The Complete Story of the Grail: Chrétien de Troyes Perceval and its continuations (Arthurian Studies) ISBN-13: 9781843844983

ISBN-13: 9781843844983

Binding: Paperback

Author: de Troyes, Chrétien

Details: The mysterious and haunting Grail makes its first appearance in literature in Chrétien de Troyes Perceval at the end of the twelfth century. But Chrétien never finished his poem, leaving an unresolved story and an incomplete picture of the Grail. It was, however, far too attractive an idea to leave. Not only did it inspire quite separate works; his own unfinished poem was continued and finally completed by no fewer than four other writers.
The Complete Story of the Grail is the first ever translation of the whole of the rich and compelling body of tales contained in Chrétiens poem and its four Continuations, which are finally attracting the scholarly attention they deserve. Besides Chrétiens original text, there are the anonymous First Continuation (translated here in its fullest version), the Second Continuation attributed to Wauchier de Denain, and the intriguing Third and Fourth Continuations – probably written simultaneously, with no knowledge of each others work – by Manessier and Gerbert de Montreuil. Two other poets were drawn to create preludes explaining the background to Chrétiens story, and translated here also are their works: The Elucidation Prologue and Bliocadran.
Only in this, The Story of the Grails complete form, can the reader appreciate the narrative skill and invention of the medieval poets and their surprising responses to Chrétiens theme – not least their crucial focus on the knight as a crusader. Equally, Chrétiens original poem was almost always copied in conjunction withone or more of the Continuations, so this translation represents how most medieval readers would have encountered it.

Nigel Bryants previous translations from Medieval French include Perlesvaus – the High Bookof the Grail, Robert de Borons trilogy Merlin and the Grail, the Medieval Romance of Alexander, The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel and Perceforest.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chrétien de Troyes: Perceval
The First Continuation
The Second Continuation
Gerberts Continuation
The Third Continuation
Appendix 1: The Elucidation Prologue
Appendix 2: Bliocadran
Appendix 3: Independent conclusion to the Second Continuation in the Bern manuscript [Burgerbibliothek 113]

Release Date: 20-04-2018

Package Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches

Languages: English

Number Of Pages: 634