In Book 2, Gadifer and Perceforest each organizes his twelve best knights into teams to
free the island from chaos and superstition and bring it to culture and chivalry. It ends
with the creation of Perceforest’s Franc Palais, in which are displayed the shields of the
knights who have distinguished themselves. Book 3 relates twelve tournaments held at
the Chastel aux Pucelles, each won by the suitor of the girl from whom it was held.
In Book 4, Caesar conquers Britain and destroys the courtly civilization that had been
so painstakingly established by Perceforest. This tragedy is overcome, however, as
civilization is gradually restored in Books 5 and 6. Book 5 narrates a second series of
twelve tournaments, organized by the daughter of King Gadifer to teach the art of
chivalry. In Chapter 12 of Book 5, the author traces the ancestry of King Lot of Orkney.
He goes on to recount the arrival of Joseph of Arimathea in Britain and alludes frequently
to the Arthurian Grail materials. Book 6 tells of the christianization of Britain, before and
after the Danish and Saxon invasions, by Gallafur, the grandson of both Gadifer and
Perceforest. The final chapter of this final book tells of the adoration of the Holy Grail
and recounts the episode of the roi mehaingne (“maimed king”) in close imitation of the
Queste del saint Graal.
The didactic themes of the romance are the fragility of civilized life and the
importance of religious renewal. The author seeks to show that the gains of civilization,
represented by chivalry, religion, and political stability, are constantly being menaced by
threats of war and invasion. Between the paganism of Alexander and the Christianity of
Arthur are many vicissitudes, but after each trial Britain is able to pick itself up again and
continue, refortified, on the road to becoming a civilized Christian kingdom.
William W.Kibler
[See also: AUBERT, DAVID; GRAIL AND GRAIL ROMANCES; ROMANCE]
Roussineau, Gilles, ed. Troisième partie du roman de Perceforest. 3 vols. Geneva: Droz, 1988–93.
——. ed. Perceforest: quatrième partie. 2 vols. Geneva: Droz, 1987. [Based on MS B (B.N. fr.
106–09).]
Taylor, Jane H.M., ed. Le roman de Perceforest: première partie. Geneva: Droz, 1979. [Edits about
half of Book 1, based on MS A (B.N. fr. 345–48).]
Flutre, Louis Fernand. “Études sur Le roman de Perceforêt” Romania 70 (1948–49):474–522; 71
(1950):374–91, 482–508; 74 (1953):44–102; 88 (1967):475–508; 89 (1968): 355–86; 90
(1969):341–70; 91 (1970):189–226.
Lods, Jeanne. Le roman de Perceforest: origines, composition, caractères, valeur et influence.
Geneva: Droz, 1951.
PERCEVAL CONTINUATIONS
. Chrétien de Troyes’s Perceval, or the Conte du Graal (ca. 1181–90), which breaks off
in mid-sentence, inspired a series of four continuations within the following half-century.
Of the fifteen manuscripts containing Chrétien’s poem, eleven have one or more of the
continuations, and in most there is no break indicated and the handwriting of the
continuations is identical to that of Chrétien’s work. The most common pattern, found in
six manuscripts, is to have Chrétien’s Perceval followed by the First Continuation, the
Second Continuation, and the Manessier Continuation. In two manuscripts, the Gerbert
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