(3.5) “Galahad and the Grail” – A Parting of the Ways
(3.5) “Galahad and the Grail” – A Parting of the Ways.
Book Three: “The Achievement of the Grail“ (by “book” is meant a large section in this installment of Guite’s Arthuriad).
Stave Five: “A Parting of the Ways” (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.”
A Sharing of Grief. This chapter begins with the four Knights of the Grail commiserating, sharing their sadness as they sadly watch the enchanted ship sail away with their beloved Dindrane’s body. Percivale grieved over losing his long-lost sister who was found so recently and then lost to him again. Lancelot lamented that they were guided and encouraged by her wisdom and bravery, and she shall rightly be honored by even the greatest of knights. Bors mourned that Dindrane is the finest person ever born, and he’ll never find anyone better in all his life. Galahad reflected that they lived in a world where shadows fall and darkness reigns a little while. “The kingdom shines behind the veil; that kingdom comes, solid and real. With His creation God will dwell – And we will see her again.”
William Blake once composed this short poem in his “Auguries of Innocence” that says it all:
“Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for the soul divine;
Under every grief and pine,
Runs a joy with silken twine.
It is right it should be so,
We were made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know,
Through the world we safely go.”
The Healed Maiden Approaches. As Galahad spoke his wisdom, the maiden who was healed by Dindrane’s sacrificed blood came up to the Knights and greeted them with kindness in God’s name. She spoke to them of how she was praying and then receiving God’s word that directed her to comfort those four knights with warm clothes, nutritious food, and sturdy horses. She then reminded them of the White Hart in the chapel on the enchanted isle, and to keep the chapel of their heart pure and undefiled.
The Vital Gifts from the Healed Maiden. She then humbly offered special gifts to each knight… To Lancelot she gave an amethyst to keep his mind clear when needed; to Percivale she gave an embroidered flower to remind him of his faithful love to Blanchefleur; to Bors she gave a bard’s harp to use when he later tells the tale of the Holy Grail being completed; to Galahad she gave a perfect pearl to remind him of Christ, of purity, of sacrifice, the pearl of great price. She then bid them farewell as she rode in haste to Camelot to tell this miraculous tale to King Arthur, this story of Dindrane’s sacrifice, the enchanted ship, and the divine gifts to the Knights of the Holy Grail.
Nearing the Wasteland. The four knights then rode straight into a dark forest that seemed familiar to Galahad as he realized they were approaching the cursed territory surrounding the Castle of the Grail where he grew up with his mother Elaine and his grandfather King Pelles. But suddenly a wounded knight on a horse crashed through the woods, chased by a dark knight who was obviously intending further harm. Lancelot, because of his vow of chivalry that calls for him to rescue the needy and helpless, rode away from his three friends to rescue the wounded knight. Lancelot spoke these words as he started chasing after the helpless knight and what appeared to be his mortal enemy… “We take the venture that God sends, who only knows our story’s end, the time to heal, the time to rend, the time to relent or praise.” And with that, Lancelot was gone. The remaining Knights of the Grail continued riding until they arrived at the edge of the Wasteland.
With Lancelot’s parting words, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 come to mind:
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them together.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.”