Monday, December 13, 2010

Abbey Paintings

Hello all. I was astounded by the size of the Boston Public Library upon entering! I wandered foolishly in search of these Abbey paintings for some time. But when I found them...oh my! It was like taking a journey back in time. What a tribute to Galahad! And what size to them! Much larger than I had expected.

I was particularly enthralled by one of the middle paintings. It was the one in which Galahad had encountered the three women. I believe them to have been trying to stop him from getting to the grail by distracting him with magic and what not. The older women, or the head "damsel" I would presume reminded me a lot of Morgan La Fay. She was on a horse wore a red cloak, and carried the kings head in her arms. And the other women reminded me of myself, though of course, it was not.

But Galahad, as we know was so truthful and pure of a man. He resisted all the temptation he had encountered--ultimately finding the grail in later paintings and becoming a king himself. I can give credit where it is due--well done Galahad!

1 comment:

Merlin said...

These paintings commemmorate Galahad's worthiness as a chaste knight. His ability to avoid lust makes him a model for other knights. Unlike Galahad, I was entrapped in a tomb by Niviane. I may have irritated the woman a great deal by imposing a paternal presence over her. In your description of the damsel, the woman riding the horse cares for Galahad's well-being, which may suggest the woman's admiration for the man's chastity. This woman seems to love Galahad in spite of his sincere attempts to avoid her. I may have avoided my cruel fate, if I had focused on my well-respected role as a prophet.