Percival – The Purpose of Knights

Around the 5^th Century AD the Roman Empire began to shrink and eventually collapsed. Most believe it had grown too large, attacked from all sides it became impossible to defend. In its dying years the Empire broke in half with two Emperors ruling the East and West, yet still badly governed. The people of Britain looked to Rome for reinforcements against the invading warriors, but help would never come. This was the time of stories about Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

The Dark Ages were named because of the lack of written material that survived, which in turn was largely because most Britons could not write. Early poems like ‘Gawain & The Green Knight’ or Malory’s book ‘Le Morte Darthur’, widely thought to be Arthur in his truest form, were not completed till the 14^th & 15^th century. Before this the legends of Camelot were told by word of mouth and possibly 1500 years later we still tell these stories to children. The stories themselves became a living, breathing thing; with each storyteller bringing a new and interesting message or spinning its tale to meet their own agenda. The constant in each telling are the values of bravery and looking after those who need our help.

When I was a kid, my Aunt gave me a book about the Knights of Camelot. My favourite character was Percival; he was not born into a noble house, instead raised in the wild forests of Wales by his mother. He was impulsive, angry, a nervous chatter. Percival was never meant to be a Knight he just killed a bully and robbed his armour. Here was me angry at myself with any failings, whether it be learning stuff or loosing a running race. Frustrated with all the injustices of the infant school playground. A little scrapper at times, a dreamer and often feeling out of my depth.

My parents divorced when I was about 3 or 4 years old and things were difficult for a while. My Dad moved to a flat in town and understandably we didn’t have a lot of money. My sister’s had to give up learning their instruments and clubs. We couldn’t afford to buy new things, but being the youngest this was normal for me. Life was still good - we had a nice house to live in and a little garden with tall trees that were good for climbing and for goalposts, so all the kids in the street liked to come round. Every Friday Mum bought us each a chocolate bar if we were good and Christmas we always had great presents from both of them. Books became a perfect escape, laying down in my tiny box/bedroom.

I remember the Saturday shop with my Mum, getting the bus into town and helping her with the bags. I doubt mine would have been heavy, I was about 4 years old, but I do remember the hill we had to climb which was pretty much vertical! So from being young I was taught that everyone around me had needs and life was not just about doing the things I wanted to do. I will always be grateful for the sense of grounding and purpose I learned as a child. As I grew older the books given to me of Knights and of Robin Hood offered a clear understanding of how to treat people, before I was drawn to the alluring world of computer games that didn’t take forever to load up. 

My favourite chapter of Percival’s life doesn’t involve a great battle or the rescuing of a lady from a gang of brigands. It’s a tale more human then that. Badly wounded after a fight, Percival stumbles across the hidden castle of Carbonek, where its master invites him to stay and heal himself. That night he sees a procession of men and women carrying the Holy Grail and the bloodied Spear through the castles’ corridors. The Knights had quested for the Grail for many years. He follows but looses them, instead coming to a room with a chess set and two empty chairs. As Percival sits down, a chess piece moves and he finds himself playing against an invisible opponent. Each night he returns to the room, but loosing every game he becomes more and more frustrated. Eventually he takes his sword and smashes the board to pieces. In his rage he does not hear the calling of a woman asking him to stop. But hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, he turns raising his sword to defend himself… his heart breaks, it is Blanchfleur a girl he had fallen for in the days before becoming a knight. In that moment when he sees her look of fear and disappointment, he knows he has failed his test.

Percival was not to be the one to bring the Grail to Camelot; the honour was to be given to a better man. Blanchfleur explains that since they met, her father bought her to Carbonek to be one of the keepers of the Grail. Percival’s part in the story would be to tell others what he had seen. One day he would help Galahad find the Grail, because only he was worthy of it. But Blanchefleur had never forgotten Percival and she would wait for him to come get her, when his part was done. 

I suppose I’ve never found it easy to promote myself as a person. I’ve started trying to recently but it never felt right, I know my flaws better then most. I’ve spent too much time in town hearing people talk about how good they are at stuff, bragging and saying how happy they are in their life. – You know the people that you just want to smack in the moosh! The stories I prefer to hear in the pub are the ones about the friend who leaves work early to coach maths and reading to kids at school. Or the girl who works in the café and smiles at everyone that comes in. She takes a genuine interest in all the customers who have time to chat. These people are more interesting to me and I bet they have met some great characters along the way! It seems a shame we often feel we can’t talk about these acts of politeness without thinking its taking something away from it all.

From the Dark Ages came an ideal that to my mind never really flourished as it should, when light (or the written word) re-emerged. It was the concept that everyone is important, no matter their standing. That those of us who are strong and have the most power in society, would uphold this truth no matter the personal cost. At least that’s what I read in a book when I was a kid.