| Perceval (Peredur) | |
|---|---|
| Matter of Britain character | |
 Parsifal byRogelio de Egusquiza (1910) | |
| In-universe information | |
| Title | Sir |
| Occupation | Knight of the Round Table |
| Family | Various depending on version, includingPellinore,Lamorak,Aglovale,Tor,his sister,Feirefiz |
| Children | Lohengrin inParzival |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | Welsh |
Perceval (/ˈpɜːrsɪvəl/, also writtenPercival,Parzival,Parsifal), alternatively calledPeredur (Welsh pronunciation:[pɛˈrɛdɨr]), is a figure in the legend ofKing Arthur, often appearing as one of theKnights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French authorChrétien de Troyes in the late 12th century talePerceval, the Story of the Grail, he is best known for being the original hero in the quest for theGrail before being replaced in later literature byGalahad, first introduced in the early 13th century.
The earliest reference to Perceval is found inChrétien de Troyes's first Arthurian romanceErec et Enide, where, as "Percevausli Galois" (Percevaus of Wales), he appears in a list of Arthur's knights.[1] In another of Chrétien's romances,Cligés, Perceval is a "renowned vassal" who is defeated by the knight Cligés in a tournament.[2] He then becomes the eponymous protagonist of Chrétien's final romance,Perceval, the Story of the Grail.[3]
In the Welsh romancePeredur son of Efrawg, the corresponding figure goes by the namePeredur. The name "Peredur" may derive from Welshpar (spear) anddur (hard, steel).[4][6] It is generally accepted that Peredur was a well-established figure before he became the hero ofPeredur son of Efrawg.[7] However, the earliest Welsh Arthurian text,Culhwch and Olwen, does not mention Peredur in any of its extended catalogues of famous and less famous warriors. Peredur does appear in the romanceGeraint and Enid, which includes "Peredur son of Efrawg" in a list of warriors accompanyingGeraint. A comparable list in the last pages ofThe Dream of Rhonabwy refers to a PeredurPaladr Hir ("of the Long Spear-Shaft"), whom Peter Bartrum identifies as the same figure.[8] Peredur may derive in part from the sixth-centuryCoeling chieftainPeredur son of Eliffer. The Peredur of Welsh romance differs from the Coeling chieftain if only in that his father is called Efrawg, rather than Eliffer, and there is no sign of a brother called Gwrgi. Efrawg, on the other hand, is not an ordinary personal name, but the historical Welsh name for the city ofYork (Latin:Eburācum; British/Old Welsh:Cair Ebrauc; Modern Welsh:Efrog).[8][5] This may represent an epithet that denoted a local association, possibly pointing to Eliffer's son as the prototype, but which came to be understood and used as a patronymic in the Welsh Arthurian tales.[8]
Scholars disagree as to the exact relationship between Peredur and Perceval.Arthur Groos andNorris J. Lacy argue that it is most likely that the use of the name Peredur inPeredur son of Efrawg "represent[s] an attempt to adapt the name [Perceval] to Welsh onomastic traditions",[9] as the Welsh romance appears to depend on Chrétien de Troyes, at least partially, as a source, and as the name Peredur is attested for unrelated characters inHistoria Regum Britanniae andRoman de Brut.[10]Rachel Bromwich, however, regards the name Perceval as a loose French approximation of the Welsh name Peredur.[11]Roger Sherman Loomis attempted to derive both Perceval and Peredur from the WelshPryderi, a mythological figure in theFour Branches of the Mabinogi,[12] a derivation that Groos and Lacy find "now seems even less likely".[10]
In all of his appearances, Chrétien de Troyes identifies Perceval as "the Welshman" (li Galois), indicating that, even if he does not originate in Celtic tradition, he alludes to it.[3] Groos and Lacy argue that, "even though there may have been a pre-existing 'Perceval prototype,' Chrétien was primarily responsible [...] for the creation of [one of] the most fascinating, complex, and productive characters in Arthurian fiction".[13]
In some French texts, the name "Perceval" is derived from eitherOld Frenchper ce val (through this valley) orperce val (pierce the valley).[9] These etymologies are not found in Chrétien de Troyes, however.[14]Perlesvaus etymologizes the name (there:Pellesvax) as meaning "He Who Has Lost The Vales", referring to the loss of land by his father, while also saying Perceval called himselfPar-lui-fet (made by himself).[15]Wolfram von Eschenbach's GermanParzival provides the meaning "right through the middle" for the name (there: Parzival).[15]Richard Wagner followed a discredited etymology proposed by journalist and historianJoseph Görres that the name derived from Arabicfal parsi (pure fool) when choosing the spelling "Parsifal" for the figure in his opera.[16]
In a large series of episodes,Peredur son of Efrawg[a] tells the story of Peredur's education as a knight. It begins with his birth and secluded upbringing as a naive boy by his widowed mother. When he meets a group of knights, he joins them on their way toKing Arthur's court. Once there, he is ridiculed byCei and sets out on further adventures, promising to avenge Cei's insults to himself and those who defended him. While travelling he meets two of his uncles. The first, who is analogous to theGornemant ofPerceval, trains him in arms and warns him not to ask the significance of what he sees. The second uncle is analogous to Chrétien'sFisher King, but what Peredur sees being carried before him in his uncle's castle is not theHoly Grail (Old Frenchgraal), but asalver containing a man's severed head. The text agrees with the French poem in listing a bleeding lance among the items which are carried in procession. The young knight does not ask about significance of these items and proceeds to further adventure, including a stay with theNine Witches and the encounter with the woman who was to be his true love,Angharad. Peredur returns to Arthur's court, but soon embarks on another series of adventures that do not correspond to material inPerceval. Eventually, the hero learns the severed head at his uncle's court belonged to his cousin, who had been killed by the Witches. Peredur avenges his family and is celebrated as a hero.
Several elements in the story, such as the severed head on a salver, a hunt for a unicorn, the witches, and a magical board ofgwyddbwyll, have all been described as Celtic ingredients that are not otherwise present in Chrétien's story.[17] Goetinck sees inPeredur a variant on the Celtic theme of thesovereignty goddess, who personifies the country and has to be won sexually by the rightful king or heir to secure peace and prosperity for the kingdom. N. Petrovskaia has recently suggested an alternative interpretation, linking the figure of the Empress withEmpress Matilda.[18]
Chrétien de Troyes wrote the first story of Perceval as the main character, the unfinishedPerceval, the Story of the Grail, in the late 12th century. Other famous accounts of his adventures include Wolfram'sParzival and the now-lostPerceval attributed toRobert de Boron.
There are many versions of Perceval's birth. In Robert de Boron's account, he is of noble birth, and his father is variably stated to be either Alain le Gros, KingPellinore, or another worthy knight. His mother is usually unnamed, but plays a significant role in the stories. His sister is sometimes the bearer of theHoly Grail, but not originally; she is sometimes namedDindrane. In the tales in which he is Pellinore's son, his brothers includeAglovale,Lamorak andDornar, as well as a half-brother namedTor by his father's affair with a peasant woman. After the death of his father, Perceval's mother takes him to the forest, where she raises him ignorant of the ways of men until he is 15. Eventually, a group of knights passes through the forest and Perceval is struck by theirheroic bearing. Wanting to be a knight himself, he travels to King Arthur's court. In some versions, his mother faints in shock upon seeing her son leave. After proving his worthiness as a warrior, he is knighted and invited to join the Knights of theRound Table.
In Chrétien de Troyes'sPerceval, the character is already connected to the Grail. He meets the crippled Fisher King and sees a grail, not yet identified as "holy", but he fails to ask the question that would heal the injured king. Upon learning of his mistake, Perceval vows to find the Grail castle again and fulfill his quest. The story breaks off soon after, to be continued in a number of different ways by various authors, such as inPerlesvaus andSir Perceval of Galles. In the later accounts of Arthurian prose cycles, and consequentlyThomas Malory'sLe Morte d'Arthur, the true Grail hero isGalahad, the son ofLancelot, but, though his role in the romances is diminished, Perceval remains a major character and is one of only two knights (the other isBors) who accompany Galahad to the Grail castle and complete the quest with him.
In early versions, Perceval's sweetheart isBlanchefleur and he becomes the King ofCarbonek after healing the Fisher King. In later versions, he is a virgin who dies after achieving the Grail. In Wolfram's version, Perceval's son isLohengrin, theKnight of the Swan.
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