Perceval and Peredur: Summaries of the Stories

Peredur: A Grail Romance? Part II

During the 19th century Lady Charlotte Guest assembled eleven medieval Welsh tales from The White Book of Rhydderch and The Red Book of Hergest to form the collection commonly known as The Mabinogion. Lady Guest grouped the tales of her Mabinogion collection as the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, Culhwch and Olwen, Rhonabwy’s Dream, The Dream of Mascen Wledig, Lludd and Llefelys, and the Three Romances.

The Welsh texts referred to as the ‘Three Romances’, ‘Peredur son of Efrog’, ‘Geraint son of Erbin’, and ‘Owain, or The Lady of the Fountain’, have been subject to much debate by scholars owing to their correspondence with the French tales of Perceval, Yvain and Érec et Énide by Chrétien de Troyes. There is clearly a connection between the three Welsh Romances and their French counterparts but there seems little agreement about the precise ways in which they interrelate; the Three Welsh Romances are often dismissed simply as copies, or adaptions, of Chrétien’s works, which is the easiest option, as the Welsh manuscripts all came later. There can be no denying the French influence apparent in the Welsh tales, yet it is a more complex issue than just manuscript dating.

The greatest debate, however, is reserved for the question of Peredur son of Efrog’s relationship with Chrétien's Perceval (Conte du Graal). The impact of Chrétien's ‘Story of the Grail’ on Medieval literature cannot be over stated; the poem was responsible for an explosion of Continental Romance that followed, introducing The Grail to the Arthurian Cycle of the Matter of Britain. It seemed unlikely, if not impossible, that the French masterpiece could have derived from a little-known Welsh tale; it is therefore easier for many to to accept that Peredur must be derived from Perceval.

As the Welsh tale in its complete form as it appears in the White Book of Rhydderch (c.1350) and Red Book of Hergest (c.1375-c.1400), both manuscripts date around two hundred years after Chrétien’s story first appeared (1180-1190), it is usually accepted that Peredur is a translation and/or adaptation of Chrétien’s text. However, as other (incomplete) versions of Peredur can be found in earlier manuscripts this may not necessarily be the case.1

For purposes of comparison here are short summaries of Perceval, or the Story of the Grail, and Peredur son of Efrog.

Perceval, or, The Story of the Grail by Chrétien de Troyes

Perceval

Summary
Perceval of Wales (Perceval le Gallois) is raised in the Welsh woods by his mother to keep him away from civilization. One day, while out riding, Perceval encounters a group of knights (unnamed) and realizes he wants to be one. His mother tells him of his father and gives him personal advice. But despite her protests he leaves for King Arthur's court. He meets a young girl who predicts greatness for him but Kay, the Seneschal, taunts him. On his way to court, he meets the Red Knight and prophesies revenge on Kay. Then Perceval kills the Red Knight and takes his vermilion armour.

He reaches Gournemant’s castle who trains Perceval how to bear arms. He then decides to return to see his mother but Gournemant’s niece Blancheflor seeks his help. Perceval rescues her from her attackers who he captures and sends them to King Arthur's court to declare his vow of revenge on Kay.

Perceval sets out to return to his mother. During the journey he comes across the Fisher King fishing in a boat on a river, who invites him to stay at his castle. At the Fisher King's castle Perceval was first presented with a sword by the lord as an act of hospitality. Perceval then sat down beside him, and he was treated with the greatest honour. And in that hall was the brightest light could ever be created by candles. Then the Grail procession commenced:

"While they were talking of one thing and another, a boy came from a chamber holding a gleaming lance by the middle of the shaft, and he passed between the fire and the pair who were sitting on the bed. Everyone in the hall saw the bright lance and its shining head. And from the tip of the lance's head came a drop of blood; and right down to the boy's hand this drop ran. The lord's guest gazed at the wonder that had appeared that night, but refrained from asking how it came to be, because he remembered the warning of the one who'd knighted him, who'd taught him to beware of talking too much; he was afraid it might be frowned upon, so he didn't ask at all. Then two other boys appeared, holding candlesticks of fine gold, inlaid with niello, they were handsome boys indeed, and in each of the candlesticks they bore were at least ten burning candles. A girl who entered with the boys, fair and graceful and beautifully attired, was holding a grail between her hands. And she entered with the grail, so radiant a light appeared in the hall that the candles lost their brightness like the stars at the rising of the moon or sun. After her came another girl, holding a silver trencher. the grail which went ahead was made of pure, fine gold, inlaid with many kinds of jewels, the richest and most precious in earth or sea: the stones in the grail surpassed all other gems without a doubt. They passed before the bed as the lance had done, and entered another chamber. The boy saw them pass, but didn't dare ask who was served from the grail: he'd taken the words of wise Gorneman to heart. I fear he may suffer for doing so: I've heard it said that sometimes a man can talk too little as well as too much! But whether it was to bring him good or ill - I don't know which - he asked nothing."2

He wakes up the next morning to find the castle deserted; he resumes his journey home. On the journey he encounters a girl in mourning, who reprimands him for not asking about the grail, as that would have healed the wounded king. He then learns that his mother has died.

Perceval captures another knight and sends him to King Arthur's court with the same message as before. King Arthur sets out to find Perceval and, upon finding him, attempts to convince him to join the court. Perceval unknowingly challenges Kay to a fight, in which he breaks Kay's arm and exacts his revenge. Perceval agrees to join Arthur's court, but soon after a loathly lady enters and reprimands him again for failing to ask whom the grail served.

The story of the Grail effectively ends here with the remaining 3,000 lines or so of Chrétien’s poem dealing with Arthur's nephew and best knight Gawain, whose adventures are not directly pertinent to the quest. As Gawain takes centre stage Perceval literally disappears from the text except for one short later passage, in which a hermit explains that the grail contains a single host that miraculously sustains the Fisher King’s wounded father. It is as if another author had picked up the story.

The tale breaks off unfinished, interrupted when a messenger arrives at Arthur's court to request his presence at Gawain's upcoming fight against Guiromelant.3

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Peredur, son of Efrog – author unknown

Summary

Peredur (Alan Lee)

Peredur inherits his father's lands in the north after his father and brothers all die in battle. The last of her son’s his mother tries to hide the idea of war from her young son and raises him in isolation in the woods. As he comes of age he meets a group of knights, Gwalchmai son of Gwyar, Gwair son of Gwystyl and Owain son of Urien. Peredur sets off for the court of King Arthur on a scraggy horse with a makeshift saddle and a fistful of sharp-pointed darts in his hand to learn how to become a knight.

At Arthur's court an unnamed knight insults the host and issues a challenge to all present. When Peredur arrives at the court the unnamed knight has departed and they laugh at him and his untidy, makeshift equipment and desire to become a knight. They tell Peredur that he must defeat the knight who insulted them if he wishes to become a knight himself. He accepts the challenge and seeks out the knight who he kills with a dart and takes the dead man's armour and horse.

Peredur decides he will journey through the land in the name of King Arthur until he has taken his revenge on the man named Cai who insulted him the most at the court. On his travels Peredur is attacked by many knights who he defeats but does not kill them. He sends them to Arthur's court to explain that they were defeated by Peredur. Cai becomes worried.

As Peredur journeys through the lands he came to a great, desolate forest, and at the edge was a lake, and on the other side was a large court and a fine fortress around it where a lame, grey-haired man is fishing. The grey-haired man reveals he is Peredur’s uncle, his mother’s brother, he asks if he knew how to strike with a sword. The man shows Peredur how to bear arms, and instructs him not to question the significance of all that he sees.

When he departs to comes to another great fortress in a forest. He enters and finds a grey-haired man sitting in the hall. The man asks him if he knew how to strike with a sword and tells Peredur to strike an iron column in the hall with a sword. He struck the column and it and the sword broke in two pieces. He put them back together and they became one. He did this two more times but on the third the sword and iron column would not join as before. The man tells him that he is the best swordsman in the kingdom and has gained two-thirds of his strength but the last third is yet to come. The man then tells him that he is his uncle, his mother’s brother and brother of the man whose court he was in last night.

“Suddenly he could see two lads entering the hall, and from the hall they proceeded to a chamber, carrying a spear of huge proportions, with three streams of blood running from its socket to the floor. When everyone saw the lads coming in this way, they all began weeping and wailing so that it was not easy for anyone to endure it. Yet the man did not interrupt his conversation with Peredur. The man did not explain to Peredur what that was, nor did Peredur ask him about it. After a short silence, suddenly two maidens entered with a large salver between them, and a man’s head on the salver, and much blood around the head.* And then they all shrieked and wailed so that it was not easy for anyone to stay in the same building. At last they stopped, and remained sitting as long as it pleased them, and drank. After that a chamber was prepared for Peredur, and they went to sleep.”4

Early the next day Peredur got up, and with his uncle’s permission he set off on further adventures in which he defeats several men and sends them to Arthur's court to tell his story. Eventually Arthur decides to venture out in search of Peredur. But on his journey Peredur has come upon the nine witches of Caerloyw who teach him horsemanship and how to master his weapons. Arthur finds Peredur who defeats each of Arthur's knights as well as Cai who is injured, jealous, and angry at Peredur. Another knight in Arthur's court named Gwalchmai befriends Peredur and leads him back to meet with Arthur who welcomes him into the court.

At Arthur's court Peredur meets Angharad Law Eurog (Golden-Hand) who he immediately falls in love with, but she does not love him. Determined to win her love he swears that he will not "utter a word to any Christian" until his love is returned. The next day he leaves the court.

On his travels Peredur meets with many people, but none of them are Christian so he keeps his word to Angharad. He eventually returns to Arthur's court, unrecognisable he meets Cai who he refuses to speak to so Cai harasses him. Peredur returns to the court and is called the Mute Knight. Unaware of his true identity Angharad declares her love for the Mute Knight. Peredur finally breaks his silence.

Eventually Peredur's travels bring him to a town where the Empress of Constantinople is visiting. She is hosting a combat tournament to find the bravest man to marry. Peredur enters the contest as ‘the Knight of the Mill’ and wins. The Empress and Peredur rule in Constantinople for 14 years.

Later, a black-haired maiden arrives at Arthur’s Court at Caerllion riding on a mule. She greeted Arthur and all his retinue but voiced her anger at Peredur (here named as ‘Peredur Baladr Hir’) who she claims is not worthy because he failed to ask about the procession he witnessed at the court of the lame king. Peredur then set out on a journey to find out more about the woman. He learns about the Fortress of Wonders and seeks it out. When he finds the fortress the gates are open and he enters. A traditional board game named gwyddbwyll is being played in the courtyard. Peredur supports a side but his chosen side loses. He becomes angry and throws the pieces into the nearby lake. The black-haired maiden enters and tells Peredur that he made the empress lose her board, and the only way to get the board is to go to the Fortress of Ysbidinongyl, where a black-haired man is destroying much of the empress’s land. The black woman tells Peredur that if he kills him he will get the board but warned him he would not come back alive.

The black-haired maiden takes Peredur on a series of adventures; killing a stag and the blackhaired man from the slab. Then Peredur came upon a fortress in a river valley. He entered to see a lame, grey-haired man sitting at the end of the hall, with Gwalchmai sitting on one side of him. They made Peredur welcome, who then sat on the other side of the grey-haired man. Then a yellow-haired lad kneeled before him and said that he came in the guise of the black-haired maiden to Arthur’s court, and the episodes of the gwyddbwyll, the black-haired man from Ysbidinongyl, the stag, and the blackhaired man from the slab. And it was the same lad that had carried the head on the salver, all covered in blood, and the spear with the blood streaming along it from its tip to its hilt. The lad explains that the head was Peredur’s cousin’s, and it was the witches of Caerloyw who killed him, and they made his uncle lame. The lad claimed he was also cousin to Peredur, and added that it is foretold that he will avenge that.

Then Peredur and Gwalchmai with Arthur and all his retinue attacked the witches of Caerloyw who were all killed.

And that is what is told of the Fortress of Wonders.

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Notes & References
1. Lowri Morgans, Peredur son of Efrawg: The Question of Translation and/or Adaptation
Handbook of Arthurian Romance; King Arthur's Court in Medieval European Literature, Edited by Leah Tether and Johnny McFadyen, De Gruyter, (paperback edition) 2019, pp.403-414.
2. The Complete Story of the Grail: Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval and its Continuations, translated by Nigel Bryant, DS Brewer, 2015 (paperback edition) 2018, pp.28-29.

3. It is difficult to provide a satisfactory précis for a text the length of Chrétien’s Perceval, over 9,000 lines, but hopefully I have included the salient points in respect to its correspondence with the Welsh Romance of Peredur. However, I am bound to have omitted a relevant point along the way.
4. Peredur son of Efrog, in The Mabinogion, Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Sioned Davies, Oxford University Press, 2007, p.73.

5. I have used the spelling 'Efrog' to be consistent with Sioned Davies translation.

(Edited 01/08/23)

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