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• 1 media/Post Vulgate Cycle.jpg media/Post vulgate.jpg 2016-01-17T19:13:28-08:00 Post-Vulgate Cycle 13 image_header 2016-03-02T16:50:34-08:00

  This cycle of works is estimated to have been written between 1230 and 1240; drawing upon the works from the previous Vulgate cycle (also known as the Lancelot-Grail or Prose Lancelot) and rewritten in a sense to draw better continuity and unity between each section. The cycle can be broken into four sections which resemble sections from the first Vulgate section. Some sections remained relatively the same, but other sections were revised with additions of characters or adventures previously not mentioned in the Lancelot-Grail cycle.

  The L’estoire del Saint Grail section remains relatively unchanged as it recounts the tales of Joseph of Arimathea and his times with the Holy Grail. His story stems from the Acts of Pilate and is charged as the keeper of the Holy Grail, but is imprisoned. However, in the Post-Vulgate cycle, it is told the Grail aided him in sustaining himself during his imprisonment until his release. However, from this point the relation between Joseph and Britain is blurred. In some romances such as Perlevaus, Joseph travels to Britain with several relics; among them was the Holy Grail. However, in the Lancelot-Grail cycle, it was Joseph’s son Josephus was the one to have brought the grail to Britain as the primary holy man. The Post-Vulgate cycle follows similarly to the premise of the Lancelot-Grail cycle.

  A more interesting section relates to Merlin in the respective section L’estoire de Merlin. Despite bearing few changes from the first Vulgate cycle, however it was expanded upon to give a more defined early history between Merlin and King Arthur. Upon some of the expanded sections were adventures of King Arthur and his early Knights of the Round Table and details about the begetting of Mordred from Arthur’s incestuous actions with his half-sister Morgawse. Most notable of the added adventures was Merlin’s role in Arthur’s receiving of the legendary sword Excalibur from the Lady of Lake. A tale which was not present within the first Vulgate cycle.

  The third section is one where much of the emphasis is put into; Le Queste del Saint Grail. When compared to the quest for the Holy Grail, the overall tone and description of the knight’s quest for the Holy Grail is very notable. This reprisal of the first Vulgate section still describes the tales of the noteworthy knights in search of the grail but mainly centers around the three chosen knights able to achieve this quest: Galahad, Percival and Bors. This is emphasized as during the quests of these knight, we read of their experiences with strange visions, dreams and prophetic words spoken to them by holy hermits. A prime example of this involves the tale of Sir Gawain and Hector having a dream, which they interpreted as a foretelling of their inevitable failure in finding the Grail and glimpse into the three knights destined to achieve this quest. Along with the overall changes in tone and context concerning spiritual nature and destiny are also changes drawn from other sources in the form of characters. Such examples included the introduction of Palamedes and King Mark from the Prose Tristan.

  Lastly is the section concerning King Arthur’s death and the ultimate demise of chivalry during the Golden Age of Chivalry; Le Mort Artu. What was most notable in this section was the omission of large, if not all, sections related to Lancelot from the first Vulgate cycle; especially sections related to the affair committed between Lancelot and Guinevere. This was thought to draw emphasis away from away from the affair and put more into the tales from the Quest for the Holy Grail; drawing attention and emphasis away from the mortal/physical realm and focus on the more spiritual or religious nature of the quests. Although most of Lancelot’s sections were omitted from the cycle, it was reconstructed from various sources from French, Castilian Spanish and Portuguese sources.
  
  ​The overall theme of these revisions of sections from the first Vulgate cycle was to instill greater continuity and unity between each of the sections and the tales retold in ways to enhance that unity and blend together seamlessly. Also, we shift focus away from the vulgarity and physicality of mortal affairs such as Lancelot and Guinevere and focus on the spiritual nature of virtue, belief in God and chivalry..