Novel
Perceval, the Story of the Grail
Perceval
Chrétien de Troyes · 1180
Synopsis
Raised by his mother deep in a Welsh forest, away from chivalry, a naive young boy one day meets knights and decides, against her wishes, to become one of them. He reaches King Arthur's court, seizes the arms of the Red Knight, learns the trade of arms from Gornemant, then relieves Blanchefleur under siege. At the castle of the Fisher King, he watches a procession pass in which a bleeding lance and a grail appear, but dares not ask any question. The narrative then also follows the adventures of Gawain.
Context
The narrative, begun after 1181, was left unfinished and runs to nearly nine thousand lines. It is the oldest known account of what would become the quest for the Grail. Four continuations gave it sequels at the beginning of the following century, and the German Wolfram von Eschenbach drew his Parzival from it. The medieval title is Le Conte du Graal; the romance is also known by the name of its hero.
Who it is for
A verse novel in Old French, unfinished; it is read in a modern translation or in a bilingual edition, with the original text facing.
Prizes and reception
Translated into English several times, notably by Nigel Bryant, together with the continuations.
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