List of Grail Literature

Precursors

With no mention of the Grail, some of the incidents later associated with the Grail come from prior documents.

(Welsh)
1060 Peredur
900 Spoils of Annwn
1000 Culhwch and Olwen

(N T Apocrypha)
500 Gospel of Nicodemus
350 Acts of Pilate

(A)

The Conte del Graal

Written 1180, otherwise, the Perceval le Gallois of Chrètien de Troyes, being the metrical romance which comprises the quests of Perceval and Gawain. It was successively continued by several later poets, some of whose versions are alternative and exclusive of one another. The Conte del Graal is the largest document of the Anglo-Norman cycle. Written in French and dedicated to Philip, Count of Flanders (unlike Chrètien's earlier poems which were dedicated to Marie, Countess of Champagne).

(1) 1190--Bleheris or pseudo-Wauchier continuation, the quest of Gawain.
(2) 1200--Wauchier de Danain or Perceval continuation.
(3) 1214--Manassier or third continuation (or conclusion).
(4) 1224--Gerbert de Montreuil, also called the third continuation (alternative version).
(5) Prologues: Elucidation and Bliocadrin, also about 1180

(B)

Robert de Borron

The Lesser Histories or Chronicles of the Holy Graal, otherwise, the Cycle of Robert de Borron, finished about 1210, and written in Burgundy, in which is comprised:

(1) The Metrical Romance of Joseph of Arimathea;
(1.a.) the Lesser Holy Graal, which is a prose version of the metrical romance as above; also called Prose Joseph
(2) the Early Prose Merlin, which represents a lost metrical romance, or more accurately a poem of which 500 lines alone remain extant;
(3) the Didot Perceval, so called after the designation of the only manuscript by which it is known; it presents one version of the search after the Holy Graal, as distinguished from its legendary history and the connexions thereof.

The characteristics in common of these four romances, by which they are grouped into a cycle, are:
(1) The idea that certain secret words were transmitted from Apostolic times and were carried from East to West;
(2) the succession of Brons as Keeper of the Holy Graal immediately after Joseph of Arimathea.

(C).

Perlesvaus

Written about 1200, the great prose Perceval le Gallois, an alternative version of the (Vulgate) Quest, known also in English as the High History of the Holy Graal or Perlesvaus. Might have been written by Henri Blois.

(D)

The German Cycle

comprising:

(1) 1204--The Parsifal of Wolfram von Eschenbach;
(2) 1240--the Titurel (Jungere Titurel) of Albrecht von Schaffenberg;
(3) 1220--Diu Crône by Henrich von dem Turlin;
(4) 1200--the Lanzelet of Ulrich du Zazikhoven.

Wolfram gives Kyot of Provençe as his source. It should be noted that Diu Crône, with the first Continuation of Conte del Graal are the only extant Gawain quest stories.

The Graal is represented by a stone "lapis excellis" which has fallen from heaven rather than a vessel or Eucharistic relic. The grail castle is Munsalvasche, not Carbonnic, and is located in the Pyrenees (per Wagner) not Wales. The Fisher King is Amfortas, not Pelles or Pellinore. The first grail King is Tituriel, not Joseph or Brons.

(E)

Vulgate Cycle

The Greater (or Vulgate) Chronicles of the Holy Graal, written (maybe by Walter Map, who died in 1210) between 1215 and 1230, comprising:

(1) The Saint Graal, or Joseph of Arimathea, called also the first branch of the Romances of the Round Table and the Grand or Greater Holy Graal;
(2) the later prose romances of Merlin, being that which, because it is more widely diffused, has been sometimes termed the Vulgate, and that which is known as the Huth Merlin, following the designation of the only extant manuscript;
(3) the great prose Lancelot;
(4) the Quest of the Holy Graal, called also the last book of the Round Table, containing the search and achievement of Galahad.
(5) Mort Artu, sometimes included as the ending of Lancelot.

It should be understood that the great prose Perceval (Perlesvaus) and the great Quest of Galahad exclude one another, so that they stand as alternatives in the tabulation. The characteristics of this cycle are:

(1) The succession of a second Joseph as Keeper of the Holy Graal immediately after his father, Joseph of Arimathea, and during the latter's lifetime, this dignity not being conferred upon Brons, either then or later;
(2) the substitution of a claim in respect of apostolical succession for that of a secret verbal formula.

(F)

Prose Tristan

1225-35, (Fr) aka Le Roman deTristan de Leonis, written by Luce de Gat, epilog by Helie de Borron. In this version, Tristan participates in the quest for the Holy Grail.

(G)

pseudo-Boron

1230-40, or Roman du Graal (Fr)

This grouping is standard, but I have used The Holy Grail by A. E. Waite as a standard reference. The first five are usually considered the definitive Grail stories. The Prose Tristan and the pseudo-Borron are considered by some to be mere re-tellings of one or more of the first five. Since I can't get English translations of either, I haven't read them, so I have no judgement. After 1240 original romances ceased to be written, everything subsequent being essentially retellings or translations of these documents. Non-Grail Arthurian romances continued to be written, such as Sir Percyvale of Gallois or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.