STUDIES ON THE LEGEND OF THE HOLY GRAIL WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE HYPOTHESIS CELTIC ORIGIN. ALFEED NUTT. "Welchem Volke das Marchen (von Parzival's Jugendgeschichte) angehorte, welches die schriftliche oder miindliche Ueberlieferung mit der Gralsage in Verbindung brachte, ist schwer zu bestimmen, doch wilrde dasjenige Volk den meisten Anspruch darauf haben, bei welchem sich dies Marchen ausserhalb jenes Zusammenhangs nachweisen liesse." K. SIMKOCK. "The Celtic hero who in the twelfth century became Perceval le Chercheurdu basin . in the end became possessed of that sacred basin le Saint Graal, and the holy lance which, though Christian in the story, are the same as the talismans which appear so often in Gaelic tales . the glittering weapon which destroys, and the sacred medicinal cup which cures." J. F. CAMPBELL. " . as In all the Fenian stories mention is made of Fionn's healing cup . it is the same the Holy Grail of course," J. F. CAMPBELL. DAVID NUTT, 270-71, STRAND. 1888. P/v HARBISON AND SONS, PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HER MAJESTY, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON. Works by the same Author. The Aryan Expulsion and Return Formula among the Celts. Folk-Lore Record, Vol. IV 10s Qd. " Interessante etude de mythographie comparee." Revue Celtique. Mabinogion Studies, I. The Mabinogi of Branwen, daughter of Llyr. Folk-Lore Record, Vol. V 10*. Qd. " Eingehendes und sehr beachtenswerthes Studium." Prof. ERNST WINDISCH, in Ersch und G-ruber. "These careful and searching studies deserve to be honourably in the mentioned." Mons. HENEI GUiDOZ, Academy. t FOR COLLECTING AND PRINTING RELICS OF POPULAR ANTIQUITIES, &c. ESTABLISHED YEAR MDCCCLXXVIII. PUBLICATIONS OF THE FOLK-LORE SOCIETY. 1888. / XXIII. fist of (D^eiis 1887-1888. PRESIDENT. THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF STRAFFORD. VICE-PRESIDENTS. ANDREW LANG, M.A. W. R. S. RALSTON, M.A. EDWARD B. TYLOR, LL.D., F.R.S. DIRECTOR. G. L. GOMME, F.S.A., 1, Beverley Villas, Barnes Common, S.W. COUNCIL. THE HON. J. ABERCROMBY. G. LAURENCE GOMME, F.S.A. A. MACHADO Y ALVAREZ. A. GRANGER HUTT, F.S.A. THE EARL BEAUCHAMP, F.S.A. SIR JOHN LUBBOCK, BT., F.R.S. EDWARD BRABROOK, F.S.A. REV. DR. RICHARD MORRIS. DR. G. B. BRINTON. ALFRED NUTT. JAMES BRITTEN, F.L.S. EDWARD PEACOCK, F.S.A. LOYS BRUEYRE. Z. D. PEDROSO. MISS C. S. BURNE. PROFESSOR A. H. SAYCE, M.A. EDWARD CLODD. CAPTAIN R. C. TEMPLE. PROFESSOR 1). COMPARETTI. HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F.S.A. AUDITORS. G. L. APPERSON. JOHN TOLHURST, F.S.A. LOCAL SECRETARIES. IRELAND: G. H. KINAHAN, R.I.A. SOUTH SCOTLAND: WILLIAM GEORGE BLACK, ESQ. NORTH SCOTLAND: REV. WALTER GREGOR. INDIA: CAPTAIN R, C. TEMPLE. CHINA: J. STEWART LOCKHART. HONORARY SECRETARIES. A. GRANGER IIUTT, F.S.A., 8, Oxford Kilburn N W. Road, r J. J. FOSTER, 30, Alma Square, St. John's Wood, N.W. DEDICATION. J. F. CAMPBELL, FROM WHOM I FIRST LEARNT TO LOVE CELTIC TRADITION. CONTENTS. CHAPTER L "Description of the leading forms of the Romance : Conte del Graal Joseph d'Arimathie Didot- Perceval Queste del Saint Graal Grand Saint Graal Parzival Perceval le Gallois Mabinogi of Peredur Sir Perceval Diu Crone Information respecting date and authorship of these works in the MSS page 1 CHAPTER II. Summaries Conte du Graal: Psuedo-Chrestien, Chrestien, Gautier de Doulens, Manessier, Gerbert Wolfram Heinrich von dem Tiirlin Didot-Perceval Mabinogi of Peredur Thornton MS. Sir Perceval Queste del Saint Graal Grand Saint Graal Robert de Borron's poem, Joseph of Ari- mathea . page 8 CHAPTER III. The legend formed of two portions : Early History of Grail, Quest Two forms of each portion distinguished Grouping of the various versions Alter- native hypotheses of development Their bearing upon the alleged Celtic origin of the Grail Closer examination of the various accounts of the Grail : The first use of it its first its solace made and possessor ; of its and the effect it its its Joseph ; properties produced by ; name ; arrival in the England 5 Grail-keeper and his relationship to the Promised Knight Three different stages in the development of the Queste The work and the qualification of the Promised Knight Conclusions : Priority over Early History of Quest Chronological arrangement of the versions . page 65 CHAPTER IV. SKETCH OP THE LITERATURE CONNECTED WITH THE GEAIL CYCLE. Villemarque Halliwell San Marte (A. Schulz)^-Simrock Rochat Furnivall's reprint of the Grand St. Graal and of Borron J. F. Campbell Furnivall's Queste Paulin Paris Potvin's Conte du Graal Bergmann Skeat's Vlll CONTENTS. Joseph of Arimathea Hucher: Grail Celtic, date of Borron Zarncke, Bircli- Zur Geschichte der Q-ralsage; Grail belongs to Christian legend Hirschfeld develops Zarncke's views : Grand St. Graal younger than Queste, both presuppose Chrestien and an earlier Q.ueste, the Didot-Perceval, which forms integral part of Borron's trilogy; Mabinogi later than Chrestien; various members of the cycle dated Martin combats Birch-Hirschfeld : Borron later than Chrestien, whose poem represents oldest stage of the romance, which has its roots in Celtic tradition Hertz Criticism of Birch-Hirschfeld .. .. page 97 CHAPTER V. Relationship of the Didot-Perceval to the Conte du Graal The former not the source of the latter Relationship of the Conte du Graal and the Mabinogi Instances in which the Mabinogi has copied Chrestien Examples of its independence The incident of the blood drops in the snow Differences between the two works The machinery of the Mabinogi and the traces of it in the Conte du Graal The stag hunt The Mabinogi and Manessier The sources of the Conte du Graal and the relation of the various- parts to Sir to it '*. a common original Perceval Steinbach's theory Objections The counsels in the Conte du Graal Wolfram and the Mabinogi Absence of the Grail from the apparently oldest Celtic form . page 127 CHAPTER VI. The Lay of the Great Fool Summary of the Prose Opening The Aryan Expulsion and Return Formula Comparison with the Mabinogi, Sir Perceval, and the Conte du Graal Comparison with various Gaelic marchen, the Knight of the Red Shield, the Rider of Grianaig Originality of the Highland tale Comparison with the Fionn legend Summary of the Lay of the Great Fool Comparison with the stag hunt incident in the Conte du Graal and the Mabinogi The folk-tale of the twin brethren The fight against the witch who brings the dead to life in Gerbert and the similar incident in the folk-tale of the Knight of the Red Shield Comparison with the original form of the Mabinogi Originality of Gerbert . , . page 152 CHAPTER VII. The various forms of the visit to the Grail Castle in the romances Conte du Graal: Chrestien; Gautier-Manessier ; G-autier-Gerbert Didot-Perceval Mabinogi Conte du Graal ; Gawain's visit to the Grail Castle Heinrich von dem Tiirlin Conte du Graal : Perceval's visit to the Castle of Maidens of these accounts their to stories of Inconsistency varying ; testimony different nature and origin being embodied in the romances Two main types : feud quest and unspelling quest Reasons for the confusion of the two types Evidence of the confusion in older Celtic literature The Grail CONTENTS. ix : the of the Tuatha do Danann the in Celtic literature gear ; cauldron in the of Branwen vessel of balsam and the TJltonian cycle ; Mabinogi ; glaive folk-tale in of light in the contemporary The sword Celtic literature : Fionn Manus Parallels to the Castle the of Tethra ; ; Bespelled ; Brug Oengus, the Brug of Lug, the Brug of Manannan Mac Lir, Bran's visit to Island of Cormac Mac and the Branch Diarrnaid the Women, Art, Fairy ; and the Daughter of King Under the Waves Unspelling stories : The Soldiers the of Arthur Arthur in Etna the Three ; waiting ; ; Kyffhauser Legend, objections to Martin's views concerning it G-awain's visit to the Castle and Celtic The Son of Bad Counsel Fionn in Magic parallels ; ; in Giant Land ; Fionn the House of Cuana ; Fionn and the Yellow Face The Vanishing of the Bespelled Castle Comparison with the Sleeping Beauty cycle The "Haunted Castle" form and its influence on Heinrich's Grail . version The Loathly Messenger , , page 170 CHAPTEE VIII. ' V The Fisher King in the Conte du Graal, in the Queste, and in Borron and the Grand St. Graal The accounts of latter complete each other The Fish is the Salmon of Wisdom Parallel with the Fionn Saga The nature of the Unspelling Quest The Mabinogi of Taliesin and its mythological affinities Brons, Bran, Cernunnos Perceval's silence : Conte du Graal late from the Fionn of explanation ; explanation Saga Comparison nature of latter references to it in incident with geasa ; ; Celtic folk-tales and in old Irish literature, Book of Eights, Diarmaid, Cuchulainn Geasa and taboo page 207 / CHAPTEE IX, N Summing up of the elements of the older portion of the cycle Parallelism with Celtic tradition The Christian element in the cycle : the two forms of the Brons form older Brons and Bran The Bran conversion Early History ; legend The Joseph conversion legend, Joseph in apocryphal literature, the Evangelium Nicodemi The Bran legend the starting point of the Christian transformation of the legend Substitution of Joseph for Bran Objection to this hypothesis Hypothetical sketch of the growth of the legend page 215 CHAPTEE X. The Moral and Spiritual import of the Grail-Legend universally recognised Popularity of the Arthurian Eomance Seasons for that Popularity with Celtic Literature Affinities of the Mediaeval Eomances early ; Impor- the role of Woman the Celtic tance of the Individual Hero ; Knighthood ; ; the Mediaeval the M. Eenan's views The Fairy and Lady ; Supernatural Quest in English Literature, Malory The earliest form of the Legend, X CONTENTS.