The Grail Allusions

Abstract There is another kind of Arthurian supernatural, more directly associated with Christianity, namely that of the Grail theme. The relationship between the Grail story and the tale of Lancelot as presented in the PL is of crucial importance in any examination of the position of the non-cyclic romance in the development of the Lancelot-Grail cycle. We have seen that there are many passages in the text which serve to set the story within a wider Arthurian tradition and to link it with the past history of the Arthurian kingdom and with the magic and marvels associated with the time of the Prophet Merlin, son of a devil, whose activities are placed in the past in relation to the events in the life of Lancelot. There are also a number of passages which refer to the Christian marvels associated with the Grail and with Joseph of Arimathea which form another main thread in the texture of Arthurian romance early in the thirteenth century.