II.

Percival and the Grail

The Holy Grail first plays a central role in Arthurian literature in the medieval romance Perceval, ou le conte du graal (Percival, or the Story of the Grail, 1190?) by French poet Chrétien de Troyes. As a youth, the mythical character Percival sets forth to become a knight at King Arthur's court. On the way he reaches the castle of the Fisher King, who is guardian of the Holy Grail and of the spear that wounded Jesus when he was crucified. Because of his sinful ways, the Fisher King is struck mute when he comes into the presence of the sacred chalice.

When Percival enters the Fisher King’s castle, he witnesses a procession in which the bleeding spear and the Holy Grail pass before the king, who has become speechless in the presence of the chalice. Astonished, Percival fails to ask any questions concerning the strange scene. Later he learns that if he, a pure and guileless soul, had spoken, the king would have been healed. After many wanderings, Percival returns to the Fisher King’s castle and welds together a broken sword, or (in another version) restores the power of speech to the king, and succeeds him.