Gortigern

[I] The language spoken by all mankind before the development of different languages. This is a parallel to the Tower of Babel story.

Grail

“The Holy Grail” is the cup that Jesus drank out of at the Last Supper. The quest for it features prominently in the Arthurian saga. The origin of the idea of a quest for this magical vessel lies in the original Celtic idea of the cauldron of abundance; one of the best examples features in the tale “The Spoils of Annwn.” The mass of Grail literature, both ancient and modern, is enormous. The stories of Peredur, in the Mabinogi, is the most archaic form of the story. From Peredur comes Chrétien de Troyes’ “Perceval” adaption and then Wolfram von Eschenbach’s “Parzival.” The main features of the later bowdlerisation of the Celtic myths is that Joseph of Arimathea caught some of Jesus’ blood in the Grail at the crucifixion and carried it to Britain, where it was handed down from generation to generation. Galahad is the last descendent of Joseph and he is the noblest of Arthur’s knights. He alone achieves the quest for the Grail and brings fertility back to the land. When he sees the uncovered chalice, he renounces the world and asks God to release him from his material existence. The story is best known from Malory’s Morte D’Arthur.

Gráinne

[I] The daughter of Cormac Mac Art, the High King. She was promised to Fionn Mac Cumhail, who, though still a renowned warrior, had grown old at this time. On the night before the wedding, Gráinne speculated on which one of the younger, handsome Fianna warriors she could persuade to save her from marriage to an old man. Oisín was approached but refused. However, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne is beguiled by her and agrees to elope with her, having been placed under a geis by her to do so. Thus begins the famous “Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne.” They are pursued by an enraged Fionn and his Fianna. Diarmuid, who had been a friend of Fionn’s, seeks to assure him that he has not slept with her, leaving subtle symbolic messages. Gráinne mocks Diarmuid for refusing to make love to her and eventually he does so. The pursuit lasts 16 years, until the love god Aonghus Óg intercedes and persuades Fionn to forget his anger. Diarmuid and Gráinne eventually set up residence close to Fionn at Tara (at Ráth Gráinne), where they have four sons and a daughter.