(3.1) “Galahad and the Grail” – The Quest of Fair Dindrane
(3.1) “Galahad and the Grail” – The Quest of Fair Dindrane.
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.”
Section One: Dreams and Departure. There once was a brave and noble knight who enjoyed a happy home life with a saintly wife and two beautiful children, a boy named Percivale and a girl named Dindrane. One dreadful day this accomplished knight and father was killed in battle and never returned home again. The widow did her best to raise those two gifted children in the wildwoods far away from towns or other folks. The widow’s sister proclaimed to her niece Dindrane that she was a special girl, that “Heaven’s high music reaches her, and she saw beyond the veil.” Her aunt also prophesied that later in time Dindrane would share her brother’s high calling of the Quest out on the sea. Soon after that encouraging word to Dindrane, Percivale unexpectedly met up with none other than Sir Lancelot the famous knight of King Arthur’s Round Table. It ws all new to Percivale as Lancelot explained to him about chivalry, the glories of Camelot, and his “questing in errantry.” Percivale couldn’t’ help but be convinced that this was his calling in life, so Percivale decided that very day to join into the holy knighthood. Perhaps a little background on “errantry” is in order…
** The Knight Errant was 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 errant 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 of fellow knights and enabled by our High King God.
Section One Continued… Around this time of Percivale’s finding his destiny, sister Dindrane had vivid dreams of a shining ship with silken sails, and its deck “shone with unearthly light.” She then saw an impressive knight with a silver shield that was engraved with a blood-red cross. She dreamed of this mysterious ship being expertly guided by herself. And then in her vision saw a wasteland with ruined fields and rotting trees and a meager little stream. And by that diminished stream sat a wounded man wearing a gold crown, weeping and bleeding into the shallow water, fishing unsuccessfully. Just then an old hermit appeared in her dream who blessed that wounded king by the stream, called Dindrane by name, and asked her to join her there with him. Dindrane woke up from her dreamy vision and immediately sought the advice of a wise woman who could perhaps explain this magical dream to her. The truth is that Dindrane had indeed dreamed of the Fisher-King in the castle, deep in the cursed Wasteland. The old woman explained that this king suffering the Dolorous Wound is waiting for the Grail Knight to end his suffering. Dindrane was then told that the old hermit’s name, Nacien, and he was calling to Dindrane to go with the wise old woman “in God’s Name.”
** 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.
** Nacien – This mysterious hermit that wanders into the King Arthur stories 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 a messenger from God.
Section Two: The Coming of Nacien. Dindane and the old woman traveled to the woman’s hermitage to pray and seek God’s guidance, a prayer retreat house that also enjoyed visits by angels and forest creatures. The wise woman taught Dindrane how to pray, how to properly live in nature, and even to understand the birds and woodland creatures, to the point that Dindrane understood the True Bard, God Himself, who “sings creation through His words.” During this time in the hermitage, Dindrane would keep vigil every night, and would “see the stars moving in the sky and hear their music from on high.” As we know now, to acknowledge music in the spheres is not mere poetic license…
** 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?
Section Two Continues: Dindrane remained on her spiritual retreat with the wise woman for many weeks, praying and fasting, learning about nature, “the lore of growing things, the secret songs the skylark sings.” So one day she envisioned that the prophecy’s fulfillment was at hand, that Nacien would arrive and they would begin their Quest of adventure together. Soon Nacien appeared and invited her to accompany him on the journey to see the Fisher-King and the Wasteland, bringing with her the Grail Knight to heal the king as well as the land. Nacien asked her to “come to the very edge of all she knows,” not knowing if she would ever return. Nacien then explained the truth of the Enchanted Ship that she had dreamed about, how it brought Joseph of Arimathea, bearing the holy items of the Holy Grail and the Spear of Longinus. Nacien instructed her as to the stories of King Pelles, and the origins of how Joseph came to bring those “mysteries of the Trinity” to Britain, how Joseph was close friends with Jesus, of how the Lord Jesus was the One who hung on the wooden cross to atone for all our sins, to defeat death and flung back the gravestone on Easter morn, renewing us with His Word. Nacien continued with the story, explaining that Jesus gave those holy gifts to Joseph, the sacred Chalice and the holy Spear that was stained with His blood. Jesus had then taken Joseph to Israel’s shore and commanded him to spread the word about His resurrection by sailing this Ship of Solomon. So Joseph obeyed the instructions of his friend Jesus, sailed with his family, guarding these holy items of the Faith, and finally landed in Glastonbury. Joseph had then thrust his staff on the shore of that land in Britain, and the wooden staff grew roots and became a flowering tree that remains to this day, flowering in the winter and growing sacred thorns. Joseph’s family remained in the Grail Castle for many generations until Balin struck Pelles with the Holy Spear, an evil sacrilege, permanently wounding Pelles and placing a curse on the land in the process. But Nacien explained that Merlin soon came to the Grail Castle and prophesied that a true knight and a pure maiden would come to undo Balin’s evil deed. Marlin had then put Balin’s sword into a marble stone and sent it floating up a stream. Only the chosen knight, Sir Galahad, will be able to take that Sword of Adventure out of the marble and complete the healing Quest, claimed Merlin. Nacien then explained to Dindrane that she was the only one who would be able to summon the Enchanted Ship, and he advised her to remain prayerful and dependent on God’s wisdom not human strength, and He will surely direct her into all these mysteries. St his point, the teachings have ended, and Nacien and the woman laid their hands on Didnrne’s head, sending her away with many blessings. Dindrane’s face was alight as she embarked on her part of the Quest, “her holy course, drawing her strength from on pure Source of beauty and grace,” Dindrane decided to keep her holy vows by seeking that sacred ship.
Section Three: Solomon’s Ship. After much pleasant wandering in the wildwoods as she was tenderly cared for by the forest deer and the miraculous songbirds, Dindrane started to breathe in a salty tang in the air. She came to a steep cliff ledge that was hanging over a flowing body of water. She prayed that “Fair Jesus Christ, my risen Lord,” would show her the path down to the sea, or perhaps He would send someone to help her get down safely to the sea. She prayed that the Holy Spirit would set her free from her predicament. While praying, she observed what at first appeared to be a beautiful white cross floating in the air, but then clearly became a huge white albatross skimming over the waves towards her, circling her like some guardian angel. This white albatross beckoned her to trust it as she climbed onto its back. The giant bird promised Dindrane that she would be safe and secure as they flew far away over many seas. This bird was of course the answer to her prayers…
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.
Section Three Continues: As the albatross and Dindrane flew over the seas, the bird sang to her of nature’s poetry, wild and free. The albatross then sang to Dindrane of her part in the Quest and the need for her to play her part in the mystery. Dindrane then began to sing her prophetic songs that summoned the Enchanted Ship to sail to her, naming the ship as the “swift mistress of all seas and gales, the ship of a hundred misty tales, companion of the great grey whales, the ship of her dreams.” She noted in her songs that Solomon had built the ship long ago, calling this mysterious ship “the strong ark of mercy, the ship of light, the vessel of grace by day and night.” While singing her song in the Spirit, she spied a glimmer of light in the distance, accompanied by a completely calm sea and total silence in all of nature around her. And then, the Ship of Promise appeared with “streamers of light and flame” flowing from the ship’s mast. Dindrane thought she heard the ship calling in response to her song, saying that it would be her swift steed on the sea, and will find the knights destined to be on this Quest. The albatross set Dindrane down on the ship’s deck, sang its prayers over her, and quickly flew away. Dindrane confidently walked upon the ship as if they were old friends and loudly instructed the ship to sail her to the knights of destiny… her brother Percivale, the good Sir Bors, and the Grail Knight Galahad. Once everyone was aboard, they wept with joy as they reunited, told their tales, and continued on the Quest together.
A Review of the Story’s Main Characters and Elements So Far:
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 an earlier 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.
The 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 for the Holy Grail that will take them far away from Camelot.
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 that 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.
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.