Key Interpretative Theories of Grail Symbolism
The Graal therefore returned to fashion and with them also the exegesis and interpretation of graalic symbols that everyone understood as highly evocative. To enable us to orient ourselves in this discipline, let us try to systematize the main interpretative lines of graalic symbols provided from the end of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century.
REFERRING TO CHRETIEN DE TROYES, PEREDUR AND PERLESVAUS
NORDIC-CELTIC-PRE-CHRISTIAN THEORY
In the first Grail texts, particularly in Chretien de Troyes and in Peredur, we have numerous references to Celtic and folkloric traditions preceding or separate from the Christian tradition. Particularly in the Irish regal tradition, the divine origins of royalty are ensured by a people of divine origin, the Tribe of the goddess Dannan, the Tuatha dé Dannan, who...
11It is hypothesized that the name *Danu derives from an Indo-European root *DA- "river, current" (cf. Sanskrit danu "fluid, drop", Avestan danu "river", Ossetian don "river"; cf. the names of the rivers Don, Dnepr and Dnestr). That this root was known in the Celtic sphere is testified by the name of the river Danuvius "Danube" (< Celtic *Danwjo) and the Gallic condate "confluence". Starting from this root, scholars have wanted to understand the name *Danu as related to meanings like "low land, wet land", interpreting Danu as a goddess of earth, fertility or river waters. We must first emphasize that the name *Danu is not attested in any ancient Irish source: it was created by nineteenth-century scholars to explain the term Danann present in the ethnonym Tuatha Dé Danann.
The four magical objects of Irish tradition:
- • Clíam Solais or "Sword of Sun" of Núada: the King wounded in one arm;
- • Sleá Bua or "Spear of Victory" given to the god Lug which had to be immersed in a cauldron of blood to be placated;
- • Coire an Dagda or "Cauldron of Dagda", cauldron of abundance "from which no company ever departed ungrateful";
- • Lía Fáil or "Stone of Destiny" which emitted a cry when stepped on by a future King of Ireland.
The references do not end here: as we said, Nùada is a King wounded in one arm, the damsel bearing the Grail finds a parallel with the Sovereignty of Ireland, numerous Celtic stories and Irish folklore find parallels with episodes or details of Parsifal's story. This in itself, however, has no other implications than highlighting the universal roots of graalic symbols.
Some interpretative lines of the myth have therefore wanted to see in the Grail romances a re-actualization of a regal-warrior-priestly tradition of pre-Christian origins. This methodology therefore has some positive aspects, such as pointing to a Primordial or Archaic Tradition that manifests itself progressively on the world scene with new veils and symbols. On the other hand, it also has notable limitations:
- • The first limitation is methodological: it is not clear how a myth and symbols that are not understood when treated in writings culturally and temporally close to us, can be understood when inserted in writings culturally and temporally distant from us.
- • The second limitation is essential: Grail tales indeed have analogies with some Nordic or Eastern tales, but in their essence they are profoundly different and - however much one may strive to say otherwise - strongly linked to the Christian tradition and background.
NATURALISTIC THEORY - FERTILITY RITES
Very close to this theory is also that relating to fertility rites proposed by Weston, but which periodically in more or less structured ways re-appear in numerous neo-spiritualist movements. The thesis presented by Weston, which however can be traced back with some variants to numerous modern theories, is that of the survival in the romances of some very ancient fertility rites.
Already in Chretien de Troyes' text there is an element that will be taken up by subsequent romancers and that is the "Waste Lands". The wounding of the King is indeed connected to the devastation and desolation of the Lands under his reign and only the healing by the hero through asking questions about the Grail and the...
12"Unfortunate the moment when you were so mute: if you had spoken, the rich king who languishes in pain would now be healed of his wound and would have held his land in peace, and instead he will never hold it again. And do you know what will happen because the king will no longer hold his land and will not be healed of his wound? The ladies will lose their husbands, the lands will be devastated and the maidens left orphaned will be left without guidance, and many knights will die, and all will suffer because of you."