Chrétien de Troyes "The Story of the Grail (Perceval) P. 419-460

Blancheflor’s name means “White Flower.” As most people conclude, this represents a delicate purity. The imagery of a white flower definitely paints her in a light of purity. Chrétien’s description of her dazzling beauty contributes to this theory. He states clearly her construction and birth by design mean to inspire awe in the hearts of men. He further illustrates her utilizing images of scintillating light and comparing her features to precious items of our world such as gold and ivory. Chrétien sweetens her with his words to further emphasize her delicacy and wholesome nature. Despite her grandeur description and inspiring appearance she exists in a scarred and tattered world. Her environment provides a heavy and clear contrast to her purity just as Perceval’s red armor and violent origin contrasts her innocence.

Although she represents purity she is succumbed and enveloped in violence and the results of violence. Perceval represents rashness and the violence that pushed through directly into her world. However he brings salvation to her through this prevalent violent nature and stains her immaculate snow with drops of ruby blood. Although we do see her manipulating Perceval on the night their temptation borders impurity. She weeps for him to refrain from battle when in truth she wants him to engage the enemy. Her intentions may have stemmed from a pure place but they evidently were stained with droplets of blood already.

Beyond any accusations of wickedness or manners in which her honor or purity have been stained, I see her representing a peace of mind or wholesome state Perceval seeks although does not know it yet. She, to him, represents virtue in a world succumbing him in violence; although he may not see it now she is a redeeming factor for him as he strives forward into a deeper world of violence and tainted knighthood. She represents this just as Gornemont expressed the proper or true knight. I find her character to be extremely interesting as well as my favorite scene so far; the droplets of blood in the snow.

The three crimson droplets of blood staining the still white snow represent Blancheflor and Perceval’s intermingling. The snow clearly represents her and the blood him seeping into her life and perhaps her fate. The pristine and noble nature of the color white and the immaculate first snow clearly read as an image of Blancheflor. The foreign blood framed beautifully in the pale white of the snow reads boldly as Perceval in her life.

The manner the blood intrudes upon the still snow illustrates part of Perceval; it represents the trials, or rather the actions he underwent to claim his knighthood. The hawk strikes down the goose in a violent scene and leaves the wounded goose. The violence is senseless in this scene expressing the way Perceval simply did what he wanted or what benefited him early in the text without regards for the consequences stemming from his violent apprehensions.

This image of blood staining something so pure could easily yield several interpretations. I feel as though it foreshadows a dooming fate for the two who are now intertwined. The illustrated means the blood melts away into and with the cold snow gives way to several thoughts; a lovers death, a happy ending together drifting into each other’s old age or even an unhappy fate involving blame and ill-pointed fingers. I could also infer the blood represents Perceval’s knighthood tarnishing Blancheflor in some way.

We can see a connection clearly from the blood drops to the bleeding lance in the story. I see the bleeding lance so far as representing the violence and ill-fate seeping from the knighthood lifestyle in the times, which strengthens Chrétien’s attitude toward the whole idea of knighthood in the text. The connection between the two could be the violent origin or a foreshadowing of some ill-fate for those involved. Perhaps here we see Chrétien indicating the desecration of purity at the hands of the violence and overall brutality surrounding its precious and delicate state.

I’d like to further praise Chrétien’s excellent writing skill here in the scene with the three blood droplets. Throughout our studies I have always found his works to be my favorites, but this scene I found to be perfectly crafted. The manner Perceval defends his contemplative lingering, the description of the piercing red rubies intruding the whiteness of the still snow; the scene is simply remarkable and one of my most memorable favorites.