The author discusses his inspiration for choosing the time period and setting for the story.
It is the beginning of the dark ages. King Arthur has died, Camelot fallen, the knights have scattered and Sir Lancelot has become a hermit and holy man.
The achieving of the Sangreal
Aubrey Beardsley 1894
According to Sir Thomas Malory (1405–1471), Lancelot lived the last months of his life without need of food. These and other miracles Malory attributed to Lancelot would indicate that he had found the Holy Grail.
“In a ray of light appeared the Grail, hovering. It was veiled, but every knight, damsel, king and queen in the room felt its wonder. Without even touching it, each person was elevated by its presence, according to their own nature.”
I was struck by how closely descriptions of the Holy Grail paralleled the observations of new age sojourners experiencing the higher chakras.
Storytelling has been used throughout history as a device to convey spiritual or inspirational teachings. When my attention was drawn to the outcome of Lancelot after the fall of Camelot it seemed like the perfect frame for several reasons. First, although movies and contemporary versions of Arthurian legends ignore the spiritual side, source material such as Le Mort de Arthur by Thomas Malory describe experiences of the Holy Grail and achievements of men such as Galahad and Lancelot that could be interpreted as states of enlightenment.
Second, although much has been written about King Arthur, the period that followed the fall of Camelot has not been overused. When Camelot fell Britain entered a dark time. Scientists tell us the sun dimmed for two years and crops failed. The superstitious blamed Lancelot’s affair with Guinevere for their troubles. He became a hermit.
I asked myself, if during his seclusion Lancelot at last found the Grail and achieved a mystical state, what of his discovery was he obligated to share, with whom, and how would he accomplish it in his isolation?
