Lancelot-Grail Cycle (thing)

The five-part romance which was composed by several authors--Cistercian monks in France--though attributed to Walter Map--from 1215-1235. It forms what has, in the past, been called "The Vulgate Cycle":

• Estoire del Saint Graal: The history of the Grail from Joseph of Arimathea to Merlin
• Estoire de Merlin: The birth of Merlin to the enthronement of King Arthur and the establishment of the Round Table
• Prose Lancelot: The life of Lancelot
• Queste del Saint Graal: The Grail quest.
• Le Mort le Roi Artu: the Death of Arthur

Its main innovation is its invention of the character of Sir Galahad, the saintly knight, replacing the naive and worldy Perceval.

The storyline can be derived from Robert de Boron's "lost" romance Le Roman du Graal. When I say it is missing, I mean that the "romance"--the poetic version--is missing. There exists a prose version, which verly clearly corresponds to the actions of the L-G:

• Joseph d'Arimathe
• Merlin: prose form known as Suite de Merlin
• Perceval: prose form known as Didot Perceval

Of these, the first survives, and forms a clear analogue to the Estoire del Saint Graal. The second and third only survive in prose form; the "Perceval" also contains a final portion called "Mort Artu." The Lancelot section is based on an early Lancelot du Lac, which still names Perceval as the Grail hero, and only goes so far as the death of Galehot.

Though the author at one point claims to be Walter Map, it also claims to be written originally by a monk in 717--this is highly unlikely.