(3.1) “Galahad and the Grail” – The Quest of Fair Dindrane (this post is in process and incomlete at this time)
(3.1) “Galahad and the Grail” – The Quest of Fair Dindrane (this post is in process and incomplete at this time).
Book Three: “The Achievement of the Grail“ (by “book” is meant a large section in this installment of Guite’s Arthuriad).
Stave One: “The Quest of Fair Dindrane” (a “stave” is an old-fashioned term for the stanza of a poem, a verse in a song, or a chapter in a long story. Dr. Guite decided to separate this stave into short sections… Dreams and Departure; The Coming of Nacien; and Solomon’s Ship.).
Why is Malcolm Guite retelling the King Arthur saga, no less in the form of English ballads? He has gone on record as saying… The KA mythical tales echo something real about sin, redemption, and the hope that was broken in us and in the world that can be made whole again… Every generation that asks good questions of King Arthur legends gets good answers… The modern world could use a resurrection of the ideal of chivalry and honor… Ancient myths and stories aren’t just relics of a pre-modern imagination, they are carriers of truth we’ve forgotten how to see with modern eyes… Legends like these don’t distract us from the real world, they reveal it… These stories restore the spiritual elements that have been shorn away, and they renew their deepest meaning. The English ballads were composed in a poetic form that were made to be sung or chanted out loud. They are rhythmic and musical, and one gets the sense that with ballads, “the poem on the page is lying asleep. And the job of the reader is to wake it up and breathe into its being by reciting it out loud, because that physicality of sound and breath and speech is what it’s made for… Above all, enjoy it. Poetry is meant to give pleasure.” It’s clear that composing this first installment of the King Arthur saga was a labor of love for Malcolm Guite, and that, as he put it, “This is the tale that makes my heart rejoice.”
The Knight Errant. A warrior for truth who has taken the vow of courage and integrity as a lifestyle while traveling to wherever life takes him, promising to bravely seek justice where there is injustice, to defend the helpless, to rescue those in distress, to advocate for the needy, to honor and cherish women because they are the bearers of life. The knight errant willingly risks whatever might be involved in declaring “women and children first!” The knight’s quest can be summed up in the words of the prophet Micah, “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” The knight errant is called to confront evil wisely, to do battle by speaking the truth in love, and to follow God daily with obedience, humility and gratitude. This knightly lifestyle of being shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves is strengthened within a like-minded brotherhood and enabled by our High King God.
Nature’s Sound waves. God created sound to be a form of energy, a vibration, that must have a source from somewhere, and sound waves ripple from the source through matter, whether air, liquid, gas, or solid matter. Without some kind of source and some kind of matter to act as a medium, sound apparently doesn’t exist in the way we understand sound. Since much of outer space is a vacuum and doesn’t contain air, space is completely silent. Except, except, there is, lo and behold, some obvious matter in space… stars, planets, meteors, other pieces of substance. So therefore, there are indeed sound waves in space that vibrate through these pieces of matter. In fact, these sounds are now picked up and measured by scientists in amazing new technologies that collect all the data that is coming from these space materials. And now we can actually translate the sound waves from stars and planets into what the astrophysicists call “harmonious songs.” Yes, as proclaimed in Job 38:7, the “morning stars sang together in chorus” at creation, and the fact is they are still singing! Literally! There is a natural song of the universe, given by God, sung by the matter in space, and all we have to do is translate nature’s soundtrack so that we can truly hear and understand what nature is singing! Nature communicates in a foreign tongue, an otherworldly language to us humans, and all we need are translators. Music is in the DNA of the whole world. Why would our musical creator, who must have sung the universe into being, limit the profound gift of music to us mere humans? Doesn’t it make more sense that our Trinity-God, the world’s eternal Heavenly Trio, would be more than happy to offer the gift of music to all of creation, and not just us people?
The White Albatross. This huge white sea bird in the pelican family has been called the most legendary of all birds. It has been used as a symbol of journey mercies, safe travels, freedom, and good luck for travelers. The albatross often represents the beauty and innocence of God’s natural world. It is one of the largest of flying birds, with wing spans of up to twelve feet and bodies that are three and a half feet long. Because of its streamlined wings and unique feathers, they can soar great distances with little effort, covering as much as 620 miles without flapping its wings once. Their flying skills are so efficient and effortless that they can sleep in flight.
A Review of the Story’s Main Characters and Elements So Far:
Dindrane. She is the maiden of purity who called from the Enchanted Ship, and was in fact the long-lost sister of Percivale. Dindrane was the daughter of the good King Pellinor and was raised by the Prophet of the Grail named Nacien, the wise monk who initiated the Quest long ago in King Arthur’s Camelot. When she called Percivale from the Ship, she presented herself as a gentle and tender follower of God, wearing a nun’s veil of innocence and faithfulness. She congratulated Percivale in overcoming his many temptations and difficult trials, and she told him that now was the time he was to reach his destiny at last. Now is the time to continue the Quest, and that this moment was the beginning of the end of his search for the Holy Grail. She told him that they would soon be joined by Galahad and Sir Bors, the other two Knights of the Grail, and will be guided by God’s Spirit. She promised that “the Holy Spirit will fill our sails and see us speed with gentle breath of air.” And they indeed “set out on their hidden way to search for God’s mysteries.”
Nacien – This mysterious hermit that wanders into the story at opportune moments is universally accepted in the Arthurian legends as someone with spiritual authority, was identified as a prophet in the Holy Spirit and the Priest of the Grail. Whenever he appears, Nacien was someone who commanded attention and was accepted as an inspired monk and messenger from God.
The Enchanted Ship. This is the Ship of Solomon, the mystical ship envisioned in a prophetic dream of Solomon in which he was to build an eternal boat for the travels of a distant ancestor who would be the purest and greatest warrior in the world. He constructed it with wood that would never rot and silken sails that would never be corrupted. He was instructed to place within it a sacred bed made with wood from the Garden of Eden’s Tree of Life, the sword of King David, and Solomon’s own royal crown. Solomon was warned not to enter this ship because it wasn’t meant for him, so he pushed it out to sea unmanned to await the fulfillment of its mission. The legend seems to be that this ship was self-propelled, despite the need for it to have sails.
Joseph of Arimathea. The legendary story of Joseph is vital to the Arthurian legend because it was traditionally accepted that Joseph brought Christ’s Grail and Lance to Britain for safekeeping in King Pelles’ castle, often called the Castle of the Grail. In this particular scene, Nacien told Arthur, “Nine generations can be told since Joseph came in days of old from Arimath to keep and hold the Holy Things in trust. Joseph, the fair friend of our Lord, who sailed, with blessed things on board, who came, all guided by the Word, to Britain’s shores full fast.” In biblical history, Joseph was a respected member of the powerful Sanhedrin council in Jerusalem but secretly converted to Jesus. He assumed responsibility for Jesus’ body after His death and buried Him in his family’s tomb. Soon after, Joseph sailed to the British Isles as a Christian missionary and became the founder of the Faith in Britain. Joseph was highly revered in Arthurian history as the vital bridge connecting the Passion of Christ and the presence of Christianity during King Arthur’s realm through his guarding of “the Holy Things:”
The Holy Grail – This sacred relic is the chalice from which Jesus drank at His Last Supper with His disciples, and it was used by Joseph of Arimathea to catch Christ’s blood after His side was lanced by the Roman soldier after Christ had died on the Cross. The Grail was seen as a miraculous source for healing and redemption offered in Christ, and also symbolized spiritual purity and mystical union with God. The Holy Grail has been accepted down through the centuries as a cup or a deep dish that retained the spiritual powers of Christ Himself. The Grail represented the presence of divine grace, and so the Quest for the Grail was the most important quest ever conceived by the Knights of the Round Table.
The Spear of Destiny – Also called the Holy Lance, the Spear of Christ, or the Spear of Longinus, this sacred relic was the lance used by the Roman soldier named Longinus as he sought to confirm the death of Christ on the Cross. When the soldier lanced the side of Christ, both blood and water poured out, and Jesus was officially declared dead. At that time, Joseph of Arimathea had already procured the Cup from the Last Supper, and he used it to catch the blood flowing out of the Son of God who had just died (John 19:34). Early church tradition held that a drop of Christ’s blood fell onto Longinus and he was immediately healed of a serious disability. Soon afterward, Longinus converted to Christ and lived as a missionary until his martyrdom much later. This spear was indeed holy because it dripped with Christ’s own blood that continued to serve as a healing agent when used properly. So the Holy Lance was a tangible reminder of Christ’s suffering, spiritual redemption, and a vehicle of merciful healing. The Spear of Christ was sacred and could only be used for righteous and pure purposes.
Merlin’s Sword of Adventure – King Arthur then notes the empty scabbard at Galahad’s side and invites him to accompany everyone down to the river dock where the Adventurous Sword remained stuck within the floating slab of marble stone. Galahad does not even hesitate to effortlessly draw the sword out of the marble , swing it forcefully in the air as if he owned it, which he now does, and then with authority place the sword into his jeweled scabbard. Galahad thus proves that he was the chosen one, the greatest knight in the world, and destined for God-ordained miracles in the future. He claims that this was Balin’s sword which was used to kill Pelles’ brother in battle. That vengeful, fateful fight that followed between Pelles and Balin resulted in Balin’s ignorantly using the Spear of Christ to wound Pelles. This was considered a profound sacrilege, and gave Pelles a wound that wouldn’t heal and cursed all the land in his kingdom. This Dolorous Wound permanently disabled Pelles and resulted in a Wasteland as well. Galahad confidently promises that this Sword of Adventure, in the power of the Holy Spirit, will be used to set things right, to heal Pelles and remove the curse of the Wasteland.
The Quest – It is suggested strongly in this scene that there will soon be what has famously come to be known as a “Quest.” When understood as a very active verb, to quest is to engage in a long, difficult and adventurous journey that requires hard work in order to achieve a worthwhile goal or a valuable possession; to give oneself to a focused search, a single-minded pursuit, that frequently involves challenges, exploration, and personal growth; to invest personally in a prolonged endeavor in which the process is just as important as the product; to engage in a mission or expedition in an extensive search to discover something important. It won’t be long before the knights all embark on a special quest that will take them far away from Camelot.
The Sword of Adventure – As soon as the drama from the Siege Perilous had died down a bit, a squire announced that everyone including the king needed to come down to the dock by the riverside immediately to “see a wondrous thing.” And there in the river they all witnessed a marvel, a huge block of blood-red marble stone somehow floating instead of sinking, and sticking out of the marble was a “fair rich sword.” After pulling the marble to the dock, they read the gold lettering on the handle of the sword… “None shall ever draw me hence, save only him who’s called to wield me as a blade of light, to ride and set the world to right, and he shall be the purest knight, the greatest in the world.” King Arthur immediately spoke what was obvious to all standing there at the river… Lancelot, come on down! You’re my true and loyal friend and the greatest knight around, go ahead and pull that Sword of Adventure out of the marble. Well, for one thing, the reader already knows that Lancelot is not Arthur’s true and loyal friend whatsoever, because of his looming affair with Queen Guinevere, so he has disqualified himself in the search for the purest knight in the land. And then Sir Gawaine gave it a try and failed, and then the famous Sir Percival tried as well without success. It appears they gave up the futile exercise of locating the one chosen knight who is able to pull the Adventurous Sword out of the floating marble. So everyone simply shrugged their shoulders at this unexplainable mystery, and they all returned to the Pentecost feast in the castle hall. Perhaps they were all able to do what is so difficult for most of us… leave the mystery in God’s hands, trust that His will be accomplished, and keep moving forward so we can celebrate the Feast! The readers discover later that Merlin had magically put the knight’s sword into a huge slab of red marble and sent it floating downriver to Camelot, and decreed that only the best knight would be able to remove the sword from the marble. The suspense is building in the story for who would be worthy to not only sit in the Siege Perilous but also remove the Sword of Adventure from the floating marble. Let’s see what happens next, right?
King Pelles – He was the father of Elaine, thus the grandfather of Galahad. Pelles was grievously wounded years earlier by a knight named Balin who cut Pelles deeply with the magical spear from the castle’s chapel during a fierce battle between Balin and Pelles. Pelles’ wound refused to be healed and he remained helpless, as was the Wasteland that was cursed at the same time as the wounding. The spear’s stroke simultaneously ruined Pelles as well as the land, revealing a mystical relationship between king Pelles and the land, and so between humanity and nature.
Balin the Knight – As an honorable knight of the Round Table, Balin went off in search of adventure and a worthy quest, when he fell into battle with a man who Balin had to kill in self-defense. This man who was killed had a brother named Pelles, who naturally sought to avenge his brother’s death. While Pelles and Balin were in a fight to the death, Balin’s sword was shattered and unusable. So Balin tried to find anything in this strange castle that would help him defeat this strong opponent Pelles. Balin found a blood-stained spear in the castle’s chapel and picked it up, ignoring loud voices that begged him not to use that particular spear. So Balin thrust a deep stroke into Pelles’ thigh with tht spear that maimed Pelles and left him helpless and unable to defend himself. Balin departed. The “Dolorous Stroke,” the death-dealing cut from the seemingly magical spear affected the king’s realm as well as his own body. All the lands in Pelles’ kingdom became a cursed wasteland. It turns out that without Balin even being aware of it, that special spear was the very lance used to cut deeply into Christ’s side on the Cross. The blood-stained Spear of Christ was being carefully guarded in Pelles’ castle, and was not to be used in any way. If used, it was prophesied that profound disaster would follow, which proved to be true.
Merlin – He was mostly a pre-Christian wizard who could work miracles, as well as a Christian advisor to kings and a wise counselor to those lucky enough to be chosen by him for special protection and guidance. Merlin in early folklore was probably a combination of a Welsh prophet in the Christian tradition with a magical miracle-worker in pagan history.
Galahad – He was a gifted young boy with dreams of heroic knighthood, raised by a wise mother and helpless grandfather in a cursed castle. As Galahad roamed freely around the castle grounds, he wanted to be just like the famous knight Lancelot wielding his imaginary sword to combat evil. Galahd developed a godly conscience in his youth and longed to “set things right” when he saw firsthand the wounded grandfather king and the cursed wasteland outside the castle. Galahad earnestly prayed “that Christ might one day send someone to heal Pelles and the land” and “turn the darkness bright.” Little did Galahad realize that he was being groomed to be that very person.