Last Minute Controversy, I know

Oh how distasteful. This Monty Python film was lacking in humor and filled with crude content. Maybe I am much too olden and mile at heart to understand this sort of debauchary, but I haven't an idea as to why mocking the quest for the Grail is humorous. This quest was spiritual and enlightening and almost impossible to a mere mortal, yet here it is being satirized and followed by roaring laughter. I do no understand. My son holds too high honor to be discredited as foolish and powerless. Had he any true flaw, it would not be idly laughed upon. Kings are no laughing stocks, rather soveriegn rulers. I just do not understand. Some of the content can be humr when it makes a political statement, but if the humor IS political, what is really being said about my honorable Arthur?

My Farewell to the Round Table

To the knights of the Round Table:

I have heard that the Round Table is in great trouble. I am now currently questing with Niviane along with her knights. I sense that Arthur is preparing a fight against Mordred and his army. We expect to reach the battlefield in ten days. I will recover the Excalibur as soon as possible for Arthur's keeping. Mordred will be no match against this sword. I know a dwarf that can sharpen the blade to my liking. Not even the toughest dragon in the kingdom of Logres will be able to withstand the blade.

We're currently resting at a small house where there lies the most extravagant furnishings. Why you should see the the red cloth covering the tomb inside! The two lovers entombed inside had a splend time living here. This is indeed a beautiful place. Oh my, I'm getting rather drowsy. I need to rest. It must be late at night, for I see a full moon outside. Our company will depart at dawn tommorrow.

Your friend,
Merlin

Alone again...

Lrds. & Ldys.,

It's such a pity that we have to part ways again after such a brief time together. I cannot help but feel that this has happened before. At least this time there are far fewer bodies to dispose of, and I'm not compelled to visit Lancelot's mom again, or run off to a hermitage afterwards. Still, I long for the days when we sat around in Arthur's hall, putting the knife to the meat and the drink to the cup, even if we did have an occasional orphan turn up at the gate asking for help killing a giant.

Watching Monty Python was an appropriate way to end it though, I think. Especially since we cut the film off in the middle of a scene, which is the way it's meant to be done. Why leave them asking for more when you can simply leave them asking for closure?

To Arthur: Always know that I'm your right hand man. I'd be your left hand man too, but I'm not sure where I put it.

To Kay: I'd go questing with you any day, old friend.

To the rest of the court: Keep on fighting the good fight.

With that, I'll take my leave of you and head off into the wasteland...

Yrs.,

Bedwyr

What a strange place!

What in the name of all belonging to England!? Tiny iron gates protect the labyrinth containing the fragile boxes with glass lids on the covers. So many people and it took much time to find a place to dismount and tie my horse. I was in Fortune’s grace however because one of the castles surrounding the labyrinth made change for the parking meetres; Star-Deer or I think they call them “Bucks.” Stupid lady looked at me funny! Who heard of a spinning door! The city is a confusing place but inside the puzzle palace is where the real horror begins. What magic or trickery can turn Lions to stone? Is this some type of warning to those who are in the possessing the courage greater than I? Or do they have majick to also reanimate into flesh and attack intruders. Ah, but the red knight in those haunting wall drawing made it all worth the while. Such a story, but where’s my representation? Are the painters of the court afraid to take a drawing of me? They take drawings of people with wings!

Monty Python

The film was an incredibly witty spoof of our court at Camelot. Among the most memorable parts was the public's general disregard for King Arthur's authority. It was nice to see a comedic side to a sometimes too serious lifestyle. In addition to this, I was also surprised to see myself being defeated so quickly by a defenseless bunny. I was depicted as an impetuous knight, resembling more Sir Kay than myself. But, the rabbit was ferociously evil, and perhaps I would not have stood a chance to actually defeat it. The film adaptation was delightfully clever and entertaining.

The Abbey Paintings

The begining of my quest to view the Abbey paintings was of relative ease. I entered the large edifice and procured the renderings tirelessly. At first, I could not find them but was still mesmerized by all of the other ones the BPL had to offer. My eyes finally gazed across the hall and caught what to me appeared to be Sir Galahad achieving the grail. I eagerly made my way towards the painting when I was stopped by one of the guards. I politely asked to view the paintings, but was rejected. So I hid in the corridor and surreptitiously snuck in unwatched and unscathed. I was peasantly surprised with Abbey's representation of our quest to find the Holy Grail. My favorite one was Sir Galahad in a red tunic accepting the Grail, and Perceval and I kneeling in our full armor. The saints dressed in white in back of us was also a nice touch, though that was not the exact way that it occurred. Overall, it was quite the experience to witness such a wonderful interpretation of our quest to find the Holy Grail.

In defense of Excalibur

Recently I have viewed John Boorman's most excellent film Excalibur and was overjoyed to see that it has stood the test of time as a fantasy epic that has a strong moral center. From the glittering beauty of Guinevere to the dark sensuousness of Morgana and the men that struggle in their webs, brave King Arthur and doomed Sir Lancelot, the power of the film lies in the way that the morality of our time is represented. In this film, all evil actions are brought home, even when committed by those with pure hearts. There is no black and white, villain or hero, all within the realm of Camelot are painted in shades of grey, as they were in life. Even the treachery of the lovers Lancelot and Guinevere is understood, as you see the punishment that they have brought upon themselves, as brave Lancelot becomes a gibbering tool of zealotry and Guinevere forswears all congress with men, shutting her heart away in a cold abbey. Even Arthur, grown from a bubbling boy to a noble king, admits his faults and goes to his death with a clear sense of how he came to this lamentable pass. I know that some of my fellow kinsmen laugh and look on this film as a old and campy mess, but watch it again with a open mind and heart, see the magic that lies in all men, look into the dragon and let it sear your soul as it paints a glorious picture of a time that we will neer see again.......

King of the Grail

The image that struck me to the heart was that of the vigil of brave Galahad, as his fellow knights equip him for the dangerous journey ahead. Clothed in the color of our Lord's brave martyrs, Galahad seems to exude a peace and calm acceptance of the perils ahead as the white clad nuns look on with pious purity and a wish to see him accomplish his task with all due reward. The light of the candles that they hold seem to become beacons of peace while his brothers in arms Sir Lancelot and Sir Bors attach his spurs and make him ready to face his fate, while the face of the brave man seems both calm and worshiping. The church and the colors are bold yet charmingly calm, allowing the viewer to experience the warmth and piety that is captured forever in oils and varnish.

Oh how beautiful! These paintings upon the walls of Abbey move me in many ways. Initially, I was touched by the grace and flow of the paintings. The story is told very clearly and emotionally. Though some are a bit brutal and physically unpleasant to serene eyes, the emotional story that is told is very satisfying to the soul. This quest for the grail is already very dear and emotional to me because it has such a heavy affect on my son. Being a woman of virtue, I take a great attachment to spirituality and this quest is one of the purest spiritual pilgrimages known. The very fact that my son Arthur, took so much of his time leading this quest holds it close to me. I also marveled at the haunting effect the paintings had. They were not only hauntingly beautiful, but rather haunting as in fearful. The images of Joseph of Arimathea and the spiritual figures dressed in red and white while partially cloaked were very chilling. I believe these were all so scary because the quest itself was as well. It was painful, tiresome and seemingly impossible. However, eventually, it was completed. Haunting pictures of a haunting journey.

Wonderuful works of art!

Ha ha!  Now this is my kind of tale!  Galahad and the Grail!  What a great image of his departure from the church.  Sirs Lancelot and Bors were wise men, and Galahad learned much from them throughout his time as a knight.

Galahad was always my favorite of all my fellow Knights.  Lancelot may have had his incredible strength and power on the battlefield, Gawain his bravery and courtesy, and Percival his prodigal talent, but none could match Galahad.  All but he, you see, were in some way susceptible to the ever-pervasive spectre of adulterous acts!

Galahad the Pure.  A true Grail Knight, wielder of the memory of its power and champion over the failures of all of us.  Galahad was powerful in arms and in speech, but it was the purity of his virgin soul that grants him the divine strength that all of his fellow knights, myself included, stupidly forfeited to our wives or lovers – if only we had known the magnitude of our mistake!

The quest for the Grail, while desperately long and so bleak so much of the time, is what truly tested out mettle as knights.  Galahad may be the best of us, but every knight had his own victories and experiences that must have caused a fundamental change in the knight – many of the men of the Round Table who survived the quest are not the same as I remember them.  

These images do bring back many memories of our days hunting after the Grail though.  I feel a deep sense of connection to all of these works, may God honor the man who made them.

Arthur's Aimless Search for the Grail

I fear Tim the Enchanter from the movie, Monty Python, was indoctrinated in necromancy. His violent bolts of fire wreaked havoc across a desolate terrain of Britain. When in search of the Holy Grail, Arthur and his knights confronted this wretched man. Arthur was led to believe that the Holy Grail lied in a cave. However, he and his knights were beguiled by the innocent appearance of a white rabbit, which is said to protect this relic. Some knights perished in the fight against this creature. Indeed, they were led astray by the false prophet.

My presence would have made no difference, for Arthur himself must learn to trust his heart. As King, Arthur seems to struggle to maintain cohesion among his knights. He is depicted as a gullible authority by listening to Tim. I’m afraid Arthur is blinded by his search for an unattainable thing. The Grail may very well be an aimless desire of man, which is pursued by ideological motive.

My Representation In Art

Though I am not a man to boast wildly about, I must say the artistic representations of my quest are quite extraordinary. My quest to achieve the Holy Grail was a trying one, I had to forsake all the pleasures of Earth to make sure that I was pure and able to achieve the Grail. Many times I over the course of my quest I had to face danger and also face the smiling face of success. One of these instances I remember most fondly.
It was of course the day that good King Arthur knighted me and accepted me into the Round Table. There is no greater honor in all of the land than to be in the company of the best knights in the world. I wore red and knelt before the magnificent King and was brought into the same majestic circle of fantastically talented men, such as my father Lancelot. Before the eyes of God I was bestowed the title that makes men quiver with fear and women quiver with passion. But alas I had no time for the quivering of women, even though I do deserve their quivering.
Though I may have suffered and was tortured by the arduous task of achieving the Grail, it was all worth it in the end, my name shall ring out through the ages, for I am Sir Galahad, Knight of the Round Table, Champion of the Holy Grail.

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!

Delineations of Galahad

The image of Galahad as represented by the paintings of Abbey is a true model for those who wish to achieve prosperity. By his virtues and constant struggle through life to achieve what is impossible, he succeeded where no one else could. His eventual success shows how remaining true to one's cause is the only way to obtain the rewards that it offers and to fulfill one's role is to carry the burden of the task, no matter how great, and not break the rules even when faced with the most difficult conditions. Though Galahad was endowed with the knowledge and will necessary to seek out the greatest relic of human existence, his path could have been impeded if he should falter in preserving his innocence. Without this quality, the grail would no longer be in his reach, as proved by Bors and Percival. In order to achieve his highest purpose, Galahad even sacrificed his love of Blanchefleur. Though he may have given up his purity, he at least retained his innocence. I was because of this utter commitment to his highest purpose, not as a hero but as a savior to the king and the land, that he was favoured by the Grail and left behind all earthly burdens once this purpose was fulfilled.

End of an Era (the Death of Arthur)

Can it be so? The end came all too soon. Now who will defend the land? Who will stand to uphold virtue and righteousness? Avalon has our King, and our Champions are no more! Could it be true, as it was said, that what once was will be again?

Woe! that I should live to see greatness laid low!

Now is the Horse without Rider, here is the Throne without King.

Here is the cup without celebrant, the Horn without Herald.

Empty stands the Hall, bereft now of Heroes,

Graced only by Ghosts and the Memory of Might.

Love's Lamentations are now answered by Emptiness

and the Obstinacy of Death.

The Flower of Chivalry has withered, its season passing inexorably

like winds into darkly remembered yesteryears.

The Specter of Uncertainty looms over all.

What is now? And what is to be?

In Memoriam,

Arturus,

Rex Quondam, Rexque Futurus

Abbey's Round Table

Aye, the old worn legs surely felt the sting as I trekked through the heart of the city which they call Boston and up the stairs to the second floor within the walls of this land’s majestic library, I encountered a room that was both void of furnishings, yet full of adornment in the form of a great knight of whom I’ve had the pleasure of having within my own court. I speak of the lair in which the great Edwin Austin Abbey has his wondrous murals of Sir Galahad’s “The Quest for the Holy Grail” displayed for the public to enjoy.

First and foremost, I was first taken aback by the sheer size of these pieces, which must have been close to ten feet in height and with endless length! The fifteen total images, telling us a tale in succession, surrounded the whole of the room with these colorful and awe-inspiring works. The deep, rich wood of the walls below the paintings and the dynamic lighting made the empty room seemingly fill up with the richness of the pictures above. One of the other things that stood out to me immediately was the way in which the Fisher King’s bed is prominently resting on top of a red and black marble doorway. Certainly a fitting spot of beauty unto which a King should perish should the Grail not be found!

My favorite panel of the collection was the third, in which my most noble Round Table is gathered and we sit and watch as Joseph of Arimathea escorts the pure Galahad to the Seat Perilous. There seems to be great concern written on the faces of those who fill the room. Many of my guests seem scared and apprehensive of someone attempting to sit in the Seat Perilous, but Galahad is up to the task and my standing to welcome him recognizes my confidence within this great knight.

Although Abbey does not depict the Round Table as may normally envision it, I can assure you that he goes to great lengths to bring about an air of truth in the passion of the room and the way unto which we would gather for monumental occasions. As the panels progress, we see just how truly worthy Sir Galahad is and to this effort we must praise the worthy painter of these scenes, as he has told us a dynamic story, in great detail, on canvas.

Arthur- I appreciate your attempt to avenge me.

In the great tale the Alliterative Morte Arthure, my noble death is told, and unfortunately my murder at the hands of a traitor is told. The truth of my valor is written of perfectly. It is true I charged an enemy and attacked full on. For I believed that no knight could match me, and my skill was superior to all others. I of course valiantly killed a powerful knight, only to be slain by a cowardly traitor from behind. It is only fitting a knight of my stature and fortitude his killed from behind at the hands of a traitor. If he had faced me man to man, his skill would have never matched mine. I obviously had to ride into the ranks to avenge my own death, since the traitor couldn't kill me swiftly. My wound was mortal, but with my dying breath I had to speak to my King, to once again show my loyalty to him. The King was do distressed by my death, for he knew he lost one of his most loyal and greatest men, that he was influenced to charge the enemy and slay many of them. I appreciate greatly the valor the great King Arthur showed in avenging my death. I believe that my death influenced him to be so great and powerful in battle. His sadness over losing me gave him great power on the battle field. In the end, my death gave more power to the legend of Arthur and his prowess on the battle field. So I thank you King Arthur, for I know you thank me.

Galahad

I don't understand Galahad. He goes around in a red robe to show off his purity, chasing after a cup that no one else can see. I find it very odd that he would want to live this way. He might consider himself to be knightly because of what he has--and hasn't--done, but it doesn't seem to me that he's actually lived. Arthur, and other knights, all fight and battle and do what they must and what they want, trying to stay within the bounds of knighthood, but at least they're actions make them men. Although, in their minds, I'm sure they only consider themselves sinners.

Galahad is strange. I wouldn't let him fight on my side if he begged me to.

hmm what the wear?

"Sir Galahad, robed in red (the color emblematic of purity)." Throughout each painting Sir Galahad is adorned with a red robe or cape, which is said in number III of the BPL outline of Edwin Austin Abbey's paintings to be symbolic of purity? I find that strange, because I would normally associate white with purity and red with sin, guilt, passion etc. This seems problematic for Galahad, for he is supposed to be the virgin knight destined to overcome sin and redeem the world by setting free virtues.
Also, in the boat with Galahad in number XII are three tree branches, one white, one green and one red. The white which is representative of the tree of life, the green branch for when Cain was begotten and red when Cain killed his brother Abel. I believe the red cape is not worn by Galahad because it symbolizes purity, but because it does represent sin, guilt and passion, which Galahad must overcome for 'the world.'

Guinevere's Musings

I find it fascinating that Edwin Austin Abbey only shows us Galahad's beautiful visage straight on in painting V. This the painting of the Castle of the Grail where the Fisher King lies as if dead. It was here that Galahad (or was it Percival?) was supposed to ask the question "Whom does the grail serve?" yet he did not. Does this essentially mean that we only see Galahad for who he really is once he has sinned? In all the other paintings, Galahad is shown in profile or even from behind, as in IX when he saved the maidens. Do we only see each other for who we truly are only when we have wronged?

Also, does any knight or lady know whose is the face looming behind Blanchefleur in painting X? Here, Galahad leaves her (poor girl) to finish his quest for the Grail. However, it looks as if he is leaving her to this dark figure and thus to her demise. How sad that neither Galahad nor Blanchefleur will ever partake in earthly joys for I believe that heaven can actually be found in them.