Parzival

by Wolfram von Eschenbach

  His host laughed much at this, and Anfortas even more.

  ‘If this is your way of receiving Christianity,’ said Parzival, ‘I will bring her under your governance by due process of Baptism! You will have to break with your god Jupiter and give up Secundille. Tomorrow morning I will give you such advice as will be apt to your purpose.’

  Before the time of his ailment, Anfortas had won a far-flung reputation with knightly exploits in Love’s cause. His heart was naturally inclined towards kindness and generosity and indeed he had won many plaudits. Thus there were sitting there in the presence of the Gral three of the best knights who ever followed the Shield: for they did not flinch from danger.

  If you agree, they have eaten their fill. Tables and linen were decorously removed from them all. In keeping with service rendered, all the young ladies bowed. When Feirefiz Angevin saw them turn away from him his sadness was intensified. She who held his heart in her noose carried the Gral away, Parzival having given leave to go.

  As to how the Mistress of the Household herself withdrew, or how they went about providing comfortable bedding for the man who, because of Love, nevertheless lay uncomfortably, or how the retinue of Templars gave the guests their ease after hardship endured – all this would make a long tale of it. I will tell you about next morning.

  When the light of dawn shone out, Parzival and the good Anfortas, intent on a solution, agreed to invite Love’s victim, the lord of Zazamanc, into the Temple and the presence of the Gral. At the. same time Parzival summoned the wise Templars. Thus companies of men-at-arms and knights were standing there when the Infidel entered. The font was a ruby, the round, stepped pedestal on which it stood was of jasper. – It was Titurel who had installed it so magnificently.

  ‘If you want my aunt,’ Parzival told his brother, ‘you must forswear all your gods for her sake and be always ready to fight the Adversary of God on high, and faithfully observe God’s Commandments.’

  ‘Whatever will assure me of winning that maiden shall be done and seen to be done, fully and faithfully,’ answered the Infidel.

  The font was tilted a little towards the Gral and it immediately filled with water, neither too hot nor too cold. An aged priest with silvery hair was standing there who had plunged into it many a babe from heathendom.

  ‘You must believe in the One and Only God on High,’ he said, ‘and snatch your soul from the Devil. God’s Trinity gives its yield universally, and in even measure. God is Man and His Father’s Word. Since He is Father and Son, Who are held in equal honour together with His Spirit, with the furtherance of all Three this water will fend off heathenry from you. With the power of the Trinity He from Whom Adam took his likeness entered the water for His baptism. Trees have their sap from water. Water fecundates all things made that are called “creature”. We see by means of water. Water gives many souls a splendour not to be outshone by the Angels.’

  ‘If it will soothe my anguish, I shall believe all you tell me,’ said Feirefiz to the priest. ‘If her love rewards me, I shall gladly fulfil God’s Commandments. Brother, if your aunt has God, I believe in Him and her – never was I in such need! All my gods are forsworn. I have broken with Secundille too, whatever honour she had by honouring me. In the name of your aunt’s God, baptize me!’

  They then treated him according to the Christian rite and pronounced the baptismal blessing over him. As soon as the Infidel had been baptized and the baptismal robing was over, they supplied him with the young lady, that is, they gave him Frimutel’s daughter, an event for which he had waited with cruel impatience. As to seeing the Gral, until the holy water covered him he had been blind: but afterwards the Gral was unveiled to his vision.

  After this christening, Writing was seen on the Gral to the effect that any Templar whom God should bestow on a distant people for their lord must forbid them to ask his name or lineage, but must help them gain their rights. When such a question is put to him the people there cannot keep him any longer. Because gentle Anfortas had remained in bitter agony so long and the Question was withheld from him for such a time, the members of the Gral Company are now forever averse to questioning, they do not wish to be asked about themselves.

  The Christian Feirefiz begged and entreated his brother-in-law to sail away with him and freely share his riches at court; but Anfortas politely dissuaded.him from this endeavour.

  ‘I do not wish my urge to serve God to come to nothing. The Gral Crown is of equal worth. Through arrogance I lost it. But now I have chosen humility. Possessions and love of women are far from my thoughts. You are taking a noble woman away with you who will serve you chastely as good women do. As to me, I shall not deny my Order: I shall ride many a joust, fighting in the service of the Gral. Never again shall I fight for love of woman. There was one who brought bitter pain to my heart… But I have left all hatred of women behind me. They inspire men with a sublime zest, however little I profited from them.’

  Feirefiz again urged Anfortas to come away with him in his sister’s honour, but Anfortas held his ground and declined. Feirefiz Angevin then wanted Loherangrin to sail away with him; but the boy’s mother turned it down. King Parzival too added a word.

  ‘My son is destined for the Gral, and if God permits him to attain discretion must serve it with a willing heart.’

  Feirefiz enjoyed and disported himself there for eleven days and departed on the twelfth. When the mighty man asked leave to escort his wife to his army, Parzival’s affection moved him to sadness – The idea of Feirefiz’s riding away filled him with regret. He arrived at the decision with his familiars to send a great company of knights beyond the Forest with Feirefiz. Anfortas, gentle, valiant knight, rode out with him as escort of honour. Many maidens there could not restrain their tears.

  From here they had to make fresh tracks towards Carcobra. Gentle Anfortas sent a message there to the Burgrave to remind him that if he had at any time received rich gifs from Anfortas he was now to honour his vassalage with éclat and guide his brother-in-law – ‘and his wife, my sister, through the Forest of Læprisin to the broad and lonely haven.’ And now it was time to take leave, for the Templars were not to go farther. Cundrie had been chosen to deliver this message. The Templars took their leave of the mighty, courtly man, and off he rode.

  The Burgrave did not fail to perform what Cundrie asked -mighty Feirefiz was received there in grand chivalric style. There was no question of his being bored there, since no time was lost in guiding him further on his way with a guard of honour. I do not know how many domains he rode through till he came to the broad meadow at Joflanze.

  They came upon some people, and Feirefiz immediately asked where the army had gone. Every man had returned to his country in accordance with his marching orders. Arthur had gone to Schamilot. The man from Tribalibot was free to ride at once to his army. The latter lay in the haven, desponding at their lord’s absence. But now his return brought fresh spirit to many a good knight. The Burgrave of Carcobra and his men were sent home with splendid gifts. Cundrie found important news awaiting them: messengers had followed the army to say death had claimed Secundille.

  Only now could Repanse de Schoye be glad of her journey. Later in India she bore a son named ‘John’. They called him ‘Prester John’, and, ever since, they call their kings by no other name. Feirefiz had letters sent throughout the land of India describing the Christian life, which had not prospered so much till then. (Here we call it ‘India’: there it is ‘Tribalibot’.) Feirefiz asked Cundrie to tell his brother in Munsalvæsche how he had fared since their leave-taking, and that Secundille had died.

  Anfortas was glad that his sister was undisputed mistress over so many territories.

  The authentic story has now reached you concerning Fri-mutel’s five children – how they acted in good part and how two of them died. The first was Schoysiane, who in God’s eyes was perfect in her loyalty. The second was Herzeloyde, who thrust falsity from her. To win eternal gain, Trevrizent had dedicated his swor
d and chivalric life to God’s sweet love. The heart of handsome, noble Anfortas harboured courage and chastity together: as his Order enjoined on him, he rode many jousts fighting not for ladies but the Gral.

  Loherangrin grew to be a strong and valiant man in whom fear was never seen. When he was of an age to have mastered the arts of chivalry he distinguished himself in the service of the Gral.

  Do you want to hear more? Some time after these events there was a lady ruled her lands, perfect in her integrity. Possessions and high lineage were hers by inheritance. It was her nature always to act with unfeigned modesty. Human cravings found no expression in her. There was no lack of illustrious men who sued for her hand, some of them crowned heads, no few princes of her own rank. Yet so meek was she that she gave no thought to it. Many counts of her country made it a bone of contention with her – they demanded to know why she was so slow to take a husband fit to be her lord. But for all their angry remonstrations, she had entrusted herself entirely to God. Though she had given no offence, many vented their animosity on her. Thus she called an assembly of her barons.

  Many envoys from distant lands made their way to her, but she abjured all men other than the one assigned to her by God – that man’s love she was pleased to cherish.

  This lady was Princess* in Brabant. A husband was sent from Munsalvæsche. Destined for her by God, he was brought by the Swan† and taken ashore at Antwerp. He proved to be all she could wish for. He was a man of breeding and was inevitably accounted outstanding for looks and courage in all the kingdoms to which knowledge of him came. A courtly, perspicacious, tactful man. One who gave sincerely and generously without wincing, as a person he was without fault.

  The lady of the land received him graciously. Now hear what he had to say. It was heard by rich and poor, who were standing here, there and everywhere.

  ‘My lady Duchess,’ he said. ‘If I am to be lord of this land, I have left as much behind me. Now hear what I wish to beg of you. Never ask who I am! – Then I can stay with you. But if I am chosen for your questioning you will have lost my love. If you cannot take this warning, then may God remind me of He knows what.’ She gave a woman’s pledge – which thanks to her affection later proved infirm – that if God left her her reason she would do her husband’s bidding and never go against what he had asked.

  That night he knew her love. He then became Prince in Brabant. The wedding celebrations went magnificently. Many lords received at his hands the fiefs to which they had title. That same man became a good judge. And he often practised chivalry and irresistibly claimed the palm.

  Together they got lovely children. There are many people in Brabant today who are well informed about this pair – her receiving him, his departure – they know that her question banished him and how long he had been mere. And indeed he was very loth to go. But his friend the Swan brought back a small and handy skiff. Of his precious heirlooms he left a sword, horn and ring. Then Loherangrin went away. If we are going to do right by this story he was Parzival’s son. He travelled over paths and water back to the keeping of the Gral.*

  Why did the good woman lose her noble, charming lover? When he came to her from the sea he warned her against asking questions. Erec ought to say a word here – he knew how to administer a rebuke.†

  If Master Chrestien of Troyes has done wrong by this story, Kyot, who sent us the authentic tale, has good cause to be angry.‡ The Provençal narrates definitively how the son of Herzeloyde achieved the Gral as had been ordained for him after Anfortas had forfeited it. The authentic tale with the conclusion to the romance has been sent to the German lands for us from Provence.

  I, Wolfram of Eschenbach, intend to speak no more of it than what the Master uttered over there.

  I have named Parzival’s sons and his high lineage correctly, and have brought him to the goal which a happy dispensation intended for him, despite his setbacks.

  When a man’s life ends in such a way that God is not robbed of his soul because of the body’s sinning and who nevertheless succeeds in keeping his fellows’ good will and respect, this is useful toil.

  If I have any well-wishers among good women of discernment I shall be valued the more for my having told this tale to its end.* And if it was done to please one in particular, she must own I said some agreeable things.

  AN INTRODUCTION TO A SECOND READING

  WOLFRAM embarked on Parzival at a time when Hartmann von Aue (c. 1170-1215) had established his reputation as the leading German narrative poet with his courtly religious masterpieces Gregorjus and Der arme Heinrich, with his early adaptation of Chrétien de Troyes’s Arthurian romance of Erec, and then, perhaps overlapping in time somewhat with Parzival, his classic version of Chrétien’s Yvain, also in die Arthurian vein. In coming out with a third adaptation from Chrétien’s Arthurian œuvre, Wolfram was well aware that jealous comparisons would be made with Hartmann’s work, so, knight first and poet after, as he himself says, he threw down his gauntlet and challenged Hartmann by name to see to it as doyen of German Arthurians that young Parzival be well received at Arthur’s court - else Hartmann’s heroine Enite and her mother Karsnafite would be dragged through the mill!* It is in the same spirit of vigorous rivalry that Wolfram fabricates a jousting victory for his Orilus, a mere duke, over Hartmann’s hero King Erec on the latter’s home ground.† Wolfram’s bid to outdo Hartmann, however, goes much further and deeper. We have already seen his disclaimer that Parzival was a book in the scholarly Hartmannian sense. It was Wolfram’s ambition to deliver a narrative whose content would thoroughly transcend what passed for Christian chivalry at that time as presented in an authoritative idealized form by Chrétien, though also subtly mocked by Chrétien himself in a Cervantean manner.‡ Whereas there are strong hints towards the end of Hartmann’s Erec and Iwein that their heroes have gone beyond the Arthurian ideal, Wolfram’s Parzival, developing the leads of Chrétien’s unfinished Perceval in grandiose fashion, takes its hero explicitly and definitively to the loftier sphere of the Gral. The markedly greater freedom which Wolfram allows himself within the established canons of adaptation into German was due not only to the situation of his completing an unfinished mystery story, but also, and more importantly, to his own artistic temperament, the unusual boldness and exuberance of which had already found expression in his love-poetry. Yet Wolfram found as early as his fifth chapter – the third in chronological order of composition – that he had reckoned without his traditionalist audience, among whom a knowledge of die fashionable French was widespread, so that half-way through his poem he decided to mask his creative activity behind a pseudo-source – ‘Kyot the Provençal’. As self-elected spokesman for ‘literary’ poets, Gottfried von Strassburg, without naming him, takes Wolfram severely to task for his bold attempt to usurp the laurel wreath, and sets it firmly on Hartmann’s head.*

  In leading his hero towards the Gral community, Wolfram does not reject or even devalue average ‘Arthurian’ society in favour of an esoteric or mystical ideal. Contrary to what some have alleged, Parzival is devoid of mysticism in the strict sense, except for elements of the strange yet moving blend of amorous and religious feeling of die maiden Sigune for her slain suitor Schionatulander. As the creator, on Chrétien’s matrix, of the lay hermit Trevrizent, who confesses his nephew Parzival as knight to knight without humiliating him, Wolfram was not one to condemn the chivalric activities in which he shared with such gusto. He brings out the zest and colour of the chivalric life with great force, knowledge, charm and splendour through his handling of Parzival’s father Gahmuret in two episodes of his own creation (Chapters 1 and 2); of die knightly exploits and progression in love of Gawan in six brilliant episodes based on Chrétien (Chapters 7, 8, 10–13); and of a number of minor characters for the most part lovingly portrayed. As will be seen, Parzival’s virtually exclusive outward activity, the activity which wins him the Gral when at last he pursues it in the right spirit, is that of knightly combat. The chivalric orders had from the outset
enshrined lofty Christian principles in their statutes, which, however, were often more neglected than observed. It was Wolfram’s aim through a sympathetic discussion of knighthood as reflected in the early life of Parzival to raise this latent potential in the general chivalric order. In order to do so Wolfram had to shield the knighthood from the wounding arrogance of the ascetic clergy, who took the uncharitable view that as men of blood knights were damned. Apart from his positive teaching, mainly through the mouth of Trevrizent, Wolfram furthered his aim by the simple device of having no other clergy in his story than those required for the formalities of baptism, marriage and celebration of the Mass, leaving confession and discussion of such burning questions as homicide, rebellion against God and religious despair to his laymen. Comparison with the corresponding passage in his source guarantees Wolfram’s intentions here, for in the Perceval the hermit has a chapel, a priest and a deacon, all absent from Wolfram’s adaptation.

  Although destined to the Gral from on high, Parzival also had to achieve it by effort. Wolfram, or at least his mouthpiece Trevrizent, represents this achievement as unique for all time, though Anfortas is there to remind us that even if one is born and elected to the Gral one can lose it. Despite this suggestion of uniqueness, however, the message conveyed by the poet is the antithesis of discouragement to all knights. The writing on the Gral in its function of news-flash from Heaven designated Parzival as Elect: but since the Creation so are we all – elect to fill the choir forsaken by the fallen angels. Leaving his First Paradise, Parzival inevitably failed at his first attempt to enter the Second from a state of mind engendered by inexperience and ignorance: but so do we all, always excepting the enviable few blessed with the sancta simplicitas. In conquering his pride which reached desperate proportions towards God, Parzival perfects himself for his pre-ordained place in the Second Paradise, symbolized by the Gral Domain. Beneath the bewildering wealth of narrative detail in Parzival there is the clear outline, even graph, of the eternal Christian story, which went out of high literary fashion so long ago. According to what may be called ‘the trampoline effect’ of Christian doctrine regarding the regeneration of Man, the deeper one falls the higher one may rise. With his rejection of God, as though the bond between Maker and Creature were a feudal relationship, Parzival falls far lower than his purely chivalric counterpart, Gawan, and of course rises far higher, indeed to the summit of lay Christendom in the whole world, the Kingship of the Gral. It is the powerful paradox of this story that its hero, who is unique, presents a pattern for all knights in all audiences. And, we may be sure, it was a paradox which cost them nothing at all to surmount, either emotionally or intellectually. For if a pot-hunting crack-jouster could win the Gral, Wolfram was suggesting to them, why not they too? Their Grals were waiting.