Galahad
Galahad is the supreme knight of the Grail quest in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, son of Launcelot and Elaine, daughter of King Pelles.
Galahad is the supreme knight of the Grail quest in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, son of Launcelot and Elaine, daughter of King Pelles. His conception was orchestrated through enchantment: Elaine was brought to Launcelot's bed by magic, "for well she knew that same night should be gotten upon her Galahad that should prove the best knight of the world" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XI, Chapter II). His arrival at court fulfils a long-prophesied destiny. The nuns who bring him weep; Merlin's empty Siege Perilous receives him without harm; and he draws the sword from the stone that no other knight could loosen (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapters I-V).
Galahad's career in the Grail quest is a sustained demonstration of spiritual perfection operating through martial prowess. He defeats the seven brothers of the Castle of Maidens single-handedly, an episode the hermit interprets as the defeat of the seven deadly sins, likening Galahad to "the son of the High Father, that lighted within a maid, and bought all the souls out of thrall" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XVI). He opens a tomb containing a fiend, faces it without fear, and hears a voice declare: "I see there environ about thee so many angels that my power may not dere thee" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XII). He achieves the Sangreal at Carbonek, anoints the Maimed King with the blood of the Holy Spear, and is made king of Sarras before his death and bodily assumption into heaven (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapters XX-XXIII).
All 197 citations derive from Le Morte d'Arthur, but the text presents two distinct Galahads. The earlier figure -- Galahad "the haut prince" of Books VIII and X -- is a secular lord who fights Sir Tristram, governs the country of Surluse, and organizes tournaments. He and Sir Tristram "met together so hard that either bare other down, horse and all, to the earth" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Chapter XXVII). This Galahad demands Tristram's surrender yet shows magnanimity, praising him as "the noblest man that beareth life, but if it were Sir Launcelot du Lake" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Chapter XXVII). At Surluse he lets "blow to lodging" and awards prizes (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter XLV).
The Grail Galahad who dominates Books XIII through XVII is an entirely different figure. He arrives with twelve nuns, "passing fair and well made, that unnethe in the world men might not find his match" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter I). The knights marvel "that he durst sit there in that Siege Perilous, and was so tender of age" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter IV). Arthur leads him to the stone and Galahad responds: "that is no marvel, for this adventure is not theirs but mine" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter V). In the meadow jousting, he "surmounted all other knights" save Launcelot and Percivale (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter VI).
His quest unfolds through a series of episodes that demonstrate spiritual authority: he rides four days without shield until reaching an abbey where monks make "great solace" of him (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter IX). He receives the shield from Bagdemagus's squire with the words "Now blessed be God and fortune" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter X). A voice at the tomb warns him: "I see there environ about thee so many angels that my power may not dere thee" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XII). He defeats the seven brothers of the Castle of Maidens single-handedly, where the hermit likens him to "the son of the High Father" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XVI), and "his living is such he shall slay no man lightly" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XVI).
The contrast with other Grail seekers is sharp. A damsel declares "God be with thee, best knight of the world" and Galahad flees recognition: "he was adread to be known: therewith he smote his horse with his spurs and rode a great pace froward them" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XVII). He rescues Percivale from twenty knights, setting "his hand to his sword, and smote on the right hand and on the left hand that it was marvel to see" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIV, Chapter IV). The hermit tells Launcelot that the ninth knight, "signified to a lion," who "should pass all manner of earthly knights, that is Sir Galahad, the which thou gat on King Pelles' daughter" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XV, Chapter IV).
Galahad's quest continues through further adventures. He takes on Sir Melias as squire and makes him knight, advising: "sith that ye be come of kings and queens, now look that knighthood be well set in you, for ye ought to be a mirror unto all chivalry" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XII). When Melias takes the left-hand path against Galahad's advice and is wounded, Galahad rescues him: "In the meanwhile by fortune there came Sir Galahad and found him there in peril of death" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XIII). He fights two ambushing knights, smiting one's spear through his shoulder and cutting off the other's arm (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XIII). Departing the abbey, he is told to go to the Castle of Maidens: "I come for to destroy the wicked custom of this castle" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XV). He puts seven knights to flight single-handedly and opens the gates to liberate the captive people (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XV). The hermit tells the seven brothers' story and interprets them as the seven deadly sins (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XVI).
He fights at a tournament where Gawaine and Ector recognize him (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter I). He rides with a damsel to the ship where Bors and Percivale wait (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter II), enters the ship and discovers a fair bed with marvels (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter III), and encounters the wonders of the sword and scabbard (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter IV). King Pelles is smitten through both thighs for drawing the forbidden sword (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter V). A wonderful tale of King Solomon and his wife is related (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter VII). Galahad and his fellows fight to enter a castle where they slay their adversaries (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter VIII), and they encounter the custom of the dish of blood, where Percivale's sister bleeds to death to heal a sick lady (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapters X-XI). Galahad and Percivale find tombs of maidens who had bled to death for the same custom (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XII). Launcelot enters the ship where Percivale's sister lies dead and meets Galahad his son; a knight brings Galahad a horse and bids him come from his father (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapters XIII-XIV). Launcelot returns toward Logris (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XVII). Galahad heals King Mordrains (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XVIII). At Carbonek, Percivale and Bors meet Galahad (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XIX), and "Galahad and his fellows were fed of the Holy Sangreal" as Our Lord appeared to them (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XX). He anoints the Maimed King with the blood of the spear (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XXI), is imprisoned and sustained by the Sangreal (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XXII), and is made king of Sarras. At his death, Percivale and Bors see "a great multitude of angels bear his soul up to heaven" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XXIII).
In the later books, Galahad's achievement casts a long shadow. At the Winchester tournament his name is invoked among the great knights (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapters X, XII, XIII). Bors returns with tidings of Launcelot and the tourney's prize (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapter XVIII). Launcelot behaves at jousts and is compared to his son (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapter XXIII). The Grail quest's closure returns the narrative to the secular conflicts that will destroy the Round Table.
Appears in: Beings, Entities in Le Morte d'Arthur, British Tradition