When Galahad found the holy grail (Thomas Malory)
November 8th 2006 00:20
How at the Castle of Corbin a Maiden Bare in the Sangreal and Foretold the Achievements of Galahad by Arthur Rackham
This is from Eugene Vinaver's 1971 edition (with punctuation modified slightly).
***
So they made sir Galahad kynge by all the assente of the holy cite, and ellys they wolde have slayne hym. And whan he was com to beholde hys londe he lete make abovyn the table of sylver a cheste of golde and of precious stonys that coverde the holy vessell, and every day erly thes three knyghtes wolde com before hit and make their prayers.
Now at the yerys ende, and the selff Sonday aftir that sir Galahad had borne the crowne of golde, he arose up erly and hys felowis, and cam to the paleyse, and saw tofore hem the holy vessell, and a man knelyng on his kneys in lykenesse of a bysshop that had aboute hym a grete feliship of angels, as hit had bene Jesu Cryste hymselff. And then he arose and began a masse of oure Lady. And so he cam to the sakerynge, and anone made an ende. He called sir Galahad unto hym and seyde,
'Com forthe, the servaunte of Jesu Cryste, and thou shalt se that thou has much desired to se.'
And than he began to tremble ryght harde whan the dedly fleysh began to beholde the spirituall thynges. Than he hylde up his hondis towarde hevyn and seyde,
'Lorde, I thanke The, for now I se that that hath be my desire many a day. Now, my Blyssed Lorde, I wold nat lyve in this wretched worlde no lenger, if hit myght please The, Lorde.'
And therewith the good man toke oure Lordes Body betwyxte hys hondis and profird hit to sir Galahad, and he resseyved hit ryght gladly and mekely.
'Now wotist thou what I am?' seyde the good man.
'Nay, sir,' seyde sir Galahad.
'I am Joseph, the sonne of Joseph of Aramathy, which oure Lorde hath sent to the to bere the felyship. And wotyst thou wherefore He hathe sente me more than ony other? For thou hast resembled me in to thynges: that thou hast sene, that ys the mervayles of the Sankgreall, and for thou hast bene a clene mayde as I have be and am.'
And when he had seyde thes wordis sir Galahad wente to sir Percivale and kyssed hym and commended hym to God. And so he wente to sir Bors and kyssed hym and commended hym to God and seyde,
'My fayre lorde, salew me unto my lorde sir Launcelot, my fadir, as sone as ye se hym bydde hym remembir of this worlde unstable.'
And therewith he kneled downe tofore the table and made hys prayers. And so suddeynly departed hys soule to Jesu Cryste, and a grete multitude of angels bare hit up to hevyn evyn in the syght of hys two felowis.
Also thes two knyghtes saw com frome hevyn an hande, but they sy nat the body, and so hit cam ryght to the vessell and toke hit, and the speare, and so bare hit up into hevyn. And sythen was there never man so hardy to sey that he hade seyne the Sankgreal.
***
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Holy Grail.
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Comment by Adele
Lost Fanatic
Day Break TV
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
...it's times like this that I feel that all my knowledge is still so shallow... and limited ... I had never heard or read this book before, yet the language is familiar...it's beautiful...I love olde English, but this seems older than anything I've read before...yet I'm sure there's a modern version somehwere... there is something Celestine Prophesy-ish about the ending....(?)
I have read this piece a couple times, but think I may need to come back and read it again and again. Each time I read it ... the meaning changes in my mind....
Is it supposed to do that?
Thank you for sharing it.
Lilla…
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
But maybe it's a good thing to feel that there's always something else to learn about -- keeps life interesting. Hopefully my list of movies to watch and books to read will get longer, not shorter.
I didn't intend the meaning to change each time, but I do think the passage grips the mind, that it has some sort of imaginative force -- like myths do. And perhaps it is the richness of myths that keeps people interested in them...
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
When I read this piece tonight it had a completely different meaning, on a completely new level... how very interesting ....and humbling...
Lilla...
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
The idea you remind me of here is that Motoori Norinaga, one of the developers of Shinto, was quite scornful of the "Chinese" tendency (which he found in Confucianism) to overanalyze and explain away mystery. Instead, one should just accept them on face value.
Admittedly, to me, most mysteries invite investigation, and most of my psts come from that instinct.
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
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Esoteric Bookshop
Yes, I have read some of the work on the con-fu-sed ones and agree with Motoori in many aspects, particularly analysis...like science defining the definite…oops, only to discover the moment they have, it has shifted to something else… and yet Science has its place…I would never say we have no need for it … completely... and so it is a quandary indeed.
Having said that, let's not forget that the Chinese have been around for a long time and in sciences such as the Feng Shui, they have mastered the art of observation...much is placed on their ability to recognise that nature flows in certain ways and that man can best harvest those benefits by harnessing and flowing within those boundaries... and duties...
But I do not analyse Galahad as you suggest, sir… when I re-read it, I merely allow the added experience and wisdom …of the days in between the latest and the last reading, to create the new feelings and interpretations from the previous ones. This way, every work re-read is ‘new’ even my own…
There is nothing like a mystery to tantalise and engage the human mind, especially one of a philosophical [scientific] and curious bent… on this we agree completely.
Lilla...
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
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May I recommend 'Changing Destiny' to you by the Venerable master Chin Kung and if you haven't already read this one; the Japanese Book of Five rings.
Lilla...
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Can I recommend a book to both of you if you haven't yet read it called the 21 lessons of Merlyn by Douglas Munroe. [not in olde English but very interesting about Arthur and Druidic Magic and Lore].
ISBN: 0-87542-496-1
Llewellyn Publications
Lilla...