MEANINGFUL DEATHS: MARTYRDOM IN LA QUESTE DEL SAINT GRAAL
MEANINGFUL DEATHS: MARTYRDOM IN LA QUESTE DEL SAINT GRAAL

Summary/Abstract: The issue of martyrdom in La Queste del Saint Graal can be approached from different perspectives, and one starting point can be the meaning of the concept and how it can be construed in this text. Although in the first Christian centuries the word was usually understood in relation with sufferance and persecution, it was not originally connected necessarily with death. As the meaning shifted, death became a prerequisite of martyrdom, but confessing the Christian faith did not seem to be a condition anymore. This understanding of the term can be used when discussing various events in this 13th-century text.The term “martyr” does not appear many times in La Queste, and it often has negative connotations; however, the concept of sacrificing one’s life for others can be encountered several times. Moreover, the characters are aware that such as acrifice has deep spiritual consequences and it is directly connected with salvation.Although the main protagonists do not suffer martyrdom, they all witnessed Perceval’s sister’s sacrifice, undertaken in order to cure the leprous lady, and they show great respect for her actions and reverence for her body, which is treated as ifit were relics.The author uses Thomas Aquinas’ theology as a reference point for defining martyrdom, which is analysed in connection with the practice of mystical contemplation. Although martyrdom (defined as a person’s death for a charitable cause) is highly esteemed, the text promotes mystical contemplation as the most suitable path towards salvation.

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