The Grail and Chretien de Troyes: From Terrestrial to Celestial Chivalry

Grail or similar. THE TALE OF THE GRAIL BY CHRETIEN DE TROYES CHRETIEN DE TROYES AND THE PERCEVAL OR "TALE OF THE GRAIL" The first book we have about the Grail is "The Tale of the Grail" by Chretien de Troyes. About who Chretien de Troyes was, we know very little, we know what we can deduce from his texts. We don't even know in reality whether this is his real name or just a pseudonym "Christian of Troy". This reference to the city of Troy is nevertheless an important element because the Tradition was in antiquity guarded at Troy and being able to boast a Trojan origin and genealogy was like ensuring a valid initiatic line going back to Aeneas. In this sense the very name of Britain in Nennius's History was traced back to "Brutus, son of Ascanius, son of Aeneas, son of Anchises, son of Troy, son of Dardanus". Chretien de Troyes with this name seems to say: "I come from Troy, my origins go back there, but I am Christian". In his name alone he seems to imply the continuity of a tradition. It is no coincidence that many of the 13th-century manuscripts we have that report Chretien de Troyes' Tale of the Grail also report some novels related to the Trojan origin of Britain. THE COURT OF KING ARTHUR, DUX BELLORUM AND CELESTIAL CHIVALRY But why does Chretien de Troyes choose King Arthur's court for his tales? The choice of King Arthur's court is not a casual choice. King Arthur is cited in the "History of the Britons" as a valorous commander precisely with the typical rank of the late Roman army of "dux bellorum" who won 12 battles against the Saxons in the 5th or 6th century. The 12 battles are certainly an eloquent and evocative number in itself, certainly 12 is a symbol that refers to the solar and universal aspect, to the zodiac and is pregnant with numerous analogies and correspondences, but this is not the only element. Much more interesting is what is said about Arthur but in the eighth encounter at the fortress of Guinnion he fights "carrying on his shoulders the image of Saint Mary ever Virgin" and thus routing the enemies. The Saxons were an extremely fierce and violent people who in the chronicles of the time could well embody the idea of a demonic people for the ferocity of their raids and violence on the population. Arthur -the chronicles describe- won against these Saxons 12 times and in the eighth battle, the most truculent and fierce, he had a spiritual experience and decided then to raise on his shoulders the image of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and with this image on his shoulders for 3 days and 3 nights he fought without rest until he defeated the Saxon people. The reference to the Virgin Mary is very eloquent. It immediately refers to an apocalyptic theme. In chapter 12 of Revelation indeed an epic and final battle is fought for the affirmation of God's kingdom. A battle in heaven with Michael the Archangel against the Dragon and a battle on earth with the Woman clothed with the Sun who represents at the same time Mary, the Church and Sophia. If celestial chivalry is under the patronage of Michael the Archangel, terrestrial chivalry is under the patronage of Mary as happens for example in the Templar case. This episode sanctions Arthur's passage from terrestrial chivalry, of struggle for a very high purpose of protecting the people, to celestial chivalry, of both physical and spiritual struggle for the affirmation of the Sanctum Regnum against the demons of hatred and ignorance and spiritual darkness. It is therefore clear that referring to this character meant evoking again this mystery that happened to Arthur and pointing out to the knights a way to pass from terrestrial chivalry to celestial chivalry for the affirmation of God's kingdom on earth. STRUCTURE OF THE WORK We now come to the analysis of the fundamental symbols of Chretien de Troyes' Perceval. Given the importance of