by accepting the Mabinogi as the direct source of the Conte du Graal, and has ended with Zarncke and Birch-Hirschfeld in looking upon it as a more or less direct copy. The most competent of living scholars in this matter, M. Gaston Paris, has expressed himself in favour of this opinion in his recent article on the Lancelot story (Romania, 1886).[1] Before dealing with the question as presented in this form, Simrock's view, differing as it does from that of all other investigators, deserves notice. He, too, looks upon the Mabinogi as derived from Chrestien, and yet bases his interpretation of the myth underlying the romance upon a feature, the bleeding head in the dish, found only in it. But if the Mabinogi have really preserved here the genuine form of the myth, it must represent an older version than Chrestien's, and if, on the other hand, Chrestien be its only source, the feature in question cannot belong to the earliest form of the story. Simrock's theory stands then or falls in this respect by the view taken of the relationship between the two versions, and need not be discussed until that view has been stated.
To facilitate comparison, the incidents common to the two stories are tabulated as under, those of the Mabinogi being taken as the standard:—
| Mabinogi |
Conte du Graal Chrestien |
| Inc. | Inc. |
1. Encounter with the knights.
|
1. |
2. Adventure with the damsel of the tent.
|
2. |
3. Avenging of the insult to Guinevere; incident of the dwarves; departure from Court.
|
3 and 4. |
5. Arrival at house of first uncle (found fishing); instruction in arms.
|
5. Gonemans |
6. Arrival at house of second uncle (Grail Castle). First sight of the talismans (head in basin and lance).
|
7. Uncle found fishing; talismans, Grail and lance.
|
- ↑ In the preface to the second volume of his edition of Chrestien's works (Halle, 1887), W. Förster distinguishes Peredur from the Lady of the Fountain and from Geraint, which he looks upon as simple copies of Chrestien's poems dealing with the same subjects. Peredur has, he thinks, some Welsh features.
