The Elucidation

I know that I've been jumping all over the place here, but I feel I must provide you all with some information regarding The Elucidation. "The secret that no man may tell." How will anyone ever discover the grail if they don't know how to find it. Someone out there must no the secret and it should be told to the noble knights. I'm not suggesting going around and letting everyone in on the secret. That would be quite ridiculous. However, the grail might be achieved faster, if the correct grail seekers knew this secret and told the appropriate ones. In which case, "some man must tell." They just don't have to tell everyone.

Perronik, the Innocent.

Yes, it is I, Perronik the Innocent. The very same one who took over the noble knight’s quest for the Golden Basin and the Diamond Lance. The one who conquered the lion, outwitted the unsleeping dragon, escaped the scaly monsters, eluded Sirens and eventually achieved my quest to become the king of Jerusalem. It was no easy task I tell you, but it was something that I knew that I would be able to accomplish given my creative nature and my ability to think on my feet. I've looked at my fellow grail seekers, and I cannot think of anyone would have been able to achieve this quest as I did. Well, maybe a couple, I might be building myself up too much here. But nevertheless I feel that I have conquered all of the great challenges of the world, and now I can just sit back on my magical throne and let the world come to me.

Sir Gawain

Hello there,
It seems that I fell victim to a terrible habit of mine and have been sound asleep under a tree for quite some time. In doing so, I've neglected to give you much of the information in the goings on of the grail world, but I'll try my best to get up to speed. This Gawain seems to have the same bad habits that I do. In fact much of his quest results in sleeping under trees and then drinking wine with his comrades. Sounds like a good time. A good time indeed. I believe that Gawain and I would get along quite well. For why go after the Holy Grail and all its glory if you can simply eat, sleep and drink all day long and be content with your life in doing so.
Perronik.

Grail givining Dan Brown fame?

Hello fellow Grailquesters. As you all know, I Trevrezent, am very well versed with the workings of the almighty lord. Furthermore, I am sure that everything he does is fairly mysterious, and is always done for a very precise reason. So, when I saw what our mutual friend Gawain wrote regarding how he believed that Dan Brown was given credit for Baigent's theories, I wasn't quite sure what to think. I have now come to the conclusion that the grail is given to noble men, (Wolfram de Eschenbach regarding his work Parzival, pg 293) and would therefore not give fame and riches to someone who, according to baigent, took it from someone else.

Make sense? No, most likely not. I guess it just takes a very good understanding of the grail to understand baigent.

-Treverezent-

Who Knows?

Well, I'm not so sure about these questers. They certainly have a unique way of searching for the grail; In my day were grabbed a sword, mounted a horse, and wandered around in the woods looking for a cup. It seemed to work for a few of us, anyway. At any rate, I don't believe all the speculation and dot connecting Baigent and his footmen have been doing will amount to anything. If you will all recall, the grail has been achieved and has left this earth forever. That's it. All gone. Besides, it would seem to me that the true value of the grail is in the lessons to be learned from its romances: Charity, faith, loyalty, caritas, and love for your fellow man are what count. Even Indiana Jones learned that in the end. Beides that, does Baigent not wind up like Perceval after he neglects to ask about the grail? Bitter and jaded, his faith gravely injured? All the work on his theory was promptly scooped up by Dan Brown who made BANK from it. Baigent even lost the law suit against him. It looks like the grail ultimately served Mr. Brown best. Furthermore, if the theory of Jesus' bloodline is correct, might it not be something better left a secret? It was, after all designed to be a secret from the beginning. Perhaps God was making his own statement about it when he elevated the man who turned the theory into fiction, and forsake the man who unveiled the secret as fact to the world. Who knows?

Was T.S. Eliot trying to speak in parables as I did to my followers? If so, his meaning is much harder to grasp. Maybe I should give him some pointers. I think his poem "The Waste Land" is about just that, the Wasteland narrative that is the foundation of many Grail texts. Eliot was a modernist that felt frantic and hopeless in a violent and fragmented post-WWI world. The metaphor of a wasted land would obviously be appealing to him. He used the Wasteland imagery for that purpose, and not to quest for an elusive Grail of any kind. The Grail is hope, and Eliot's poem is, in essence, a hopeless message.

Weston, the Wasteland, and Wayward Conspiracy Theorists

I've been an errant knight of late and missed my opportunity to engage with Damosel Weston. While the likelihood that the grail emerges from eastern fertility rituals seems slim, I must admit that I'm a bit impressed by the fact that she is able to account for most of the variations of the tale. What do the rest of you think?

Apparently, T.S. Eliot thought her ideas were worthy of a poem on the subject. Through his textual references and annotations, it is clear that the Fisher King, Parsifal, and even the Chapel Perilous make appearances, but is this nearly indecipherable poem really about the grail? It seems to me unlikely.

And finally, what are we to make of the Baigent clan? They see Wolfram's text as the key to much of the grail secrets that might threaten Christian orthodoxy. How about you? Are you threatened?

Jessie Weston, What a Woman!

Jessie Weston, in her essay concerning the Grail and the Rites of Adonis, explores the possibility that the Grail stories were written surrounding the secret rituals of a life cult. This would explain the preservation of the secrecy and mystery of the Grail and the secret of the Grail. Her suggestion is persuasive, however humble this Ms. Weston appears. I would like to point out that nearly every spiritual ritual, belonging to one of the popular monotheistic religions or to an ancient cult such as the one Jessie Weston proposes, uses secrecy to enhance meaning in ritual. Even I used this strategy when I was on earth among mortal men. I spoke to the people in parables; the metaphor and secrecy surrounding the actual meaning of my words enhanced the meaning.

When (Jesus) was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" (NIV, Mark 4:10-12)

I think Ms. Weston, in her wisdom, understands the significance of secrecy in ritual and recognizes how the remnants of that ritual of a life cult could have persevered through translation and addition.

Perronik the Innocent: Yet Another Perceval Story?

I don't know about you, but I've just about had enough of myself. Is this story just another one about me or is it of a different folkloric tradition? For Tennyson, Hawker, and Lowell, I was a tangential character at best, so why have I been resurrected? Or maybe I'm mistaken? I'll just go back to my self-loathing, I guess.

Woe to the Women

Greetings yet again, questers. I am sorry to begin my address on such a negative note, but I must express my dismay at the direction Hawker has taken in shedding new light on the grail mystery. Time and time again, I have heard tales of you, brave knights—Galahad, Gawain, Lancelot, Perceval—and your heroic quests for the grail. I was beginning to think that the only women directly associated with this mythic object were either those who were evil or those who, like myself, were simply helpless females in need of rescuing. Finally, after hearing Sir Tennyson’s understanding of the grail, I felt there might be hope for we female questers; according to Tennyson, the first person from King Arthur’s court to achieve the grail is Perceval’s sister. I hoped that perhaps this woman’s importance might spur on other bards to consider grail-related females in a more positive light. However, after hearing from Hawker, I am disappointed; my hopes have been false. Hawker barely mentions women at all, and I am left feeling that, despite Sir Tennyson’s best efforts, we female questers are yet again being ignored as the scenery of tales meant to display the heroics of men

Change in Reading Schedule: Lowell before Guthrie

I've heard from a itinerant hermit that Dr. Mueller made a mistake on the reading schedule. Instead of reading about Guthrie's Perronik for Monday, we should be reading about Lowell's Launfal. Both of these American writers are significant grail storytellers, but Lowell wrote in the nineteenth century, whereas Guthrie wrote in the twentieth. We are trying to adhere to chronology, but of course we all know that there is some dispute about the order of grail stories, especially between the Celtic and the French.

Lowell's Launfal is very different from the grail seekers we have encountered so far on this quest. Why all of this emphasis on charity? Does all this service talk really mean something?

Why Shouldn't I Deserve the Grail?

To my fellow grail seekers, I cannot help but notice that many of you believe that I should not have acheived the grail, and it saddens me to see this. My being born illegitmately does not and should not make me inferior. As seen in Tennyson's poem about my quest, I did bare hardships and temptations but I was able to control my desires by loving God above all else. Is that so bad? Chosen at birth I acheived my destiny that was meant for me.
I saw the grail floating down with angels and knew that my time had come. Upward toward heaven I was taken after finding the grail, leaving my poor fellow knights back on earth, two of who stood witness with me. I apologize to all who are offended by my leaving the world with the grail but what would one expect me to do otherwise? To join angels and God in heaven is what I most desired and with the acheivement of the grail, I was granted just that. I searched my whole life and feel I deserved to find it, after all, I was the true pure knight.

Galahad? Come on!

I know it is not my appointed time to speak to you, my fellow questers, but like Lancelot in Tennyson's The Holy Grail, I'm a little behind. I am also rather bothered by the sycophantic lauding Tennyson has heaped upon Galahad while my character is besmirched. I have always been a Knight of diplomacy and smooth speech, but Tennyson has chosen to cast me as a speaker uncouth. I do not relish coming off like a boar. After all, in Die Krone, it is I who achieved the Grail. And what's the deal with Galahad anyway? He was the bastard son of an evil coupling! Why should he get all the glory? It would not be so bad if Tennyson had not written Sir Galahad. I have never witnessed such a display of brown-nosing in my life. What was so great about Galahad finding the Grail? He found it and disappeared. It would have been nice of him to come back to Camelot and share some knowledge with us, or just tell us a story or two about his adventures,but no, our perfect little knight finds the Grail and vanishes up to heaven. Well, thanks for nothin' Galahad! I wonder if any of you have any insight as to why we were all passed over for some Knight who couldn't even get a date. Also, somebody please tell Tennyson that he's overusing the "showers of flowers" metaphor. Well, I guess I had better go get shriven after that prideful diatribe. Good luck to you all on your quest!

Hawker's Sangraal: Arthur as Quester

In the texts of my time, the grail was an elusive but uplifting object. Now that we come to the accounts of Tennyson and Hawker, the grail and specifically the quest for the grail is envisioned in a negative light. Why is that? And what does Arthur's involvement (or lack of it) in the quest have to do with this negativity?

Tennyson and the Grail: After the Arthurian Sleep

Like my period of apostasy, interest in Arthur and the grail was limited after Malory. What then did Tennyson find so attractive about the grail in the nineteenth century? Does the grail appear in a new guise or is it the same old grail we knew in the Middle Ages?

The Overwhelming Sangreal

Sir Malory, while certainly allowing for his use of the various grail themes to be a bit spread-out, still seems very concerned with the Holy Sangreal and its mysteries. I must admit, I was a bit confused when I read of the various sick and wounded kings—King Arthur, King Pellam, the Maimed King, King Pelles, and King Estorause. I suppose King Pellam and King Pelles may very well be one and the same—“the Maimed King” could be a mere title, I suppose—but there also seem to be two lances: the lance Garlon used to kill Herlews le Berbeus and “a spear which bled marvellously [sic]” (303). Despite such plurality in these themes, I find that the power and importance of the Sangreal are thoroughly displayed when they are revealed to Galahad in Sir Malory’s text. When my brother Bendigeid Vran beheld the Cauldron, I do not recall him having been possessed by any sort of a religious fervor; neither was he required to have a certain degree of purity. Galahad, on the other hand, is only able to behold the secrets of the Sangreal because of his purity, and once he beholds them he is so caught up in the sacred that he dies. I certainly understand death due to extreme anguish, but this death from overwhelming joy in the spiritual surely shows the power of the grail as Malory describes it.

Le Morte d'Arthur: The Beginning and the End of Things

As one of the most famous encyclopedias of Arthurian lore, Malory's text tries to do everything at once. If we examine the selections from the anthology closely, we see that fourteen books separate the tales of Balin and Galahad. Yet, readers are expected to follow the grail story throughout the work? I don't think so. In fact, I wonder if Malory really cares about the grail at all. Is there anything new about it? Does he imbue it with a new mysticism?

Exclusivity of the Grail

This grail of which I have read about in The Quest for the Holy Grail seems to be a much more exclusive object than the cauldron formerly owned by my dearly departed brother, Bendigeid Vran. Although this heavenly object supplies food in abundance to those who behold it, it is only the pure of heart and the humble who are allowed to approach it. Indeed, it seems that this grail can only be used for good by the good. The cauldron, on the other hand, seems to have served whoever possessed it; it was used by the armies of my husband Matholwch and his people to subdue the armies of my brother. Verily, the cauldron did not seem to be exclusively for use for good or evil—it was simply magical. If only the cauldron had been as exclusive as the grail! Perhaps, then, the Irish soldiers would not have been restored by the cauldron’s magical properties, and the people of my brother’s house would have prevailed without his being mortally wounded.
Despite my appreciation for the exclusivity of this grail, I cannot help but pity poor Lancelot. As one who has both received and caused a great deal of suffering, I understand the anguish Sir Lancelot must experience at his inability to approach this most holy object.

The grail went MIA

We've been dealing so long with the French obsession with the grail through English translations that it's difficult to believe that we have finally arrived at a grail text that was originally written in English. I say "grail" text, but is it really? I mean, don't you have to have a grail in it to be a "grail" text? It is my story, but the grail is nowhere to be found! What should we make of this?

Dude, you guys passed out and missed everything!

Yes it was I, Sir Gawain, who "won" the Grail. By my faith, I claim no superiority over my fellow grail seekers. I am but a humble servant of my God and of my king, and was only doing my duty. No slight to my naive friend, Perceval, he only failed to ask about the Grail because he was bade not to by his uncle. I can only attribute my success to God's will.
My only regret is that my friends Lancelot and Calogreant had imbibed when perhaps they should not have, and missed the wonder that is the Grail. Don't worry, I only ragged on them a little the next day. They were feeling a little delicate and I figured their hangovers were enough injury enough. Not to mention the fact that they will never get another chance to see the Grail. My question healed the wounded King and the land--the Grail is no longer needed here and I must never ask of it again. If only we had video phones back then. I could have drawn on their faces and filmed them sleeping as the Grail passed before them. That would have been funny!
I must also try not to show off my new sword to Perceval. Mine will never break in battle. It is my reward for my Grail victory. Perceval only received a crummy "magic" sword that will fail him in a fight, so my sword might make him jealous. Boy, it sure is hard to be humble when you know you rule!
My advice to any future seekers is this: be loyal, be pure, use your head and ask questions, and do not drink when your host is not drinking.

A new grail knight in Galahad

Must I endure yet another usurpation of my role? Instead of having a fool like me achieve the grail, the tradition has embraced a new "holy" knight. How can he be so holy if he was the progeny of Lancelot's sexual transgression? And out of wedlock no less! Does Galahad prove to be the better grail knight? I would even prefer Gawain to this holier-than-thou bastard.

Die Gawain in Die Krone!

During my pilgrimage to Shanghai, I happened upon yet another grail text, Die Krone, which once again places Gawain in my place as the grail knight. Such an emphasis on the importance of Gawain has made me wonder why he emerges as the hero while I descend into oblivion. Is he more charming than I am? Is he a better fighter? A better Christian?

Listen to Wise Trevrezent

You have all now read Wolfram's story of Parvizal, and have read the conversation that took place between young Parvizal and the wise hermit Trevrezent. Trevrezent was a devoted man of God and a clever teacher. His stories taught Parvizal much, not only about Parvizal's personal struggles with his mother and his pursuit of the Grail, but also about meaningful lessons that all should learn. You are all students, and have teachers: learn from them. Listen to them, as Parvizal listened to Trevrezent. And do not forget Trevrezent's lessons, however old they may be. The Earth was the first maiden, and was forever wronged by the sin of murder committed on her virgin soil. Women, like the earth, are wronged by violence. In your pursuit of the Grail, or whatever quest your knightly hearts yearn for, use your swords mindfully. Stronger weapons are prayers. Peace.

I am found!

Hello All you Grail Seekers,
Since you just read Wolfram's Parzival, you all know quite a bit about me. My name is Trevrezent, and I am one of the many uncles of Parzival himself. I gave up my knighthood for a life of poverty and repentance. Young Parzival comes to me to discuss his sins, and I enlighten him fully. He is a body full of sin, for he did not ask the right questions. I am the one who told this youth that his mother died from his grief of leaving home, just as I am the one who told him secrets of the grail. I tell Parzival that he must put his trust in god if he wishes to be forgiven for sin. Likewise, I told him that he actually killed his own cousin when he didn't know. One last piece of information that I tell him is that my brother, his uncle, is the Grail King, who was wounded while jousting with a poisonous spear. I tell him that the reason I gave up my knighthood is because of the wounding of my brother. I try to boldface the point to him that the Grail only selects men of religion.

Oh heavens above, I have seen it!

My fellow knights, I have seen what those have been trying to prevail. I have set my eyes upon the grail. I set out on a long journey in which I have come across many lands and their castles. I had promised a King that I would return with the sword which beheaded St.John in exchange for me leaving sooner than a years pass. During that journey I came across many wonders such as a fountain in which a vessel was hung, and in it I saw a figure in which I later soon to learn was a child...the Saviour.

I had battled a Giant to avenge a sorrowful King's son, who sadly had fallen while I beheaded the Giant. I then brought the head and the fallen son to the King. Although is son was fallen, he was happy to have been reunited. I then saw an unsightly action taken in which the King had cooked him, cut him up, and then fed him to those of his land. I later learned from a priest that it was his sacrifice of flesh and blood to the Lord.

I have seen unsightly things and mystical things as well. The grail, in all of its beauty and brightness. I looked at it in awe. I saw it in the flesh. In the midst of the grail, I saw the child...the Savior. I was unable to speak a word. I had failed to ask "how it served, and of what". I am honored to have seen such a marvel, but failed the King Fisherman.

Blogged into Submission: A Discussion of Wolfram's Parzival

As Dr. Mueller's vassal, I am in the enviable position of beginning the debate on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival. As maybe one of the most interesting grail texts (after mine of course), Parzival offers an entirely new vision of the grail. What do we learn about its qualities? And how different is Wolfram's Parzival from Chretien's Perceval? For one thing, Wolfram is clearly more interested in an Eastern origin for the grail. What are the implications for such a fetish for the East? And finally, is Wolfram's version playful or serious? Or both?

And remember fellow grail seekers, response to this entry is required. I suggest that you comment on the most recently posted comment on this entry, but as long as you write a thoughtful post in response to Parzival, you will remain golden, and truly worthy of the grail, in Dr. Mueller's eyes.

Just Doing My Job for the Big Guy.

Although Joseph of Arimathea is my brother-in-law, I am not quite sure if he is crazy or not. I mean if God wants me to do all these things for him shouldn't he tell me himself. However I guess that I need to have faith and do what I am told, but I am confused about my duties. I mean come on catch fish and have a family, What kind of holy duties are these? At least in the end I will be rewarded for my work,by becoming the keeper of the Holy Grail. I am glad that my services have not gone unnoticed, however I feel bad for Joseph. He did all that work for nothing. Oh well I guess that's life.

Making mistakes like Moses

Silly Peredur. You blogged on the wrong text in your eagerness to degrade the Gawain of the Perlesvaus. Please readers, if you are responding to Robert's text, pay attention to this entry, not "Step off, Gawain." However, those of you responding to the Perlesvaus, please read the Gawain entry.

That said, I can now address Robert de Borron's treatise on Joseph of Arimathea and the grail. Robert seems invested in the Christian identity of the grail, but he doesn't reveal too much. What, for instance, are the "Secrets of the Grail"? Were the rest of you able to figure this out?

Step off, Gawain.

Gawain, you need to know that the grail is "my precious" - not yours. I've heard tell of a cute little story called the Perlesvaus, in which you are depicted as the grail hero - not me! Please know that if you plan to achieve the grail before me, I will track you down, all the way to Mordor. Oops. I mean Avalon. What do the rest of you think of Gawain's grail quest? And what about that funky grail procession he witnesses?

Blessings from Jesus

My dear children, I revere your quest for the sacred grail. All who seek for divine wisdom are fulfilling the work of God. I, as the Son of Man, feasted on the holy night of the Passover with my disciples, with Judas called Iscariot--the one who would betray me-- sitting by my side. I knew what was to come, and ate and drank and shared precious words with the twelve that I loved, one last time in the flesh. I sought to share ceremony with my disciples during that feast, and passed bread around to be shared. As I did so, I said "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this is remembrance of me." I did the same with the cup of wine, saying " This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." I hoped to make them remember, after I was gone from the flesh, that every time they ate bread, and every time they drank wine, they should remember me and all I have taught them. They could do so with these physical things, for soon my physical body would be gone from earth. And so it was. And that cup that I passed around to share that night disappeared into mystery, a mystery that you now seek. I will not speak of that mystery here, but I will bless your quest to find it. Go forth in the spirit of Love.

Is the graal a grail?

My comrade Matthews has included a translation of Chretien's Perceval that may create some problems for us grail-seekers. The translators decided to translate "graal" as "grail." Now, since no one knows what a "graal" is, is it fair to establish it definitely as the "grail" we are seeking? And what exactly does the grail do in Chretien's text? Does it serve in any way related to the way my cousin's head is bandied about in Peredur?

Greetings From King Amangons

Greetings to my subjects and fellow Grail enthusiasts. It is your old friend, King Amangons. I wanted to drop by and clear up some silly rumors that are going around about myself. Certain individuals are coming up with ludicrous stories about me raping maidens of the wells and stealing their little cups. These claims are outrageous, I mean evil and craven-hearted? Too harsh. We both did have a little too much to drink from those nice golden cups, but blaming me for the land drying up and turning into a barren wasteland is going too far. So maybe my vassals and I got carried away, but is it really such a bad thing? The only way to cure the land is through the Holy Grail, without a wasteland to cure who would want the Grail then? Only the greedy power seeking knights. Without me there would not be a chivalrous reason to seek out the Grail. So next time folks decide to attack someone's reputation, make it Lancelot, he clearly has problems.

Is it a Celtic or Christian grail?

I'm known for not speaking to Christians, but I'm wondering if I should break my vow in order to find out the evidence behind the theory that the grail is the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper. What do we think of the biblical evidence? Do the gospel accounts suggest that the cup has some secret power?

of Branwen, Daughter of Llyr

From my deep understanding - and having seen the cauldron myself as recounted in the tales of the Spoils of Annwen and Branwen Daughter of Llyr - I hold that this cauldron may well be the origins of this Grail. The Grail itself doesn't seem to be of much importance to the newly arrived Christian religion until Christianity takes on the cauldron as one of its own relics. And while it seems to have minimal significance today, my far-reaching mind knows that holy objects became very significant in the High Middle Ages and beyond, for a time.
I was one of the seven who returned from Ireland (or was it the Otherworld?) to carry the tale back to the Island of the Mighty. Perhaps the cauldron only faded from the world's memory for a time while Bran was remembered? Who can tell?

Gwalchmai

Many people say that I am one of the earliest characters associated with King Arthur. I am formally his nephew, and one of the most important figures of the Round Table. Many townspeople or other noble men might refer to me as one of the " greatest knights", which I completely agree with. In the past i was a fierce warrior, and extremely loyal to everything surrounding me, including my king and family. But mostly, I am a ladies man. I like to help out everyone, although my amount of strenght normally changes with the sun.
Most people first meet me in the Peredur the Son of Evrawc story, while I'm aiding Peredur. I think he is an okay fellow, although he does not always make the right choices. I tried warning him that if someone is busy, they are probably thinking about the one they love or the damage they felt but he didn't believe me, not a smart boy. That's probably why his name is Dumb Youth. Although Peredur was not an entirely smart boy, his stories about the Dwarf was very interesting. Eventually I guess I can tolerate Peredur, as long as be begins to have more common sense!

Does the Elucidation elucidate?

I've heard a rumor that my tale is no longer considered the font from which all grail lore springs. Is this true? The sexy trend, I've been told, is that this French text, The Elucidation, contains some of the earliest information about the grail. What do you think? Does it reflect some secret knowledge that Mabinogion does not possess?

Branwen, daughter of Llyr, through the eyes of Trevrezent

Hello my fellow grail friends. My name is Trevrezent, and I am the Hermit-Uncle to Parzival. I have said it once, and I'll say it again: The Grail chooses its company. I am not one to brag very often, but I am known as a very wise man. I have taught many a lesson in my lifetime. One might say that I am more of a teacher than a hermit.
Now, when I think about the story of poor Branwen, all I know is that no one can ever win the grail unless he has been summoned to it by God. Bendigeid Vran must have been on God's good side to be able to even come in contact with the grail, never mind the fact that he destroyed it. All I know is that part of the reason so many people close to Branwen died (including herself) is because of the Grail. Man can be both blinded and destroyed on his quest for the grail. Only god can decide a man's fate.

Branwen, Daughter of Llyr

Greetings to you, lords and ladies. I am Branwen, daughter of Llyr. My brother, Bendigied (“Blessed”) Vran, was the ruler of my homeland, Britain. He was also once the possessor of what may possibly be the “grail” for which we search. But read first what I have to say, of how this “grail”—what I think to be a cauldron—became entwined with my fate and woe.
One day, my king and brother Bendigied Vran was conversing with our brothers Nissyan and Evnissyan. Of Nissyan I was always quite fond; he had a way of smoothing over any argument, however heated. Evnissyan, however—what a brash, ill-tempered man! It is Evnissyan who I fear had the greatest hand in my misfortune. But first, to my husband. Yes, as my dear brother looked out from his island, he beheld thirteen ships sailing from Ireland. He sent men from his court to discover these ships’ intent, and the men were met by my suitor and future husband: Matholwch, King of Ireland.
Yes, as a maiden I was quite desirable. I was one of the three chief ladies of the island, and I was said to be “the fairest damsel in the world.” Bendigied Vran was pleased that I should have a king for a husband, so Matholwch and I were married at Aberffraw. However, after our day of feasting and merriment, my brother Evnissyan discovered that I had been married without his consent. Enraged, he disfigured Matholwch’s horses, cutting off their lips, ears, tails, and eyelids! Thus insulted, Matholwch left my brother Bendigied Vran’s court without his leave. When my brother learned of the insult, he promised that Matholwch would receive for his atonement a silver staff, a gold plate, and a host of horses to match those that had been disfigured. Matholwch accepted, but still seemed dissatisfied. Thus, my brother Bendigied Vran offered him the cauldron saying, “the property of which is, that if one of thy men be slain today, and be cast therein, tomorrow he will be as well as ever he was at best, except that he will not regain his speech.” This cauldron came from the Lake of the Cauldron in Ireland, and was carried out from this lake by giant yellow-haired man named Llassar Llaesgyvnewid.
I journeyed to Ireland with my husband Matholwch, and there I enjoyed a year of happiness. I gave birth to a son, Gwern, and sent him to be foster-nursed. Soon after, Matholwch’s foster-brothers rose against him, blaming him for the insult he had suffered by my brother Evnissyan. These men drove me from my husband’s chamber and forced me to cook for the Court. Every day, the Court’s butcher gave me a blow to the ear—a source of constant pain.
Desperate to escape my plight, I raised a small starling, taught it to speak, taught it to recognize my brother Bendigeid Vran, and sent it off toward Britain with a letter for my brother.
Not long after, messengers came from my husband, asking for an interpretation for something they’d seen. They told me of a wood upon the sea, and beside a vast, moving mountain. I told them that surely it was men from my homeland, the Island of the Mighty, who had come to save me from my woes. You see, my brother Bendigeid Vran is a man of huge stature, and I knew the mountain was he.
Matholwch and his council fled from my brother, breaking apart a bridge under which flowed a river that neither ship nor vessel could pass over. This did not stop my brother, Bendigeid Vran. He laid himself across from shore to shore, allowing his host to cross over him. After this, Matholwch promised to give his kingdom to our son Gwern, but Bendigeid Vran was not satisfied. Then, my husband sent a message promising my brother a house large enough to contain him; I advised him to accept the offer, in order to save the country.
When my brother’s host met my husband’s in the house Matholwch built for Bendigeid Vran, my brother Evnissyen, cruel as he was, killed my poor son Gwern! He threw him into the fire! I tried my best to follow after my son, my precious child, but my brother Bendigeid Vran restrained me.
Evnissyen had also slaughtered many Irishmen; these the Irish threw into the cauldron of renovation, and the bodies were renewed, ready to battle my kinsmen. Evnissyan was thrown into the cauldron, where he stretched himself so as to break the cauldron into pieces, bursting also his own heart.
Only seven of my kinsmen survived, including Pryderi, Manawyddan, Gluneu Eil Taran, Taliesin, Ynawc, Grudyen, and Heilyn. Bendigeid Vran also survived, but with a foot poisoned by a dart. He commanded the survivors to cut off his head and bury it at the White Mount in London. I was the eighth to go on the journey, and so sorrowful was I to be the cause of two islands destroyed! My heart broke; yes, I speak to you now in spirit only. I have been buried, and speak to you of the cauldron as a thing that has passed.

My lord Arthur and my friend Gwalchmai

I'll bet some of you are thinking, "Finally we actually encounter Arthur!" Yet, I wonder whether or not the Arthur found in my tale, Peredur the Son of Evrawc, meets your expectations. Does he live up to his reputation as Britain's greatest king? And what about Gwalchmai (a.ka. Gawain)? I can tell you that he is a very dear friend of mine . . .

Meditations from the Otherworld

Silly man that I am, I'm not sure I see any real grail in the Spoils of Annwn. Maybe the real test is to see if we can trace the grail themes throughout the Mabinogion. The other branch, with which I am less familiar, that of Branwen, Daughter of Llyr, supposedly contains the "wounding of the king" topos. Is that specifically a "grail" theme? Does this story contain any real relationship with standard grail legend?

The Spoils of Annwn

Greetings all. I am a bard - a singer of songs and a memory for myth and legend. Taliesin is my name, and I am also sometimes called a druid by my own folk, the Celtic tribes of Britain. As bard to the 6th Century kings of Britain, I accompanied Arthur on one of his adventures.
Arthur sought out the Cauldron, and with three ships of warriors, we sojourned through the mists to the Otherworld. We passed through the Caers Siddi, Fedwydd, Rigor, Goludd, Manawyddan, and Achren in the face of much toil . . . and only seven of us returned. But we saw the Cauldron and the nine maidens who warm the great vessel with their breath. Such a rich object none have ever seen, with pearls inlaid about the rim! The Cauldron will not suffer a coward nor a wicked man to sustain himself from it. It grants wisdom to those who seek it out.
So now I am eternally more wise than the clerks and scribes of Britain. They conjure up words, but they have not seen. How could they know if they have not seen? Foremost of the bards, I am Taliesin.

Welcome, fellow grail seekers! I'm not exactly sure what a grail is, but I've been told that I've seen it. Let us quest together to find out not only what the grail might be, but our relationship to it and to each other. I'm one of those Celtic characters who we will be hearing about over the next couple of weeks and we may wonder what (if any) kind of real grail appears in our tales. And can we, the ancient British, claim the origin for it? What do the rest of you think?

If you have forgotten the blog protocol, I've been given a secret manuscript which I've had transcribed (I can't write, only blog) and then reproduced below. Good luck blogging!

P.S. If you've forgotten who you are (Goddess forbid), I've heard of a Dr. Mueller who may help you find yourself. Contact him here (amuel001@plattsburgh.edu)

Blog Schedule

Entries are due on the date listed. Names in italics are characters/authors who appear in/wrote the text assigned for the day (i.e. Taliesin is the writer of The Spoils of Annwn; the student assigned to Taliesin must write from the perspective of Taliesin found in that text). Comments (C) are due the day following. Commenters must address the entry posted by the person listed above their name. Please note that only two entries and two comments have been scheduled. To meet the three entry/three comment requirement, you must contribute a third entry and a third comment on days (only those listed below) for which you are not scheduled.


September
5 Taliesin
C: Michael Baigent
Anfortas
C: Peter
10 Branwen
C: T.S. Eliot
Bendigeid Vran
C: Jessie Weston
Trevrezent
C: Jesus
12 Gwalchmai
C: Launfal
Messire Gawain
C: Taliesin
17 Amangons
C: Perronik
Bron
C: Bendigeid Vran
19 Jesus
C: Merlin
Peter
C: Galahad
Joseph of Arimathea
C: Gwalchmai
24 Perceval
C: Arthur
Michael Baigent
C: King Pellam
October
1 Joseph of Arimathea
C: Balin
Bron
C: Syr Percyvelle
T.S. Eliot
C: Red Knight
Peter
C: Jesus
3 Messire Gawain
C: Lancelot
Jessie Weston
C: Sir Gawain
Perceval
C: Amangons
10 Trevrezent
C: Balin
Anfortas
C: Red Knight
Launfal
C: Bron
Jesus
C: Gwalchmai
17 Sir Gawain
C: King Pellam
Perronik
C: Messire Gawain
Amangons
C: Bendigeid Vran
22 Lancelot
C: Michael Baigent
Merlin
C: Anfortas
Gwalchmai
C: Branwen
24 Syr Percyvelle
C: T.S. Eliot
Red Knight
C: Trevrezent
Galahad
C: Joseph of Arimathea
Bendigeid Vran
C: Amangons
29 Balin
C: Jessie Weston
King Pellam
C: Launfal
Arthur
C: Perceval
Branwen
C: Taliesin
November

5 Galahad
C: Perronik
Syr Percyvelle
C: Peter
7 Merlin
C: Lancelot
Arthur
C: Sir Gawain
Taliesin
C: Branwen
12 Perronik
C: Perceval
King Pellam
C: Joseph of Arimathea
14 Launfal
C: Syr Percyvelle
Balin
C: Bron
26 Jessie Weston
C: Arthur
Red Knight
C: Messire Gawain
27 T.S. Eliot
C: Galahad
Lancelot
C: Trevrezent
December
3 Michael Baigent
C: Merlin
Sir Gawain
C: Anfortas