THE LANCE OF REDEMPTION

 

The Lance of Redemption rests in the sanctity of the inner chamber. The sacred Lance was kept under the care of the Fisher King in his castle, where is appeared in the famous Grail procession.

The Lance had power to help avenge, and bring fertility to the earth. It most likely originates from the Celtic Lance of Redemption, or Spear of Lug (Lleu). It later became associated with the Christian Lance of Longinus and the spear that injured the Fisher King.

Balin, entered the castle of the Fisher King in search of a murderous knight. Balin found and killed the villain, whom he later learned was a relative of the Fisher King. Having lost his weapons, Balin raced through the castle trying to escape the enrated king. The unknowing knight entered the inner chamber of the Lance. The awestruck Balin marvelled at its beauty and sactity. As he gazed, the king burst through the door. In his panic, Balin grabbed the spear and wounded the king through his thigh. With the Dolorous Stroke (as it has come to be known) the castle fell and the land wasted alongside its king, only to be renewed amy years later witht he success of the Quest for the Holy Grail.

Ferguson, Anna-Marie. Keeper of Words. 1995 Llewellyn Publications. St. Paul, Minnesota (151)

 

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