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THE HIGH HISTORY OF THE HOLY GRAAL
THE HIGH HISTORY OF THE HOLY GRAAL AUTHOR UNKNOWN SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
ORIGINAL TEXT --
Potvin Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal"
Vol. I (Soc. Bibl. Belges. Mons. 1866).
RECOMMENDED READING --
Anonymous (Trans. P.M. Matarasso): "The Quest for the Holy Graal"
(Penguin Classics London 1969).
DeTroyes Chretien (Trans. William W. Kibler & Carleton W.
Carroll): "Arthurian Romances" (Penguin Classics London 1991).
Contains the unfinished work "Perceval".
Eschenbach Wolfram von (Trans. A.T. Hatto): "Parzival" (Penguin
Classics London 1980).
Malory Sir Thomas (Ed. Janet Cowen): "Le Morte D'Arthur" Vol. I
& II (Penguin Classics London 1969).
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INTRODUCTION
This book is translated from the first volume of "Perceval le
Gallois ou le conte du Graal"; edited by M. Ch. Potvin for `La
Societe des Bibliophiles Belges' in 1866 (1) from the MS.
numbered 11145 in the library of the Dukes of Burgundy at
Brussels. This MS. I find thus described in M. F. J. Marchal's
catalogue of that priceless collection: `"Le Roman de Saint
Graal" beginning "Ores lestoires" in the French language; date
first third of the sixteenth century; with ornamental capitals.'
(2) Written three centuries later than the original romance and
full as it is of faults of the scribe this manuscript is by far
the most complete known copy of the "Book of the Graal" in
existence being defective only in Branch XXI. Titles 8 and 9
the substance of which is fortunately preserved elsewhere. Large
fragments however amounting in all to nearly one-seventh of the
whole of a copy in handwriting of the thirteenth century are
preserved in six consecutive leaves and one detached leaf bound
up with a number of other works in a MS. numbered 113 in the City
Library at Berne. The volume is in folio on vellum closely
written in three columns to the page and the seven leaves follow
the last poem contained in it entitled "Duremart le Gallois".
The manuscript is well known having been lent to M. de Sainte
Palaye for use in the Monuments of French History issued by the
Benedictines of the Congregation of St Maur. Selections from the
poems it contains are given in Sinner's "Extraits de Poesie du
XIII. Siecle" (3) and it is described unfortunately without any
reference to these particular leaves by the same learned
librarian in the "Catalogus Codicum MSS. Bibl. Bernensis" J.R.
Sinner. (4)
M. Potvin has carefully collated for his edition all that is
preserved of the Romance in this manuscript comprising all the
beginning of the work as far as Branch III. Title 8 about the
middle and from Branch XIX. Title 23 near the beginning to
Branch XXX. Title 5 in the middle. Making allowance for
variations of spelling and sundry minor differences of reading
by no means always in favour of the earlier scribe the Berne
fragments are identical with the corresponding portions of the
Brussels manuscript and it is therefore safe to assume that the
latter is on the whole an accurate transcript of the entire
original Romance.
The only note of time in the book itself is contained in the
declaration at the end. From this it appears that it was written
by order of the Seingnor of Cambrein for Messire Jehan the
Seingnor of Neele. M. Potvin without giving any reason for so
doing assumes that this Lord of Cambrein is none other than the
Bishop of Cambrai. If this assumption be correct the person
referred to was probably either John of Berhune who held the see
from 1200 till July 27 1219 or his successor Godfrey of
Fontaines (Conde) who held it till 1237. To me however it
seems more likely that the personage intended was in reality the
'Seingnor' of Cambrin the chef-lieu of a canton of the same
name on a small hill overlooking the peat-marshes of Bethune
albeit I can find no other record of any such landed proprietor's
existence.
Be this as it may the Messire Jehan Seingnor of Neele can
hardly be other than the John de Nesle who was present at the
battle of Bouvines in 1214 and who in 1225 sold the lordship of
Bruges to Joan of Flanders. (5) These dates therefore may be
regarded as defining that of the original Romance within fairly
narrow limits.
This conclusion is confirmed by other evidence. An early Welsh
translation of the story was published with an English version
and a glossary by the Rev. Robert Williams in the first volume of
his "Selections from the Hengwrt MSS". (6) The first volume of
this work is entitled "Y Seint Greal being the adventures of
King Arthur's knights of the Round Table in the quest of the
Holy Grail and on other occasions. Originally written about the
year 1200". The volume following the manuscript now in the
library of W.W.E. Wynne Esq. at Peniarth is divided into two
parts. The first fol. 1-109 of the manuscript represents the
thirteenth to the seventeenth book of Sir Thomas Malory's "Morte
d'Arthur". Of the second which represents the Romance here
translated Mr Williams writes: "The second portion of the Welsh
Greal folios 110-280 contains the adventures of Gwalchmei
Peredur and Lancelot and of the knights of the Round Table; but
these are not found in the "Morte d'Arthur". The Peniarth MS. is
beautifully written on vellum and in perfect preservation and
its date is that of Henry VI. the early part of the fifteenth
century. The orthography and style of writing agrees literally
with that of the "Mabinogion of the Llyvr Coch Hergest" which is
of that date. This of course is a transcript of an earlier
copy; but there is no certainty when it was first translated into
Welsh though Aneurin Owen in his "Catalogue of the Hengwrt MSS."
assigns it to the sixth year of Henry I. It is mentioned by
Davydd ab Gwilym who died in 1368."
Whatever may be the date of the Welsh version the translator had
no great mastery of French and is often at fault as to the
meaning both of words and sentences and when in a difficulty is
only too apt to cut the knot by omitting the passage bodily. The
book itself moreover is not entire. On page 275 all between
Branch IX. Title 16 and Branch XI. Title 2 twenty-two chapters
in all is missing. Again on page 355 Titles 10-16 in Branch
XXI. are left out while the whole of the last Branch containing
28 Titles is crumpled up into one little chapter from which it
would seem that the Welshman had read the French but thought it
waste of pains to translate it. In all not to speak of other
defects there are fifty-six whole chapters in the present book
of which there is not a word in the Welsh.
In one matter however Mr Williams' English translation has
stood me in good stead. In Branch XXI. as I have said the
French manuscript makes default of two Titles but almost the
whole of their substance is supplied by the Welsh version. By an
unlucky accident before the hiatus in the French is fully filled
up the Welsh version itself becomes defective though the gap
thus left open can hardly extend beyond a very few words.
Without this supplement incomplete as it is it would have been
impossible to give the full drift of one of the Romancer's best
stories which is equally unintelligible in both the French and
Welsh texts in their present state.
As the Welsh version gives a number of names both of persons and
places widely differing from those in the French it may be
useful here to note the principal changes made. Perceval in the
Welsh is called Peredur which is said to mean "steel suit". The
Welshman however adds that the name in French is "Peneffresvo
Galief" which unless it be a misreading or miswriting for
Perceval le Galois is to me wholly unintelligible. Perceval's
father Alain li Gros is in the Welsh Earl Evrawg and his
sister Dindrane Danbrann. King Arthur is Emperor Arthur his
Queen Guenievre Gwenhwyvar and their son Lohot Lohawt or
Llacheu. Messire Gawain is Gwalchmei; Chaus son of Ywain li
Aoutres Gawns son of Owein Vrych; Messire Kay or Kex is Kei the
Long; Ahuret the Bastard Anores; Ygerne wife of Uther
Pendragon Eigyr; Queen Jandree Landyr; and King Fisherman for
the most part King Peleur. Of places Cardoil is Caerlleon on
Usk Pannenoisance Penvoisins; Tintagel Tindagoyl; and Avalon
Avallach.
By a double stroke of ill-luck the complete and wholly
independent Romance here translated has thus been printed by its
two former editors as if it were only a part of some other story.
M. Potvin describes it as the "First Part the Romance in Prose"
of his "Perceval le Gallois" and Mr Williams accepts it as the '
"Second Portion" of his "Y Seint Greal". This unhappy
collocation has led not a few of M. Potvin's readers to neglect
his First Part under the impression that the story is retold in
the other volumes containing the Romance in verse; while not a
few of Mr Williams' readers have neglected his Second Portion
under the impression that there could be nothing of any special
importance in an adjunct referred to by the Editor in so
perfunctory a manner. In very truth however the Story of the
Holy Graal here told is not only the most coherent and poetic of
all the many versions of the Legend but is also the first and
most authentic.
This seems to be proved beyond doubt by a passage in the History
of Fulke Fitz-Warine originally written apparently between the
years 1256 and 1264. The passage occurs at the end of the
History and is printed in verse of which I give a literal prose
translation:
"Merlin saith that in Britain the Great a Wolf shall come
from the White Launde. Twelve sharp teeth shall he have
six below and six above. He shall have so fierce a look
that he shall chase the Leopard forth of the White Launde
so much force shall he have and great virtue. We now know
that Merlin said this for Fulke the son of Waryn for each
of you ought to understand of a surety how in the time of
the King Arthur that was called the White Launde which is
now named the White Town. For in this country was the
chapel of S. Austin that was fair where Kahuz the son of
Ywein dreamed that he carried off the candlestick and that
he met a man who hurt him with a knife and wounded him in
the side. And he on sleep cried out so loud that King
Arthur hath heard him and awakened from sleep. And when
Kahuz was awake he put his hand to his side. There hath he
found the knife that had smitten him through. SO TELLETH US
THE GRAAL THE BOOK OF THE HOLY VESSEL. There the King
Arthur recovered his bounty and his valour when he had lost
all his chivalry and his virtue. From this country issued
forth the Wolf as saith Merlin the Wise and the twelve
sharp teeth have we known by his shield. He bore a shield
indented as the heralds have devised. In the shield are
twelve teeth of gules and argent. By the Leopard may be
known and well understood King John for he bore in his
shield the leopards of beaten gold." (7)
The story of Kahuz or Chaus here indicated by the historian is
told at length in the opening chapters of the present work and
so far as is known nowhere else. The inference is therefore
unavoidable that we have here "The Graal the Book of the Holy
Vessel" to which the biographer of Fulke refers. The use
moreover of the definite article shows that the writer held this
book to be conclusive authority on the subject. By the time he
retold the story of Fulke a whole library of Romances about
Perceval and the Holy Graal had been written with some of which
it is hard to believe that any historian of the time was
unacquainted. He nevertheless distinguishes this particular
story as "The Graal" a way of speaking he would scarce have
adopted had he known of any other "Graals" of equal or nearly
equal authority.
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