Parzival and TiturelVast in its scope, incomparably dense in its imagery, Parzival ranks alongside Dante's Divine Comedy as one of the foremost narrative works to emerge from medieval Europe. Written in the first decade of the thirteenth century, Parzival is the greatest of the medieval Grail romances. It tells of Parzival's growth from youthful folly to knighthood at the court of King Arthur, and of his quest for the Holy Grail. Full of incident and excitement, the story involves deeds of chivalry, tournaments and sieges, courtly love and other erotic adventures. Parzival's quest becomes a moral and spiritual journey of self-discovery, as he learns that he must repent of his past misdeeds if he is to succeed. Exuberant and Gothic in its telling, as well as profoundly moving, Parzival has inspired and influenced works as diverse as Wagner's Parsifal and Lohengrin, Terry Gilliam's film The Fisher King, and Umberto Eco's Baudolino. Cyril Edwards's fine translation also includes the fragments of Titurel, an elegiac offshoot of Parzival. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. |
Contents
Introduction | |
Note on the Text and Translation | |
Select Bibliography | |
A Chronology of Parzival and Titurel in the Arthurian Context to CI 300 | |
PARZIVAL | |
TITUREL | |
Explanatory Notes | |
List of People and Places | |
the Grail and Arthurian Dynasties | |
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Common terms and phrases
adventure Anfortas Angevin armour army Arnive Arthur asked battle Belacane bold bright brother brought burgrave castle charger Chrétien Chrétien de Troyes Clamide Cligés Condwiramurs courtesy Cundrie Cunneware damsel death defeated by Parzival desire duchess Duke Erec eyes fame father favour Feirefiz Feirefiz’s retinue fighting Gahmuret God’s Grail Gramoflanz greeting grief hand heard heart heart’s heathen helmet Herzeloyde honour host Itonje Jeschute joust Kaylet King King Arthur King Lot King of Gascony king’s kiss knight knightly Kyot lady lady’s land leapt Liaze lineage lord Gawan love’s loyalty lustrous maiden man’s Meljanz Morholt mother mouth Munsalvæsche never Nibelungenlied no-one noble O.Fr Orgeluse Orilus Parzival’s prince queen replied riding rode sake Schionatulander seen shield Sigune Sir Gawan sorrow spear squire sweet sword Table Round tell tidings Titurel took Uther Pendragon Waleis walked warrior well-favoured wife Wolfram Wolfram von Eschenbach woman wounds