The Holy Grail

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The Holy Grail
BY
Peter
Scully
Swistack
Anton
Drew
Clothier
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The History of the Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is the cup that Christ drank from
at the Last Supper. Legend has it that it was
brought to Glastonbury in England by Joseph of
Arimathaea.
Joseph was granted a small plot of swampland for
a chapel to house the Grail. The world grew evil
and was no longer a worthy place for the Cup, so
it was called back to heaven.
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The Characters
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Percivale

• Percivale is a knight of Arthurs Table Round.
  When Galahad, a fellow knight, has a vision of
  the Holy Grail in one of the halls in Camelot,
  Percivale vows that he will quest to find it for
  himself.

Sir Percivale and the Holy Grail
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Ambrosius

• Ambrosius is the monk to whom Percivale tells his
  story in the beginning of the idyll. He had
  quickly become Percivales dear friend at the
  monastery.

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The Nun

• The Nun, Sir Percivales sister, was the purest
  of all people in the world. When the Holy Grail
  finally made an appearance on earth once again,
  it was to this nun.

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Galahad

• Galahad was the purest of all Arthurs knights.
  When he renounced the Material World for the
  Spiritual, the Holy Grail made an appearance to
  him as well. He, too, swore to quest for the
  Grail.

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The Knights

• In fact, all of the knights present when Galahad
  received this vision swore the same vow. They
  did not, however, actually see the Holy Grail
  themselves they just saw the light and heard a
  noise like thunder.

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Arthur

• Arthur is totally opposed to the vows his knights
  have sworn. It is a quest for Galahad alone, not
  for the others. They were not worthy to see the
  Grail in the hall, so they would not be worhty in
  the wild. He predicts that most will never
  return from the quest.

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Percivale

• Percivale set out on his quest. Unfortunately,
  he was not worthy himself at first. His great
  sin of arrogance kept him from achieving his
  goal. He needed a lesson in humility to purify
  his soul.

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The Holy Hermit

• A holy hermit is a person who lives alone and
  tends a chapel. This Holy Hermit meets Percivale
  in her chapel, and she explains the importance of
  humility in his quest.

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Galahad

• Galahad says on his quest the Holy Grail never
  left his side. He was able to smash the heathen
  hordes in pagan lands. The blessings of the Lord
  followed him everywhere he went.

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Sir Bors

• Sir Bors was another of the few knights who
  actually saw the Holy Grail. It visited him
  while in the prison of a pagan cult. The
  experience so touched him that afterward he was
  unable to speak of it.

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Lancelot

• Because of his affair with Guinevere, Lancelot
  had a tumultuous battle raging within him between
  his higher self and lower self. It was so taxing
  that he soon grew insane. He needed to see the
  Grail so that he could be cured.

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Gawain

• Gawain, a very worldly man, was unworthy of the
  quest. His loyalty was to the Material World,
  and he found himself in search of merry maidens
  rather than for the Holy Grail.

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Percivale

• At last, after his quest was over, Percivale
  decided to give up the Material World. He
  devoted the rest of his life to God and
  spirituality at a monastery, retired from
  knighthood.

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The Settings
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The Abbey

• The abbey is where Percivale goes after he turns
  down the worldly in favor of the spiritual life.

• Percivale lives out the remainder of his life
  here after his many quests and years as a knight.

• He relates his story to a monk, Ambrosius, who
  has become his friend.

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Camelot

• Camelot is the home of King Arthur and his loyal
  knights. Its the very picture of a perfect city.

• The great hall is adorned with pictures and
  statues that Merlin has built portraying the
  history of man in Arthurs time.
• The culmination is a golden statue of Arthur as
  an angel facing to the East, the direction of all
  journeys.

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The Desert

• Sir Percivale journeys through here on his quest.
  He comes across an apple grove and brook, a house
  with a woman inside, a farmer and a milkmaid, and
  a knight dressed in golden armor. All of these
  turn to dust at his touch.

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The Land of the Dead

• When Galahad travels with Percivale, they come
  upon an enormous hill.
• The valley over the hill leads to the land of the
  dead.

• The swampland in the valley is full of wandering
  fires and bridges across the marshland.
• Deep within the marshland, Percivale sees a
  glimpse of the Spiritual City.

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The Town

• When Percivales quest is completed, he heads for
  Camelot. On his way he happens upon a castle
  town.

This beautiful coastal city is offered to
Percivale, but he refuses.
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Carbonek

• When Lancelot relates his story, he tells of this
  great place with enchanted towers on a rock in
  the middle of the sea.
• The are steps leading up to the entrance which
  are guarded by two lions.
• The tallest tower is where Lancelot has a vision
  of the Holy Grail, bathed in crimson samite.

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The Story
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The Nun and What She Said
The nun fashioned a sword band out of her own
hair. Binding it to Galahad, she promises that
he, too, will see the Holy Grail and will be
crowned in the Spiritual City.
Percivales sister, a devout nun, was the first
one to see the Holy Grail upon its return. It
stole down a silver beam into her cell while
music like never harp nor horn nor aught we blow
with breath or touch with hand.
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The Siege Perilous
Merlins creation, this chair was inscribed with
the words, No man can sit but he should lose
himself. Renouncing the material world, Galahad
sits and shouts, If I lose myself, I save
myself!
There was a noise like thunder and the roof
cracked open. The Grail appeared to Galahad in
the hall. Though none of the other knights saw
it, all swore a vow to search for the Holy Grail
for a year and a day, and by the 12 full months
be found worthy or unworthy.
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Arthurs Reaction
He predicted that most of them would wind up
chasing wandering fires and few would ever
return. However, they answered to a higher power
now, and there was nothing he could do.
Arthur was out saving a maiden when the vows were
sworn. Therefore, he was not able to stop the
knights from making a foolish decision.
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Percivale in the Desert
Percivales search led him into a desert, where
he found an oasis, to a house with a woman and a
baby, and to a farm where he met a golden armored
knight.
At his touch, all these things turned immediately
to dust. He fell into a deep despair he thought
the Holy Grail itself would turn to dust if he
found it.
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The Holy Hermits Wisdom
At last Percivale came to a chapel attended by a
Holy Hermit. He explained what had happened to
him in the desert, and the Hermit gave him the
following solution
Thou hast not true humility, she had said. It
was Percivales greatest sin, arrogance, that was
keeping him from being found worthy of the Holy
Grail.
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Galahad Returns
Who should walk into the chapel at just that
moment but Galahad. Throughout his quest, the
Grail had not left his side. He allows Percivale
to join him and promises that he will see the
Grail when the two part.
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The Coronation of Galahad
He saw Galahad being crowned in the spiritual
city, and he saw the Holy Grail above his head.
Thus, Galahad and the Nuns prophecies had both
come true.
Galahad led Percivale over the top of an enormous
hill into a swampy valley. There were many
bridges through the swamp. One burst into flames
leaving Galahad to go on and Percivale to wait
and watch.
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Percivales Final Trial
After seeing the Holy Grail, Percivale very
suspiciously wakes up back in the chapel.
On his way home, Percivale happens upon the
castle of a childhood sweetheart. She wants to
marry him and give him the castle. A vivid dream
of the Grail that night makes him decide not to
stay. Thus he has given up the Material life for
the Spiritual.
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The Quest of Sir Bors
Sir Bors quest took him to the lonest track of
the realm where the people of the crag pitch
their circles and stones up to heaven.
(Stonehenge?)
An insult to one of their priests landed him in
their prison. A small part of the wall broke away
and he could see the stars. While remembering
the old times when he and fellow knights had
named those stars, the Grail glided past the
opening. Then a Christian maid set him free and
he came back to Camelot.
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The Quest of Gawain
Gawain met up with a Holy Man just outside of
Camelot. This man told him that he would never
see the Grail. He continued undaunted.
He came upon a pavilion full of merry maidens and
abandoned the Quest in favor of them. They were
scattered in the wind. Thus, Gawain had chosen
the Material World over the Spiritual.
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Lancelots Insanity
When Sir Bors met Lancelot, he was chasing an
imaginary lion. The turmoil of the battle within
himself caused by his sin with Guinevere was
driving him insane.
Finally fully resolved to kill himself and end
the struggle, Lancelot finds a boat waiting for
him by the shore.With full intention to drown
himself, he sets sail. Seven days later he lands
on the enchanted island of Carbonek.
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Lancelot sees the Holy Grail
The door was closed but he heard the voices of
heavenly hosts. He attacked the door and opened
it. He was blinded, but he thought he saw the
Grail and was cured of his insanity.
Carboneks entrance is guarded by two lions.
Lancelot immediately draws his sword. The voice
of God tells him to put down his sword and Doubt
not. The lions guide him up through the castle.
After 1000 stairs, Lancelot has reached the
topmost tower.
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Aftermath of the Quests
All we know is that only a small portion of the
knights who quested returned. We know the fates
of five specifically Galahad, Bors, Gawain,
Lancelot, and of course Percivale.
Galahad became king in the spiritual city, never
to be heard of again. Sir Bors could never speak
of his experience. Gawains lower self
prevailed. Lancelot only thought he saw the
Grail, though he really did, and Percivale gave
up the material life for the Abbey.
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The End