Similarly to the theme of Christianity, the Covenant theme plays an important role in La Queste del Saint Graal by addressing all of God’s promises with man. This is also known as fate which is one of the most common themes that’s used in all grail narratives. In these novels, fate is used to determine the chosen one or the one who will find the Holy Grail and the person that will cause harm and chaos. Fate is determined by God through prophecies from inscriptions, spiritual events, or knowledge of a character’s family line history. The book includes these in addition to a vision Lancelot experiences. Many modern movies also incorporate fate with in the story-line. However, today’s films don’t rely heavily on Christianity and specific prophecies as the determining factors of the main character’s destiny. Comparing the Covenant theme to traditional grail narratives and contrasting the theme to modern narratives will help distinguish La Queste del Saint Graal as a part of the traditional grail literature by showing more similarities with old grail stories and traditions.
A clip of Arthur from the Disney film, The Sword in the Stone, pulling out a sword from stone.
This scene from The Sword in the Stone shows how La Queste del Saint Graal along with other grail narratives influence modern narratives. However, not all aspects of this theme were kept in many modern films. For example, in The Sword in the Stone, God isn't clearly shown as the major factor of fate. Since this is a Disney film, many important grail aspects weren't used because children are the primary audience. Because this movie and other modern films, modern ideas of what a grail narrative should be has changed and therefore has misinterpreted the true aspects of a grail narrative like La Queste del Saint Graal.
La Queste del Saint Graal also uses spiritual events to show the covenant as a vision of what is to come. The section of the book, "Sir Gawain and Hector Warned in Vision" tells how Sir Gawain and Hector fall asleep and have dissimilar visions in their dreams. In Sir Gawain's dream, "there was a hayrack in this field where a hundred and fifty bulls were feeding" and in Hector's dream "Lancelot and himself stepped down off a throne and mounted two powerful horses saying:
'Let us set out to seek what we shall never find.'
They set off at once and wandered for many days till Lancelot fell from his horse, struck down by a man who stripped him of all he wore.
And when he stood naked the man arrayed him in a robe all spiked with holly, and set him on an ass.
Thus mounted, he went on his way till he came at last to a spring, the clearest he had ever set eyes on.
But when he stooped to drink the spring hid itself from his sight, and Lancelot, seeing he might not drink of it, went back the way the way he had come.
Hector meanwhile, his mode of life unaltered, wandered aimlessly hither and yon till he came to a great man's house where a splendid wedding feast was in progress.
He stood outside the gate shouting: 'Open up!' And the lord came out and said to him:
'Sir Knight, this is not the house you are looking for: for now one enters here so proudly mounted as yourself (164-165)...'"
Hector's vision gives detail of the particular fate making the covenant clear to whomever has the vision. Vision is used in some grail narratives and also influences some narratives today. These narratives include the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones which uses a vision to tell King Arthur to take on the quest for the Holy Grail. The following clip shows God telling King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are chosen to seek the Holy Grail:
'Let us set out to seek what we shall never find.'
They set off at once and wandered for many days till Lancelot fell from his horse, struck down by a man who stripped him of all he wore.
And when he stood naked the man arrayed him in a robe all spiked with holly, and set him on an ass.
Thus mounted, he went on his way till he came at last to a spring, the clearest he had ever set eyes on.
But when he stooped to drink the spring hid itself from his sight, and Lancelot, seeing he might not drink of it, went back the way the way he had come.
Hector meanwhile, his mode of life unaltered, wandered aimlessly hither and yon till he came to a great man's house where a splendid wedding feast was in progress.
He stood outside the gate shouting: 'Open up!' And the lord came out and said to him:
'Sir Knight, this is not the house you are looking for: for now one enters here so proudly mounted as yourself (164-165)...'"
Hector's vision gives detail of the particular fate making the covenant clear to whomever has the vision. Vision is used in some grail narratives and also influences some narratives today. These narratives include the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones which uses a vision to tell King Arthur to take on the quest for the Holy Grail. The following clip shows God telling King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are chosen to seek the Holy Grail:
A clip from Monty Python and the Holy Grail that shows God telling Arthur he is chosen to find the Holy Grail.
The clip seems silly because its a parody of Holy Grail literature meaning that grail narratives including La Queste del Saint Graal influenced the different aspects of the film. Since the film is a parody, there are many aspects that different from true grail narratives. For example, the movie focuses on the quest for the grail more than other aspects like the covenant theme.