Conte du Graal ("The Story of the Grail") or Perceval le Gallois was the first story of the Grail to be written. It was written by French poet named Chretien de Troyes, c. 1180. Though the story is incomplete, I have included the entire story, since it provided the source material for later authors who used it for their versions about the adventures of Perceval.

• Perceval's Early Adventure

• Lady Blancheflor

• Grail Castle

• Avenging the Lady

• The Quest Begins

• Lady of the Short Sleeve

• Postponement of the Duel

• Perceval's Repentance

• Castle of Marvels

Perceval's Early Adventure

As stated earlier, Chretien de Troyes never had the chance to complete the story of the Grail. Other writers tried to complete the story by beginning where Chretien left off.

Here, two characters were to hold centre stage in the story: Perceval and Gawain.

The tale began with Perceval meeting a knight. Perceval was a Welsh boy, ignorant of courtly manner and knightly martial arts. Perceval lived a sheltered life with his mother, who did not want Perceval to learn anything about knights since her husband and her two older sons had been killed. At first, Perceval thought the knight was an angel from heaven, since his armour shined so brightly. Curiously, he asked the knight why he wore such armour and carried such strange weapons. Perceval was determined to become a knight, to his mother's dismay.

(Note that in this tale, neither Perceval's mother nor his other relatives are given names. In fact, the hero's name was not revealed until midway through reading the book, when Perceval's cousin, a damsel outside the Grail Castle, named him.)

Realising that she couldn't dissuade her son from leaving, she instructed him that he must pray in a chapel (never been in a church before), as well as how to treat a lady with respect and courtesy.

She told her son that when a knight wins a lady's love, that knight would receive great honour if he'd receive a kiss and a ring from the lady. Perceval misunderstood most of her instructions. When Perceval left his mother, he saw that his mother had fainted, yet he did not go back to her. Perceval headed toward the castle of King Arthur, hoping the king would make him a knight.

Before night fell, he had his first adventure when he found a tent, thinking this was the church that his mother was talking about. In the tent, he found a damsel. Misinterpreting his mother's instructions, he forcibly kissed the damsel, thinking that he was earning great honour. Seeing a ring on her finger, he swiped the ring off her finger. Perceval then took the food that belonged to the damsel's lover.

When Perceval left the sobbing damsel, her lover arrived. Her lover blamed the unfortunate damsel for seducing a stranger. Her paramour started mistreating her. Her lover became known as the "Haughty Knight of the Heath". The Haughty Knight was determined to find the Welsh boy and cut off his head. (In Peredur (Mabinogion), they were as the knight and damsel of the Pride of the Clearing, but according to Wolfram von Eschenbach in Parzival, they were named Duke Orilus of Lalander and his wife, Jeschute of Karnant.)

Perceval arrived in Arthur's court where he met the Red Knight of Quinqueroy, who took the king's gold cup. No knight at the king's court had the courage to retrieve the gold cup from the Red Knight, since he had wounded many Knights of the Round Table. (According to Peredur (Mabinogion), the Knight of Quinqueroy was only known simply as the Red Knight, but in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, he was Ither of Gaheviez.)

Perceval came before the king and demanded that the king should make him a knight and give him the red armour like those of the Red Knight of Quinqueroy. Sir Kay, the seneschal in the king's court, sarcastically told Perceval that the red armour that the Red Knight was wearing belonged to him, and that he should take the armour away from the Red Knight.

Not realising Kay was joking; Perceval immediately went after the Red Knight. Before he left king's hall, Perceval meet one of Queen Guinevere's ladies-in-waiting. This lady laughed when she saw Perceval, believing that this lad would make one of the greatest knights. No one had ever seen or heard the lady laugh in six years, until that day. Kay was jealous at the lady's suggestion that Perceval would be a great knight, and slapped the lady in the face, and kicked Arthur's court fool.

Perceval demanded to the Red Knight to take off the armour on the king's order. The Red Knight attacked the boy. Perceval killed the Red Knight with one of his javelins. Putting the red armour on and carrying the dead knight's weapons, Perceval gave the gold cup to a squire to return to the king, with a message that he would avenge the lady whom Sir Kay had slapped. The king's court jester foretold that the nameless new knight would avenge the lady and himself upon Sir Kay, by breaking his arm and shoulder blade.

Perceval left the castle, now that he had gotten the armour he wanted. Perceval now wished to return to his mother, but did not know which direction to take, to return home. Perceval met Lord Gornemant of Gohort, who offered him lodging and taught him about courtly manner and some skills on how to use the armour and weapons he carried. Gornemant gave him a lot of advice, including not talking too much, or else people would take him for a fool.

This advice would have unfortunate consequences.

Lady Blancheflor

Perceval left Gornemant and found lodging at Biaurepaire Castle belonging to Lady Blancheflor. At this time, Lord Clamadeu's army, hoping to take the land from Blancheflor, was besieging her castle in Biaurepaire. Biaurepaire had suffered a serious setback. Most of Biaurepaire's garrison were now prisoners of Clamadeu. Clamadeu also hoped to force Blancheflor into marriage with him, since she was considered to be a great beauty. Perceval promised to help Blancheflor. Blancheflor offered Perceval her love and her land to rule.

First, Perceval defeated Anguingueron in single combat. The hero spared the seneschal in return for him becoming a prisoner of King Arthur. Perceval told Anguingueron to carry a message to the lady whom Sir Kay had slapped, that he would avenge her soon. Anguingueron did everything that Perceval had instructed. No one knew Perceval's name, but he could be identified as the Red Knight. When Arthur heard of his adventures, the king wished that Perceval were there, in his court.

Several days later, Perceval defeated Anguingueron's lord in single combat, making Clamadeu also a prisoner of King Arthur. Perceval gave the same instruction to Clamadeu, concerning the message to the lady whom Kay had slapped.

Each prisoner that Perceval sent to King Arthur was freed, and they each became members of the fellowship of the Round Table. Once you have given your word to become a prisoner, it was considered a sin and treachery to break your oath.

(According to the Welsh romance Peredur (Mabinogion), the lady's name was not given, unless she was Angharad Golden Hand. According to Wolfram von Eschenbach in Parzival (1210), she was named Condwiramurs, whom the hero married.)

Grail Castle

Perceval stayed with Blancheflor until he decided to return home, promising to return to Biaurepaire with his mother if his mother was still alive. Perceval travelled until he took lodging with a man who was fishing in the river. Perceval discovered that the man who was fishing, who was his host, happened to be the lord of the castle. It was revealed that the lord was crippled.

His host gave Perceval a magnificent sword as a gift that the host received from his niece with the blonde tresses. Perceval had not seen a finer sword than his maimed host gave him.

During his stay he witnessed several strange processions taking place. There was a squire who was carrying a Bleeding Lance, passing Perceval and his host to the next room. Two more squires followed the first squire, each squire carrying a candelabra. A maiden then followed these two squires, carrying the Grail. The Grail illuminated the room more brightly than all the candles in the room. Another maiden carrying a silver carving platter followed her.

Though, Perceval was curious about the spear that bled and the Grail, he heeded Gornemant's warning of not talking too much and kept silence. The grail passed by several times during dinner. Perceval decided to ask his host's servants about the spear and Grail, rather than asking his host.

However the next day, Perceval woke and found the entire castle seemingly to be deserted. So he dressed and armed himself. The moment he left the castle, the drawbridge was raised. Shout as he may, he couldn't go back into the castle.

Perceval did not go very far, when he encountered a maiden weeping over a headless knight, who had been killed by the Haughty Knight. Perceval tried to comfort the girl. Perceval discovered that the castle belonged to the Fisher King. The girl recognised the sword that the Fisher King had given to Perceval. She warned Perceval that the sword would break if he used the sword. A man named Trabuchet, who lived beside the lake beyond Cotouatre, was the only smith who could repair the sword.

When the girl found out he did not ask questions about why the lance bled or who was served from the Grail, she became distressed. Had Perceval asked questions about the Lance and the Grail, his host who was maimed would have been healed, and the land that was devastated around the castle would have been restored.

When the maiden also heard that his name was Perceval, she revealed that she was his cousin and that his mother had died in grief at his departure (in the Welsh Peredur (Mabinogion), the damsel was Peredur's foster sister). Perceval promised to avenge the death of the damsel's knight. (Perceval's name is revealed for the first time in this book. Although Perceval was not even sure what his name was, he did tell his cousin his true name.)

Avenging the Lady

As he sought to avenge the headless knight, he encountered the same damsel, whom he met in his earlier adventure. The damsel was dressed in a ragged gown that barely covered her nakedness. She told Perceval to leave before her jealous lover, the Haughty Knight, would kill anyone who tried to help her, as he had killed the lover of Perceval's cousin.

Perceval met the Haughty Knight; they fought one another in a duel, and Perceval defeated his opponent. Perceval spared the Haughty Knight, if he became a prisoner of King Arthur. Perceval informed the knight that the damsel had committed no wrongdoing, reconciling the couple.

After receiving the latest prisoners, Arthur decided to find the nameless Red Knight, hoping that Perceval would become member of the Round Table. Unwittingly, they found Perceval one morning, musing how the blood on the snow (from a goose that was wounded by pursuing falcon) resembled the blush of a fair maiden (ridiculous and silly).

Sir Sagremor asked Perceval to come before the king. Sagremor's mistook Perceval's musing for deliberately ignoring his command. Offended, Sagremor attacked Perceval, but was unhorsed by the hero. Perceval returned to musing over the blood. Sir Kay told the king that he would bring this knight back by force if necessary. Not recognising Perceval, Kay attacked the bemused Red Knight. But Perceval easily unhorsed Kay, breaking the seneschal's arm and shoulder blade in the fall (fulfilling the court jester's prediction).

Sir Gawain brought Perceval back with him without fighting; discovering that this was the young man that his uncle (Arthur) was looking for. They became friends. Arthur was delighted to finally get acquainted with Perceval, who had performed marvellous feats of arms in his name. Arthur returned to Caerleon with Perceval. There was a celebration after Perceval became a knight of the Round Table.

The Quest Begins

However the happiness was short-lived when the ugliest woman on a mule rode into Arthur's court. The woman rebuked Perceval for not asking vital questions about the mystery in the Grail castle. She told him that untold suffering would come upon Britain for his silence.

The woman informed the entire court that anyone who wanted to become the greatest knight in the world should seek out Proud Castle; to rescue and free a maiden who was besieged beneath the peak of Montesclere. This knight would be awarded with a "Sword with Strange Straps".

Many brave knights wanted to undertake this venture, including Gawain and Perceval. Girflet wanted to venture to Proud Castle, while Kahedin declared he wanted to go to Mount Perilous (Dolorus).

However, a knight named Guinganbresil arrived at Arthur's court, accusing Gawain of killing his lord without issuing a challenge. Gawain had no choice but to put aside the quest for the grail, to answer this serious charge. Gawain had to face Guinganbresil in single combat before King Escavalon, to clear himself of any wrongdoing.

All the knights undertaking the quest departed from Arthur's court.

Lady of the Short Sleeve

Gawain arranged for his travel by taking seven warhorses and two shields with him. Seven squires accompanied Gawain. Gawain tried to follow Guinganbresil, but Gawain became involved with a jousting contest between two lords.

Two daughters of Tiebaut of Tintagel were involved in a quarrel over who was a better knight. The older sister who started the quarrel between her father and her lover, was praising Meliant de Liz (her lover), his looks, prowess and skill in jousting. The younger sister, seeing a nameless knight (Gawain) who was watching the tournament, thought that he was a much more handsome and better knight than Meliant. The older sister was offended by her remark and slapped her younger sister in the face.

The older sister lied to her father, telling him that the nameless knight (Gawain) with many horses and shields was not really a knight. She accused Gawain of being a merchant who was trying to avoid payment of customs by impersonating a knight. When Lord Tiebaut heard this, he sought out Gawain. The younger sister also heard her sister's false allegation, and also tried to find Gawain.

When Tiebaut realised that his daughter's accusation was false, he tried to assist Gawain. Tiebaut's younger daughter then arrived, and made a plea to Gawain as a knight to defend her honour against her older sister. For his love for her, she asked Gawain to joust against Meliant de Liz the next day. Gawain agreed.

When they left Gawain, Tiebaut found out the cause of his daughters' quarrel, he realised that his elder daughter was at fault. He got a long sleeve for his younger daughter and told her to give the sleeve to Gawain as a token of her affection for her champion.

The next day, Gawain gladly received the sleeve of Tiebaut's youngest daughter. At the tournament, Gawain jousted and defeated the Meliant de Liz. As the winner, Gawain took Meliant's warhorse and awarded it to Tiebaut's younger daughter. Gawain won three other jousts, and awarded the three horses to his host's wife and two daughters.

Postponement of the Duel

A day after leaving Tintagel, the horse Gawain was riding threw its shoe, causing the horse to limp badly. Gawain arrived at the castle where he met a young knight, lord of the castle, who was going on a hunt. The young lord not recognising Gawain, invited his enemy to stay in his manor. The knight asked his sister to entertain his new guest.

The lord's fair sister did more than entertain her guest. Being attracted to one another, they started kissing. The knight's vavasour discovered them kissing. He immediately recognised Gawain. The vavasour accused the lady of treachery. He told her that Gawain was the knight who had killed her father.

The vavasour left them and went into town where he roused a mob. The mayor of the town led the angry mob against Gawain.

Recognising that she would be killed along with Gawain, the lady prepared to help Gawain to defend her and her brother's manor. Gawain quickly armed himself, but he was without a shield. Gawain strapped a heavy stone chessboard to his arm, to use as his shield. Thus equipped, Gawain prepared to defend the only entrance to the manor.

Gawain killed the first man who tried to enter through the door. The others retreated, frightened by Gawain's skill with the sword, while the lady then pelted the mob with heavy chess-pieces. The mob then threatened to burn down the manor.

Guinganbresil arrived and found out who was staying at his lord's castle. When the young lord returned from his hunt, he discovered from Guinganbresil, that he had made his enemy a guest in his own manor. This lord happened to be King Escavalon. Since Guinganbresil promised Gawain, at Arthur's court, safe conduct to face him in a duel, his promises were now broken when the townsmen attacked Gawain at Escavalon's castle. As a matter of honour, Escavalon had to protect his enemy, since he had personally invited Gawain as a guest. Guinganbresil advised his king that he had to postpone the duel between Guinganbresil and Gawain for one year. During the year, Gawain must find either the Bleeding Lance or face Guinganbresil in single combat.

Escavalon dispersed the mob from his home. Escavalon put Guinganbresil's proposal to Gawain to postpone the duel. Gawain agreed to the postponement, and began his quest to finding the Bleeding Lance.

Perceval's Repentance

In his quest to find the Grail, Perceval spent five years wandering the countryside, either losing faith with God, or simply just forgetting about Christ, until he met a hermit who happened to be his uncle.

Perceval learned that his mother was the sister of this hermit and the Fisher King. His uncle was aware of his misadventure at the Grail Castle, where he did not ask any questions concerning the Grail and the lance. This was considered to be a sin that he should repent of.

Perceval stayed with his uncle, trying to renew his faith in God and Jesus.

We don't hear any more of Perceval in this incomplete book, and it then returned to Gawain's adventure.

Castle of Marvels

Gawain then next came across a damsel weeping over a wounded knight. The knight informed Gawain not to continue on this path, warning of the danger that no knight would return.

Gawain was like any knight-errant who could not resist adventure despite the warning of danger. Gawain decided to continue on his perilous path, until he met another beautiful damsel within a seemingly deserted castle. The haughty damsel warned Gawain not to travel with her; he would face the possibility of misfortune, shame and dishonour, if not death. Gawain did not heed her warning.

When Gawain went to fetch the damsel's palfrey, a group of people came out of their homes; they warned Gawain not to travel with the haughty damsel because she was evil and had caused the death of many knights. Gawain also ignored their warning as he did with the other two damsels.

Gawain returned with the haughty damsel, to the damsel and the wounded knight, and helped bind the knight's wound. The knight asked Gawain to give him the nag that was ridden by an approaching squire. Gawain took the nag from the squire when he was rudely rebuffed. As Gawain helped the damsel to her palfrey, the wounded knight stole Gawain's warhorse, leaving the nag to Gawain.

Gawain discovered that the wounded knight was named Greoreas, whom he had punished once for raping a maiden. Greoreas' revenge was to steal Gawain's favourite warhorse. The haughty damsel laughed at Gawain's situation. Gawain was left with no choice but to ride the nag.

When he reached a river with a castle on the other side, Gawain and the haughty damsel found a boat. All along the windows, they could see ladies and damsels watching them. Before he could get on the boat, he was attacked by the nephew of Greoreas, who was riding on his stolen horse. Gawain managed to unhorse his enemy and retrieve his horse. The haughty damsel vanished along with the boat.

Moment later, he encountered a boatman. The boatman demanded Gawain's horse, but the hero refused. However, Gawain gave the boatman the nephew of Greoreas as prisoner, in exchange for crossing the river to the castle.

Gawain learned from the boatman that the damsel he was travelling with was no maiden, but an evil woman who would lure many brave knights to their death, with their heads severed from their bodies.

Gawain stayed a night in the boatman's house before deciding to go to castle. The boatman tried to dissuade him from going to the castle, for any knights who entered the castle could never leave it alive. Gawain also learned from the boatman that two queens lived in the castle which was enchanted (or cursed). Gawain insisted on entering the castle and seeing the maidens, who had seen him joust the previous day, or else he would be forever branded as a coward. Reluctantly, the boatman ferried Gawain over the water.

Gawain entered the hall of castle and saw nothing to fear. He saw an unusual, yet beautiful bed, and wished to sleep on it. The boatman warned him against it, for it was the Bed of Marvels, and that he would die the moment he sat on the bed, but Gawain insisted. Not wanting to see the hero die, the boatman left the hall.

Gawain ignored boatman's warning and sat on the bed. All the windows in the hall flew open. Five hundred arrows and bolts were shot at him, and struck his shield, before the windows closed by magic.

Before he could remove the arrows from his shield, one of the doors flew open, where a lion leaped and attacked Gawain. Gawain killed the lion with a single slice of his sword. He severed the head and forepaws of the lion. The paws remained embedded to his shield.

The boatman happily returned to Gawain, informing the hero that the enchantment on the castle and bed had been broken. Squires and maidens came to welcome and serve him. By breaking the enchantment on the castle, he had become the new lord of the castle.

One maiden who returned to the two queens happened to be the daughter of one queen and grand-daughter to the other queen. The princess told the queens that she liked the new lord.

When Gawain looked outside of one of the towers, he said he would like to go hunting in the beautiful forest, but the boatman told him he could never leave the castle. This news upset Gawain. When the princess again saw Gawain, she realised Gawain was upset and angry about something, and informed the two queens.

The older queen went to Gawain to cheer him up and learned several things about the world outside of her castle. She was particularly interested about Lot's and Urien's children, as well as Arthur. Gawain seemed to be happy again while he was talking to the queen.

The next day, while in the tower, Gawain saw the haughty damsel he had travelled with, talking to a knight with a quartered shield on the other side of the river. When Gawain asked the queen if she knew who they were, he was told the damsel was an evil woman, and the knight with her liked to kill or capture other knights for sport.

Gawain told the queen that he would like to talk with this damsel again. The queen became upset and informed him that he could not leave the castle. Then Gawain became upset about not being able to leave. They compromised. He was allowed to leave, if he would return before dark. In return, the queen should not ask for his name until seven days from then.

Gawain went outside of the castle. He fought and defeated the knight, making him a prisoner of the boatman.

The damsel then tricked into Gawain into crossing the Perilous Ford, saying that the knight (her lover) whom Gawain had just defeated crossed the ford quite often for her love. When Gawain left from sight of the people from the castle, they thought the haughty damsel was leading their new lord to his death. The two queens and everyone began to mourn for Gawain.

Since the ford was narrow, Gawain thought he could easily jump across, but his horse landed in the middle of the ford. He would have drowned had his horse not able to swim to the other side of the ford.

On the other side of the ford, Gawain saw another castle and encountered a knight. The knight told him that he was either very brave or foolish, for everyone who had tried the Perilous Ford had drowned. Gawain realised the damsel had tried to drown him. Gawain learned that the damsel was known as the "Haughty Maid of Logres", known by other versions of the grail stories as Orgueilleuse. Her lover knight with the quartered shield was known as the "Haughty Knight of the Stone and the Narrow Way". The Haughty Knight defended the passes to Galloway.

Gawain also found out that the knight he had been talking to was named Guiromelant and that he lived in Orueneles Castle. When Gawain tried to learn about the castle that he was staying in, Guiromelant thought he was lying, since no knight had ever left the enchanted castle alive. To convince him that he had actually stayed in the magical castle, he showed him the lion's paws that were still stuck to his shield.

Gawain learned a few truths about the castle that he was staying in. The older queen was Igraine, mother of King Arthur and grandmother of Gawain. The other queen was Gawain's own mother. (Her name was not given in the Conte du Graal, but it was Morgawse. However, the First Continuation called her Norcadet or Morcadet. Norcadet or Morcadet was just another name for Morgawse.) And the princess was Gawain's own sister named Clarissant, the daughter of the younger queen.

Igraine had come to this castle after Uther's death. Igraine had brought her daughter, who was pregnant with Clarissant, to this castle after Lot's death. Arthur had not seen his mother in more than sixty years, while Gawain had not seen his own mother in twenty-five years. The castle that Gawain had stayed in was called the Rock of Champguin (most likely to be the Otherworld).

Though Guiromelant was in love with Clarissant, he hated Gawain, because Gawain's father (Lot) had killed his own father, and Gawain had killed Guiromelant's cousin. Guiromelant wanted so much to kill Gawain, not realising he was talking to the very man he hated the most. Guiromelant asked Gawain when he returned to the castle, to give his ring to Clarissant, hoping the princess would become his sweetheart. Gawain readily agreed.

After Guiromelant answered all of Gawain's questions, he asked for Gawain's name. Gawain truthfully told him his name. Guiromelant was angry that he was facing his enemy, but was at the moment unarmed. Gawain preferred not to fight with Guiromelant, if his sister returned her love to Guiromelant. However, Guiromelant insisted on mortal combat with Gawain. Gawain reluctantly agreed to a duel, one week from then, by bringing Arthur and his court to witness the single combat.

Instead of using the bridge that Guiromelant offered to lead him to, Gawain chose to recross the Perilous Ford. This time, Gawain's horse successfully leaped across the narrow ford. Gawain returned to the Haughty Maid (Orgueilleuse), and her attitude towards him had changed. She asked Gawain for forgiveness since she had been attempting to humiliate him and cause his death.

She explained to Gawain why she had treated him and other knights so, because Guiromelant thought he could win her love by killing her first lover in single combat. Orgueilleuse would now follow, respect and obey Gawain without being insulting and wicked. The hero returned to the castle with the damsel.

When the people saw Gawain returning to the castle unharmed, they stopped mourning and began celebrating Gawain' safe return. Gawain gave Guiromelant's ring to his sister, saying that this was a token of Guiromelant's love for her.

Igraine and her daughter watched Gawain and Clarissant talk. The younger queen hoped that they would one day marry, not realising or recognising that Gawain was her own son.

Gawain sent one of the squires as a messenger to King Arthur to come to the Rock of Champguin, to witness the single combat between Guiromelant and himself. When his uncle would come to this place, Gawain hoped to reunite Arthur with his mother and sister.

Gawain's messenger had just arrived in the city of Orcanie, where Arthur was holding court. Guinevere was talking to Lady Lore when the story ended quite abruptly, in mid-sentence.

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As I said earlier, Chretien de Troyes never finished this work about the Grail. It was left for other writers trying to complete the tale. Shortly after Chretien's death, two writers began writing separate Continuations to the romance of Perceval and the Grail. These works were known as the Grail Continuations.

If you wish to read one of the Grail Continuations, then the First Grail Continuation continued on the story about Gawain's adventure. The Second Continuation and the other continuations were about Perceval's further adventures. See the next section for the alternative accounts of the Grail.

Genealogy

House of Perceval (Chretien de Troyes' version)