59 pages • 1 hour read
Wolfram Von EschenbachParzival
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Adult | Published in 1215A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Books 14-16Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Book 14 Summary
Spotting the knight, Gawan assumes it to be Gramoflanz. He does not know that the knight is actually Parzival. They rush toward each other on their horses and engage in a long, “fierce” (14.680.6) battle. Just as Parzival is about to defeat Gawan, they are interrupted by the arrival of a group of Arthur’s men who happen to be passing by. The men call out, causing Parzival to realize that he is fighting Gawan.
Parzival casts his sword aside and reveals his identity. Gramoflanz arrives on the scene and schedules the duel with Gawan for the following day. He refuses Parzival’s offer to fight on Gawan’s behalf; the wounded Gawan must fight, Gramoflanz says. This angers Bene, as she realizes that Itonje is Gawan’s sister and that the fight between the two men will cause Itonje to be sad.
Gawan and Parzival return to Arthur. Parzival is welcomed as a long-lost member of the Table Round. Meanwhile, Gramoflanz has brought his large army to the field. He listens to Arthur’s messengers as they try to arrange a peaceful solution. He receives a ring from Itonje, brought to him by Bene, who asks him to find a peaceful solution. She weeps because she loves Gawan and fears that he will be harmed.
The following day, Parzival wakes up early. He slips out of the camp and, “all in secret” (14.703.13), goes to duel against Gramoflanz. Just as Parzival is about to win, Gawan surrenders. Gawan wants to reschedule the duel but, after talking with Itonje, Arthur comes up with a solution. Gramoflanz’s messengers meet with Arthur, after which he is convinced that Gramoflanz and Itonje love one another as he is “versed in love” (14.714.13). Bene is credited with helping to make the couple’s sincere love clear.
Arthur meets with Gramoflanz and talks to Gramoflanz’s uncle, King Punturtoys. Itonje is asked to intervene with Gramoflanz and convince him to call off the duel. During this time, other agreements are reached. Orgeluse is consoled by Gawan regarding the death of Cidegast. She agrees to reconcile her relationship with Gramoflanz if Gawan will back down from the duel.
Eventually, an agreement is reached between Gramoflanz and Gawan. This includes Gawan marrying Orgeluse, Gramoflanz marrying Itonje, Cundrie marrying Lischoys, and the Turkoyte marrying Sangive. Parzival leaves the camp alone and in secret, thinking about how much he loves “his fair wife” (14.732.1), Condwiramurs.
Book 15 Summary
After leaving Arthur’s camp, Parzival meets a “heathen” (15.735.2). He is not aware that this is his half brother, Feirefiz, who has traveled abroad in search of fame and fortune. Feirefiz has an army of his own knights and he bears the symbol of his wife, Queen Secundille.
During this time, the narrator reveals that Parzival has also fathered two sons with Condwiramurs named Kardeiz and Loherangrin. Inspired by the thought of his wife, Parzival is able to fight against Feirefiz. The fight comes to a standstill when Parzival’s sword is thrown aside and the “magnanimous”(15.744.15) Feirefiz refuses to fight an uneven duel. Introducing himself, they quickly realize that they are related. They praise their honorable duel. Though neither man ever met their father, Gahmuret, they swap memories of his “goodly deeds” (15.751.2) and his death in a joust in the Middle East.
Parzival invites Feirefiz back to Arthur’s court, sharing with him stories of the beautiful women who can be found at the camp. At the camp, a big feast is being planned and many famous knights and ladies are preparing. Arthur arrives at the feast, and Feirefiz is introduced to the king. He tells Arthur about his quest for romance and fame, while Arthur speaks about how Parzival has been searching for the Grail. The men provide lists of their notable victories. Feirefiz’s bejeweled equipment impresses everyone at the feast.
Arthur welcomes new men into the Table Round and the feast begins in earnest. The feast is briefly interrupted by the arrival of the sorceress, Cundrie. She is richly dressed, and her clothing is emblazoned with the emblem of the Grail. She goes to Parzival and drops to her knees in front of him, praising him as the soon-to-be “Grail’s lord” (15.781.8). She offers her blessing to him and talks about his family, including references to the good health of Condwiramurs and his children. Selecting Feirefiz as his companion, Parzival agrees to go with Cundrie to find the Grail.
Book 16 Summary
Parzival and Feirefiz seek out the Grail. Anfortas is still “suffering” (16.787.1) through his painful living death as the Lord of the Grail. Parzival’s second arrival has been prophesized by the Grail itself, meaning Anfortas receives little pity from the knights. When Anfortas screams in agony, the room is ventilated to deal with the “stench” (16.789.14) of his rotting, open wound.
Cundrie guides Parzival to Munsalvaesche. When Parzival arrives, he quickly asks the question to Anfortas about his health. The spell is broken. Anfortas is freed from his responsibility and Parzival is now the Lord of the Grail and “king and lord” (16.796.13) over the surrounding lands.
Parzival is joined in Munsalvaesche by Condwiramurs. While she is traveling, Parzival meets again with Trevrizent. After meeting the hermit, Parzival returns to his castle to find his wife and sons asleep in their bed. He spends time with his family. In the following days, Parzival seeks out Sigune but finds that she is already “dead at her genuflection” (16.804.13-14). She is buried alongside the lover whom she spent so long mourning.
At Munsalvaesche, Parzival’s son Loherangrin seems afraid of Feirefiz. At this time, Feirefiz also seemingly abandons his wife Secundille after falling in love with Repanse, the protector of the Grail. When she carries the Grail in the elaborate ritual, however, Feirefiz can “see nothing of the Grail” (16.813.9-10). He is not a Christian, so the Grail is invisible to him. When this is explained, he agrees to be baptized. He renounces his old gods and his wife. Once he converts to Christianity, he is able to see the Grail.
The Grail makes a prophecy. Writing appears on the Grail warning that any knight who is asked for his name by any foreign people who he aids should leave those people. Anfortas, now recovered, plans to leave the castle with Feirefiz. Nearly two weeks later, Feirefiz leaves the castle with his new wife, Repanse, and he travels to Joflanze with Anfortas. They are unable to find Arthur, however, as Arthur has returned to his castle, Schamilot (another name for Camelot).
Feirefiz finds the remnants of his army, who explain to him that his wife Queen Secundille has died. This relieves Anfortas. Repanse accompanies Feirefiz back to the Middle East, where she gives birth to a son who is known as Prester John. Feirefiz is an enthusiastic Christian and spreads the “Christian way of life” (16.823.1) through the Middle East. Anfortas lives a long life, fighting duels in the name of the Grail.
The narrator provides the conclusion to several subplots. Loherangrin marries a princess in Antwerp but asks her never to ask his true name. When she eventually asks, he is forced to leave her forever. He returns to the castle of the Grail. The narrator explains that Kyot—rather than Chretien of Troyes—is the true holder of the Grail story. Parzival remains Lord of the Grail, just as he was intended to be. The narrator concludes the story with a call to sensible women to speak “sweet words” (16.827.16) to him.
Books 14-16 Analysis
The ending of the story sees Parzival finally free Anfortas from his role as the Lord of the Grail. In doing so, Parzival satisfies the Grail’s own prophecy, allowing him to become the protector of the Grail. Parzival’s successful completion of this mission completes his character arc from clumsy novice to full-fledged knightly hero, enabling him to fully realize The Importance of Chivalry and Honor.
Though he originally set out with the intention of becoming a knight, Parzival’s parameters for success have changed. He is not like other knights, in terms of his background or his ambition. Whereas other knights strive to make themselves famous and respected enough to be invited to the Table Round, Parzival puts such a prestigious invitation aside. He allows himself to retreat into semi-mystical obscurity, accepting the same fate that he has seen trap Anfortas. He will become the near-immortal Lord of the Grail until such time that the Grail prophesizes the arrival of another knight. He sacrifices his own agency and his own role in society to become lord of a castle that no one can locate unless they have been summoned by the Grail. The willingness of Parzival to accept this fate demonstrates his uniqueness, especially in contrast to other knights. He makes a final sacrifice, giving up the reputation that he has fought so hard to build because he feels a sense of religious duty to the Grail itself. The protection of the Grail is a unique reward for a unique knight.
Gawan also succeeds at the end of his story. His reputation as a knight has grown, though not quite to the heights of Parzival. Nevertheless, he has proved himself worthy of joining the Table Round. His uncle Arthur invites him to become one of the most respected and most famous knights in Europe. Gawan willingly accepts. As such, the story creates a dual structure in which the traditional and the non-traditional are placed side-by-side. Gawan’s story is a traditional tale of chivalry, in which a knight sets out to prove himself and is rewarded by King Arthur. Parzival’s story is more religious, echoing The Centrality of Christian Culture, as he dedicates his life to the protection of a religious relic after being summoned by the relic itself.
Both are examples of triumph, though Gawan shows his adherence to the status quo by following a well-trodden path. He is the typical knight, performing according to social expectations of knights. Parzival is unique, carving a new path for himself and returning into the semi-exile that defined his childhood, albeit now as a respected knight. The contrast between the triumphs of the two protagonists demonstrates the flexibility and nuance of the chivalric code, which can accommodate two very different victories for two very different men.
The ending of Parzival also creates a neat structural parallel through the character of Feirefiz. In the opening books, Gahmuret, the father of Parzival and Feirefiz, traveled from Europe to the Middle East and Africa as part of his knightly exploits. In the closing books, Feirefiz returns to his father’s ancestral lands and meets his half brother, Parzival. The direction of movement is reversed: The story that began with a journey out of Christendom ends with a journey into Christendom, reinforcing The Centrality of Christian Culture. In this sense, the structure of the novel creates a full, completed cycle. The journey that began many years ago—and which inspired many journeys ever since—is completed.
Similarly, Feirefiz returns to the Middle East as a Christian. He helps to spread Christianity in a non-Christian world, giving a higher purpose to the story and extending the characters’ actions beyond just knightly deeds. By converting Feirefiz, who then converts others, the purpose of the story of Parzival is to not only describe the lives of knights, but to show the importance of spreading the Christian religion far and wide. In this way, the structure of the story adds a subtext of religious evangelism, demonstrating to readers that the broader importance of the chivalric code is to celebrate the Christian religion.
