Sangreal

Le Morte d'Arthur traces the Sangreal through three narrative phases: anticipation, quest, and aftermath. In the earliest references, the Sangreal appears as a sign and portent. A "branch of an holy herb" serves as "the sign of the Sangreal, and no knight found such tokens but he were a good liver" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter V). The hermit prophesies that "he that shall sit there is unborn and ungotten, and this same year he shall be gotten that shall sit there in that Siege Perilous, and he shall win the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XI, Chapter I). King Pelles reveals its nature directly: "this is the holy Sangreal that ye have here seen" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XI, Chapter II). A voice announces: "this same day shall the adventures of the Sangreal, that is called the Holy Vessel, begin" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter II).

The quest unfolds as a spiritual ordeal. Knights vow departure: "I shall labour in the quest of the Sangreal, that I shall hold me out a twelvemonth and a day" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter VII). Galahad is told that his pride and presumption in taking up the quest "made you to be overthrown, for it may not be enchieved but by virtuous living" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XIV). Melias asks to accompany Galahad "in this quest of the Sangreal, till that some adventure depart us" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XII). A knight observing Launcelot sleeping concludes: "whatsomever he be he is unhappy, for as I deem he is of the fellowship of the Round Table, the which is entered into the quest of the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XVIII). Men ask how to identify "them that should best do and to enchieve the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIV, Chapter II).

King Evelake's story reveals the Sangreal's deeper history. He "came with Joseph into this land, and ever he was busy to be thereas the Sangreal was; and on a time he nighed it so nigh that Our Lord was displeased with him" and struck him nearly blind (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIV, Chapter III). The king cried mercy, asking that he "never die till the good knight of my blood of the ninth degree be come, that I may see him openly that he shall enchieve the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIV, Chapter III). A good man asks Launcelot: "Were ye confessed sith ye entered into the quest of the Sangreal?" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XV, Chapter II), charging him to "eat no flesh as long as ye be in the quest of the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XV, Chapter II). Launcelot rides until he finds "the same knight that took his horse, helm, and his sword, when he slept when the Sangreal appeared afore the Cross" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XV, Chapter III). A woman expounds his vision: "there appeared the Sangreal unto the white knights, but thou was so feeble of good belief and faith that thou mightest not abide it" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XV, Chapter VI).

The quest exposes the fellowship's unworthiness with escalating severity. Gawaine grows "nigh weary of the quest of the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter I), and a voice condemns: "Knights of full evil faith and of poor belief, these two things have failed you, and therefore ye may not come to the adventures of the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter II). The hermit tells Gawaine and Ector: "ye go to seek that ye shall never find, that is the Sangreal; for it is the secret thing of our Lord Jesu Christ" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter IV). Even approaching it requires humility: when a knight "came nigh the Sangreal, he meeked him that he held him not a man worthy to be so nigh the Holy Vessel" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter IV). The failures are summarized: "Knights of poor faith and of wicked belief, these three things failed, charity, abstinence, and truth; therefore ye may not attain that high adventure of the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter IV). A good man explains: "the adventure of the Sangreal which ye and many other have undertaken the quest of it and find it not, the cause is for it appeareth not to sinners" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter V). Bors is recognized as "one of the knights-errant that was in the quest of the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter VI), and declares himself "a knight that fain would be counselled in the quest of the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter VI). The good man instructs Bors to "eat none other till that thou sit at the table where the Sangreal shall be" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter VI), and gives him a scarlet coat to wear "till he had fulfilled the quest of the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter VI). An abbot explains that a vision showed the "token and the likeness of the Sangreal that appeared afore you" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter XIII), and warns that the devil's deceptions were designed so that Bors "shouldst not find the blessed adventure of the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter XIII). When Bors and others arrive, they are recognized as "the good knights the which shall bring the Sangreal to an end" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter IX).

Launcelot is barred from the final vision: "Sir knight, ye shall not enter at this time while the Sangreal is here, and therefore go into another; for certes ye be none of the knights of the quest" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XVI). The quest's achievement is confirmed: "the quest of the Sangreal is achieved now right in you, that never shall ye see of the Sangreal no more than ye have seen" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XVI). The table was miraculously supplied: "the Sangreal had fulfilled the table with all manner of meats that any heart might think" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XVI). A voice declares: "There be two among you that be not in the quest of the Sangreal, and therefore depart ye" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XIX). Angels carry a figure "and set him down before the table of silver where upon the Sangreal was" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XX). "When they came to the board they found in the midst the table of silver which they had left with the Maimed King, and the Sangreal which was covered with red samite" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XXI). "They told him the truth of the Sangreal, and the power which that God had sent there" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XXI). In prison, "Our Lord sent them the Sangreal, through whose grace they were always fulfilled" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XXII). Galahad is told: "thou hast resembled me in two things; in that thou hast seen the marvels of the Sangreal, in that thou hast been a clean maiden" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XXII). "Sithen was there never man so hardy to say that he had seen the Sangreal" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XXII).

The aftermath reveals the cost. Launcelot reflects that "in the quest of the Sangreal I had forsaken the vanities of the world had not your lord been" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XXI, Chapter IX). The quest "was but late" when he returned (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapter I), and "many of the knights of the Round Table were slain and destroyed, more than half" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XVII).