Le Morte Darthur Book 17
This is my first sketch. will end it tomorrow morning or later this night. - will also add remarks which chapter relates to what topic of ours. Just thought that anyone interested could already skim through it to get a glimpse of the story so far.
Book 17.Cpt. 1: [ ???] Gawayn may heal but his quest is at an end. Sir Galahad rests at a hermitage and is woken at night by a “gentilwoman” that asks him to get armed and follow her, for in the next three days she would grant him adventures never seen by a knight before. Galahad follows.
Cpt. 2: Galahad is lead to the castle of that “gentilwoman’s” lady where he rests some time before he is lead towards the sea by that “gentilwoman” and with them they carry a child and some riches. On the beach the ship,with cheering Bors and Percival on board, is waiting for them. As soon as they are on board the ship starts sailing again and all three knights exchange the storys of their adventures and their temptations. Bors is only missing Lancelot in his party. After a while they meet another ship between two big rocks. Writings on on the ship tell them, that only those of “steadfast believe” should enter the ship because the author of those letters would not help them if they should fail. At that point the “gentilwoman” reveals that she is Percival’s sister and warns him, that he will perish should he not firmly believe in Jesus Christ. Happy to see his sister, Percival replies that he, should he be an untrue knight, could as well perish.
Cpt. 3: On board of the other ship the the four find it full of riches and with a large bed in the middle, at it’s foot a sword could be found. The swords pommel was made a of multicolored stone and the cross guard (?) (“scales”) was made of the rips of two beasts: the Serpent of the Fiend and the Fish Ertanax. First should save its bearer from weariness and harm, the other would strengthen the bearer’s will as to focus solemly on the task before him and avoid distraction.. Perciaval and Bors both can’t draw the word and in Galahad’s hands it displayed strange red letters (like blood), telling him of the special powers of the sword and that only a man passing all other man would be able to draw it. Galahad doesn’t ry to draw it out of disgust. Percival’s sister remembers some tales in which the word is found on a ship and could only be employed by a severly wounded man against a muslim king who then died after returning the sword to the ship.
Cpt.4: [Still the sword thing] still tales [wil be added]
Cpt. 5: another tale – King Pelles,later on called the Maimed King, was a great supporter of the church, found the ship after getting separated with all but one of his knightes he rode out for hunting. After reading the letters and entering the ship lone he tried to draw the sword and was struck by spear through both thighs a wound that could never be healed since then. We then switch back to the three knights, who find two swords and three white, green and red “spyndels” of vibrant color near the head of the bed. Sir Percival’s sister tells the knight’s the story how Eve planted the branch of the tree that carried “the apple” after their banishment from paradise into the earth and a majestic white tree grew out of it. After Adam and Eve had sex under the tree it turned green and later ,after Cain killed his brother Abel below it, it turned red and all plants expect this tree withered. Much later wise king Solomon reigned the marvellous red tree still existed. King Solomon’s wife is said to be an evil woman and the king himself despises women in his books until the holy ghost tells him, that from his lineage will come a glorrious woman, from the man, who would not only be a formidable knight but also the last of Solomon’s bloodline. [“man whiche shalle be a mayde”]
Cpt. 6 King Solomon kept studying and thought long time who could be this man and finally he told his wife about the prophecy. She asked him to have an excellent ship build and the sword of David fitted with a new pommel, crossguard and sheath. She herself outfitted the ship with riches and added the hempen girdle (against the protest of Solomon)to the sword. And she forced a carpenter to cut enough wood from the white, the green and the red tree to craft three “spyndlys” out of it. Those were added to the bed. After all is done Solomons asks his wife what this all is about..
Cpt. 7 At night Solomon dreams of angels that spray the ship with holy water (consecrate it?) and wirte on’s sides warnings for those that enter and on the sword another message. Shocked he retreats and the ship glided into the sea and vanished quickly while a little voice told Solomon that the knight he is looking for will rest in this bed and ship. He then told his wife about his dream. [Back on board the ship] Percival finds written news that tell them the story of the ship and the sword and they understand, that they must find a suitable girdle for the famous sword. Percival’s sister then produces a girdle made from her own hair that she had crafted as soon as she knew about her mission. And then Galahad is girded with the sword then called the Sword of the Strange Girdles.Then they leave the ship (of Solomon) and the winds drive them to the coast of Scotland, near to a castle on the cliffs. where Percival’s sister warns the knights about assailants, who know that they were Arthur’s knights.
Cpt. 8 After introducing themselves to a squire of that castle who then returned with the message the hear horns and are warned by a “gentilwoman” to leave or they would die. Some well armed knights are dispatched from the castle to take the knights prisoners but are quickly killed or flee, while the knights take some of the horses and follow the survivers into the castle, were the kill quite many people. As they wonder on what they have done and are quite sure to have sinned. But why had God given them the strength to kill them? [REGRET? Justification of Violence] A priest in the castle tells them that there is no need for self-doubt since the former lord (Earl Hernox) of this castle was fataly wounded thrown into prison by his three sons, who before that had raped and then, when she told her father, killed her sister and afterwards killed priests and destroyed churches. The priests also says, that Earl Hernox forsaw the arrival of servants of God to redeem this injustice.
Cpt 9 Earl Hernox dies in Galahad’s arms and with his last breath asks the knight to go and seek out the Maimed King, for he will be healed by Galahad. [PROPHECY] The three knights and Percival’s sister depart and on their travel they meet a white stag with four “lions” (?lyons) in a vast forest which they folllow to a hermitage were an armored priest conducts mass in a chapel, which the four travelers attend. In mass they see the white stag become a man and the lions turn into another man, a lion (…), an eagle, and an ox, that all receive a blessing at the altar and leave, somehow incorporeal, through the painted glaswindow. Then the knights hear a voice that tells them that like this the Virgin Mary received his son (Christian religion). They ask the priest about what had happened and he explains to them, that they are choosen to learn about secrets of God himself and that they will bring an end to the “Sancgreal” (Sangreal – Holy Grail, probably: the quest for the grail). The white stag and the lions are a symbol for Jesus and the Evangelists but assumes that the knights won’t see these anymore. The knight’s rejoice and travel past a castle on the next day, when a knight bearing a message comes after them.
Cpt. 10 The knight from tha castle asks Percival’s sister to give a vessel full of her maiden blood as it is custom. The three knights defend her and even manage fend off massive superior number of knights (soldiers), Galahad seemingly going berserk, until nightfall. They are then invited into the castle to rest and learn about this custom.
Cpt. 11 Bors, Galahad, Percival and his sister accept and learn that the blood of a maiden is neede to cure the Lady of the castle. Percival’s sister offers to heal the lady with her blood and voluntarily gives enough to heal the lady but to kill herself. Her last wish is her body to be send forth in a small boat so that, as she forsees, she will arrive in due time at the city of Sarras where she is going to be buried under a tower were Percival and Galahad,too, shall be buried at some point in time. Percival fullfills her wish and even adds a letter that contains all her deeds to her dead hands. After a strong tempest the three knights see a wounded knight praying to God for help and being chased by a “dwarf” and Bors sets out save that knight.
Cpt.12 Galahad and Percival pray all night for Bors save return. And when they leave the chappel the find everyone in the castle dead and hear a voice that names this God’s vengeance for the shedding of virgin blood. They then find 36 the well preserved tombs of the “maydens that were martred for the seke ladyes sake”, all of whom had royal blood. Then they leave the castle.
Cpt. 13 While Lanceleot is resting near the “waters of Mortoyse” he receives a vision that aks him to board the first ship that he may find. On a beach he finds a ship without sail or oars and as soon as he enters he is overwhelmed with joy and falls asleep. As he awakes he finds Percival’s dead sister on a bed in the ship and reads of her and her brother’s deeds. Lancelot stays onboard the ship for a month and ist sustained by prayers alone.One night he meets his son Galahad and both are full of joy and, as he sees Percival’s dead sister on the bed, tell each other stories of their deeds. Lancelot is especially keen to hear and praise the sword Galahad procured on the ship of Solomon. Both travel together on the ship for half a year and worship good, while again and again fight against wild beasts on unchartered isles, which is not elaborated on since it has nothing to to with the grail.
Cpt. 14 On a Monday Galahad is picked up by heavily armored knight who tells him, that he had passed enough time with his father and a voice tells them, that they will only see each other again on judgement day. Thy bid farewell to each other and Lancelot ist driven out unto the see again for another month of full of prayers. Lancelot finally arrives at a castle whose doors are open but guarded with two lions but before he canenter he is reprimanded by a voice that he will need the strength in the Lord more than his armor. ( a suddenly appearing dwarf actually hits him after drawing his sword! O_o ) He thanks the Lord and manages to enter the castle through open doors and non-aggressive lions. Only a last door is closed to him and he tries to open it.
Cpt. 15 With all his strength he can’t open the door. He only hears an angelic voice praising the Lord. So he prays for God to let him in if he had done something in his life that had pleased him. The door opens and he sees that inside there is a richly decorated and bright altar, some angels and a holy vessel with a priest holding mass in front of it. Lancelot is warned to by that mysterios voice but after seeing the priest struggling while holds the young child of two other people aloft he enters to help the priest. And feels instantly burned and weakend. He falls to the ground, absolutely powerless, and is brought outside. There he is found the next morning and the people of the castle decide to look after him although he seems dead for many of them.
Cpt. For 24 days they serve him and as he suddenly awakes he is furious about it sine he was shown great secrets and miracles in his sleep. He perceives thos 24 (25th day he awakes) as his punishment for his 25 years being a sinner and he remebers that he hadn’t worn the hair-shirt (“hayr”) a hermit had given to him as he promised a year ago. [I’m at a complete loss with this .. shirt. Where in the book does he get it? ] Afterward wears the hair-shirt beneath his other clothing. He also is told that he will never see the Grail any closer than he already did and he accepts it, grateful for the mercy shown to him by God. He then gives his full name and is happily greeting by the king for he is at the Castle of Carbonek and at King Pelles court. The King relates the sad story of his dead daughter whereof Lancelot is genuinely sorry. After four days he leaves the court.
