The Adventures of Percivale
Characters:
Percivale- A knight who is second most holy at the Round Table,
behind King Arthur. During this chapter, Percivale had tries to
find the Holy Grail
The Recluse- A holy women who spends her days tending all those
who come to her for aid. She also prays for their souls and for
her own
Galahad- The son of Sir Launcelot. Galahad is the only knight
that can pull the sword out of a rock in a river near King
Arthurs castle
Lady Blanchelfeur- Marries Sir Percivale in this chapter. Lady
Blanchelfeur is the of the Holy Grail maiden, and when she meets
Sir Percivale, she marries him.
Summary:
At the beginning of the chapter, Sir Percivale sets off to
Camelot in quest to the Holy Grail. After riding for many weeks he runs
into a knight. Then they joust and
Percivale loses. He was confused
because Sir Launcealot is the only
one that can overthrow him, and that
knight was not him, because of his
shield. Percivale then runs into a
recluse that tends and heals
travelers. The recluse tells
Percivale that Galahad was the one
that overthrew him. The reason
Percivale didn’t recognize him was
because of Galahad’s new shield. It
had the blood of Joseph of Arimathea
smeared on the front of it. Percivale
wants to set off and help Galahad
with the quest of the grail and the recluse tells him that if he stays
pure at the heart, he will come in the way of castle Carbonek.
Percivale then sets off to find Sir Galahad. Later that day Percivale
runs into 20 armed knights carrying a dead knight. The knights stopped
and asked Galahad where he came from, Percivale responded with “The
Court of King Arthur”. They all attacked Percivale and eventually
overran him. Then a knight in red armor came out of the trees and
killed some knights, the knights that were still alive all
ran. Percivale recognized him as Galahad and Percivale chased after
him, but the red knight got away. Percivale falls asleep in the forest.
He wakes up to a strange women next to him. She asks him what is
wrong and he says that his horse has been killed and he is overtaken
with weariness. The women tells Percivale that he can use her
horse. He gets on and rides until he comes to a great river. The
horse starts walking into the river trying to kill Percivale, Percivale
makes a cross on his head and the horse bucks him off its back and then
the horse runs into the river. Percivale falls asleep and awakes to a
lion drinking from the river, a serpent attacks the lion and Percivale
runs up and chops off the serpents head. The lion starts rubbing its
head against Percivale showing love. Percivale continues his journey
again and he hears a voice behind him and sees a maiden standing
there. The maiden knows Percivale and the quest he is on. She then
tells him that she came across Galahad in the waste forest. Two
knights attacked Galahad there and killed his horse and almost killed
Galahad. The woman promises that she will take Percivale to him the
next day.
Percivale comes upon a damsel. She says her name is Disinhearted
Damsel. Percivale decided to stay with the damsel. She takes him back
to her pavilion where they drink wine, then she sang a mysterious song
to Percivale. She tried to kiss Percivale but Percivale remembered that
the knight has warned him not to be tempted by anything. Suddenly the
wind blows her away and she disappears. Percivale eventually gets to
his sister Didrane and Perivale goes towards the enchanted ship.
Citation:
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel. "How Sir Galahad, Sir Bors and Sir Perceval were fed
with the Grael; but Sir Percival's sister died by the way." BBC History.
BBC, 1864. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/hg_gallery_05.shtml