DOCSLIB.ORG

Percival and Modern Masonic Knighthood What Does It Mean to Be a Masonic Knight in the Twenty-First Century? by Sir Knight R

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Percival and Modern Masonic Knighthood What Does It Mean to Be a Masonic Knight in the Twenty-First Century? by Sir Knight R Percival and Modern Masonic Knighthood What does it mean to be a Masonic Knight in the Twenty-first Century? By Sir Knight R. Stephen Doan ccording to the Thirteenth Cen- be restored to health and power. tury story, Percival was one of In Richard Wagner’s retelling of this AKing Arthur’s legendary Knights story in his opera Parsifal, the injured king of the Round Table. After the death in was the ruler of the Grail kingdom which battle of his father, a heroic warrior, Per- was given the items sent by Joseph of Ari- cival’s mother took her infant son to the mathea for safekeeping. The knights still forest where she raised him, ignorant had the Holy Grail, but the king had lost to the ways of men, in order to protect to a nearby sorcerer the Holy Spear which him from the same fate as his father. Her pierced the side of Jesus. In the process of plan was foiled when a group of knights losing the Holy Spear, the king was injured passed by, and Percival was struck by by it and would not be healed until the their heroic bearing. Wanting to be a spear was recovered. The pure and inno- knight himself, the boy left his mother to cent Percival then happened by. His destiny travel to King Arthur’s court. After prov- was to recover the spear, but the knights ing his worthiness as a warrior, he was did not know this and sent the boy away knighted and invited to join the Knights because he did not understand the impor- of the Round Table. tance of the Grail. The sorcerer then sent a Percival also appeared in stories woman to seduce Percival in order to en- involving the quest for the Holy Grail. list him in their battle to get the Grail also. First written about in an earlier twelfth However, when the woman kissed Percival, century story, Joseph of Arimathea is he immediately felt the pain of the king’s said to have received the vessels associ- injury and realized the importance of the ated with the Last Supper and crucifix- Grail and the recovery of the spear. The ion from an apparition of Jesus. Joseph sorcerer then tried to kill Percival with is said to have sent the first communion the spear which Percival caught in midair cup, called the Holy Grail, and other instead. Percival then set out to take the items associated with the Last Supper spear back to the injured king but not be- and crucifixion with his followers to fore the scorned woman placed a curse Great Britain. Percival’s quest in these on him to wander forever without again stories was to find that Grail so that a finding the injured king or the Holy Grail. wounded king might drink from it and Percival did wander aimlessly because of 30 january 2015 the curse which was broken only when about doing good, and the story of Per- he had compassion for the woman who cival hints at how we should do that. We cursed him. He then returned to the king first must realize the good to be done and and healed him with a touch of the spear then do it by our compassion for those to the king’s wounds. who are not so inclined, because it is only This story contains a profound mes- by extending compassion and love that sage on what it means to be a Masonic we can hope for others to return it. If our Knight in the Twenty-first Century. Per- creed is “love one another,“ we can only cival does not understand his destiny un- hope for love when we can uncondition- til evil attempts to seduce him, and ironi- ally offer it first, even to those whom oth- cally he cannot fulfill his destiny until he ers might find undeserving of it. shows compassion for the evildoer! A The quest of Freemasonry is symbol- parallel can be drawn from the Gospels. ized by geometry, the most powerful Did Jesus understand his destiny at the symbol we have as Masons. It meta- time of his baptism by John when the phorically describes the harmony in dove came down from heaven and God the universe that is the Supreme Be- said that this was his Son with whom he ing. As Masons, we are challenged to was well pleased? Did Jesus first under- help preserve that harmony by how stand his destiny when he was there- we deal with others. As Masonic and after tempted three times by the evil Christian Knights, we create harmony one while wandering for the next forty by our compassion, by loving one an- days in the wilderness? Of course, Jesus other, even the undeserving, even the fulfilled his destiny by loving everyone, evil doer. Love is the key. even those who would put him to death. Sir Knight Doan is the Eminent Com- Knighthood today is not about play mander of Empire State Commandery acting. It is in part about preserving a No. 83 in New York and can be contact- standard of chivalry that was part of the ed at [email protected]. medieval knightly code. But, it is also View from atop the Templar Commandery at Le Viala du Pas de Jaux, France. Photo by the editor. knight templar 31.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Actions Héroïques
    Shadows over Camelot FAQ 1.0 Oct 12, 2005 The following FAQ lists some of the most frequently asked questions surrounding the Shadows over Camelot boardgame. This list will be revised and expanded by the Authors as required. Many of the points below are simply a repetition of some easily overlooked rules, while a few others offer clarifications or provide a definitive interpretation of rules. For your convenience, they have been regrouped and classified by general subject. I. The Heroic Actions A Knight may only do multiple actions during his turn if each of these actions is of a DIFFERENT nature. For memory, the 5 possible action types are: A. Moving to a new place B. Performing a Quest-specific action C. Playing a Special White card D. Healing yourself E. Accusing another Knight of being the Traitor. Example: It is Sir Tristan's turn, and he is on the Black Knight Quest. He plays the last Fight card required to end the Quest (action of type B). He thus automatically returns to Camelot at no cost. This move does not count as an action, since it was automatically triggered by the completion of the Quest. Once in Camelot, Tristan will neither be able to draw White cards nor fight the Siege Engines, if he chooses to perform a second Heroic Action. This is because this would be a second Quest-specific (Action of type B) action! On the other hand, he could immediately move to another new Quest (because he hasn't chosen a Move action (Action of type A.) yet.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion and Religious Symbolism in the Tale of the Grail by Three Authors
    Faculty of Arts English and German Philology and Translation & Interpretation COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM IN THE TALE OF THE GRAIL BY THREE AUTHORS by ASIER LANCHO DIEGO DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES TUTOR: CRISTINA JARILLOT RODAL JUNE 2017 ABSTRACT: The myth of the Grail has long been recognised as the cornerstone of Arthurian literature. Many studies have been conducted on the subject of Christian symbolism in the major Grail romances. However, the aim of the present paper is to prove that the 15th-century “Tale of the Sangrail”, found in Le Morte d’Arthur, by Thomas Malory, presents a greater degree of Christian coloration than 12th-century Chrétien de Troyes’ Perceval and Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival. In order to evaluate this claim, the origin and function of the main elements at the Grail Ceremony were compared in the first place. Secondly, the main characters’ roles were examined to determine variations concerning religious beliefs and overall character development. The findings demonstrated that the main elements at the Grail Ceremony in Thomas Malory’s “The Tale of the Sangrail” are more closely linked to Christian motifs and that Perceval’s psychological development in the same work conflicts with that of a stereotypical Bildungsroman, in contrast with the previous 12th-century versions of the tale. Keywords: The Tale of the Grail, Grail Ceremony, Holy Grail, Christian symbolism INDEX 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Postmodernism in Monty Python and the Holy Grail
    The Macksey Journal Volume 1 Article 219 2020 Postmodernism in Monty Python and the Holy Grail Alexander Reece Loescher Quinlan University of Georgia, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://www.mackseyjournal.org/publications Part of the Film and Media Studies Commons, and the Philosophy Commons Recommended Citation Quinlan, Alexander Reece Loescher (2020) "Postmodernism in Monty Python and the Holy Grail," The Macksey Journal: Vol. 1 , Article 219. Available at: https://www.mackseyjournal.org/publications/vol1/iss1/219 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Johns Hopkins University Macksey Journal. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Macksey Journal by an authorized editor of The Johns Hopkins University Macksey Journal. Quinlan: Postmodernism in Monty Python and the Holy Grail Postmodernism in Monty Python and the Holy Grail Alexander Reece Loescher Quinlan University of Georgia Abstract Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a film that epitomizes the various forms of deconstruction in Postmodern Philosophy. The 1975 film presents a farcical version of the Arthurian Legend of the quest for the Holy Grail, along with this are a series of metanarrative deconstructions that permeate the film. Consistent with the definition of Postmodernism presented by Jean-Francois Lyotard, the film disparages metanarratives. This is presented at a surface level in the deconstruction of Arthurian tropes, from the base concept of the chivalrous noble to the knights of the round table and King Arthur. As each of the Arthurian characters is presented with a challenge, each acts counter to the expectations set by the modern Arthurian canon.
    [Show full text]
  • The Book of Quests
    THE BOOK OF QUESTS uests are the driving force in the life of every noble Knight. So it should Qbe no surprise to find Quests at the very heart of Shadows over Camelot. While the content of the Rules Booklet should be familiar to every aspiring Knight, the Book of Quests is primarily a reference, written for inquisitive Knights in search of insight, or the scheming Traitor looking for a lethal edge. In the back of this book you will find two appendices. The first, unearthed from , old manuscripts, offers a glimpse of each Knight s personality. The second is a detailed manifest of each card used in the game. In this booklet, page numbers given in reference point to the corresponding entries in the Rules booklet, unless indicated otherwise. nnnnnnnnnn THE QUESTS nnnnnnnnnn There are several “Standard” Quests in Camelot’s immediate vicinity: N The Tournament against the Black Knight N The Quest for Lancelot N The Dragon’s Quest N The Quest for Excalibur N The Quest for the Holy Grail N The Pict and Saxon Wars each with its own entry in the Book of Quests. For each Quest won or lost, new Swords are laid onto the Round Table. As the game progresses, the Swords show which side currently has the advantage. There are also two “Special” Quests within Camelot proper, where a defeat spells immediate doom for the Loyal Knights: • The Siege of Camelot, which is lost if 12 Siege Engines ever surround Camelot; • and The Quest of the Round Table, where the outcome of the game is decided in favor of whichever color Swords have the majority, once 12 or more have been laid down.
    [Show full text]
  • Arthurian Legend
    Nugent: English 11 Fall What do you know about King Arthur, Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table? Do you know about any Knights? If so, who? If you know anything about King Arthur, why did you learn about King Arthur? If you don’t know anything, what can you guess King Arthur, Camelot, or Knights. A LEGEND is a story told about extraordinary deeds that has been told and retold for generations among a group of people. Legends are thought to have a historical basis, but may also contain elements of magic and myth. MYTH: a story that a particular culture believes to be true, using the supernatural to interpret natural events & to explain the nature of the universe and humanity. An ARCHETYPE is a reoccurring character type, setting, or action that is recognizable across literature and cultures that elicits a certain feeling or reaction from the reader. GOOD EVIL • The Hero • Doppelganger • The Mother The Sage • The Monster • The Scapegoat or sacrificial • The Trickster lamb • Outlaw/destroyer • The Star-crossed lovers • The Rebel • The Orphan • The Tyrant • The Fool • The Hag/Witch/Shaman • The Sadist A ROMANCE is an imaginative story concerned with noble heroes, chivalric codes of honor, passionate love, daring deeds, & supernatural events. Writers of romances tend to idealize their heroes as well as the eras in which the heroes live. Romances typically include these MOTIFS: adventure, quests, wicked adversaries, & magic. Motif: an idea, object, place, or statement that appears frequently throughout a piece of writing, which helps contribute to the work’s overall theme 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Merlin Season One Trivia Quiz
    MERLIN SEASON ONE TRIVIA QUIZ ( www.TriviaChamp.com ) 1> In season one, Merlin arrives in Camelot and is the apprentice to the town's physician. What was his name? a. Uther b. John c. Elyan d. Gaius 2> In episode two, Valiant, what creature is painted on the shield of the knight that is facing Arthur? Hint - The creature(s) come to life. a. Gargoyles b. Demons c. Dragons d. Serpents 3> What is the name of Morgana's servant? a. Hunith b. Morgose c. Nimueh d. Gwen 4> Who was the sorceress responsible for the plaque/sickness that swept Camelot as the result of a dragon egg? a. Morgose b. Sophia c. Mordred d. Nimueh 5> What creature is half eagle and half lion that was seen in episode 5 of Season 1? a. Griffin b. Cyclops c. Hippogriff d. Narvick 6> Which character suffers extreme and terrible nightmares? a. Morgana b. Uther c. Gaius d. Arthur 7> Who tried to replace Gaius as court physician by tricking everyone into thinking he had a "cure all" for any form of sickness? a. Edwin b. Cenred c. Mardan d. Aulfric 8> Who warns Merlin of Mordred? a. Sir Percival b. Morgana c. Gaius d. The Dragon 9> Who killed a unicorn? a. Guinevere b. Merlin c. Uther d. Arthur 10> Which "knight" of Camelot had a forged nobility statement? a. Euan b. Percival c. Lancelot d. Davis 11> Which actor plays the role of Merlin? a. Bradley James b. Richard Wilson c. Rupert Young d. Colin Morgan 12> Which of the following practices is banned by King Uther Pendragon in Camelot? a.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 4 -- the Legend of Percival
    Chapter 4 -- The Legend of Percival In English literature, an important early collection of stories is the set of tales contained in Sir Thomas Mallory's “La Morte d'Arthur”, the story of King Arthur, the knights of the round table and the quest for the Holy Grail. The Arthurian legends are full of sorcery and magic, spells and demons, and tell of the ongoing conflict between good and evil where objects have special powers and symbolism; where battles and conflicts between supernatural powers lie just below the surface of normal workings. In this world—and to those who wrote them and read them—sorcerers and demons are as real as the space shuttle or things reported from on the Internet from the other side of the world are to us. One of the important characters is a knight is named Percival. Percival is a very unusual character. He does not remember his past, he does not remember his parents or his childhood, but seems to more or less have been born as a full grown adult. He is innocent and naïve. He is able to communicate as an adult, but can only see the world through the eyes of an innocent child. This man-child is then able to accomplish what many other brave and intelligent knights are not able to—save a king. If all of this seems fantastic, it is. However, our legends and our myths often present some of the clearest windows into our inner workings. This one in particular gives a very clear picture into the Medieval Era in Western Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • The Symbolism of the Holy Grail
    University of Richmond UR Scholarship Repository Honors Theses Student Research 1962 The symbolism of the Holy Grail : a comparative analysis of the Grail in Perceval ou Le Conte del Graal by Chretien de Troyes and Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach Karin Elizabeth Nordenhaug Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Nordenhaug, Karin Elizabeth, "The symbolism of the Holy Grail : a comparative analysis of the Grail in Perceval ou Le Conte del Graal by Chretien de Troyes and Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach" (1962). Honors Theses. 1077. https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1077 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND LIBRARIES ~lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll3 3082 01028 5079 r THE SYMBOLISM OF THE HOLY GRAIL A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE GRAIL In PERCEVAL ou LE CONTE del GRAAL by CHRETIEN de TROYES and PARZIVAL by WOLFRAM von ESCHENBACH by Karin Elizabeth Nordenhaug A Thesis prepared for Professor Wright In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Honors Program And in candidacy for the degree of Bachelor of Arts Westhampton College University of Richmond, Va. May 1962 P R E F A C E If I may venture to make a bold comparison, I have often felt like Sir Perceval while writing this thesis. Like. him, I set out on a quest for the Holy Grail.
    [Show full text]
  • Modernizing the Quest for the Holy Grail in Film
    The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Honors Theses Honors College Spring 5-2013 The Search Continues: Modernizing the Quest for the Holy Grail in Film Jody C. Balius University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Balius, Jody C., "The Search Continues: Modernizing the Quest for the Holy Grail in Film" (2013). Honors Theses. 145. https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/145 This Honors College Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors College at The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of Southern Mississippi The Search Continues: Modernizing the Quest for the Holy Grail in Film by Jody Balius A Thesis Submitted to the Honors College of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Department of English May 2013 Balius 2 Balius 3 Approved by _________________________________ Michael Salda Associate Professor of English ________________________________ Eric Tribunella, Chair Department of English ________________________________ David R. Davies, Dean Honors College Balius 4 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................. 5 Chapter 2: Literature
    [Show full text]
  • Doune Castle Outlandish Monty Python Guide
    Doune Castle Monty Python Holy Grail Guide OutlandishScotland.com A Novel Holiday Travel Guidebook Outlandish Scotland Journey’s Guide to Doune Castle’s Holy Grail Locations The information and screenshots within this guide were primarily derived from The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations, a short documentary film starring Michael Palin and Terry Jones. Filmed in 2001, the documentary is on disc two of the Monty Python and the Holy Grail Special Edition DVD, released in 2001. Five filming locations are on the ground floor—the first three outside the castle. Outlandish Scotland Journey’s Doune Castle Monty Python and the Holy Grail Guide 3 Location (1) is the exterior south corner of Doune Castle’s east curtain wall. This is the first chapter of the film, where Arthur introduces himself and Patsy. They are ridiculed for using coconut halves instead of riding horses by two guards, who end up debating whether swallows can carry coconuts. GUARD #1: It’s not a question of where he grips it! It’s a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a 1 pound coconut. ARTHUR: Well, it doesn’t matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here. … GUARD #2: It could be carried by an African swallow! Outlandish Scotland Journey’s Doune Castle Monty Python and the Holy Grail Guide 4 Location (2) is atop the north end of Doune Castle’s east curtain wall. This is where the famous taunting French Guard was seen in wide shots.
    [Show full text]
  • Morgan Le Fay: the Inheritance of the Goddess
    Brathair 15 (1), 2015 ISSN 1519-9053 Morgan le Fay: The Inheritance of the Goddess Ana Rita Martins English Lecturer Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras (ULICES) [email protected] Enviado em: 30/05/2015 Aceito em: 07/07/2015 Resumo: “Morgan le Fay: A Herança da Deusa” faz uma breve análise da figura de Morgan le Fay nas narrativas arturianas na Idade Média. Começando por uma reflexão sobre os Celtas e a sua cultura, este estudo tem por objectivo demonstrar como a origem de Morgan le Fay poderá remontar às deusas célticas. Com efeito, Morgan possui características que a aproximam de A Morrígan e Modron. Todavia, é de salientar que esta personagem apenas surge pela primeira vez, em 1150, na obra Vita Merlini, de Geoffrey of Monmouth sob o nome Morgen. Suprema regente da ilha maravilhosa de Avalon, ela possui características exclusivamente benéficas. Assim, pretendemos também explicar as razões pelas quais esta se transformou numa das principais vilãs dos textos arturianos. Adicionalmente, serão considerados algumas das obras literárias medievais inglesas, bem como factores de ordem sociocultural. Palavras-chave: Morgan le Fay; Narrativas Arturianas; Mitos Célticos. Abstract: “Morgan le Fay: The Inheritance of the Goddess” will analyze Morgan le Fay’s character in Arthurian narrative during the Middle Ages. Starting from a research on the Celts and their culture, this article aims to prove that Morgan le Fay’s origin might be traced back to Celtic goddesses due to the characteristics she shares with the Celtic goddesses The Morrígan and Modron. However, Morgan is only mentioned for the first time, in 1150, in the work Vita Merlini by Geoffrey of Monmouth, where she is named Morgen.
    [Show full text]
  • Arthurian Legend
    Arthurian Legend Arthurian Legend Characters King Arthur – The son of Uther Pendragon, King Arthur is the king of Britain. In addition to being a great warrior, he is wise and thoughtful ruler. He prefers to find peaceful solutions to problems rather than fighting. Arthur is able to appreciate the viewpoints of other people and this helps him to find other solutions. Merlin – Merlin is a legendary wizard of considerable intelligence and power. Merlin wants the best for the land of Britain but does not want to rule, knowing that a warrior is needed to unite the kingdom. Merlin was an advisor to King Uther Pendragon before advising King Arthur. Merlin was able to use magic to prove that Arthur was the king of the Britains. Later, he was able to communicate with people from another world and provide Arthur with the magical sword, Excalibur. Merlin looks like an old man with a flowing white beard. Queen Guinevere – Guinevere is the wife of King Arthur. Her name means “The White Enchantress” or “The White Ghost”; a name given to her because of her pale white skin. Although she loves King Arthur, she grows to love Sir Lancelot. This betrayal of Arthur eventually leads to quarrels and fights amongst the knights of the round table and eventually ends Camelot. Sir Lancelot – Lancelot is the bravest and most skilled Knight of the Round Table. A talented swordsman and jouster, Lancelot is also Arthur’s greatest friend. When Lancelot falls in love with Guinevere, this leads to civil war and brings about the end of King Arthur’s kingdom.
    [Show full text]