The Post-Vulgate Cycle, also known as the Post-Vulgate Arthuriad, the Post-Vulgate ''Roman du Graal'' (''Romance of the Grail'') or the Pseudo-Robert de Boron Cycle, is one of the major

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...

cycles of Arthurian">prose Literature cycle">cycles of Arthurian literature from the early 13th century. It is considered essentially a rewriting of the earlier and more popular Vulgate Cycle (also known as the ''Lancelot-Grail'' cycle), with much left out but also much added, including characters and scenes from the Prose ''Tristan''. The cycle did not survive in its entire original form, but has been reconstructed from fragments in several medieval languages.

History

The Post-Vulgate Cycle, written anonymously probably between 1230 and 1235 (different estimates of the beginning date) to 1240 (1250 according to J.D. Bruce) in its original form. It did not survive complete, but has been reconstructed from various

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th Castilian, Old Spanish">Castilian Spanish">Castilian, Old Spanish, and Galician-Portuguese">Old_Spanish.html" ;"title="Castilian Spanish">Castilian, Old Spanish">Castilian Spanish">Castilian, Old Spanish, and Galician-Portuguese fragments. Earlier theories postulated that, known then as the so-called "pseudo-Boron" cycle, named so due to one manuscript's attribution of its authorship to Robert de Boron, it was either older than the Vulgate or derived from the same common and now lost original source. As such, Gaston Paris had the P-V ''Suite du Merlin'' dated as early as 1125—1230. The Post-Vulgate Cycle borrowed material from the first version of the Prose ''Tristan'', and in turn was partially incorporated in its second version. The Post-Vulgate itself (or at least its ''Suite du Merlin'' section) was later also one of the most important original sources for

Thomas Malory Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'A ...

's ''

Le Morte d'Arthur ' (originally written as '; Anglo-Norman French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...

'', along with indirectly through the second version of the Prose ''Tristan''.

Structure and contents

The work is divided into four parts, named similar to their corresponding Vulgate Cycle versions. It is an attempt to create greater unity in the material, and to de-emphasise the secular love affair between

Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), alternatively written as Launcelot and other variants, is a popular character in the Matter of Britain, Arthurian legend's chivalric romance tradition. He is typically depicted as King Arthu ...

and

Guinevere Guinevere ( ; ; , ), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First mentioned in literature in the early 12th cen ...

in favor of the religious and spiritual Quest for the Holy Grail. As such, it omits great most of the Vulgate Cycle's ''Lancelot Proper'' section, making it shorter and much less Lancelot-centered than its source. Instead, it borrows from the first version of the legend of

Tristan and Iseult Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Of disputed source, usually assumed to be primarily Celtic nations, Celtic, the tale is a ...

, including

Tristan Tristan (Latin/ Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; ; ), also known as Tristran or Tristram and similar names, is the folk hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. While escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed Tristan's uncle, King Mark of ...

himself as a prominent character. It further distinguishes from the Vulgate by its more pessimistic tone, its darker portrayal of several major characters such as

Merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...

, Morgan, and

Gawain Gawain ( ), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Matter of Britain, Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and one of the premier Knights of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned und ...

, and its bleak ending. * The Post-Vulgate ''Estoire del Saint Grail'', which did not differ significantly from the Vulgate version. It tells the story of

Joseph of Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea () is a Biblical figure who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion. Three of the four Biblical Canon, canonical Gospels identify him as a member of the Sanhedrin, while the ...

and his son

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; , ; ), born Yosef ben Mattityahu (), was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing '' The Jewish War'', he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of pr ...

, who bring the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (, , , ) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenanc ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

. *The Post-Vulgate ''Estoire de Merlin'', which also bears but few changes from the Vulgate. It concerns Merlin and the early history of Arthur. **To this section is added the Post-Vulgate ''Suite du Merlin'', or the ''Suite'' Post-Vulgate, the first major departure from the source material. It adds many adventures of Arthur and the early

Knights of the Round Table The Knights of the Round Table (, , ) are the legendary knights of the fellowship of King Arthur that first appeared in the Matter of Britain literature in the mid-12th century. The Knights are a chivalric order dedicated to ensuring the peace ...

, and includes details about Arthur's incestuous begetting of

Mordred Mordred or Modred ( or ; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a major figure in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein he and Arthur are a ...

and receiving

Excalibur Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...

from the

Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (, , , , ) is a title used by multiple characters in the Matter of Britain, the body of medieval literature and mythology associated with the legend of King Arthur. As either actually fairy or fairy-like yet human enchantres ...

that are not found in the Vulgate. It is best known from the French manuscript known as the Huth-''Merlin''. One version was printed twice as the '. **An incomplete fragment known as ''La Folie Lancelot'' (as published by Fanni Bogdanow), that is ''Lancelot's Madness'', combines material from the Vulgate ''Lancelot Proper'' (otherwise missing from the Post-Vulgate Cycle) and the first version of the Prose ''Tristan'' to connect the events to the ''Queste'' section. Some gaps are also filled in other surviving fragments. *The Post-Vulgate ''Queste del Saint Graal'' describes the knights' search for the Holy Grail, which can only be achieved by the worthy knights Galahad,

Perceval Perceval (, also written Percival, Parzival, Parsifal), alternatively called Peredur (), is a figure in the legend of King Arthur, often appearing as one of the Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Tro ...

, and Bors. The Post-Vulgate ''Queste'' is very different in tone and content from the Vulgate version. Elements from the Prose ''Tristan'' (first version) are present, such as the character Palamedes and King Mark's invasions of Arthur's realm. Its most complete version is the Portuguese ''Demanda do Santo Graal''. This part of the cycle has been repeatedly printed in Spain as the ''Demanda del Santo Grial''. *The Post-Vulgate ''Mort Artu'', concerning Arthur's death at the hands of his son Mordred and the collapse of his kingdom. It is based more closely on the Vulgate ''Mort'' but was rewritten with greater connectivity to the previous sections. Like the ''Queste'', the P-V ''Mort'' is longer than the Vulgate version.

Modern editions

The first full English translation of the ''Vulgate'' and ''Post-Vulgate'' cycles were overseen by N.J. Lacy. * ** ** * * ** ** **

References

Sources

* * * {{refend 1240s books Arthurian literature in French Holy Grail Medieval French romances Works based on Merlin