Sources

Summary

Joseph of Arimathea The opening lines are from the anonymous The High Book of the Grail (Perlesvaus); the main body of this chapter is from the prose version of Joseph of Arimathea attributed to Robert de Boron.

The Welsh Boy The opening paragraphs are again taken from The High Book of the Grail; the rest of this chapter is from Perceval – the Story of the Grail by Chrétien de Troyes.

The Fisher King This continues the story from Chrétien de Troyes’ Perceval.

Sir Gawain’s Quest Begins From the anonymous High Book of the Grail.

Perceval’s Recovery From The High Book of the Grail.

Lancelot’s Quest From The High Book of the Grail.

The Castle of Marvels From Chrétien de Troyes’ Perceval and the anonymous First Continuation; the latter begins when Gawain’s messenger arrives at Arthur’s court (page 155).

The Broken Sword From the anonymous Second Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval and Gerbert de Montreuil’s Continuation; Gerbert takes up the story after Perceval’s failure to repair the broken sword (page 180).

The Conquest of the Castles The encounter with the yelping beast, and Perceval’s acquisition of the shield with the red cross, are from Gerbert de Montreuil’s Continuation; the episodes involving the conquering of the castles are from The High Book of the Grail; the repairing of the broken sword is from Gerbert; the Fisher King’s revelations, and Perceval’s adventure with the Black Hand, are from the Third Continuation by Manessier.

Galahad This chapter principally comes from the anonymous Quest of the Holy Grail; the episodes involving the demon horse and lady and Perceval’s battle with Partinial are from the Third Continuation.

A complete translation of Joseph of Arimathea is available in Robert de Boron’s trilogy Merlin and the Grail (D. S. Brewer, 2001, reprinted in 2003); Chrétien de Troyes’ Perceval and its four Continuations are translated as Perceval – the Story of the Grail (D. S. Brewer, 1982, reprinted in 1986); the full translated text of The High Book of the Grail was published by D. S. Brewer in 1978 and reissued in 1996; a complete translation of The Quest of the Holy Grail by Pauline Matarasso is available in Penguin Classics.