BLACK HAND OF CASTLE PERILOUS

 

The black hand of Chapel Perilous extinguishes the light.

The sinister tale of Chapel Perilous was said to embody one of the mysteries of the Grail--a secret which no one may speak of without inviting great peril.

The name and sex of the hero/heroine, as well as the experiences and details of the foreboding Chapel, differ somewhat with each version of the Grail romances. In the story of Gawain, the questing knight rode alone in search of the Grail Castle. As he passed through a forest, a storm began to brew overhead. Gawain rode on but the terrific storm overtook him. The sky blackened; the trees moaned under the fierce wind. The horseman's spirits roses when he saw a light in the distance. He followed the beacon to a crossroads deep in the heart of the forest. There before him stood a chapel, from where the light shone through an open door. Thinking he had found shelter for the night, Gawain entered the Perilous Chapel. No cloth covered the altar; it was bare, save for a giant golden candle. Gawain studied the room, then lifted his eyes to the window above the altar. To his horror, a giant, hideous black hand reached through the window. At this moment a deafening voice rose, threatening and lamenting until it shook the structure and the ground beneath him. Gawain's horse trembled then shied as the black hand reached further and extinguished the light. The knight fought to keep his senses, crossed himself, and fled. Once they were clear of the chapel the storm subsided and gave way to calm skies, allowing horse and rider to travel deep into the night.

Ferguson, Anna-Marie. Keeper of Words. 1995 Llewellyn Publications. St. Paul, Minnesota. (229)

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DRESSING OF THE SACRED SPRING

  Homage is paid to the benevolent spirit of the spring. Nature worship was at the heart of the celtic Pagan religion. The Celts believed the Divine to be inherent in the landscape, with every feature inhabited by the spirits of nature. To the early celts, springs, rivers and lakes of the Isle of the Mighty were the dwelling places of the spirits of water. For this reason many streams (especially springs) were considered sacred sites, each with its guardian spirit. The fresh waters that spring from the earth were thought to carry gifts from the underworld--cures for the sick, and in some instances, knowledge, inspiration, and future sight. Some wells were said to restore life; if offended, teh spirit would also take life, rising up and drowning the culprit. Given that the spirits of water were generally considered feminine, the dressing rites, and offerings to the goddess of the spring are thought to hve been performed by women. This traidtion, though somewhat modifie...
Read more

CASTLE PERILOUS

  Eager to fight the most famous of Arthur's knights, Ironside the Red Knight of the Red Launde embattled himself in Castle Perilous, where he held the lovely Lady Lyones hostage. Confident that her plight would draw out the knights, Ironside patiently awaited their rescue attempts. In the two years that passed, many a brave knight tried and failed to free teh Lady Lyones. But still the famous opponents Ironside longed to face--Lancelot, Gawain, and Tristram had not come. Linet, sister toLyones, travelled Arthur's court and requested that the king send a Knight of the Round Table to save her sister. Arthur assigned Gareth to the task. Linet (like most of the court) was unaware of Gareth's true identity and knew him only as Beaumains, a lowly kitchen knave. Linet was furious and left the court immediately Gareth raced after her, deterrmined to prove himself both to her and the rest of the court. Despite her constant insults, Gareth remained courteous. While passing...
Read more

SWORD OF STRANGE HANGINGS

  The Sacred Sword awaits its master. The mAgical or sacred sword is a common motif in Celtic legends. Excalibur is perhaps the most widely known sword of the Arthurian world, but it is not alone. A number of idfferent but erelated swords figure in the stories, and as Galahad nears the end of his quest he is honoured with the awesome Sword of Strange Hangings. During the Quest for the Holy Grail, Galahad, Percivale and Bors were guided to a "miraculous Ship" by Percivale's enlightened sister Dindrane. Within the ship they found a beautiful bed, and upon it rested a crown of gold and silk. Across its foot lay a mangificant sword, partly drawn from its scabbard. The pommel was adorned with the rarest and most brilliant of gems. The scabbard was made of a material never seen before, but which had the look of snake skin. Most curious of all were its strange hangings, which were of such poor quality as compared with the richness of the sword and scabbard, that it was...
Read more