Individual Quest

¶ … Individualistic Quest Despite the many differences between the different incarnations of the Grail quest, all of the Holy Grail quest narratives are essentially individualistic quest narratives, as defined by the historian of mythology Joseph Campbell. Both "Percival" and "Parzival" are defined by their uniqueness as individuals, from the rest of their knights, because of their upbringing in isolated circumstances, from the rest of the chivalric Round Table.

And in the "Quest for the Holy Grail," Galahad is likewise isolated from the other knights because of his purity and removal from the earthly fray of sexual desire and worldly attainments. The hero is defined as a hero, not because he is part of his society, but because he is alien to his society.

The hero embodies the values of his society, but they are values of either the past or future, such as the 'holy fool' of Percival/Parzival or the chaste monastic ideal of Galahad -- the individualistic hero does not embody the ideals of the current society's spiritually desolate present day.

In the last narrative of the "Quest for the Holy Grail," the Holy Grail becomes a clear metaphor for the individual's soul search for salvation alone, something that no one can win for another human being, regardless of the collective knightly prowess of the Arthurian Round table.

Joseph Campbell, in his lecture on the individualistic quest narrative of the Holy Grail stresses the following line: "They [Arthur's knights] agreed that all would go on this quest, but they thought it would be a disgrace to go forth in a group so each entered the forest at a point that he, himself, had chosen, where it was darkest and there was no path." The darkness of the world becomes a metaphorical parallel for the spiritual darkness all human beings dwell in, on earth, even while they struggle and search for the light of salvation, embodied in the form of the Holy Grail.

The contrast between the light-seeking individual and the corruptness of dark society is also seen in the saga of the hero Percival/Parzival. The heroes of the earlier incarnations of the healing Holy Grail narratives, although pure and holy men, and untouched by corrupting social mores of ambition, still go astray at the palace of the Fisher King. These heroes only falter when follow the advice given by others, namely not to ask to many questions and be true to their own hearts.

By not going it alone, upon an untrodden path in the darkness of their spiritual forests, their uncharacteristic timidity prevents the Fisher King and his barren land from being freed. If Percival/Parzival had only followed their usual inner moral compasses to salvation, all would have been well. "When Parzival fails in the Grail adventure, he fails because he's doing what he's been told to do instead of what his heart tells him to do," notes Joseph Campbell.

The need for a hero's aloneness to make a proper quest in search of the Holy Grail is later underlined by the hero's chastity in the quest story of Galahad's quest for the grail. This newly introduced facet also underlines the increasing influence of Christianity in the Holy Grail saga. Now the quest was spiritual rather than a heroic, chivalric and military striving for one's lord and the bounty and earthly richness of one's land.

The later incarnations of the Holy Grail tale stressed the need for spiritual richness, healing, and transformation. Lest any of these individualistic quest elements of the Holy Grail tales seem overly archaic, however, think back to the last action movie that you saw.