(3.2) “Galahad and the Grail” – On Solomon’s Ship

(3.2) “Galahad and the Grail” – On Solomon’s Ship.

Book Three: “The Achievement of the Grail“ (by “book” is meant a large section in this installment of Guite’s Arthuriad).

Stave Two: “On Solomon’s Ship” (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.)

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 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, as well as 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.

** Dindrane. She is the maiden of purity who called to each of the three Knights of the Quest 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 to Percivale from the Ship, she presented herself as a gentle and tender follower of God, wearing a nun’s veil of innocence and faithfulness. Dindrane had the Faith that they will all be guided by God’s Spirit across the seas to the Grail. 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” on the Enchanted Ship.

The Storyline of this Chapter: When the three Knights of the Grail, with Lancelot as well, and Dindrane were all happily reunited on the Enchanted Ship, they began to tell each other their tales “of trials and demons fell, of sudden grace and hidden spell, of Heaven shielding earth from hell.” Each knight confessed “their need of grace” in their times of temptations, and how “the signing of the sacred cross turned weakness into power.” The knights all admitted that they were lost in the wilderness until God sent an angel to them, Dindrane, “the lovely maid in grace and kindliness.” She explained then how God had called her to “set sail and trust myself to the True Tale that God is singing all the while from first to last, His own Good Spell, Beginning unto End.” Dindrane went on to joyfully recount how she had already envisioned all four of those knights, and how “love would draw us from the vale to venture in the wild.” She then invited them to witness first-hand the treasures in the hold of the ship, especially the sacred bed, embroidered with red and white roses hung with silks of light, contained with a pure mantle. Dindrane explained how this has all been prophesied in ancient song. The old tale included lyrics about a mystery ship guarding a magical bed that had a crown laying on it, as well as a beautiful sword’s scabbard that was inlaid with the white, red and green wood from the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. On this unused bed a pure maid would one day lay at rest as others prayed around her. The old song sings about the tragedy that came when Cain murdered Abel, and yet from that sacred Tree was grown the wood that made the Cross of Christ, “Where Abel’s blood for vengeance cried, our Saviour’s blood poured from His side.” Dindrane then revealed that this very Ship carried the Holy Grail that had once contained the blood of Jesus, and the Sacred Spear that pierced the heart of Christ. And she explained how these holy elements will be hidden until the promised day when the one Good Knight “will make the blood of brothers slain turn to good.” Dindrane exclaimed then that she herself is the prophesied maiden, and this is the time to strengthen Sir Galahad for the Grail. So Dindrane cut three strands from her golden hair, wove them together three times in honor of the Trinity, and then wound that braid around the wooden scabbard for Galahad’s use in the Quest. “Be girded with the love of God,” says Dindrane to Galahad, “and wear this harness for the maid who loves you more than any word or rhyme can ever tell.”

** The Signing of the Cross. In this chapter, Dr. Guite once again integrates the ancient Christian custom of signing the cross into the storyline, and with each of the three knights that physical action was what broke the demonic curse, it dissolved the evil enchantment. Maybe a little history of that sacred gesture is in order… Signing the cross on yourself or others can be an irreligious superstition, a thoughtless ritual, a nervous habit, or a physical gesture that is rich with spiritual significance. Crossing ourselves can be as meaningful as we want it to be. It can be an empty hand movement devoid of faith, or it can be a sincere gesture that represents your deepest identity. When genuine, the act of crossing ourselves is truly making a statement, it is setting us apart. Ever since the 2nd century the traditional hand motion in the shape of a cross, starting at the forehead, then the heart, then both shoulders, then back to the heart again, has been a distinctive symbol of the Christian faith. There have been variations on these movements through time and tradition. And it should be remembered that many believers privately choose to sign the cross over themselves even if not a tradition in their particular church. Down through the centuries, the sign of the cross has represented many truths:

1. It reveals our chosen identity as a Christ-follower;
2. It marks us as disciples of Jesus;
3. It announces that we belong to God, that we are His possession, owned by Him;
4. It tells others that we believe in the Bible and the truth contained in Scripture;
5. It is a clear confession of faith in the Holy Trinity, since the sign is accompanied by the prayer, “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit;”
6. It is a tangible reminder to us of our baptismal vows and our new life in Christ;
7. It is a physical action that reminds us of God’s spiritual presence;
8. It echoes the command of Christ to pick up our crosses daily;
9. It renews our commitment to crucifying the desires of the flesh;
10. It is a picture of Christ’s suffering and our acceptance of suffering in His Name;
11. It announces our side in the warfare against the powers of darkness, alerting the enemy that we are on the side of Christ against the demonic kingdom;
12. It reminds us of our protection in Christ if we feel spiritually attacked or harassed;
13. It is an act of submission to God’s will and His purpose in our lives;
14. It is a sign of blessing when we put the sign of the cross over others, asking the Lord to show them favor and mercy;
15. When crossing ourselves, it is a way of asking God to help us love Him with all our mind (forehead), our heart, and our strength (shoulders);
16. It is an expression of our heartfelt piety and deepest devotion;
17. As one traditional church puts it, “The Sign of the Cross disposes us to cooperate with God’s grace if invoking the Name of Christ.”
18. “Little” signs of the Cross are also used during Christian worship, in which our thumb is used to mark a small cross on one’s own forehead, mouth, and heart, asking God to sanctify our thoughts, our speech, and our affections for God’s use;
19. A little sign of the Cross may also be prayerfully marked with the thumb on someone else ‘s forehead when blessing them, preparing them for a healing prayer, or for many of the sacraments.

The symbolism of the fingers is vital in fully understanding the signing of the Cross. To symbolize the Holy Trinity, using your right hand, the tip of the thumb touches the two tips of the longest fingers next to the thumb. Those three fingertips must be touching when signing the cross because they represent the three Persons of the Godhead, the Trinity. The two fingertips minus the thumb represent the dual nature of Jesus Christ: His divine nature and His human nature. Many have said that the sign of the cross is an abbreviated version of the Apostle’s Creed because of the symbolic use of the fingers.