The Grail Tests

by S. F. ANNETT

Although much has been written about the tests through which the Grail-seeker had to pass, they have never been systematized and therefore, in reading about them, we are apt to look upon them merely as part of the numerous adventures that befell the knight while upon his quest.

The popularization of the Grail Legend as a romance, also led to many adventures being duplicated in order to spin out the tale and as the main body of information upon which the romance writers drew, was the mixed mass of Celtic, or of ancient British tradition, a critical survey serves to show that many of these adventures, although superficially different may all have the same basic meaning.

In the Three Round Tables of the Grail story, it is not difficult to discern the Three Circles of Existence of British tradition. The food-providing Grail is obviously a conventionalized form of the food-providing Cauldron just as the Grail which restores the Wounded King is a copy of the Cauldron of Renovation of the pagan King Matholwch.

Such parallels are easy to follow but there are others which passing as they do back into the mists of forgotten times, seem to have no points of relation at all and which yet are quite meaningless until their prototypes are unearthed and understood. Students of mythology seem very loath to attempt this, they are too amateurish; and like amateurs, judge from superficial resemblance only. Many people, not versed in horticulture would see no resemblance at all between the carnation and the sweet-william and yet every gardener knows that they both belong to the Dianthus family and are therefore the same plant in different forms.

So it is with mythology, by going back towards their beginnings we often find that two apparently dissimilar stories are related to the same fact or have their origin in it. The Grail Tests were two in number: they have been multiplied into hundreds by the cultivators of the Romances and it is only by tracing these back to their source that we can arrive at an approximation of their meaning. Popularity is the death of truth for in the myriad mouths of the multitude it is distorted out of recognition.

In the Three Round Tables of the Grail story, it is not difficult to discern the Three Circles of Existence of British tradition. The food-providing Grail is obviously a conventionalized form of the food-providing Cauldron just as the Grail, which restores the Wounded King, is a copy of the Cauldron of Renovation of the pagan King Matholwch.

So it is with mythology, by going back towards their beginnings we often find that two apparently dissimilar stories.

Chivalry

Knighthood is an institution much older than we suspect. It was prevalent in Northern Europe long before Feudal Times but with the coming of Chivalry, it was popularized and thereby, losing most of its rugged grandeur, it was found necessary to condense much of it, in order to give it greater brilliance. Tacitus, in "The Manners of the Germans" writes:

"The right of carrying arms is assumed by no person whatever, till the State has declared him duly qualified. The young candidate is introduced before the assembly, when one of the chiefs, or his father, or some near relation presents him with shield and javelin. Thus, with the Germans is the manly grown, and the youth from that moment ranks as a citizen; till then he was merely looked upon as part of the household."

This was written in the time of Nero and, taken in conjunction with the whole passage of Tacitus shows the rude order of the earlier chiefs and clans of warriors, which later was to be adorned with every possible device under the name of Chivalry.

The Church also had to be brought into it for its still further glorification but when initiation was considered, the Church could help but little as the young men were not to be initiated into the Church but into the military.

Whatever may have been the cause, rites of initiation were instituted, based on paganism and these were the Vigil and Accolade. But like everything else in the system the colour was heightened by condensation and the two rites were carried out almost as one. During the night, the candidate kept watch before the altar in prayer and in the morning, he was clothed and then knighted by three light blows on the neck with a sword and this was the Accolade.

By such means was the whole system distorted, for the three degrees of knighthood are, the Esquire, the Bachelor, and the Knight Banneret. Each had its appropriate initiation so that between the three degrees should have been two tests, the Vigil and the Accolade, to prove the candidate's worthiness for advancement. We shall consider these tests more fully later but first we have to examine a most difficult Condition.

The Condition

The prior condition to knighthood in the Grail Order is sometimes given as the withdrawing of the sword, as the knight's chief weapon. According to Mallory, Arthur, besides receiving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, also withdraws a sword from an anvil and is then proclaimed rightful heir to Uther. Galahad also begins his work by withdrawing the sword from the stone.

Many simple explanations have been given to this act but at the risk of wearying the reader, I must take it that he, or she, would prefer fact to any simple answer, and the tracing of the facts is far from simple.

In the first place the weapon (for it was not always a sword) is not in all cases drawn from a stone. In the story of Belin and Balan, it is to be drawn from a scabbard. Percival also finds a sword in a scabbard and succeeds in drawing it, though this occurs in the latter part of his story. In the Nibelungen Lied, Odin, the All-Father places the sword Gram in the tree which is the support of the house, and only Siegmund can draw it out. Theseus has to wait till he is strong enough to lift the stone before he can secure his father's sword.

In the second place the weapon is not invincible. On one side of Excalibur is written, "Take me" and on the other, "Cast me away". In several cases the sword will serve well but will break in the owner's hand at a critical moment. Belin's sword beats down all others but in the end kills his brother Balan. Siegmund's sword Gram is finally shattered upon the spear of Odin. Siegfried himself re-welds it but it is useless against the spear-thrust of Hagen.

The sword of Galahad is the sword of Belin. When the two brethren slew each other, Merlin replaced the pommel of Belin's sword with another, on which was written that Galahad would wield it, and thrust the weapon into a block of marble that "hove ever above the water", until Galahad came. Then it floated down to Camelot.

Now Merlin, like All-Father Odin, was the Demiurgic power. The sword is double-edged and flashes like lightning when it is wielded, but it tells us nothing of itself. It is useless to guess at its meaning; we must go further back. The precursor of the sword was the battle-axe, which was a double axe as the sword is double-edged.

The axe has a longer history than the sword for it goes back through the Bronze Age to the Stone Age. Always it is the thunder-weapon par excellence. Blinkenberg, in his book "The Thunder weapon" gives many instances of it as a cult weapon and says that all over Europe today, peasants treasure flint axes, when they find them, as talismans against lightning. Now it may seem rather a long jump from the sword to the axe but it must be remembered that the sword story is only found in the Romances of Chivalric times whereas in the older legends it is the axe which is used, as we shall see when we come to the Accolade.

Now the symbol of the thunderbolt was three lines passing through the same central point. The thunderbolts of Jove and those shown in the Assyrian bas-reliefs are in this form, and after all, this is similar to the double axe if we join the ends of two of the lines.

The same three lines placed at right angles to each other, represent three-dimensional space and form the main axes of every three-dimensional body. It is along such lines that most crystals form, as every chemist knows, and the same figure was placed in the hands of the god Khonsu of Ancient Thebes to represent three scepters, the "uas" scepter or miner's pick, the flail and the crook. These scepters represented: 1) the pick = the mineral kingdom, 2) the flail = the vegetable kingdom and 3) the crook = the animal kingdom, and when placed together in the hands of an Egyptian god, they form the symbol of the thunderbolt

The Tibetan thunderbolt is the Dorje scepter, which is of similar shape to our symbol, and the Labarum which appeared to Constantine was the three lines joined (though afterwards changed to the chi rho) and the instructions that went with it were "In hoc signo vinces", while the same symbol is to be seen on some Christian gravestones in the British Museum.

It seems then that the forerunner of our sword was the axe or thunder weapon, and if so, we wish to know what it represents here and what condition it imposes on the candidate.

The symbol of the thunderbolt is really sevenfold for it has six points and one central point. The double triangles, or Solomon's Seal is likewise sevenfold for our three lines are, as it were, the skeleton of the interlaced triangles. These two triangles are red and white, or fire and water, and in Revelation one of the effects of opening the seals of the double book is the sound of thunder. It was from the blood of the two dragons when they fought, that the Alchemists obtained their Quintessence, and the result of the battle between the two brethren Belin and Balan was that Merlin placed the sword in the stone.

Now, if this sword or axe is the thunder-weapon, it can only mean that the candidate's first work is to extract it. The Druids were credited with the power of causing thunderstorms, though they seldom used it and when Milarepa, the Tibetan adept first went to his teacher, he boasted that he could cause thunderstorms. His teacher advised him, as a first exercise, to learn to refrain from such practices. In telling Vivian of his magic book, Merlin states that its former possessor could draw a thundercloud over the sun at will.

But however desirable the power of creating thunderstorms might appear to the ambitious, it would be of little use to the candidate for spiritual enlightenment. Apparently, the power of the thunderbolt in Egypt was control of the three natural kingdoms. Such control was vested in Khonsu of Thebes, hence he was able to transmit his power to the Princess of Bekhten and drive out the evil spirit which afflicted her.

Now we live an internal life in that we do not look upon things external to ourselves but upon images we have created to represent them. Within ourselves we have all three kingdoms, all three dimensions, but do we control them? We have only to recall certain distasteful images of persons or things to see how they control us. This will occasion the emotion of fear that will cause hatred, another loathing etc. etc. All these self-made images are endowed with a power or energy, which arouses in us emotion or passion. Now increase that passion sufficiently and the result will be an internal thunderstorm. This is the power to create thunderstorms, which Milarepa was told to control before he began to learn. This is the thunder-weapon, which only the chosen knight can withdraw, and without it in hand the quest is impossible.

"Self-reverence, Self-knowledge, Self-control”

These three alone raise man to sovereign power." This is the first condition that the candidate should bring with him his own weapon drawn forth from his own nature, and which, as an esquire he has learned to wield. This is the sword which Siegfried brought piece by piece to Mimir's anvil and which lie welded by exerting all the strength he had. Wasted as it is on passions and emotions such divine energy and power is lost to man, but conserved and directed to a chosen end, the candidate becomes invincible. But unless this first condition is fulfilled, disaster awaits at the first test, for this power of the thunderbolt is fire from heaven which has so often served to destroy the unworthy.

The Vigil

The first test which the Esquire has to pass is the Vigil, and again we have to search afar for information as to its meaning. In the Romances, the knight, after drawing forth the sword, takes his seat in the Siege Perilous. This seat was made by Merlin and whoever sat in it would lose himself and find himself, a neat play upon words.

Again we are told that it would not allow the unworthy to approach it, an equation with the Cauldron of Annwn which would not cook the food of a coward foresworn. Should the unworthy sit in this seat, he would be destroyed by fire from heaven or would be swallowed up in the abyss as in the case of Moyses, the false prophet. That is all the information we have of the Siege Perilous, so let us look further afield.

One of the most complete accounts comes from Ulster and is to be found in Lady Gregory's "Cuchulainn of Muirthemne". The story is of Bricriu's Feast and has to do with the contest for the Champion's Portion. Cuchulainn had already proved his right to be Champion of Ulster but as his right was challenged he proceeded with Conall and Loegaire to Curoi's fort to be tested. They were welcomed by Blanad, Curoi's wife, who told them they were to watch in turn at night until Curoi came back. "Now, in whatever part of the world Curoi was, he made a spell every night over the fort, so that it went around like a mill, and the entrance could be found in it after the setting of the sun.”

The first night Leogaire took the watch and towards the end of the night he saw a great shadow coming towards him from the sea westward Very huge and ugly and terrible it was, and it took the shape of a giant and reached up to the sky and the shining of the sea could be seen between its legs. This is how it came, its hands full of what looked like stripped oaks and each of them a load for six horses; and he hurled one of them at Loegaire but it went past him. He did this two or three times but the beams did not reach either the skin or the shield of Loegaire.

Then Loegaire hurled a spear at him but it did not hit him. He stretched out his hand then to Loegaire and the length of it reached across the three ridges that were between themwhen they were throwing at each other and he gripped hold of hint. Big and strong as Loegaire it-as he fitted like a child a year old into his hand. The giant turned him round between his two palms as a chessman is turned in a groove, and then he threw him, half dead, over the wall of the fort into a heap of mud.

The next night, Conall went out to take the watch. Everything happened as it had to Loegaire and when the third night came Cuchulainn went into the Seat of Watch. At midnight he heard a noise and by the light of the moon he saw nine gray shapes coming towards him over the marsh. He challenged them, cut off their heads, made a heap of them and sat down again to watch. Another nine and then another shouted at hint and he treated all the three nines the same and made a heap of their heads and arms.

While he was still watching he heard a sound front the marsh like a heavy sea, and although he was tired, he went to see what it was. Then he saw a great worst (serpent or dragon) corning up front the lake and it raised itself into the air over hint and made for the fort, and opened its mouth so wide that one of the houses would fit its gullet. Then Cuchulainn leaped and caught it round the neck and stretched his hand across its gullet and tore the monster's heart out and threw it ant the ground. He then hacked the beast with his sword and made pieces of it and put the head with the heap of skulls.

Towards the break of day, worn out and discouraged, he saw a great shadow corning to hint westward from the sea. "This is a bad night," said the shadow. "It will be worse for you yet," said Cuchulainn. Then he threw one of the beasts at Cuchulainn, but it passed by hint; he did this two or three times, but they did not reach either his shield or his skirt. Their he stretched out his hand to grip Cuchulainn, as he had done the others, but Cuchulainn leaped his salmon leap at the head of the monster with his drawn sword and brought hint down.

"Life for life, Cuchulainn," he said and with that he vanished and was seen no store."

I have given this account in full as it is one of the most complete we have. It is no ordinary adventure and it is followed by the Accolade with which we shall deal later.

In the Lay of the Great Fool we find something similar in that the Great Fool comes to the house of a magician. He is given food and allowed to stay the night provided he will guard the house and allow no one to touch the magician's wife. The magician leaves him on guard and departs. About midnight, a man comes to the house, enters and kisses the magician's wife but as he is about to leave, the Great Fool seizes him and will not let him go until he changes his shape to that of the magician and commends the Great Fool on his faithfulness.

In both these cases the attack is made by a magician who is a shape-shifter, and it is as well to note this, as it is a valuable clue. The parallel, of course, is to Proteus, who changed his form at will in order to elude his captor. (See Virgil's Fourth Georgic.)

In Lady Guest's Mabinogion, we have the story of Geraint and Enid. The whole story is worth close study but we have not room for its recapitulation. At the end of the many adventures, Geraint comes to an orchard surrounded by a hedge of mist. This mist is the enchantment of Britain. Geraint passes the mist and finds a pavilion in which is a lady and an empty chair. He is warned against sitting in the chair but does so; upon which a knight appears and challenges him. They fight and Geraint overcomes his opponent and makes him remove the mist. The story has the appearance of a condensed fragment of a larger legend. In some of the Grail stories the Siege Perilous is replaced by the Bed Merveillouse. Gawain sleeps in it and is attacked but succeeds in overcoming his attackers. Others undergo the same adventure.

It is noticeable here that there are many prehistoric remains, principally in Wales, called "beds". They have the appearance of stone-lined graves and are attributed to Bride and Guinevere. On St. Michael's Mount was the Giant's Chair, while Cader Idris is the Chair of the Giant Idris. It is said that whoever spends a night there will be found in the morning either inspired or insane.

The Bards always presided in a chair and we have one poem entitled "The Chair of Taliessin". In "The Sons of Llyr", Taliessin says "there is safety in the Cauldron of Ceridwen" which Hadrian Allcroft translates as the "cathedra" or chair of Ceridwen, claiming that the "cauldron" was another name for a stone-circle, in some of which stones were found in the form of a seat. This, he says, was a seat in which candidates were tested.

But the testing occurs not in the physical sense but in the super physical. The candidate has withdrawn the sword or thunder-weapon and is no longer susceptible to emotion as it is generally known. This does not mean that he is coldly intellectual or unfeeling. He takes his seat in silence, a vibrant silence in which he is in sympathy with all life. Yet sympathy is not the word, for it implies antipathy as love implies hate and he is impervious to both, holding the just balance between them with his released energy ready to hand in case of need.

St. John of the Cross calls it the "Dark Night of the Soul", for the test takes place at night. Christ endured it in Gethsemane while the disciples slept. But in the case we are dealing with, the test is a simple one and but foreshadows that greater Vigil when, having passed the three lesser degrees, the candidate takes his place in that night which is the portal of life and death and the gateway to a much fuller life.

For this reason, some tales speak of the Porter who holds the Western Portal of the Dark Repository, for there are four periods of existence of which the fourth is both Death and Birth. That fourth period is the time of sleep in which those who slumber awake to the round of life and those who watch may find the gateway to the greater life. From that point of view, the first three periods are not Youth, Maturity and Age, but the three lesser degrees, forming the first of the greater and bringing man to the great Vigil.

The Accolade

The test of the Accolade follows naturally upon the Test of the Vigil and there is little doubt that the 'Tester' is the same. The Seat of Watch was in Curoi's fort and the shapes, which threatened the watcher, were the result of Curoi's magic. In the Accolade, or Beheading Test as it is sometimes called, Curoi is again the chief actor although disguised.

Merlin does not seem to play quite the same part in the Siege Perilous, but we are told that he was its maker, as he was the maker of the Round Table at which it was placed, and it was Merlin who knew who should occupy it, just as it was Merlin who prepared the sword for Galahad.

On the whole, Curoi seems to play just the same part in the Ultonian Cycle that Merlin plays in the Arthurian Cycle. Curoi, however, bears all the marks of the pagan Irish magician whereas, in the Romances, Merlin seems to have been shorn of all barbarity and made more "gentlemanly" as became a member at a court of Chivalry. In spite of such dressing, however, some traces of the barbaric still remained in the older tales.

We read of a singular tale of Merlin, how he appeared one day clothed as a churl with a great shock of hair on his head, with his heels where his toes should have been and the palms of his hands were the backs should have been; in short he is described almost exactly as were the giant churls of the pagan stories with the exception that before leaving the court lie writes upon the wall, in Hebrew, that he was Merlin.

There is no possible doubt that in the originals of the Beheading Test, the operating magician is in the form of a most ungainly churl. We have it not only in the Curoi story but also in such tales as The Carl of Carlisle, The Turk and Gawain and The Lady of the Fountain.

Taking the Ultonian story first, we find in spite of his deeds, the two companions of Cuchulainn would not be persuaded to recognize him as the prime Champion of Ulster. This being so, Curoi decides on a final and conclusive test.

He appears among the heroes gathered in the Hall of the Red Branch at Ulster. His appearance is that of the giant churl, with all the distortions that make the cart so hideous. He takes up his stand at the foot of the forked beam, which supports the house, with a huge block (a load for twenty oxen) under one arm and an equally huge axe in the other. "Who are you that you should take your stand at the foot of the forked beam as if you would be light bearer to the house?" asked Dubthac Chafer-tongue adding, "though from your appearance you are more likely to burn 'the house down than give light to those that are within." "However that may be," replied the churl. "I am come that all those within the house may have light, yet will the house not be burned."

The words are remarkable especially as the events seem to have no bearing on Light unless the incident be taken in the form of an initiation. The churl then tells how he has heard of the valour of the men of Ulster and proposes a test which turns out to be that one of those present should cut off the churl's head on condition that the churl should chop off his head the next night.

Conall immediately accepts the challenge and the churl handing him the axe, kneels down with his head on the block. Conall strikes it off but the churl rises, gathers up his head, block and axe and leaves the hall. The next night he returns but Conall is absent, upon which the churl taunts the heroes until Loegaire takes up the challenge, with the same result. On the third night, Loegaire is absent and the churl pours out his scorn. Then he calls for "that fly Cuchulainn", taunting him for his weakness and cowardice-but Cuchulainn refuses to have anything to do with him. Still the churl continues his taunts and insults until Cuchulainn rises in anger and demands the axe.

The churl kneels and Cuchulainn strikes with such force that the head flies up to the rafters. As it falls Cuchulainn strikes it again, smashing it in pieces and flinging down the axe returns to his place. The churl, however, picks up his head as before.

The next night his companions try to persuade Cuchulainn to flee but he will not, and at last the churl arrives and calls for him, taunting him with cowardice and faintheartedness. But Cuchulainn comes forward and lays his head on the block. The churl is about to strike but hesitates; demanding that he stretch out his neck and Cuchulainn does so. Again, the churl taunts him and tells him to stretch further. Cuchulainn stretches his neck right across the block.

Then the churl prepared to strike and the creaking of the axe, and the creaking of the old hide he wore, and the creaking of his arms were as the noises of a forest in a storm. Then the axe descended but on its flat side and the churl exclaimed:” Rise, O Cuchulainn!" Of all the warriors of Ulster and of Ireland, none is found to he compared with thee in valour, in prowess or in truth," and when the churl had gone, they knew him to be Curoi.

The Fled Bricrend, or Feast of Bricriu is the most complete narrative we have, containing as it does the whole story of the testing from beginning to end in straight narrative form. The parallel to its account of the Accolade in England is the tale of Gawain and the Green Knight. In this tale the Green Knight arrives at Arthur's Hall on New Year's I Eve There is nothing of the churl about him except his great size. He is armed all in green and mounted on a green horse. He proposes a game and challenges any of those present to cut off his head on condition that he will present himself in a year's time to receive the counter-stroke.

Arthur is about to take up the challenge but Gawain persuades him to let him have the adventure. Gawain takes the axe from the Green Knight and strikes off his head whereupon the knight picks up axe and head and remounts his horse. He tells Gawain to meet him in one year's time at the Green Chapel and rides off.

Gawain sets out in search of the Green Chapel but by Christmas he has not found it He comes to the castle of Sir Bercilak and there he is entertained. With Christmas past he proposes to resume his search but his host persuades him to stay for a few days as the Green Chapel is nearby.

To pass the time he suggests that for three days he will go hunting while Gawain stays at the castle with his lady and the old crone who lives with them. At the end of each day they are to exchange whatever they have gained. On the first day Gawain is awakened by his hostess who begs for his love and when Gawain refuses, she kisses him once. Meanwhile Sir Bercilak hunts the hart, kills it and brings home the trophies which he presents to Gawain, receiving in return the single kiss.

The next day Gawain is again awakened by the lady and again his love is besought, but he refuses and receives two kisses. Sir Bercilak, meantime, hunts the wild boar and brings the trophies to Gawain at night receiving in return the two kisses.

On the third morning, the lady becomes very pressing. She bemoans the fate to which Gawain is committed, and although he still refuses her love, insists on his accepting a green baldric which will render its wearer free from harm and she kisses him three times. Sir Bercilak hunts the fox with which he returns at night and receives in return the three kisses but Gawain withholds the green baldric.

The next day a servant is deputed to guide him to the Green Chapel and he departs with the good wishes of his hosts. The servant guides him for a distance and then begs him to give up the adventure but finding this useless he directs Gawain as to his way and rides off. Gawain rides on through the woods till he comes to a clearing in which is a brook and on the farther side of it a green mound in which is a hole. He hears the sound as of a scythe being sharpened and calls out that Gawain is there to fulfill his pact.

From the hole in the mound springs the Green Knight, axe in hand and welcomes him. Gawain kneels to receive the stroke but as the axe is raised, he flinches. The knight stops and tells Gawain to keep still. Again he raises the axe and again hesitates, saying: "Ah, now thy heart is whole." Gawain tells him to lay on. For the third time the axe is raised and descends but only a slight cut is made on Gawain's neck, upon which he leaps to his feet and draws his sword saving that he has received the one stroke specified.

The Green Knight then pacifies Gawain and explains that the small cut is due to his having concealed the baldric. He reveals himself as Sir Bercilak and begs Gawain to dwell with them. His visit to Arthur's court was arranged by the old crone, who is Morgan le Fay, for the dishonour of Arthur's knights. Gawain refuses to stay and returns to court where Arthur founds an order of knights who shall wear the green baldric.

It is clear here that the incident has been subjected to considerable dressing up. Instead of the churl we have something more in keeping with knightly tradition and the affairs at the castle have obviously been introduced for the purpose of giving a "love interest" to the tale but in spite of that, the main factors remain.

In the High History of the Holy Grail, Branch XX Titles 12-15 Lancelot is made to pass a similar adventure. He meets a young man with an axe who, for no apparent reason, begs him to chop off his head. Lancelot does so, and later repairs to the young man's city where he is made prisoner and is about to he beheaded when the ladies intervene and beg for his life, which request is granted. It will be noted that in all these stories the axe is used and not the sword it almost seems to emphasize that the churl being immeasurably more ancient, uses the axe, while the more modern knight or champion carries the sword.

Again, it will be seen that the adventure is in two parts, first the beheading of the churl, which is a re-acting of the Vigil or of some former deed. In the Fourth Georgic, Proteus accuses Aristaeus of having caused the death of Eurydice and of bringing grief to Orpheus, a chare which could have no foundation in fact. As a result of this supposed sin, Aristaeus has lost all his bees and before they can be brought back he must make atonement.

This is not an exact parallel with the Beheading Test and the only connection seems to lie in the peculiarity of shape shifting common to both Proteus and the Churl. It may be intended, however, that some sin for crime) pictured as a beheading is shared by the knight through his descent from the original perpetrator. We see that Merlin, Curoi, and other figures of the Magician, all have the power of changing shape. They are all builders of a round or turning castle and they all appear and disappear at will. This is the figure of the Demiurge who at one time has been beheaded and seeks revenge. In Chapter XLIII of the Book of the Dead, the Osirified says: "I am the Great One, son of the Great One; I am Fire, the son of the Fire, to whom was given his head after it was cut off. Here is the meaning obviously; the taking of the sword was the taking of the power of Fire or of the thunderbolt. Armed with that he was thought to be worthy to undergo the Vigil, to sit in the Siege Perilous. But the dangers of that seat are twofold---to be sunk in the abyss or to be struck with Fire from heaven.

The shapes and figures which attacked Cuchulainn came from the marsh or else from the sea, both symbols of the abyss, in fact the Seat of Watch was right over the marsh. But the tester Curoi also wields the axe, and in so far as the candidate is unworthy, is he wounded, as we see in the Gawain story. Whatever is combustible must be burnt up by the Fire and this, according to Revelation, is the Second Death, the being cast in to the pool of fire.

In the later romances the stories of the tests reappear sometimes among other adventures, sometimes alone, but mostly with changed details. The Beheading Test was a favourite theme.

In the Livre de Caradoc we have a repetition of Gawain and the Green Knight, with the exception that the third return stroke is given with the flat of the blade after which the stranger says: "Rise up, Caradoc, I wish to strike you no more, for you are a valiant and faithful knight." He then reveals himself as Eliavres Caradoc's father.

In the French romance, "La Mule sans frain," Gawain comes to a revolving castle and has to wait until the door comes past and jump the mule through it. The door cuts off some hairs of the mule's tail, within the castle he meets with the churl.

We find the same adventure also in The Carl of Carlisle and in the Turk and Gawain, but only as additional material and not as the theme of the story. As regards the cutting off of the head of the churl or giant woodward, the nearest we come to this before the beheading story is the Mabinogion of Bendigeid Vran, which tells of Bran's Head. When Bran died, he ordered that his head should be cut off and carried to Britain where his companions would remain in a castle at Harlech. There they stayed with the head of Bran for seven years, and Bran's head was as good a companion as when he was alive. Then they went to Wales, and the castle there had three doors and one was closed.

There they stayed twenty years until they opened the closed door, which looked towards Cornwall. Then they had to carry the Head to London and bury it in the White Mount, now Tower Hill. And so long as it remained buried no invasion came to Britain, but Arthur, deeming it a shame to hold the land by any force but his own, had it dug up. The tale is faulty and broken for Arthur did not live until after the Roman invasion. The disinterment, however, might, like many other incidents, have been caught up under the magic mantle of the Arthurian Cycle, and payment for the beheading exacted from his knights later.

Bran was certainly a giant, for no ship would hold him and he waded from Wales to Ireland. Also when he came to a stream he laid himself across it and his whole army passed over him as over a bridge. Thirdly no house was large enough for him when he reached Ireland, but there is nothing to show him in the role of the Demiurge.

The Gnostics claimed that John the Baptist was the Demiurge and that he gave his power to support Christ's mission. If this is correct, we have a good reason for the demand by the daughter of Herodias for the Head of John the Baptist on a charger.

But no doubt there was originally some connection between the drawing forth of the sword and the Beheading Test. "There is little doubt that the drawing of the sword from a stone was a composite symbol. There are numerous instances of the connection of the stone with thunder, but usually the thunder is caused by pouring water on the stone. If, as is likely, the stone is the lapis philosophorum then the drawing forth of its energy is understandable. Magnetism may exist in metals, but it also exists in Man. The effect of revivalist meetings, the effect by haranguing an excited mob, or even the effect of news on a highly tensed people, shows to what a storm such magnetism may be carried.

We are not dealing here, however, with animal magnetism or hypnotism. When such power is used, it usually recoils on the user. The danger of the tests lies in the over-excitation of the individual. Cases of religious mania are far too common to pass unheeded as a warning.

To the majority of religious people God is generally the God of Nature or the God of the Earth. This is the *Demiurge, and so long as respect is paid him no harm is done. But when the individual seeks to make himself the mouthpiece of that God, the influx of power is apt to prove intoxicating at first, but as it progresses it becomes maddening.

Not knowing what they do, such people deliberately invoke the power, which is to destroy them, and it is little wonder if that power is felt by people about them. But the candidate for initiation must be specially prepared against accidents and requires a definite course of training. If he is to be filled with divine fire, there must be nothing within upon which that fire can seize.

This paper has to do with the Grail Tests, and as these have been examined, it would be beyond our scope to deal with the training. We have seen what the tests were, and how they were crowded into one to serve as an ornament for Chivalry, thus preserving them to the present day. There are many more legendary evidences of them, but once they are pointed out, the student can recognize them for himself.

As to the dangers, a word of advice should be sufficient. If one will but notice the cases of those who have invited destruction by unworthy meddling with such high forces, it will be noticed that such people are intent on saving, or rather exhorting their fellowmen. They have their reward. The student of wisdom, however, seeks to do that which is within his power, which is to save and exhort himself. Only when he has perfected himself can he perfect others.

* Demiurge -literally means "half maker" as used in Gnosticism. See Gnostic World View for more information. TEXTS: see suggested reading GRAIL for more information.

"Gawain and the Green Knight" by Kitteredge. "Cuchulainn of Muirthemne" by Lady Gregory. "The Quest of the Holy Grail" by Jessie Weston.

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