From an ingenious fool to the Grail King: the significance of courtly love in Wolfram’s Parzival The focus of this thesis lies on the doctrines in courtly behavior, a multifaceted system of chivalric norms and behaviors often referred to as the knightly virtue system based on the literature of the early and high Middle Ages. The aim of this thesis is to study the different aspects, such as religious, military, courtly and romantic, of the knightly virtue system. The romantic aspect of the knightly ideal is given particular attention, as it is the focus of this paper. The word minne is the bearer of the romantic aspect and is central in Wolfram’s von Eschenbach Parzival which is the main source studied. The following issues are discussed in more detail: how the knightly ideal is presented in Wolfram’s epic and to what extent the minne affects the development of Parzival to the Grail king. In the course of this thesis it will also be shown that the romantic aspect is the most influential aspect of the knightly virtue system and that this particular aspect truly defines an ideal knight.

Ce travail analyse les transformations du Graal en comparant sa représentation dans les romans médiévaux et dans trois textes de théâtre modernes. Le Graal, apparu dans la littérature au Moyen Âge, reste une source d'inspiration pour les écrivains modernes au point de gagner, avec le temps, un statut légendaire. L'objet de prédilection de la littérature arthurienne a évolué de façon significative dès le Moyen Âge, où il reste cependant confiné aux formes narratives. Après le « festival scénique sacré » (Bühnenweihfestspiel), Parsifal, de Wagner présenté en 1882 à Bayreuth, des œuvres plus récentes réactualisent le mythe en cherchant à l'adapter au théâtre. Jean Cocteau, en 1937, dans Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde, présente un Graal inaccessible, immatériel. En 1948, Julien Gracq, dans Le Roi Pêcheur, inscrit le Graal dans l'opposition entre le profane et le sacré. Jacques Roubaud et Florence Delay, dans les éditions de 1977 et 2005 de Graal Théâtre, optent pour une récriture où les représentations du mythe se côtoient et se confrontent. Ces textes de théâtre modernes, où la représentation du Graal se situe au cœur du projet d'écriture, entrent ainsi en relation directe avec les œuvres médiévales. Ils s'inscrivent dans une redéfinition de l'objet qui se renouvelle sans cesse depuis Le Conte du Graal de Chrétien de Troyes. Dans les trois cas, la représentation du Graal entretient des relations contradictoires de filiation et de rupture avec la littérature arthurienne de l'époque médiévale. L'hypothèse principale de cette recherche se situe dans la problématique de la récriture comme transformation d'un héritage. Plus précisément, il sera question de comprendre comment la représentation du Graal dans les textes de théâtre pose problème et comment cette question est modulée, travaillée par les auteurs en termes rhétoriques, stylistiques et dramaturgiques. L'utilisation de la parodie, d'anachronismes et de voix dramatiques nouvelles, par exemple, permet aux auteurs modernes de revisiter et de changer le rapport à l'objet. Le Graal se redéfinit dans des contextes historiques et dans un genre distincts de leur source du Moyen Âge. / This work examines the transformations of the Holy Grail from medieval romances to modern plays. The Holy Grail, which first appeared in the Middle Ages, remains a source of inspiration for modern writers and gained, over time, a legendary status. This important feature of Arthurian literature has evolved significantly since the Middle Ages, where it remained however confined to narrative forms. After the festival (Bühnenweihfestspiel) where Wagner’s Parsifal was first presented in 1882 in Bayreuth, more recent works have renewed the myth by adapting it to the theatre. Jean Cocteau, in 1937, in Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde, presented an inaccessible and intangible Grail. In 1948, Julien Gracq, in Le Roi Pêcheur, placed the Grail at the core of the opposition between profane and sacred. Jacques Roubaud and Florence Delay, in editions of 1977 and 2005 of Graal Théatre, opted for a rewriting where contradictory representations of the myth coexist. These modern dramas, where the representation of the Grail is at the center of the writing experience, are thus in direct connection with medieval works. They are part of a redefinition of the object that has constantly renewed itself since Chrétien de Troyes’ Conte du Graal. In all three cases, the representation of the Grail shows conflicting relationships with the medieval Arthurian literary heritage. The main hypothesis of this research lies in the idea that rewriting has to do with the transformation of a legacy. More specifically, it comes to understand how the representation of the Holy Grail is dealt with in modern dramas, how it is modulated by the authors in rhetorical, stylistic and dramaturgical terms. The use of parody, anachronisms and new dramatic voices, for example, allows modern authors to revisit and change their relation to this object. The Grail is thus redefined in different historical contexts and in a genre quite distinct from medieval romances.

De nos jours, les avatars et les réécritures du mythe du Graal puisent leur source d'inspiration dans la Littérature puisque la première mention littéraire de ce schème apparaît à la fin du XIIeme siècle dans Perceval ou le conte du Graal de Chrétien de Troyes. De par des origines ambivalentes (païennes et chrétiennes), le Graal s'est ancré dans l'imaginaire collectif comme un mythe rédempteur ou tout du moins, étant un idéal à atteindre. Si la quête médiévale chevaleresque demande une rigueur incomparable et une pureté d’âme et de corps pour mériter la révélation des mystères du Saint Calice aujourd’hui, les héros de la littérature populaire et de la culture de masse accèdent à ses secrets par le vecteur d’en-quêtes simplifiées. La dévaluation du mythe s'effectue à mesure des transferts qui s’opèrent dans différents genres, supports et médias mais également dans la réception que la société a du mythe du Graal. De Saint Graal à Graal, de Littérature à paralittérature, de la Bible à la télévision, ce travail cherche à mettre en évidence les différents aspects de ces transferts et tente de prouver qu'il existe des résonances et des points d'articulation entre ces domaines par l'interface du Graal. Dans ce sens, le motif sert aussi de porte-à-faux à une culture et à une littérature dites « mineures » qui peuvent toutefois, sous l'effet du Graal, devenir scientifiques et apporter de nouvelles pistes de réflexion sur le mythe, la société et la Littérature. / Nowadays, avatars and re-writings of the myth of the Grail take their inspiration from Literature because the first literary mention of the scheme appears at the end of the twelfth century in Perceval ou le conte du Graal by Chrétien de Troyes. Thanks to its ambivalent (pagan and christian) origins, the Grail anchored in the collective imaginary as a myth of redemption or, at least, an ideal to reach. If the chivalric medieval quest requires a remarkable rigor and the body and soul purity to deserve the revelation of the Holy Vessel mysteries, in our days, mass culture heroes have an access to its secrets by simplified “quest-igations”. The devaluation of the subject occurs through transpositions in different genres, mediums and medias but also in the way society receives the Grail legend. From Holy Grail to Grail, from Literature to mass culture, from the Holy Bible to TV shows, this study tends to show the aspects of these transpositions and tries to prove that there are echos and exchanges between these mediums via the Grail. Following that point of view, the theme functions also as a overhang for what some call “minor” culture and literature that can, however, under the Grail influence, become scientific and bring new pieces of reflection concerning the myth, society and Literature.

A figura da mulher ocupa significativo papel nas novelas de cavalaria do Ciclo Bretão. Emergindo como um elemento que traz liga às narrativas do lendário artúrico, constitui-se adjuvante essencial e multifacetada na construção dos episódios, numa interação constante com o masculino representado, principalmente, pelos cavaleiros. O Medievo traz à tona uma imagem matizada do feminino: a mulher socialmente vista sob clivagens diversas é refletida na literatura de cavalaria, conforme se pode verificar em A Demanda do Santo Graal. A presença feminina é importantíssima na narrativa, sobretudo na sua tensa relação com a cavalaria, agora ligada ao elemento religioso - monastizada, celibatária e ascética. O objetivo precípuo de nossos estudos é investigar de que maneira a fôrma sociocultural medieva, na qual foi moldada A Demanda do Santo Graal, se relaciona com seu substrato: as narrativas provindas da cosmovisão inerente ao imaginário céltico. Desta feita, nosso viés analítico verticaliza-se no elemento feminino presente na obra. Mais especificamente, toma-se por escopo a imagem de personagens que refletem a ideologia clerical moralístico-didatizante do século XIII, mas, sobretudo, resgata-se a imagem de personagens imbuídas de singular dualidade; ambigüidade esta que é marca não só do medievo paradoxal concernente ao feminino, mas também de personas literárias concebidas entre dois mundos, dois pólos ideológicos distintos. Em outros termos, fala-se de personagens que são seres ficcionais bifrontes: personagens localizadas entre as herdades e as identidades. Foram tomados como corpora de pesquisa os episódios em que estas damas polidimensionais aparecem e se tornam adjuvantes na ação literária, seja para cooperar, confundir ou prejudicar os cavaleiros que empreendem a sagrada, inefável e venturosa busca do Santo Cálix que dará fim às aventuras do Reino de Logres / The figure of woman takes leading role in the novels of chivalry Cycle Breton. Emerging as an element that links the narratives of the legendary Arturo, it constitutes a vital and multifaceted adjuvant in the construction of the episodes in an ongoing interaction with the male represented mainly by knights. The Medieval brings up a nuanced picture of the female: the woman socially viewed under various divisions is reflected in the literature of chivalry, as it can be seen in The Quest for the Holy Grail. The female presence is important in the narrative, especially in its tense relationship with the chivalry, now linked to the religious element monasticated, ascetic and celibaterian. The main objective of our study is to investigate how the sociocultural medieval mold, in which was shaped The Quest for the Holy Grail relates to its substrate, the narratives originated of the worldview inherent in the Celtic imagination, thus our analytical bias uprights in the female element in this work. More specifically, it becomes a scope which the image of characters reflects the ideology of clerical didactic and moralistic of the thirteenth century. However it redeens the image of characters imbued with singular duality; that ambiguity which is not only a mark of the medieval paradoxical concerning the female, but also of literary characters designed between two worlds, two distinct ideological poles. In other words, it is about personas who are "bifront fictional beings". Characters located between the inheritances and identities. The research bases were the episodes in which these polidimensionals ladies appear and become adjuvants in literary action, either to cooperate, confuse or impair the knights who undertake the sacred, ineffable and "fortunate" quest for the Holy Chalice which will end the adventures of the Kingdom of Logres

Staging Medievalisms analyzes how twentieth- and twenty-first century performance constructs the Middle Ages. This work is in conversation with medievalism, the academic field concerned with the diverse ways post-medieval societies have re-imagined medieval narratives and tropes, often in service of their own values. As a result of centuries worth of re-definition, the term "medieval" is unstable, referring simultaneously to a fairytale prehistory and a dark age of oppression. I argue that performance, both in theatrical productions and in medieval-focused tourist spaces, allows an affective connection between the medieval past and the present, casting the Middle Ages as an inherently flexible backdrop for contemporary political and social concerns. In tourist spaces and plays about the Middle Ages, the performing body becomes the site where the medieval and the modern touch. I conduct close readings of six productions and three public spaces which stage the Middle Ages, examining which particular versions of the medieval they create, how they stage moments of historiographical contact, and how each uses the medieval to imagine their own historical contexts. Chapter one provides an overview of medievalism and its connection to performance studies, and subsequent chapters take up contemporary productions of medieval history, legend, and fantasy, respectively. Chapter two examines three recent stagings of Shakespeare's medieval history play Henry V, a work which stages two opposing versions of the medieval simultaneously. The Royal Shakespeare Company (1994), National Theatre (2003), and Austin, Texas (2009) productions offer commentary on modern warfare, using Henry's medieval battles as both evidence and setting. Chapter three analyses representations of the Holy Grail in Mort d'Arthur (2010), Spamalot (2005), and Proof (2001). Each re-imagines the Grail as a symbol of achievement and power, drawing different conclusions about contemporary society's need for the mystical. Chapter four takes up performances of the Middle Ages in the public sphere, examining how Disneyland, Medieval Times, and the Renaissance Faire offer visitors varying degrees of freedom to experience the medieval through their own bodies. Throughout, I argue that performance encourages affective connections to the medieval past as a reflection of contemporary desires. / text

Ce travail analyse les transformations du Graal en comparant sa représentation dans les romans médiévaux et dans trois textes de théâtre modernes. Le Graal, apparu dans la littérature au Moyen Âge, reste une source d'inspiration pour les écrivains modernes au point de gagner, avec le temps, un statut légendaire. L'objet de prédilection de la littérature arthurienne a évolué de façon significative dès le Moyen Âge, où il reste cependant confiné aux formes narratives. Après le « festival scénique sacré » (Bühnenweihfestspiel), Parsifal, de Wagner présenté en 1882 à Bayreuth, des œuvres plus récentes réactualisent le mythe en cherchant à l'adapter au théâtre. Jean Cocteau, en 1937, dans Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde, présente un Graal inaccessible, immatériel. En 1948, Julien Gracq, dans Le Roi Pêcheur, inscrit le Graal dans l'opposition entre le profane et le sacré. Jacques Roubaud et Florence Delay, dans les éditions de 1977 et 2005 de Graal Théâtre, optent pour une récriture où les représentations du mythe se côtoient et se confrontent. Ces textes de théâtre modernes, où la représentation du Graal se situe au cœur du projet d'écriture, entrent ainsi en relation directe avec les œuvres médiévales. Ils s'inscrivent dans une redéfinition de l'objet qui se renouvelle sans cesse depuis Le Conte du Graal de Chrétien de Troyes. Dans les trois cas, la représentation du Graal entretient des relations contradictoires de filiation et de rupture avec la littérature arthurienne de l'époque médiévale. L'hypothèse principale de cette recherche se situe dans la problématique de la récriture comme transformation d'un héritage. Plus précisément, il sera question de comprendre comment la représentation du Graal dans les textes de théâtre pose problème et comment cette question est modulée, travaillée par les auteurs en termes rhétoriques, stylistiques et dramaturgiques. L'utilisation de la parodie, d'anachronismes et de voix dramatiques nouvelles, par exemple, permet aux auteurs modernes de revisiter et de changer le rapport à l'objet. Le Graal se redéfinit dans des contextes historiques et dans un genre distincts de leur source du Moyen Âge. / This work examines the transformations of the Holy Grail from medieval romances to modern plays. The Holy Grail, which first appeared in the Middle Ages, remains a source of inspiration for modern writers and gained, over time, a legendary status. This important feature of Arthurian literature has evolved significantly since the Middle Ages, where it remained however confined to narrative forms. After the festival (Bühnenweihfestspiel) where Wagner’s Parsifal was first presented in 1882 in Bayreuth, more recent works have renewed the myth by adapting it to the theatre. Jean Cocteau, in 1937, in Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde, presented an inaccessible and intangible Grail. In 1948, Julien Gracq, in Le Roi Pêcheur, placed the Grail at the core of the opposition between profane and sacred. Jacques Roubaud and Florence Delay, in editions of 1977 and 2005 of Graal Théatre, opted for a rewriting where contradictory representations of the myth coexist. These modern dramas, where the representation of the Grail is at the center of the writing experience, are thus in direct connection with medieval works. They are part of a redefinition of the object that has constantly renewed itself since Chrétien de Troyes’ Conte du Graal. In all three cases, the representation of the Grail shows conflicting relationships with the medieval Arthurian literary heritage. The main hypothesis of this research lies in the idea that rewriting has to do with the transformation of a legacy. More specifically, it comes to understand how the representation of the Holy Grail is dealt with in modern dramas, how it is modulated by the authors in rhetorical, stylistic and dramaturgical terms. The use of parody, anachronisms and new dramatic voices, for example, allows modern authors to revisit and change their relation to this object. The Grail is thus redefined in different historical contexts and in a genre quite distinct from medieval romances.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Catholic University of America, 1932. / At head of title: The Catholic University of America. Bibliography: p. 176-186.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Catholic University of America, 1932. / At head of title: The Catholic University of America. Bibliography: p. 176-186.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-17T15:01:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1786722 bytes, checksum: 1f37882f48cc5060cd22a94e02c312c2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-05 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This dissertation has the purpose of analysing the mythical-symbolic meaning of the Grail in its correlation with the myth of the hero, here represented by the ideal of medieval cavalry. Work with the hyphotesis that between the lines of Grail myth lies virtue as the path which leads to acquaintance of self and transcendence, being the Grail an immaterial good symbolised by many objects. Between two axes, history and myth, I bring some reflections to analyse the meaning of the Grail. Regarding methodological procedures, I made use of bibliographical research based on seminal romances from twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Perceval or the Story of the Grail by Chrétien de Troyes and Parzival by Wolfram Von Eschenbach. Such romances were examined from referential theory of the Antrophological Structures of Imaginary by Gilbert Durand and of comparative mythology by Joseph Campbell. / Esta dissertação tem por objetivo analisar o significado mítico-simbólico do Graal em sua conexão com o mito do herói, aqui representado pelo cavaleiro medieval. Trabalho com a hipótese que nas entrelinhas do mito do Graal está a virtude como o caminho que leva para o encontro de si mesmo e da transcendência, sendo o Graal um bem imaterial simbolizado por vários objetos. Entre os dois pólos, história e mito, trago algumas reflexões para analisar o significado do Graal. Em relação aos procedimentos metodológicos, utilizei a pesquisa bibliográfica, com base nos romances seminais dos séculos XII e XIII, Perceval ou o Romance do Graal, de Chrétien de Troyes e Parsifal, de Wolfram Von Eschenbach. Tais romances foram analisados a partir do referencial teórico das Estruturas Antropológicas do Imaginário de Gilbert Durand e da mitologia comparada de Joseph Campbell.

The Steiner/Waldorf school movement is currently one of the fastest growing independent school movements internationally. In several countries it seems to have developed into the most popular form of alternative education. South Africa has 17 Waldorf schools and one full-time teacher training facility. This study investigated the interpretation and implementation of the Parzival main lesson within the wider context of the Waldorf curriculum. The main lesson system is an essential constituent of the Waldorf curriculum. Most academic subjects in a Waldorf school are taught in a three- or four-week main lesson block. The main lesson occupies the first two hours of the school day. A main lesson consists of a particular three-part structure, and the main lesson book is the keystone to the Waldorf evaluative process. The Parzival main lesson is specifically taught in Class 11, and most Waldorf schools consider it as one of the most important main lessons in the high school. The interpretivist model was ideally suited to this research. The investigation was conducted as a multiple case study, and the main source of data was provided by classroom observation. This was supported by interviews and classroom artifacts. The study involved two South African Waldorf schools at which the Parzival main lesson is taught. This main lesson is presented at only three South African Waldorf schools. I teach at the remaining school, and therefore conducted my research at the other two schools. The teachers who facilitated the Parzival main lesson, as well as the Class students at the selected schools voluntarily participated in the research. My research findings indicate that the possibility exists for the teacher to exercise a certain degree of freedom and creativity within the parameters of Waldorf methodology and the Waldorf curriculum. The study also determines that teachers often find it difficult to integrate the three-part structure, as indicated by Waldorf methodology, in a single main lesson. Furthermore, my research establishes that main lesson books can indeed serve as both text and as an assessment tool. I therefore conclude and maintain in this study, with particular reference to the Parzival main lesson, that despite the prescriptive structure of the Waldorf system and Steiner pedagogy, teachers need not necessarily sacrifice their freedom and creativity within the classroom.