The Story of the Grail/Perceval [Response 2]

Question 3

I didn't really think much of the scene with the Hermit when I first read it; after Tuesday's class discussion, it made more sense to me. The day the incident occurs is significant because it is Good Friday, the day on which Christ was crucified. He died for mankind, in the ultimate act of love. After rereading the section, the penitent soldiers and ladies reminded me of Christ carrying the cross through the crowd of people. He suffered for our sins, and these people were reenacting this suffering, "to secure the salvation of theur souls" (pg 457). When I was younger, my mother used to take my sister and I on "the Good Friday walk" at church. A group of people from the churches in town would walk around town, taking turns carrying a large wooden cross. Although Chretien makes no mention of them carrying a cross, this is how I envisioned the scene.

Perceval is affected by the group of penitent men and women because he has never seen anything like this before. This mirrors the opening scene, in which he is in awe at the knights because he has never seen something so grand before. After talking with the group, Perceval becomes convinced he needs to find the Hermit and be absolved of his sins. I feel like while Perceval is actually repentant, he is also doing this because he wants to be like these people. This is exactly what happened in the scene with the knights; once he had seen and spoken to them, he rushed home in a hurry to set off and become a knight himself.

Perceval's scene of repentance is very sudden, but happens for a very good reason. "April and May passed five times - that was five years - without his having entered a church or adored God or His Cross" (pg 457). Once again, Perceval has ignored the advice of his mother, having been told to go into a church or chapel when he happened across one. When he visits the Hermit, he finally realises how wrong his actions were. Although the Hermit tells him that his greatest sin was in leaving his mother to die of her sorrow, and that this sin caused him to not inquire about the Grail, I don't believe this is all Perceval learns. "'Sir', said Perceval, 'it has been over five years since I have known where I was going, and I have not loved God or believed in Him, and all I have done has been evil'" (pg 459). It seemed to me, in that statement, that Perceval realised he had been blind to what knighthood really was. He was so caught up in the perceptions and the fighting and personal honor that he had forgotten the true meaning, which was to do good and help others.

I thought it was a little strange that both the Hermit and the man served from the Grail were related to Perceval's mother. After thinking about it, though, it makes sense to have them related to the mother. If Perceval had gone back and checked on his mother, then he may not have encountered so many trials in his journey. If he had followed her advice, he would have been a better knight, fighting for what knighthood really is about. It is fitting that Perceval's journey ends with his mother's relations, who help him to realise his mistakes and what he needs to do.