In my last post, the quest for the Holy Grail had just been declared, and the knights were preparing to leave Camelot.
Summary of Chapter 2: “The Miracles”
The main character in Chapter 2 of the Holy Grail story is Galahad. Upon leaving Camelot, Galahad rides to an abbey built of white stone, where he meets King Bagdemagus and Sir Uwayne (minor characters in the story). They find there is a shield kept there that is intended for only the greatest knight on earth, and are told that anyone else who carries it, does so at his peril. The next day, King Bagdemagus takes the shield and rides off, only to soon be attacked by a white knight on a white horse who wounds him and takes the shield, telling Bagdemagus that the shield belongs to Sir Galahad alone. He then gives it to a squire and has the squire deliver it to Galahad who was still back at the abbey.
Now, Galahad has his sword (taken from the floating stone) and his shield. He rides off and soon encounters the white knight who attacked King Bagdemagus, then asks the knight about the history of the shield. Long story short, before Joseph of Arimathea had made his way to Britain, he had converted King Evelake of Sarras, who had used the white shield in battle. Eventually, both men came to Britain. On his deathbed, Joseph told the king to bring him the white shield and then let the blood running from his nose drop onto the shield until it made the form of a red cross. Joseph prophesied that Nacien the hermit would eventually be the keeper of the shield until Galahad came, and that Galahad would receive the shield 15 days after he had been knighted.
Galahad then rode back to the abbey, where a monk led Galahad to a tomb where there was a fiend who leaped at Galahad. Galahad crossed himself and the fiend vanished. The man who was in the tomb was dressed in full armor but had been a heretic. So, the monk and Galahad removed his body from the graveyard. Another monk then told Galahad that the fiend that had been on the body represented evil on the earth.
Eventually, Galahad left the abbey and accompanied another man, Sir Melyas, on the quest for the Grail. After a week, they come to a stone cross at a fork in the road. On the cross, there was an inscription that said the way on the right was for worthy knights, and the way on the left would bring trials. Melyas wanted to prove himself, so he decided to take the way on the left. He eventually came to a lodge in which there was a great banquet of food laid out on a cloth on the ground that was next to a chair upon which was a gold crown. Melyas desired the crown, so he took it, but was soon attacked and wounded by a knight.
Just then, Galahad showed up and saved Melyas by not only fighting off that knight, but also by cutting off the left arm of yet another attacking knight. After the fight was over, Galahad took Melyas to a monk so he could recover. It was at that time that the monk told Melyas that he had wrongly set out for the Grail out of pride, that he had chosen the way on the left that was for sinners, and that his wound was his punishment for his sins of pride and covetousness (as seen in his stealing of the crown)—that was why there were two knights: they represented his sins of pride and covetousness. And that’s why Galahad was able to defeat them—he was a perfect and sinless knight.
Then a voice told Galahad to go to the Maiden’s Castle, so he rode off and soon came to the castle. He was met by seven young noblewomen who warned him of the seven evil knights who had taken over the castle and who would kill him. Sure enough, they soon showed up and attacked Galahad, but he defeated them and drove them off. Then an old monk gave him the keys to the castle and the people welcomed him as their deliverer. After that, Galahad blew the castle horn to summon all knights in the land to come and swear to return to the customs they held before the evil times that the seven evil knights ushered in.
A little while later, Sir Gawain, Sir Gareth, and Sir Uwayne encountered the seven evil knights whom Galahad had driven off and killed them. After that, Gawain came to a hermit and asked for a blessing, but the monk told him that he had led a life of sin, and that was why he killed the seven knights, whereas Galahad had only driven them off. We are then told that the Maiden’s Castle represents the souls who had been imprisoned in Hades before the incarnation of Christ, that the seven evil knights represent the seven deadly sins, and that Galahad represents Christ. Hence, the entire story of Galahad at the Maiden’s Castle represents who Christ was able to bring salvation to those who had lived and died before the incarnation.
The chapter concludes with an interesting account involving Galahad, Launcelot, and Percivale. After Galahad left the Maiden’s Castle, he came to a wasteland, where he encountered Launcelot and Percivale, who did not recognize him. They engaged in a joust, Galahad won, and then rode off. Percivale then went back to a hermit, while Launcelot rode off across the wasteland until he came to a stone cross. He laid down and fell asleep, and while asleep, he had a vision—at least he thought it was a vision. He saw a wounded knight cry out and ask if he could see the Holy Grail and be healed. Miraculously, the Grail then appeared. The wounded knight kissed the Grail and was healed. Launcelot wanted to kiss the Grail as well but was not able because he was still in an unrepentant state of mortal sin (namely, his adultery with Gwenevere).
It soon became clear that this wasn’t a vision, because the newly healed knight took Launcelot’s helmet, sword, and horse. Then a voice from heaven said to Launcelot: “You are harder than a stone, more bitter than wood, and more barren than a fig tree. Go hence, for you are not worthy of this holy place!” So, Launcelot then left and eventually found a hermit at a hermitage. It was there where he finally confessed his sin with Gwenevere for the past 24 years. The hermit told Launcelot to do penance, and the next day gives Launcelot his horse, helmet, and shield back.
My Comments on Chapter 2
Since Chapter 2 deals with the initial adventures of Galahad, and since Galahad is the Christ-figure in the Grail story, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to find Galahad doing “Christ-like” things. Regarding his brief encounter with King Bagdemagus, Bagdemagus’ action of taking the shield reflects one of the key themes in the Grail story: the unworthiness and sinfulness of most of the characters. This action, in its own way, enhances the Fisher King theme—most of the knights and kings in the Grail story reach out in pride for something of which they are not worthy, and they receive a wound. Their pride, covetousness, or lust ends up wounding them and putting them in need of healing and salvation.
The special shield, of course, is destined for Galahad. Not surprisingly, it also has a connection with Joseph of Arimathea, the one who brought the Holy Grail to England. The significant of his blood forming a red cross on the white shield obviously emphasizes further the connection, not only between Galahad and Christ, but also with Joseph of Arimathea, for he is the one who brings items like the Grail and the shield to England.
In any case, Galahad, like Christ, expels a fiend, and as happens throughout the Grail story, the fiend symbolizes something, namely evil on the earth. Therefore, the fact that Galahad expels the fiend is representative of Christ defeating the forces of evil.
The account of Sir Melyas is another example showing how unworthy knights are because of their pride and covetousness. His stealing of the crown illustrates that desire for power so many people have. Not to say that Melyas is Lucifer, but the action of grasping for power out of pride echoes the account in Isaiah 14, where Lucifer, out of his pride, attempts to take the place of God, but is then cast down to Sheol. As the saying goes: Pride goes before a fall.
The most important story in Chapter 2, though, is Galahad’s adventure at the Maiden’s Castle. The entire story represents what is hinted at in I Peter 3:19, namely that during those three days between his crucifixion and resurrection, Christ preached to the souls in Hades who had died before the incarnation, and thus were in need of salvation. The point here isn’t so much the claim that Jesus literally traveled to a literal place where those who died before the incarnation were literally in prison. The point is that the work of Christ, and the salvation that his death and resurrection bring, ultimately is made available to all throughout history who put their faith in God. Here in the Grail story, though, that notion briefly mentioned in the New Testament is “fleshed out,” if you will, in this fictional narrative, with Galahad, once again, representing Christ. Galahad receiving the keys to the castle and being hailed as their “deliverer” echoes Revelation 1:18, where we are told that Christ now has the keys to Death and Hades.
The final thing to note comes at the end, when we are told a little more of what happened to Launcelot. In the joust in the wasteland, Galahad defeats both Launcelot and Percivale. Why? Because he is the purest and greatest knight—he’s greater than the former “greatest knight,” Launcelot, and purer than Percivale, who in earlier versions of the Grail legend, is the perfect, virgin knight. In any case, while Percivale goes to see a recluse (that comes in Chapter 3), Launcelot goes riding off into the wasteland, where he comes to a stone cross, where he sees the wounded knight healed because of the Grail. Launcelot, though, experiences only humiliation. Why? Because he is a fornicator and has been sinning with Gwenevere for 24 years.
It is interesting to note that in the story, the wounded knight takes Launcelot’s horse, helmet, and sword, but after Launcelot confesses his adultery with Gwenevere to the hermit, the next day the hermit gives Launcelot back his horse, helmet…and shield. Is that a mistake on Mallory’s part, or is there something significant there? Perhaps the sword partly symbolizes Launcelot’s sexual sin (if we were going to go Freudian); and perhaps after his confession, he now will receive protection (a shield) from God, provided he truly repents and does penance for his sin.
