Author of quotes: Robert Johnson

Summary of the legend of the Holy Grail according to Chretien de Troyes. The Sacred Chalice has been kept in the castle since the Last Supper. The king living in this castle was seriously wounded and constantly tormented, suffered from non-healing wounds. All his possessions were desolate, and the population was completely discouraged. The king was wounded as a teenager. Wandering through the woods, he came across a deserted parking lot with a smoldering fire, over which salmon roasted on a spit. The boy was very hungry and wanted to pinch off a piece of fish. But, touching her, he severely burned his fingers. To soothe the pain, he took his burned fingers into his mouth and tasted the salmon. Since he suffered from fish, he was called the Fisher King. In addition, he was wounded in the thigh, losing hope of having offspring. All of his possessions became desolate and barren. The courtiers dragged the King Fisherman on a stretcher, and only occasionally did he go fishing and at that time was absolutely happy. The Fisher King ruled in the castle where the Grail was kept, but could not touch it to be healed of the disease. The court jester predicted that the Fisher King could be healed when a naive and innocent fool wandered into the castle. In a distant abandoned village, a boy lived with his mother, a widow named Broken Heart. It is said that at first he did not even have his own name; many years later he found out that his name was Parsifal. His father was killed, defending the honor of a beautiful lady, and his two knight brothers were killed. Mother and youngest son went to distant lands, to an abandoned village where they lived in need and poverty. The boy wore homespun clothes, did not go to school and did not ask any questions. He grew up an illiterate and naive young man. As a teenager, he saw five knight riders and was blinded by the sight of their scarlet with gold embroidery of furniture, armor and weapons. He rushed home at all costs to tell his mother that he had met the five gods and that he wanted to leave the house and go with them. Mother burst into tears. She hoped that the youngest son would pass the fate that befell his father and older brothers. Reluctantly, she blessed him and gave three instructions: he should honor the beautiful ladies, go to church daily, where he can get the necessary food, and not ask questions. Parsifal set off in search of the knights. He did not find those five, but survived many adventures. Once he came upon a tent. Until now, the young man saw only poor shacks, so he mistook him for the church that his mother told him about. There he met a beautiful lady with a ring on his finger and, mindful of his mother’s instructions, hugged the lady, removed the ring from her hand and put it on his finger. A table was laid in the tent, laden with various dishes. Parsifal, full of confidence that this is the same church food that his mother told him about, feasted plenty, not knowing that everything was cooked for the knight - the beloved of this lady. The lady persuaded Parsifal to leave the tent, fearing the return of her lover, for, having caught Parsifal, he could have killed him without hesitation for a long time. Parsifal followed farther and soon came upon two abandoned monasteries - male and female. He could not help them in any way, but vowed that, having become stronger, he would return and save them from the curse looming over them. Then he met with the Red Knight, who left the court of King Arthur. Blinded by the sight of a knight, Parsifal told him of his desire to become the same knight. The Red Knight advised him to go to the court of King Arthur, which he did. There he saw a girl who had not smiled for six years. There was a legend that a girl would laugh only when the most worthy knight approached her. Seeing Parsifal, she laughed immediately. The whole court was shocked by what had happened, King Arthur knighted Parsifal, gave him a servant and allowed him to get the armor and horse of the Red Knight, if he could. Parsifal met the Red Knight, killed him in a duel, took his armor, putting it on top of homespun clothes. He went to the castle of his godfather, Gournamonde, who taught him knightly art. Gurnamond gave him two tips: not to seduce a woman and not to be seduced by a woman; and when you enter the Grail Castle, ask the question: "To whom does the Grail serve?" Time passed, and Parsifal wanted to find a mother to help her. However, he found out that she died with a broken heart. He soon met a girl named Blanchfleur. From that time on, he did everything in her name. She asked him to lift the siege from the castle - he fulfilled the request, and then spent the night with her. Going on a trip the next morning and galloping all day, he saw two people sitting in a boat. The one who fished invited Parsifal to spend the night with him. Having reached his refuge, Parsifal found himself in a huge castle, where he was received royally. He attended the ceremony, where the sword was first carried out, from which blood was constantly dripping. Then the Grail appeared before him. A magnificent feast was held, at which everyone took as many different dishes and drinks from the Grail as he could wish. The niece of the Fisher King brought the king a sword, and he fastened it to the belt of Parsifal. But the young man did not ask the question that Gurnamond had told him about. The next morning, Parsifal discovered that all the people in the castle had disappeared. Then the castle itself disappeared. He went wherever he looked and met a grieving woman on the way. Having learned from her that her knight was killed out of jealousy by the beloved of a beautiful lady who lived in a tent, he felt that this death lay on his conscience. Hearing that Parsifal was in the castle of the Grail, the woman began to rebuke him for all his sins and assured him that the earth would remain desolate, and people unhappy, for he had not asked the main question. After some time, Parsifal was again at the tent. The beautiful lady living in the tent reminded Parsifal of his sins and warned that the sword presented to him would break in the first battle and only the blacksmith who forged it could reforge, and then the sword would be preserved forever. During his wanderings, Parsifal defeated many knights in battles, sending them to the court of King Arthur. But, when the young man himself first appeared at the court, none of the courtiers knew who he was. Arthur personally went in search of Parsifal to return him and render him at court a high honor. It so happened that Parsifal stopped nearby and saw a falcon attacking three geese and injuring one of them. Drops of blood falling in the snow reminded Parsifal of Blanchfleur, and he yearned. At this time, two soldiers of King Arthur found Parsifal and tried to convince him to return to the castle, but he threw them off their horses. A third knight named Gawain managed to reassure him and convince him to return to the court with him. There Parsifal was met with triumph. But the celebration and the fun ended as soon as a disgusting woman rode into the courtyard on a lame mule, loudly listing all the sins of Parsifal. Then she pointed a finger at him, saying, “Only you are to blame for everything. She gave each knight at the court of King Arthur a personal task. She told Parsifal to go again in search of the Grail Castle and this time to ask the right question. Parsifal went through many Trials: Some versions of the myth say that he traveled for five years, in others twenty. He experienced a lot of bitterness and disappointment and accomplished many feats, but forgot about the church, Blanchefleur and the Grail Castle. Once he met several wanderers who asked himwhy he was armed on Good Friday. He began to remember everything that had been forgotten before. Tormented by remorse, he, together with the strangers, went to the hermit for repentance. He absolved Parsifal from sins and ordered him to go immediately in search of the Grail Castle. Here ends the poem written by Chretien de Trois Many authors tried to complete it. In one version it is reported that Parsifal finds the Grail and, asking the main question: "Who serves the Grail?", Immediately receives the answer: "The Grail serves the King of the Grail." The Grail King is not the Fisher King, but the king, living from time immemorial in the central chambers of the castle. The Fisher King is healed, and for all his subjects begins a life full of joy and abundance.