The Tale of Sir Galahad
The circumstances surrounding the conception of baby Galahad were perfunctory at best and crafty, miserable and downright illegal in today’s sense of the word at worst. Galahad’s story began with King Pelles from Corbenic, who recieved word from a magical source that Sir Lancelot would give his daughter a child. This child, chosen by God to achieve the Holy Grail, would grow into the greatest knight in the world and become even more of a legend than his father was. The King knew this as surely as he knew Lancelot would also never sleep with his daughter, and so in purpose to help Destiny fulfill Her prophecy, Pelles seeked out an enchantress to make Elaine- his daughter- take on the face and body of Queen Guinevere, Lancelot’s true love. The result? Baby Galahad was born. Raised by his Aunt the nun, Galahad reached adulthood and was reunited with father, Lancelot, upon which occurrence he was knighted. Lancelot led Sir Galahad to King Arthur’s court over at Camelot, where he was ushered in the “Siege Perilous”- a divine seat reserved for the purest and noblest of knights, often proven fatal to those not worthy who dared perch on it. Seeing as no calamity befell on Galahad after taking his seat, King Arthur, in realization of the potential in this ncewcomer, led him out to the river where a sword in a stone laid. Under it held a prescription, which stated in the sword’s words, “Never shall man take me hence but only he by whose side I ought to hang; and he shall be the best knight of the world.” An accurate description by which Galahad lived by once he drew the sword. King Arthur was left with a flashback in his own miraculous exploit at retrieving Excalibur from Lady Luck, and he immediately welcomed Galahad to the Order of the Round Table to grant the quest- to him and amongst other arrogant and ambitious knights- to seek out the Holy Grail, a vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper (the holiest of relics).
On this journey Sir Galahad was for most of its duration alone, smiting his enemies and saving damsels in distress until he finally found support in the arrival of Sir Percival and Sir Bors. Here is where his legend strays and many versions separate from one another. In one, these three knights, in the company of Percival’s sister, crossed the sea and landed on a distant shore, where Galahad came upon the Corbenic castle and Percival’s sister was forced to surrender her life to save another’s. The death of Percival's sister marked the absence of Sir Bors, who left the quest in order to give her a proper burial. Galahad and Percival found themselves at the court of the Grail, where they caught a glimpse of it and were reunited with Lancelot. The man was, however, prevented from entering because the Holy
