The Quest for the Grail : the Go

Over the centuries many layers of myth, legend and folklore have grown up around the theme of King Arthur collectively known as "the matter of Britain". The archetypal figures in these myths still resonate deeply today. The warrior king who saves his people, the perfect knight who succeeds in finding the Holy Grail when all his noble but impure companions have failed, the Grail itself, the vessel which held the blood of Christ, are all powerful images which are still the subject of both scholarly study and popular interest. These essays explore various aspects of Arthurian myth and related themes including the idea of initiation in the stories of Parzival and Gawain, and the relevance of the Arthurian ideal to the modern world.