| Percival | |
|---|---|
 Arthur Hacker's 1894 illustration of a scene from Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, in which Percival is tempted by a devil in the form of a beautiful woman. | |
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Other Name |
Perceval, Parzival, Parsifal, Peredur |
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First Appearance |
Erec et Enide (1170) |
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Created by |
Chrétien de Troyes |
Origin[]
Percival, also written Perceval, Parzival, Parsifal and alternatively called Peredur, is a figure in the legend of King Arthur, often appearing as one of the Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale Perceval, the Story of the Grail, he is best known for being the original hero in the quest for the Grail before being replaced in later literature by Galahad.
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, King Pellinore, or another worthy knight. His mother is usually unnamed, but plays a significant role in the stories. His sister is sometimes the bearer of the Holy Grail, but not originally; she is sometimes named Dindrane. In the tales in which he is Pellinore's son, his brothers include Aglovale, Lamorak and Dornar, as well as a half-brother named Tor 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 their heroic 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 the Round Table.
In Chrétien de Troyes's Perceval, 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 in Perlesvaus and Sir Perceval of Galles. In the later accounts of Arthurian prose cycles, and consequently Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, the true Grail hero is Galahad, the son of Lancelot, but, though his role in the romances is diminished, Percival remains a major character and is one of only two knights (the other is Bors) who accompany Galahad to the Grail castle and complete the quest with him.
In early versions, Perceval's sweetheart is Blanchefleur and he becomes the King of Carbonek 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 is Lohengrin, the Knight of the Swan.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Erec et Enide (1170)
- Cligés (1176)
- Perceval, the Story of the Grail (1182-1190)
- Le Morte d'Arthur (1485)
Public Domain Stage Appearances[]
- Parsifal (1882)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Catholic Comics #108, 113