Chapter XVIII: Appendix: A

THE ANGEVIN ALLUSIONS OF THE 'PARZIVAL'

One of the most striking peculiarities of this version of the Perceval legend consists in the fact that the writer closely connects his hero with a contemporary princely house, and exercises considerable ingenuity in constructing a genealogy which shall establish a relationship alike with the legendary British race of Pendragon, and with the hereditary House of Anjou. Now, that Parzival should be represented as connected with Arthur is not surprising, taking into consideration the great popularity of the Arthurian legends; the English 'Sir Percyvelle' makes the relationship even closer; there, Percyvelle is Arthur's nephew, his sister's son; but it is far more difficult to account for the Angevin connection. It has been suggested that the writer of Wolfram's French source was Walter Mapes, to whom another of the Grail romances the _Queste_ is generally ascribed; and who, as is well known, was closely attached to the Court of Henry Fitz-Empress, Count of Anjou, and King of England. Setting on one side the great difference, in style and treatment, between the _Parzival_ and the _Queste_, which render it impossible to believe that the same man could have treated the same legend from two such practically opposite points of view, a close examination of the Angevin allusions found in the _Parzival_ reveals a correspondence between the characters and incidents of the poem, and the facts, real and traditional, of Angevin history, which seems to point to a familiarity with the subject scarcely likely to be possessed by a foreigner.

The following parallels will show that this Angevin element, though strongest in the first two books (those peculiar to Wolfram's version), is to be clearly traced even in the presentment of what we know to be traditional features of the story.

THE ORIGIN OF THE HOUSE OF ANJOU

WOLFRAM ANGEVIN TRADITION

In Book I. the origin of the Ascribes their origin to the
Angevin family is traced to the marriage of one of the early
marriage of Mazadan with the fairy Counts with a lady of surpassing
Terre-de-la-schoie. The fairy beauty, whose _demon_ origin was
origin of the race is referred to discovered by her inability to
again in Books II. and VIII., the remain in church during Mass.
later allusion being in connection It was to the influence of this
with Vergulacht, son of Gamuret's ancestress that the uncontrollable
sister, and cousin to hero. temper of the Angevin princes was
ascribed. Richard Coeur-de-lion is
reported to have frequently said,
'We came from the Devil, and we
go back to the Devil.' (In each
instance it will be noted that the
supernatural element is introduced
by the wife.)

GAMURET FULK V. OF ANJOU

Younger son of the King of Anjou; Son of Fulk IV. (_Rechin_), and
brought up at the court of French Bertalda de Montfort. His mother
queen; goes to the East where eloped with, and married, Philip,
he marries a Moorish queen, and king of France. She remained
becomes king of an Eastern kingdom.on good terms with her former
husband, and, Fulk, having already
an heir by a previous wife, was
allowed to bring up her son at
her own court. The elder brother
dying, Fulk became his father's
heir, and finally succeeded him.
In 1129, after the marriage of his
son, Geoffrey, with the Empress
Maud, Fulk was invited by Baldwin,
king of Jerusalem, to become
his son-in-law and successor.
Accordingly he resigned Anjou to
Geoffrey, went to Jerusalem, where
he married Melesinda, daughter and
heiress to Baldwin, and, after the
death of the latter, succeeded
him as king, and reigned till his
death in 1142. (Here again we
note that, in each instance, the
Eastern kingdom is won through the
wife.)

Gamuret's first recorded deed A similar incident is recorded of
of valour is the conquest, in Geoffrey I. (_Grisegonelle_) who,
single combat, of Heuteger, the during the siege of Paris by the
Scotchman, who appears every Danes in 978, overthrew a gigantic
morning before the gates of Northman named Ethelwulf, who
Patelamunt, to challenge the daily challenged the besieged in
besieged knights. the manner recounted in the poem.
Later historians cast doubts on
the truth of this story, but it
appears in all the old chronicles,
and was undoubtedly firmly
believed in by the writers of the
twelfth century.

HERZELEIDE THE EMPRESS MAUDE

Widow, queen of two kingdoms, and Widow, Empress, Lady of two Lands,
marries Prince of Anjou. England and Normandy, marries
Count of Anjou.

Her son is subsequently deprived Her son is deprived of these two
of these kingdoms by the action kingdoms by the action of two
of _one knight_, Book III. p. 73, brothers Theobald and Stephen of
two _brothers_, _Ibid._ p. 80. Blois. Though Stephen was the
This loss of two kingdoms by the principal aggressor, it must not
action of Lähelein is insisted be forgotten that Theobald, the
on throughout the poem, and the elder brother, was invited by
reader should note the manner the Normans to become their Duke
in which Lähelein, though only on the death of Henry I.; but on
appearing in the Second Book, is arriving in Normandy, and finding
constantly referred to; which that Stephen had already seized
seems to indicate that the writer the crown of England, Theobald
attached a special importance to resigned his claim to the Duchy
this character, cf. Book III. pp. and threw in his lot with that
86 and 87; V. pp. 150, 154; VI. of Stephen. An _English_ writer
pp. 171, 188; VII. p. 196; IX. p. (such as Mapes) would probably
272. (It may be noted that in no have overlooked the part played by
other version of the legend is a Theobald. An _Angevin_, knowing
previous marriage of the hero's the Counts of Blois to be the
mother recorded.) hereditary foes of the House of
Anjou, would hardly fail to record
the fact that both brothers were
concerned in the usurpation of the
rights of Henry Fitz-Empress.

THE RED KNIGHT THE RED KNIGHT

The Red Knight as represented in This character is of course
the poem, mounted before the gates traditional, but the special
of Nantes, in red armour, with red presentment of it in the
hair. _Parzival_ seems to be owing
to Angevin influence. In 1048
William of Normandy, being at war
with, Geoffrey II. of Anjou and
besieging Domfront, sent him the
following curious challenge: 'If
the Count of Anjou attempts to
bring victuals into Domfront he
will find me awaiting him without
the gates armed and mounted,
bearing a red shield, and having
a pennon on my spear wherewith to
wipe his face.'

_Red hair_ was a distinguishing
characteristic of the Angevin
Counts. Fulk I. derived his name
of Rufus from this peculiarity,
which was inherited by many of his
descendants, among them Fulk V.,
his son Geoffrey Plantagenet, and
his grandson Henry Fitz-Empress.
The writer of the _Parzival_
strongly insists on Ither's red
hair.

NANTES NANTES

Nantes, throughout the poem, is The possession of the city of
always treated as Arthur's chief Nantes was a constant source of
city. Karidöl is scarcely referred quarrel between the Counts of
to, the Round Table is kept at Anjou and their neighbours of
Nantes, and in Book X. we are told Brittany. Time after time the
that Arthur's palace was there. former claimed the over-lordship
This is not the case in other of Nantes, which stood just beyond
versions of the story. their frontier, and more than
once they succeeded in making
themselves masters of the coveted
territory. To represent Nantes
as Arthur's chief city, and
Ither as claiming it, would be
an alteration of the legend most
natural in an Angevin writer.