The Grail Knights

<- The Grail Legends

The Grail Knights

Galahad, Gawain, Lancelot, Perceval, Bors are all Grail Knights. All undertake the quest for the Holy Grail, to search for and return the Grail to Camelot.

Each knight's quest follows a similar pattern of encounters, but the outcome of each situation differs according to each individual's character.

It's possible that Gawain was the original protagonist superseded by the others.

"Gawain, Lancelot and Perceval all in turn visit the chapel of the Black Hand, the Chapel Perilous. Perceval and Lancelot both visit a haunted chapel for the purpose of removing a veil from a cup. Perceval receives a sword from the Fisher King which can break and be mysteriously mended in water. Gawain receives the sword of Judas Maccabeus. Lancelot draws his sword from a roof-tree. All three knights and Galahad behold the grail and are concerned in the cure of a sick man. Finally Arthur himself plays the major role: he visits a strange chapel, he possesses the magic sword Excalibur, also the magic spear, Ron; and he is one of those to behold the Grail." from 'The Ancient Secret'

Triad 86 -Three Knights of Arthur’s Court who won the Graal

86. Tn Marchawc o Lys Arthur a enillawd y Greal, ac eu duc y Nef:

Galaad vab Lawnslot y Lac,

a Pheredur vab Efrawc larli,

a Bort vat) Brenhin Bort.

A’(r) ddcu gyntaf oeddynt wery o gyrif. A’(r) trydydd oedd ddiweir, am na wnaeth pechawt knawdawl ont unweith. A hynny drwy brovedigaeth yn yr amser y ennillawd ef

verch Brenyn Brangor, yr honn a vu Ymherodres yn Constinobyl, o’r honn y deuth y Genedllaeth vwyaf or byt; ag o’r genedlaeth Joseph o Animathia y hanoedynt yll tn, ac o un David brofwyt, mal y tystolaetha rstorya y Greal.

86. :Three Knights of Arthur’s Court who won the Graal, and it brought them to Heaven

Galaad son of Lawnslot of the Lake, and Peredur son of Earl Efrawg, and Bort son of King Bort.

And the two first were virgin of body. And the third was chaste, for only once had he committed bodily sin; and that, through temptation, at the time when he won . . . daughter of King Brangor, who was Empress in Constantinople, and from whom was descended the greatest race in the world. All three were sprung of the race of Joseph of Arimathea, and of the lineage of the Prophet David, as the History of the Graal testifies.

Related Pages

Bors

Galahad

Perceval

Lancelot

Gawain

Joseph of Arimathea

The Welsh Triads