Questions: What do the texts say about the Grail ?  How is the Grail treated in the illustrations ?  What does it look like ?  Is it consistently treated ?  What about the narrative context ?  How does it vary ?  Which manuscripts show the most accurate depiction of what the text passages say ? Do the pictures come at the same place in the text ?  Are the same episodes depicted ?  How can we explain the differences ?  etc.

Of the 16 manuscripts and fragments that transmit Chrétien's Perceval (composed c 1189) and its Continuations (composed in the early 14th c.), only 5 are illustrated:

• T: Paris, BNF fr. 12576, second half 13th c
• P: Mons, Bibl. de l'Université de Mons-Hainaut 331/206, second half 13th c
• M: Montpellier, Bibl. Interuniversitaire, Section Médecine H 249, second half 13th c
• U: Paris, BNF fr. 12577, early 14th c
• S: Paris, BNF fr. 1453, early 14th c

Summary:  Perceval has entered the Grail castle which is so big that 400 knights could have comfortably sat round the fire; strong columns supported a high fireplace made of bronze.  The Lord of the castle greets Perceval and invites him to sit next to him, asking where had come from that day.  A valet enters with a sword which he gives to the Lord of the castle.  It came from the Lord's niece and was one of only three made by the same craftsman: it had a blade of steel with an inscription on it, and a pommel of gold; its sheath was of embroidered cloth of gold from Venice.  The Lord takes it by the baldrick (strap, 'ranges') and gives it to Perceval, inviting him to draw it from the sheath, which he does.  He hands it to the guardian of his armour, and sits down again.  Then a valet enters the room, holding a white lance, passing between the fire and the bed in which the Lord sits.  Blood drips down the lance onto the valet's hands.  Perceval is amazed but is afraid to ask what it means because he has been taught not to ask too many questions.  Two more valets enter, carrying chandeliers each with 10 branches, made of gold and niello ('De fin or, ovrez a neel').  A beautiful damsel comes with the two valets, holding a grail in both hands, from which emanates a great light ('.I. graal entre ses .ii. mains/Une damoisele tenoit/Qui avec les valles venoit...Atot le graal qu'ele tint/Une si grans clartez i vint /Qu'ausi perdirent les chandoiles/Lor clarte comme les estoiles/Quant li solaus lieve ou la lune').  After this comes another damsel carrying a silver dish ('tailleoir d'argent').  The Grail is covered in precious enamel and jewels ('Li graals, qui aloit devant/De fin or esmeré estoit;/Pierres prescïeuses avoit/El graal de maintes manieres/Des plus riches et des plus chieresQui en mer ne en terr soient;/Totes autres pierres passoient/Celes del graal sans totance...').  Perceval still does not dare to ask questions.  The author observes that one can be too silent, just as one can ask to much.  The Lord orders water to be brought for hand-washing, and for the table (made of ivory, with trestles of ebony) to be set up and spread with a (very beautiful white) table-cloth.  The first dish is a leg of venison with hot pepper sauce, and wine is drunk from gold goblets.  The slices of venison are put on the silver dish.  The Grail, uncovered, passes by two more times and still Perceval does not ask questions.  More food is brought in --dates, figs, nuts, cloves, pomegrates, spices, sirops...Perceval is invited to stay the night; a bed and white linen are brought in for him.  Much later (Busby lines 6422-6470) Perceval learns from his uncle that the wounded Lord of the Castle has been sustained for 12 years by hosts from the Grail ('D'une sole oiste li sains hom/Que l'en en cel graal li porte/Sa vie sostient et onforte/Tant sainte chose est li graals...').

In M, the Grail maiden holds the lance (not a youth as in the text) but no Grail; the three undistinguished figures at the table should be Perceval and the Grail King, without a third person.

In U, the right half of the image shows the Grail procession led by the maiden holding the Grail, followed by the youth holding the lance. At the table is the Grail King and a queen (in the text, Perceval is with the Grail King, and a queen is not mentioned; see, however, the Gauvain scene shown below). The preceding scene in U shows Perceval riding up to the Grail Castle and receiving a sword from the King.
 

M, Montpellier H249, f. 21v (at Busby l. 3213)

U, Paris, BNF fr. 12577, f. 18v

The Grail shown in manuscripts of the Continuations to Chrétien's Perceval
There are five other illustrations that show the Grail:

1) In the First Continuation (Continuation Gauvain, ed. Roach and Ivy, vol. II, pp. 107-116, lines 3778-3864), Gauvain's visit to the Grail Castle is illustrated in MSS M and U.

Summary (cf. Roach vol. I, p. xlviii, Episode VII): Gauvain rides through mixed terrain until he comes to a rock from the top of which he sees a tower and rides up to it.  He crosses the drawbridge and enters, dismounting from his horse Gringalet.  Vallets feed his horse and Gauvain is disarmed in a loggia finer than anything in Limoges, and dressed in a new robe of 'samit vaire'--squirrel fur.  He is led to a room where a handsome gentleman ('un biau prodome'), wearing a jewelled coronet ('Et par desus som chapel/Avoit un cercle d'or molt bel/Plain de jafes et de sadoines/Plain de pierres bones et cointes...') is sitting in a bed.  He is wounded ('Mais mehaigniez estoit dou cors'). He and Gauvain greet each other.  Conversation ensues.  Preparations are made for a meal: water for handwashing is brought and a trestle table is set up and covered with a white table-cloth; the room is bright with candle-light.  A vassal enters, bearing a bleeding lance, followed by a beautiful damsel holding a little silver dish ('Un petit tailleor d'argent').  After them follow two valets holding candlesticks with burning candles, then a beautiful weeping damsel who carries the Grail, revealed ('Antre ses mains genetment porte/Un Graal trestot descovert').  Gauvain is amazed and wonders why the damsel weeps.  After this four vallets enter, carrying a bier covered with a rich pall, with a body inside.  On the pall lies a broken sword.  The entire procession passes again: this time the Grail is described as having precious stones on it ('Et apres ce vient li Graaux/Ou maintes pierres preciaux').  The procession goes by a third time, and Gauvain realizes the Grail and the lance are the object of his quest.  He asks the preudome what they mean, why the damsel weeps, why the bier is carried like this and why the sword is broken ('Si anquiert la senefience/Et dou Graal et de la lance/Et por quoi la pucelle plore/Apres si anquiert sanz demeure/Por quoi l'am porte ainsint la biere...Et por quoi l'espee forbie/Estoit desus la biere mise...').  The preudome replies that if Gauvain can join together the pieces of the sword he will be worthy to learn the answers to his questions.  He fails in his attempt.  He falls asleep at the table, and wakes up to find himself outside in a swamp, with his horse and his armour beside him.

MS U shows Gauvain at table with a King and Queen, and another person They see the Grail borne by the Grail maiden, the lance borne by the youth, and the sword on a bier borne by four men. MS M also illustrates this episode, on f. 68v, in an illustration almost identical to the one on f. 21, again omitting the Grail.

 

M, Montpellier H 249, f. 68v

U, Paris, BNF fr. 12577, f. 74v (at Roach II, l. 3835)

Summary: In the Grail Castle, Perceval is taken to a room lined with gold and decorated with silver stars carved with images and set with stones, where the Grail King is seated.  He invites Perceval to tell of his adventures--seeing the Black Hand in the chapel (see below), and the Child in the Tree (illustrated in MS T).  Perceval asks what these things mean.  The king then orders food to be brought in, and Perceval eats from a bowl ('An s'escuielle propremant').  Then a fair maiden carries the Grail past the table ('...Le Saint Graal an sa main tint/Par devant la table passa') and another damsel wearing white patterened fabric ('Vestue d'un dÿapre blanc') carries the bleeding lance, and a valet follows holding the broken sword which he lays on the table in fron of the king.  Perceval does not know which to ask about first; he is encouraged to eat, and the Grail is brought in again, and the lance.  Perceval then asks his questions about the Grail, the lance, and the sword, and whether the sword could be mended.  The king explains the meaning of everything Perceval has asked, then invites him to join together the sword.  He succeeds in this, and is promised that he will succeed to the Grail Castle ('Biaux doz amis/Sire soiez de ma meson/Je vos met tout an abandon...').
 

U, Paris, BNF fr. 12577, f. 213v (at Roach IV, l. 32392)

S, Paris, BNF fr. 1453, f. 218 (at Roach IV, l. 32439)

3, 4, and 5) In Manessier's Continuation (ed. Roach, vol. V, lines 41531-59) P, U and S include a miniature at the account of the apperance of the Grail to heal Perceval and Hector of the mortal wounds they have inflicted on each other. U omits the Grail. S shows an angel bearing the Grail before a king (the Fisher King ?  Perceval ?) and companions at table.  T's miniature is placed after the Explicit at the end of Manessier's Continuation, and seems to show Perceval kneeling before the Grail maiden who holds the Grail for which an angel reaches down from heaven; another figure (Hector ?) holds a candle (? cf. Perceval's death on the eve of Candlemas; or is it the sword ?  see the differing views of Stones Les Manuscrits, I, p. 242, and Hindman and Sealed in Parchment on the interpretation of this scene).

Summary (cf. Roach V, pp. xlviii-lv, episodes 26, 28-30): Perceval and Hector have mortally wounded each other, but the Grail appears, borne by an angel, and immediately both knights are healed.  Perceval returns to the Fisher King's castle where the Grail and teh lance are brought in by two maidens, and the 'tailloir' by a valet, and the Grail provides nourishment.  The king offers Perceval his kingdom, which Perceval refuses while the king is alive.  He returns to Arthur's court and recounts his adventures.  News of the Fisher King's death is brought.  Perceval returns to Corbenic in the company of Arthur and is crowned on All Saints' Day (Nov. 1).  The Grail, borne by a damsel, appears, followed by the lance borne by a valet and a damsel with the 'tailloir'.  The Grail provided nourishment.  After a month, King Arthur returns home.  The Fisher King's daughter marries the King of Maronne (on the borders of Wales).  After seven years, when Perceval's brother Agloval dies, Perceval turns over all his kingdom to the King of Maronne and retires to a hermitage, followed by the Grail, lance, and tailloir.  He is instructed by the hermit and becomes an acolyte, deacon, and priest, singing his first mass on St John's Day (June 24).  After 7 years of serving God, Perceval dies on the eve of Candlemas (the day before the Feb. 2 feast, i.e. Feb.1).  He is buried in the Palés Aventureux beside the Fisher King.  His epitaph read 'Here lies Perceval the Welshman, whoachieved the adventures of the Holy Grail' ('Ci gist  Perceval /Le Galois, qui du Saint Graal/Les aventures acheva').  On the day Perceval died, people saw the Grail, the lance, and the tailloir taken up to heaven, never to return ('Le jor que Dex l'ame en porta/Dont a joie se deporta/Fu el ciel ravi sanz doutance/Et le Saint Graal et la lance/Et le bel tailleor d'argent/Tout en apert, voiant la gent...').
 

P, Mons, BIU 331/206, p. 378 (at Roach V, l. 41531)	U, Paris, BNF fr. 12577, f. 265v (at Roach V, l. 41539)
S, Paris, BNF fr. 1453, f. 283 (at Roach V, l. 41559)	T, Paris, BNF fr. 12576, f. 261 (see Roach V, ll. 42642 and 42669)

Text Editions
Le roman de Perceval; ou Le conte du Graal. Publié d'après le ms. fr. 12576 de la Bibliothèque Nationale par William Roach, 2. èd., rev. et. augm. Genève, Droz, 1959.
Le roman de Perceval, ou, Le conte du Graal / Chrétien de Troyes; édition critique d'après tous les manuscrits par Keith Busby. Tübingen : M. Niemeyer, 1993.
The Continuations of the Old French Perceval of Chrétien de Troyes,ed. Roach, William. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1949-  vols. 1-2 published by the Dept. of Romance Languages, University of Pennsylvania, in its Series in Romance languages and literatures. Extra ser. no. 10
                       Vol. 2 edited by W. Roach and R. H. Ivy, Jr.
                       Vol. 3 published by American Philosophical Society, 1952-
                    Contents:
                       v. 1. The first continuation, redaction of mss. T,V,D.
                       v. 2. The first continuation, redaction of mss. E,M,Q,U.
                       v. 3, pt. 1. The first continuation, redaction of mss. A,L,P,R,S.
                       v. 3, pt. 2. Glossary of the first continuation, by Lucien Foulet.
                       v. 4. The second continuation.

Studies
Les Manuscrits de Chrétien de Troyes, ed. K. Busby, T. Nixon, A. Stones, L. Walters, 2 vols. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1993, particularly Emmanuèle Baumgartner, "Les scènes du Graal et leur illustration dans les manuscrits du Conte du Graal et des Continuations," in Les Manuscrits, pp. 489-503.

Other studies are S. Hindman, 'King Arthur, his Knights, and the French Aristocracy in Picardy,' in Contexts: Style and Values in Medieval Art and Literature, ed. D. Poirion and N. Regalado, Yale French Studies, 1991, 114-33 and ead., Sealed in Parchment, Ithaca, 1993.  READ THESE WITH CAUTION !