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Galahad, Perceval,
and the Holy Grail
Description
🌳 In which Mike Rugnetta quests for knowledge of the Holy Grail of Mythology. Which is the actual, literal Holy Grail! The cup of Christ! Legends about the Holy Grail are often connected to the British legends of King Arthur(亚瑟王), and this episode is definitely about this. Except we’re not talking much about Arthur, since he never actually found the grail. Instead, we’re going to talk about a couple different versions of the Grail legend, the stories of Perceval[ˈpɜːsɪvəl](珀西瓦尔)[1] and Galahad[ˈgæləhæd](加拉哈德)[2]. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy learning Grail lore(传说). You have chosen wisely!
[1] Perceval 珀西瓦尔
或称Percival，最著名的圆桌骑士之一。圣杯探索的早期文学主人公；在后期文学他与加拉哈德(Galahad)、鲍斯(Bors)并称圣杯三骑士。他也是一系列同名叙事诗、歌剧的主角人物。
[2] Galahad 加拉哈德
亚瑟王传说中的圆桌骑士之一，兰斯洛特(Lancelot)与伊莱恩(渔人王的女儿)之子。端坐于“危险席位”的骑士，被人称颂为背负次代圆桌的少年。他是圆桌骑士中最纯洁的一位且独自一人找到了圣杯。虽然得到了圣杯，但也因他无欲无求而将圣杯还诸于天，他本人也归还天上。
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1. This is Crash Course Mythology, and today we're going to talk about the Holy Grail...of Mythology. Which is the actual, literal, non-metaphorical Holy Grail. King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table[1], and most importantly, questing.
The Holy Grail is always just out of reach, it’s the end of the road, the ultimate goal, the greatest adventure. And so the Grail quest, for whoever takes it, is a ready-made hero's journey.
[1] Knights of the Round Table 圆桌骑士
传说中不列颠君王亚瑟(Arthur)所领导的一群优秀骑士。相传，亚瑟王的王后桂妮维亚(Guinevere)的父亲King Leodegrance of Cameliard有张巨大的圆型桌子，供他麾下的骑士聚会使用，在与王后结婚时亚瑟从他那里得到了这张巨大的圆桌。
圆桌的含意是“平等”和“团结”，传说亚瑟王的骑士最多时曾达到150名。骑士们在战场上冲锋陷阵，在圆桌上议论国内事务。虽然他们也会因为政见相合或相左而形成一些派系，但只有在圆桌上才没有地位差异和君臣之别，每个人都被允许自由发言。但其实圆桌也并非完全平等，前去寻找圣杯的骑士帕西瓦尔(Percival)最初就与较为低等的骑士坐在一起，后来被人引到那个“危险席位”的旁边就座，这个位置后来给了最纯洁的骑士兰斯洛特(Lancelot)之子加拉哈德(Galahad)，他最后找到了圣杯。
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2. In this video, we'll talk about two different knights who quested after that pesky grail, and we'll examine two things. First, where these stories depart from Campbell's monomythic pattern. And second, how they combine the values of Christianity with the tropes and characters of pre-Christian myths. Grab your armor, and your coconut halves, and let's quest for knowledge.
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3. The legends of King Arthur and his knights have been retold endlessly from the Middle Ages through today. Many versions of the story contradict each other or change focus. Historians even disagree over whether there was a real, living, breathing King Arthur.
That doesn't bother us though, because either way the body of Arthurian legends remains incredibly influential. Most of the stories that make up Arthurian hero myths come from the late Medieval period, the eleventh to thirteenth centuries. They coalesced[ˌkoʊəˈles](合并，融合) in what most of us would recognize as Arthur's tale with Merlin(梅林), and Lancelot(兰斯洛特), and Guinevere(桂妮维亚), and all the rest, in Thomas Malory's[1] late 15th century stories collected as Le Morte D'Arthur.
[1] Sir Thomas Malory 托马斯·马洛礼爵士
英国作家，他在十五世纪初整理许多流传于民间的骑士传说，并参考相关文献，将繁杂的亚瑟王传奇写成英文的《亚瑟之死》(Le Morte d'Arthur)，故事从亚瑟的诞生说起，圆桌骑士兴亡，与亚瑟、兰斯洛特和桂妮维亚王后的三角关系，以及影响西方深远的圣杯传奇。
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4. However we're going to focus on two other version of the grail story centered around two other knights, Perceval and Galahad. To explore this paradigmatic[ˌperədɪɡˈmætɪk](典范的，范式的) legend of England, we're gonna start in France. Because the first time the Holy Grail appears as part of the Arthurian myth is in Chretien De Troyes'[kriˌtyenˌdə ˈtrwä] "Story of the Grail," a romance composed between 1181 and 1191 CE.
De Troyes not only made his Arthurian tale about the quest for the elusive(难找的) grail, he also made Perceval, and not Arthur or any other knight, the hero. And Perceval is maybe not the kind of knight you're used to. He's a very brave young man, but he's not the sharpest lance(旧时骑兵的长矛) in the armory. And it also turns out that his chivalry(骑士精神) and naivety play big parts in his hero's journey.
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5. When our story begins Perceval is living alone with his mom in the Waste Forest, which sounds unpleasant and almost like a Fallout location. Perceval is an only child to a single mom because his dad and all his older brothers were killed serving as knights. Perceval's mom never tells him this. She's all he has left and she worries that if young, not-so-bright Percy learns the truth, he'll want to be a knight and he'll get himself killed too.
Mom's plan works, until one day Percy's out hunting, and he comes across five glittering figures on horses. They are literal knights, in literal shining armor. But Percy has no idea what a knight is, because his mom has shielded him from them. So he thinks they must be angels. Like I said, not the sharpest.
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6. Once he realizes they're not angels, Perceval starts asking the knights a ton of questions, like "Whatcha carryin'?" The knights look at each other like, "It's a lance, dude." Eventually one of the knights leans over to his commander and says "Sir, you must be aware that all Welshmen are by nature more stupid than beasts in the field." Percy's not making the best first impression.
Perceval runs home and tells his mom all about the knights. She sees the writing on the wall, so she breaks down and she tells him the truth: "Your father and your brothers were knights and they died because of it."
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7. Percy's eyes light up. It doesn't seem like he gets the moral of the story. He says, literally, "I don't understand your words, but I would gladly go to the king who makes knights; and I will go, no matter what."
So off he goes on his quest, never to see his mother again. Right out of the gate, Percy gets in a fight with a knight, and defeats him in solo battle. So, maybe he's got heroic talent after all. Shortly after, he encounters an old nobleman. In classic spiritual adviser fashion, the old man teaches Percy a lesson. "Don't talk too much because you don't want to offend others.” Percy takes this to heart and you should too. It's going to come back and bite him.
We're going to continue Percy's quest in the story.
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8. Perceval next meets the Fisher King. Who is, you guessed it, fishing. F.K. takes a shine to(喜欢，看中) Percy, and invites him to a special banquet at his castle. At dinner Percy finds out the king has been grievously wounded, and is on death's door. None the less the Fisher King, a gracious host, presents a sword he claims was destined for Perceval.
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9. Suddenly a progression of squires(一列侍从) parade in with all of these weird objects. First a white lance with blood dripping from it's tip. Next, a candelabra(枝状大烛台). After that a maiden enters bearing a beautiful grail. Psst... That’s the Holy Grail y'all.
Everyone turns, and looks at Percy. The good, obedient boy that he is, he remembers the weird old stranger's advice and he doesn't say a thing. Dinner wraps up, and Perceval goes on his way. Everything seems fine, until he meets a damsel wailing(哀号；恸哭) and cradling(cradle 抱着) the body of a headless knight.
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10. Perceval asks what happened, but the maiden turns on him. She asks point-blank(直截了当地), "Did you say anything about the lance you saw? Did you ask any questions about the grail?" Percy explains, "Of course not!" He didn't want to be rude. The woman yells at him. "That grail has great power! If you'd only asked about it - just one question - the dying king would have been healed."
She further explains "Hey, your mom's dead. I buried her. Also, I'm your cousin. And also, also, you gotta suss out(调查发现；弄明白；找出) this grail thing. I can't help, I got more burying to do. See ya; wouldn't want to be ya."
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11. So, this is a lot to take in. Getting told off by his cousin, though, is Perceval's turning point. He swears an oath. He won't rest until he learns what exactly the deal with the grail and the bleeding lance is. Such is the start of his grail quest, which lasts five years.
He has wild adventures, meeting knights, doing battle, and even learning a lesson about the meaning of Good Friday(耶稣受难日). This sets up the particularly Christian faith-based conclusion of this particular tale. Because eventually Perceval comes across a wise hermit. And after years of questing with nothing to show for it, Percy confesses his sorrow.
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12. It turns out the hermit knows why Perceval has failed. "Remember your mom?" He asks. "As soon as you left home, she died of grief. That sinfulness is why you never asked about the lance or grail." And the man who was served from the grail? Perceval's uncle. And the Fisher King? Percy's cousin! He's been letting his family down left and right. The hermit tells him, "You need to do penance(忏悔). Go to mass(弥撒). Have faith in God. Take communion(基督教的圣餐) on Easter."
This is where Chretien De Troyes' version of the grail story ends, with Perceval learning the truth about the grail, and thereby fulfilling his oath.
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13. You may have noticed all the standard features of Campbell's hero's journey. Auspicious birth and hidden parentage, damsels, and father figures, sages offering advice. But the grail never becomes the ultimate boon. Percy doesn't find it. He isn't even really looking for it. Instead, he's looking for knowledge. "Of the grail!" you may interject, but really about himself and the world. You can also see the way Christianity gets wrapped up in the mythical grail.
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14. Let's look at another version of this story from the anonymously written "Quest of the Holy Grail," a thirteenth century prose romance. The story differs from Chretien's in at least two major ways. First, the hero isn't Perceval, it's Galahad. And second, while Perceval didn't know much about Christianity or anything for that matter, Galahad is a model of Christian virtue, especially chastity(贞操；纯洁). That's important. This version has an overtly(明显地) Christian morality, connecting the grail to the doctrine of transubstantiation(圣餐变体论)[1], the explanation of how bread and wine morphs(变化，变形) into Jesus' body and blood during communion.
[1] transubstantiation 圣餐变体论
基督教神学圣事论学说之一，耶稣在最后的晚餐上祝圣饼和酒时曾说：“这是我的身体”，“这是我的血”。以后教会在作弥撒时由主礼的神父照此述说。按照天主教的传统观点，此时面饼和葡萄酒的质体转变为耶稣的血和肉，原来的饼和酒只剩下五官所能感觉到的外形。
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15. In this story, our hero Galahad is the son of Lancelot, and Galahad is beautiful. So fair and shapely a youth that one could hardly find his equal in the world. He's also crucially a virtuous virgin with no fever of lust in him, unlike his dad Lancelot. Sleeping with the Queen, how disvirtuous!(其实没有disvirtuous这个单词，表示道德败坏有unvirtuous，懂主持人表达的意思就好。)
Galahad's virtue marks him out for a special role that he's ushered(引导，引领) into by a spiritual guide. An old man who introduces Galahad to Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Galahad even gets a special seat reserved for the grail knight. It's called The Seat of Danger.
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16. So Galahad sits in his danger chair and announces that he'll take up the grail quest. He proves his worthiness first by pulling a sword from a stone, echoing Arthur’s miraculous feat with Excalibur[eks'kælibə](传说中英国国王亚瑟王的神剑), and again by defeating all the other knights in a tournament. At a celebratory feast the grail appears in a vision and miraculously feeds everyone, especially hungry, hungry Arthur. Galahad and the other knights have many adventures, but the crucial turn comes when Galahad, Perceval, and a knight named Bors(鲍斯) set out on a self-sailing ship.
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17. The ship takes them to a small island where they find a magic sword and Perceval's sister. She says hi to Percy, and explains, "This sword is destined for Galahad. To complete your quest you must take it to the house of the maimed(残废的) king." Which is harder than it sounds, and that's saying a lot because it doesn't sound easy.
It takes five years of running around separating, reuniting, but finally the three knights arrive at the castle of the maimed king, Castle Corbenic, the castle of the grail. And who do they meet inside? Jesus. That is not a joke. They literally meet Jesus, who explains at long last the mystery and significance of the grail.
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18. “It is the bowl from which Jesus Christ ate of the lamb on Easter day with his disciples. This is the bowl which has served acceptably all those whom I have found serving me; this is the bowl which no faithless man ever beheld without suffering for it. And because it has thus served all manner of people acceptable, it is properly called the Holy Grail. Now thou has seen what thou has so desired to see and what thou has coveted(觊觎，渴望，垂涎).”
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19. With the truth of the grail revealed, Galahad continues to travel the land, embroiled(卷入，陷入) in various adventures. Bucking the Campbellian Return Home(指25集坎贝尔英雄征程理论其中一步), however, Galahad never makes it back to Camelot(亚瑟王的城堡和王国). Instead he ends up locked in a dungeon, where he eventually dies and is miraculously lifted to Heaven. So it's left to Bors to cross the threshold back into Camelot and to tell everyone the true wonder of the grail.
Obviously there's more to these Arthurian myths than just the quest for the Holy Grail. We haven't even mentioned the incest, and there's a fair amount of incest. Still, the grail myths offer a nice parallel to other hero myths. Miraculous feats, magical weapons, spiritual guides, and epic road trips.
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20. In the end, the quest for a particular object gets intertwined with the articulation(接合；连接) of particular religious and cultural values. Just like in the Ramayana, where adherence to dharma is the real heroism. We might also compare these stories to the Aboriginal tale of The Seven Sisters where the quest is one of self-improvement rather than the pursuit of some external wealth or precious object.
For Perceval and Galahad, the quest isn't about the grail itself, but the grail's meaning. Perceval isn't seeking a bejeweled golden chalice(大酒杯，尤指圣杯), but the answer to a question he should've asked. Galahad too finds out the meaning of the grail, which is what Bors must bring back to the round table.
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21. Remember, for Campbell and other scholars the hero's journey is a metaphor for any human being's journey towards greater understanding of themselves. Sure, these knights defeat enemies and save maidens and fight with magical swords, but they're heroes because of the knowledge they gain along the way.
Which I guess makes you a hero for reading Crash Course, which we're mighty thankful you do. We'll see you next time. And if you have a lot of questions about the woman holding the headless knight, you're not alone, and trust us, reading the source material does not help.
To be continued…
未完待续…
