Fisher King  

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===Celtic mythology=== ===Celtic mythology===
The Fisher King appears first in [[Chrétien de Troyes]]' ''[[Perceval, the Story of the Grail]]'' in the late 12th century, but the character's roots may lie in [[Celtic mythology]]. He may be derived more or less directly from the figure of [[Brân the Blessed]] in the ''[[Mabinogion]]''. In the [[Four Branches of the Mabinogi|Second Branch]], Bran has a cauldron that can resurrect the dead (albeit imperfectly; those thus revived cannot speak) which he gives to the king of Ireland as a wedding gift for him and Bran's sister [[Branwen]]. Later, Bran wages war on the Irish and is wounded in the foot or leg, and the cauldron is destroyed. He asks his followers to sever his head and take it back to Britain, and his head continues talking and keeps them company on their trip. The group lands on the island of [[Gwales]], where they spend 80 years in a castle of joy and abundance, but finally they leave and bury Bran's head in London. This story has analogues in two other important [[Welsh language|Welsh]] texts: the ''Mabinogion'' tale "[[Culhwch and Olwen]]", in which [[King Arthur]]'s men must travel to Ireland to retrieve a magical cauldron, and the poem ''[[The Spoils of Annwn]]'', which speaks of a similar mystical cauldron sought by Arthur in the otherworldly land of [[Annwn]]. The Fisher King appears first in [[Chrétien de Troyes]]' ''[[Perceval, the Story of the Grail]]'' in the late 12th century, but the character's roots may lie in [[Celtic mythology]]. He may be derived more or less directly from the figure of [[Brân the Blessed]] in the ''[[Mabinogion]]''. In the [[Four Branches of the Mabinogi|Second Branch]], Bran has a cauldron that can resurrect the dead (albeit imperfectly; those thus revived cannot speak) which he gives to the king of Ireland as a wedding gift for him and Bran's sister [[Branwen]]. Later, Bran wages war on the Irish and is wounded in the foot or leg, and the cauldron is destroyed. He asks his followers to sever his head and take it back to Britain, and his head continues talking and keeps them company on their trip. The group lands on the island of [[Gwales]], where they spend 80 years in a castle of joy and abundance, but finally they leave and bury Bran's head in London. This story has analogues in two other important [[Welsh language|Welsh]] texts: the ''Mabinogion'' tale "[[Culhwch and Olwen]]", in which [[King Arthur]]'s men must travel to Ireland to retrieve a magical cauldron, and the poem ''[[The Spoils of Annwn]]'', which speaks of a similar mystical cauldron sought by Arthur in the otherworldly land of [[Annwn]].
- 
-[[File:Myths and legends; the Celtic race (1910) (14596966327).jpg|thumb|The bloodied head on a plate in [[T. W. Rolleston]]'s ''Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race'' (1910) <br> <small>"Peredur had been shown these things to incite him to avenge the wrong, and to prove his fitness for the task."</small>]] 
The [[Welsh Romance]] ''[[Peredur son of Efrawg]]'' is based on Chrétien or derived from a common original, but it contains several prominent deviations and lacks a Grail. The character of the Fisher King appears (though he is not called such) and presents [[Peredur]] with a severed head on a platter. Peredur later learns that he was related to that king, and that the severed head was that of his cousin, whose death he must avenge by defeating the [[Nine sorceresses|Nine Witches]]. The [[Welsh Romance]] ''[[Peredur son of Efrawg]]'' is based on Chrétien or derived from a common original, but it contains several prominent deviations and lacks a Grail. The character of the Fisher King appears (though he is not called such) and presents [[Peredur]] with a severed head on a platter. Peredur later learns that he was related to that king, and that the severed head was that of his cousin, whose death he must avenge by defeating the [[Nine sorceresses|Nine Witches]].
{{GFDL}} {{GFDL}}

Revision as of 06:38, 18 December 2020

"A common theme among mythological kings are the king's wounds, sacrifice and (sometimes) death for the betterment of the people. The Fisher King is an example of theme of the "wounded king.""--Sholem Stein

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In Arthurian legend, the Fisher King (Template:Lang-fr, Template:Lang-cy), also known as the Wounded King or Maimed King (Roi blessé, in Old French Roi Méhaigié, Welsh: Brenin Clwyfedig), is the last in a long bloodline charged with keeping the Holy Grail. Versions of the original story vary widely, but he is always wounded in the legs or groin and incapable of standing. All he is able to do is fish in a small boat on the river near his castle, Corbenic, and wait for some noble who might be able to heal him by asking a certain question. In later versions, knights travel from many lands to try to heal the Fisher King, but only the chosen can accomplish the feat. This is achieved by Percival alone in the earlier stories; he is joined by Galahad and Bors in the later ones.

Many later works have two wounded "Grail Kings" who live in the same castle, a father and son (or grandfather and grandson). The more seriously wounded father stays in the castle, sustained by the Grail alone, while the more active son can meet with guests and go fishing. For the purposes of clarity in the remainder of this article, where both appear, the father will be called the Wounded King, the son named the Fisher King.

The Fisher King legends imply that he becomes unable to father or support a next generation to carry on after his death (a "thigh" wound has been interpreted by many scholars in Arthurian literature as a genital wound). There are slight hints in the early versions that his kingdom and lands suffer as he does, and modern scholars have suggested his impotence affecting the fertility of the land and reducing it to a barren wasteland.

History of the character

Celtic mythology

The Fisher King appears first in Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail in the late 12th century, but the character's roots may lie in Celtic mythology. He may be derived more or less directly from the figure of Brân the Blessed in the Mabinogion. In the Second Branch, Bran has a cauldron that can resurrect the dead (albeit imperfectly; those thus revived cannot speak) which he gives to the king of Ireland as a wedding gift for him and Bran's sister Branwen. Later, Bran wages war on the Irish and is wounded in the foot or leg, and the cauldron is destroyed. He asks his followers to sever his head and take it back to Britain, and his head continues talking and keeps them company on their trip. The group lands on the island of Gwales, where they spend 80 years in a castle of joy and abundance, but finally they leave and bury Bran's head in London. This story has analogues in two other important Welsh texts: the Mabinogion tale "Culhwch and Olwen", in which King Arthur's men must travel to Ireland to retrieve a magical cauldron, and the poem The Spoils of Annwn, which speaks of a similar mystical cauldron sought by Arthur in the otherworldly land of Annwn.

The Welsh Romance Peredur son of Efrawg is based on Chrétien or derived from a common original, but it contains several prominent deviations and lacks a Grail. The character of the Fisher King appears (though he is not called such) and presents Peredur with a severed head on a platter. Peredur later learns that he was related to that king, and that the severed head was that of his cousin, whose death he must avenge by defeating the Nine Witches.




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Fisher King" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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