From Arthurian
Legend To Monty Python:
GO TO: Introduction GO TO: Background Information
GO TO: Anachronisms GO TO: Cast
GO TO: Film Background
GO TO: Conclusion GO TO: Bibliography
GO TO: Web References
In
reviews of the film, ‘Monty Python And The Holy Grail’ has been variously
described as one which is ‘savaging’ / ‘lampooning’ of the Arthurian legend.
Personally, I prefer to note it as being ‘loosely based’ on the legend, and for
its re-working to be born of affection rather than a simple desire to ridicule.
The Pythons seemed to want a story which they could use as a foundation or
frame-work for their own sketches; in this way, the Arthurian legend becomes a
device on which the Pythons can hang their jokes. With the addition of plot,
however tentative, this their first feature film can thus be seen as a ‘true’
film, rather than simply a series of interconnected skits as their television
programmes had been.
The film displays a
basic knowledge of specific characters of the Arthurian legend, and remains as
true as is possible in its 
depiction of knightly activities
and the medieval period.
Researching the Holy
Grail for this presentation, I found myself surprised that many of the scenes
within the film did have precedents in legend. I’d just assumed that they’d
taken an idea and been silly with it. But a lot of the scenes do have a root in
the Arthurian legends…
The Pythons’ output has been compared to the ‘Blackadder’
serieses, because all manage to blend history with comedy. But whereas people
watching an episode of ‘Blackadder’ may pick up some facts amongst the jokes –
I know, for example that Dr. Samuel Johnson wrote the first dictionary (though
he may or may not have included the word ‘sausage’) – it’s a lot harder to do
that with Python works, as their subject matter is often irreverently dealt
with.
But…
Terry Jones had read
Medieval English at university, and Michael Palin had done three years of
history at Oxford – having first made use of this background in their
pre-Python TV series ‘Complete and Utter History’, they were here able to
utilise their being ‘brimful of all this useless information’ as Palin has put
it…
Originally, the plot
was to shuttle between the Middle Ages and the 20th Century, with a
contemporary character called Arthur King who was cheerily described by the
film’s producer as a ‘nebbish loser’. That film draft ended with the Holy Grail
being found in Harrods but it didn’t seem to work. So gradually the idea of
doing it all in the Middle Ages came up in a group meeting, and everyone seemed
to agree on it. As Terry Jones has explained; ‘Maybe it was the perception that
the modern material wasn’t stronger, and also I said it would be more
interesting, less like the TV shows, if it was all set in one period.’
The ‘Dictionary of
World Myth’ (edited by Roy Willis) notes that there are few ‘hard facts’
available about Arthur, and that the majority of our knowledge of him and his
knights has come from European literature, rather than history books. However,
while Arthur does appear in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s the ‘History of the Kings of
Britain’, which was written around 1150 A.D., there is mention of him in a far
earlier text. The Welshman Nennius included him in the ‘History of the
Britons’, which was written around 830 A.D. Here, King Arthur is a British
military chieftain 
in post-Roman Britain who battles
against Saxon invaders, even fighting in the battle of Mount Baden (c. 500
A.D.) where the British were victorious.
While the legends of
King Arthur and his knights were apparently not commonly known before the 12th Century, in
the two hundred years following this period they became the root of over a dozen
poems and prose romances. In the 14th Century, Malory produced the
first English version of the legends – prior to this time, French had been the
court language of England.
In legend, The Holy
Grail (or ‘Sangreal’) was the Cup of Christ, employed in the Last Supper and,
according to some, used by Joseph of Arimathea to catch the drops of blood from
Christ’s bleeding side as he was crucified.
The term ‘Sangreal’ is derived from Latin, and can be used
to mean either ‘Holy Grail’ (‘san greal’) or ‘True Blood’ (‘sang real’), both
of which are fitting.
The cup was brought
to England shortly Jesus’ resurrection, along with the sacred lance which had
been used to pierce Jesus’ side. Here it was kept as a visible holy relic for
centuries, until one guardian allowed himself to steal a glance 
at what lay beneath a young female pilgrim’s loosened robe
as she knelt before these holy objects. At this (filth and degradation), the
lance fell and wounded him, and the Grail and lance were removed from public
view. Where they remained until, according to legend, they were sought out by
the Knights of the Round Table…
It is also
noteworthy that the Pythons filming primarily on location in Scotland is
factually apt – Arthur was King of the Britons, and there are places in Wales
England and Scotland which retain traces of his influence. He was an important
figure – in the both legend and history – to all the peoples of this island,
which in itself could be one reason why his stories are still so popular.
There are a number of anachronisms within the film, mostly
for the sake of it being a comedy. Although much of the costuming and sets are
correct for the period, many other details of the film are not historically
accurate.
For example.
They would have had horses to ride 
on, and wouldn’t have mime the
action while making the noises with
coconuts. This was Michael Palin’s idea, and he’s still very proud of it,
having noted that ‘It’s a ridiculous thing to, but then again played
beautifully by John and Graham; you absolutely believed that THEY believed that
they were on horses. That was much funnier than giggling about it.’ Added to
which this decision saved them money on horses; the film had a piffling budget
of £150,000, and coconuts do not require training, feeding, handlers or Equity
treatment.
Coconuts were not indigenous to Britain in the 10th
Century just as they are not now. And modern swallows would have equal problems
transporting them to our island home.
The Knights of the Round Table would have eaten ham a lot.
But not jam. This was not widely available in 932 A.D. Neither was spam. That
was invented in Minnesota in 1937.
(Ah the sacrifices one makes for the sake of a rhyme
scheme…)
Shrubberies, similarly, became popular some centuries later.
The language itself,
as well as the colloquialisms used at this period, would also 
have been different to that of the
film. After the 14th Century, it would have been that horrible
Chaucer English, which is really quite hard to understand (and sustain as an
actor). However, the film is set in 932 A.D. This would have meant the
language, at least among the upper classes, would have been French, which would
have made for a less popular film within its native country…
(Though, incidentally, the French subtitled version of the
film is not entirely translated correctly; Terry Gilliam is still bitter at
their substituting the wrong words in the Witch scene; heavy things suggested
by the peasants which clearly do not float, such as ‘church’ and ‘stone’ were
changed to more acceptable items, like ‘a cricket’ …)
Oh, and no-one in
932 A.D. would have said ‘bint’. Particularly not to a king.
Also, and slightly more historically pertinently (than
quibbles about picket fencing and split-level shrubberies), few knights,
excepting those who made up an army, would have quested together. For an
ensemble film, however, that was never an issue…
All the major roles within the film are played by the six
members of the Monty Python team. However, as Graham Chapman was Arthur, and
Terry Gilliam who was co-directing and also doing the animation seemed loath to
play a larger role than his incidental characters (such as The Old Man From
Scene 24 and Patsy, Arthur’s squire), the others parts within the film are
divided between the remaining four actors, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael
Palin and Eric Idle. It appears that this cast restriction is the main reason
behind the film only centring on the quest of five knights and their King.
Arthur
The Arthur of legend
was born of Uther Pendragon’s illicit congress with Yguerne – with Merlin’s
help, he had disguised himself as her husband. The deception was never
discovered, as Gorlois was slain in battle shortly after, and Uther was able to
marry his love. Their child was brought up under Merlin’s instruction, and
became a noble and wise king.
Within the film, he
is played by a bearded Graham Chapman, who seemingly ‘ended up’ with the role
as the others all wanted to play a wider range of characters, and didn’t want
to be ‘restricted’ to playing the lead. As Palin has said; ‘no-one wanted to
sacrifice the chance of playing lots of silly smaller roles in order to play
one big one’.
Chapman plays King
Arthur as a good 
and noble knight, who is brave enough
to face his foes in armed combat and knows when to run away from undefeatable
danger (e.g. the French knights, the rabbit, the Black Beast). It’s somewhat
unfortunate that his most common line (beyond ‘I’m Arthur, King of the
Britons’) should be ‘run away’, but I believe the role is played
affectionately, without any intent to ridicule. That is left to other
characters; Cleese’s arrogant French Knight, for example, delivers some
fantastic insults to the King throughout the film. Such as…
“I fart in your general direction, your mother was a
hamster,
and your father smelt of elderberries.”
That Arthur is shown to be strong in the face
of such provocation is a testament to his noble character.
Arthur was known to
be the heir to the throne as it was he alone who was able to remove the ‘sword
in the stone’ (or anvil). When this sword was broken in an ill-advised clash
with Sir Pellinore, Merlin took him to a lakeside, where a white-draped arm
presented him with a new jewelled sword, Excalibur.
This coming to the
throne is satirised within the film by a 37 year-old political activist called
Dennis, played by Michael Palin, who ridicules any system of kingship dependent
on ‘moistened bints’ who lob swords from ponds. "You can't expect to wield supreme executive power
just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!!,"
Ebbutt (1986; p265). notes the King Arthur of
the mediaeval romances to be one who is either portrayed as a mere ordinary
conqueror’ or as a secondary figure who takes a place in the background so as
to allow the focus to fall upon ‘his more warlike followers’. In this film, he
appears to be doing both, appearing as a man very much human, and one on whom
the focus does not always lie – his other Knights also gain individual screen
time.
Sir Bedivere
Bedivere was the
butler or the cup-bearer and the constable of King Arthur.
According to Malory's ‘le Morte d'Arthur’, Bedivere was one
of the survivors in the war against Arthur’s usurping nephew Mordred, in the battle of
Camlann. He attended Arthur, who was
mortally wounded, and eventually threw Excalibur into the lake as ordered.
Bedivere then witnessed Arthur being taken on a boat to Avalon, after which he
took holy vows and became a hermit.
In la Mort le Roi
Artu (Vulgate Cycle), however, it was Girflet who attended Arthur and threw
Excalibur in the lake, before Arthur was taken to Avalon.
However…
None of this is mentioned within the film.
In an attempt to
‘flesh out’ his character (as little is known of him beyond his attending his
dying king), in Terry 
Jones’ characterisation, Bedivere
becomes a knight of science, a man capable of explaining how sheep’s bladders can
prevent earthquakes. To modern eyes (and minds) his Witch Test, which consists
of comparing Connie Booth to a piece of wood, as witches burn, and then to a
duck, which is also known to float in water, seems woefully laughable. Which is
the point, in a comedy film. But it also allows the Pythons to satirise
medieval science, to a far greater extent than such a display of ‘knowledge’
does Bedivere himself… although it does prove ample demonstration that
scientists – or even just those in power - do not always know what they’re
talking about.
Bedivere is also
notable within the film for being not only the first knight to join Arthur’s
company, but is also the only knight to remain his companion until the film’s
end, as happens in legend. (That neither of them actually finds the grail is
fitting with what we know of the Sangreal – it was either Percival or Galahad
who actually found the Grail – although it makes for a rather inconclusive end
to a quest film…)
Sir Galahad
Michael Palin’s character
was known through legend as ‘Sir Galahad the Pure’ – it was he alone who dared
to sit on the Siege Perilous, a seat fit only for the man 
who has committed no sin. Galahad was often called simply
‘the Good Knight’; this aspect of Galahad’s character is stressed throughout
the film, with him even introducing himself as Sir Galahad the Chaste.
Galahad was,
according to some, the son of Sir Lancelot and Elaine, although there is little
made of this in the film (particularly as there are only a few years between
Palin and Cleese).
In many of the later
Grail legends it is Galahad to whom the Sangreal is revealed – however, within
this film he has fallen into the Gorge of Peril before he is even close, having
failed to correctly answer what his favourite colour is.
Sir Lancelot
Sir Lancelot du Lac,
played by John Cleese, was ‘most beloved by the people’. His awe-inspiring
pre-Grail reputation – leading him to be known as ‘the greatest knight in the world’ – was built on him having performed a great feat of 
arms at Dolorous Guard, killed two giants, and made
Galehaut surrendered to Arthur (all of which were accomplished for the sake of
Guinevere). These early adventures before the quest of Grail, earned him the
reputation of.
However. The film
makes no mention of Lancelot’s upbringing in the palace of the Lady of the
Lake, his love for Arthur’s Queen nor his previous adventures.
Instead, he is seen
at times to be an over-zealous fool, incapable of rational thought or behaviour
when caught in his ‘idiom’. His random slaughter of the wedding guests and
guards in the Swamp Castle, as he attempts to rescue what he presumes to be a
damsel in distress, has led him to be described by one film reviewer as a
‘nitwit’; it is this scene more than any of the others which ridicules such a
strong character of legend.
Sir Robin
This character is
played by Eric Idle, and from his first introduction as ‘Sir Robin the Not
Quite So Brave as Sir Launcelot… Who Had Personally Wet Himself At The Battle
of Badon Hill’ it is clear he is intended to play a mostly comic role, acting
as a foil for the other more serious and braver knights.
This character is a
purely Python-invention; there IS NO Sir Robin in the Arthurian legends. He was
possibly based on Dinadan, companion of Tristan, who although a strong knight
and not a coward, often grumbled at having to constantly risk life and limb for
the sake of a lady or damsel when outnumbered… In a time when most Arthurian knights sought out
dangers, regardless of risk, Dinadan would prefer to avoid them. As would Sir
Robin, who is seen to run from the three-headed giant knight rather than stand
and fight (and thereafter has to endure the taunts of his minstrels…). This
character is also
possibly satirising Sir Gawain, the first knight to symbolise the paragon of courage and
chivalry, and the yardstick against whom all other knights measured their
valour.
Also mentioned in ‘The Holy Grail’ are Sir
Gawain, Sir Ector and Sir Bors; they however are only brought into the film at
a late stage, and then only to provide mere ‘cannon-fodder’ for the vicious
rabbit who guards the cave of Ca’er Bannog.
FILM ITSELF: BACKGROUND & PARALLELS IN OTHER FABLES
1. The Search for The Holy Grail
In legend, the final
impetus to search for the Holy Grail (for the idea of searching for it had
often occurred to the knights) came when it appeared in a celestial vision to
those dining in Camelot. Thereafter, led by an oath of Sir Lancelot, all of the
knights swore to seek it out. The next day they set off to search, none
travelling with more than one knighted companion. Arthur stayed behind to rule.
This scene does not
have a place in the film; it is God himself (albeit in cartoon form, courtesy
of Terry Gilliam) who appears before the knights, and charges them with their
sacred quest. Although after a time the group split up to search for the grail,
they are, after several individual scenes, united, and Arthur is very much a
key element in the quest.
This subject is not
a unique subject for a film; it features specifically in 
‘Indianna Jones and the Last
Crusade’, and Stewart Lee’s forthcoming ‘Saturated’, to name but two, while the
search for eternal life is a theme of many others. Quest myths (says David
Adams Leeming) represent mankind’s search for self, and our desire to prove
ourselves and gain immortality.
The search be
compared to the search for eternal life in other religions; Gilgamesh
(Babylonian legend) and Quetzalcoatl (Aztec legend) quested for such a secret,
while Jesus quested to reveal the secret to others (and so allow them eternal
life in the Kingdom of God).
It is even
comparable to Herakles striving to complete the 12 Labours, after which he becomes
an Olympian
It was generally
accepted by later writers that the Grail was revealed to Sir Galahad, who –
with Percival and Bors – took it to Sarras under the instruction of Jesus; Sir
Percival had also come to the castle where it was kept (with a sacred lance)
but had not asked about it or prayed for guidance on the subject as did
Galahad… had he done so the Fisher King's wounds would have healed and the barren land
around the Grail Castle would have been restored. HOWEVER in Robert de Boron's Perceval
and the Didot Perceval he was the heir to the Grail Keeper’s throne.
The Pythons avoid
any confrontation between these two knights by only featuring Galahad in their
story.
The Black Knight
(who refuses to yield even in the face of death)
Black Knights are
common in mythology – most specifically Arthurian, although one has only to
think of Darth Vader to realise how potent an image such a warrior is. Even if
the majority do not continue to fight when they have lost all their limbs, they
are usually depicted as brave warriors. (Though perhaps not as ludicrously
brave in the face of reality as Cleese’s bleeding torso of a Knight…)
Sir Beaumain (the
ex-kitchen boy of Malory’s 7th book of Le Morte D’Arthur) faced and
killed Sir Pecard the Black Knight of the Black Launds. However, to other
authors, Sir Pecard the Black Knight was the
Guardian of the Magic Fountain in the 'Forest of Broceliande' before he was
killed by Owain,
son of
'Urien of Rheged' and Mordron (Morgan le Fay); he was known as Esclados the Red in Knight
of the Lion and as the Black Knight in Mabinogion.
Another Black
Knight of legend was a great man of Royal Irish birth who convinced the English
(by scattering broken weapons about the forest) they were about to meet a great
army… captured and tortured, the Knight requested a duel with the English army
leader over execution, in the midst of which he collapsed with plague… The
Black Death… which then swept through the English camp…
It has been suggested that, archetypally, the
Black Knight represents the dark side of our own personalities, the shadow
self, with whom we must meet, and perhaps battle, in order to be initiated into
the greater mysteries. Pagan spiritualists even suggest that people ‘evoke the
Black Knight to help you seek your own shadows’.
Python’s ‘Black Knight’ is the anti-thesis of
Dinadan, a Knight of the Round Table who was also known as The Black Knight. He
saw no purpose in fighting for fighting's sake.
Another Black Knight appears in Arthurian
legend when Lancelot is attempting to rescue Guinevere from Dolorous Guard.
When he entered
the castle by a secret tunnel, he found a chamber with a Well of Blackness, on
the other side of which was an axe-wielding Black Knight, who had flames coming
out his mouth. Lancelot charged towards the well, throwing his shield at the
Black Knight – which then shattered on impact – before himself leaping across
the well. With his hands he strangled the black knight to death. Then Lancelot
threw the Black Knight into the well.
Lancelot also was known variously as the
Black Knight, the White Knight and the Red Knight as he liked to go about
disguised (rather like a jousting Michael Jackson). However, within the film
Lancelot’s only link with the Black Knight is that he is played by the same
actor, John Cleese. (Which becomes slightly less remarkable a coincidence when
one realises that, for obvious cast limitations, it was either him, Jones, Palin
or Idle…)
N.B. This scene was
shot in Epping Forest, after the Scottish location shoot had finished,
scene-setting which helps in some way to tie in the idea of it being a film
about ‘Briton’.
Attacking besieged castles with wooden animals
‘The Holy Grail’ is
also interesting in its re-appropriation of Odysseus’ Wooden Horse Of Troy as a
well-known siege 
tactic. A Giant Rabbit is
constructed, in order to gain entry to the castle of a group of French
k-nig-uts. Unfortunately, the knights forget to hide inside it, thus rendering
their plan of ‘surprise attack from within’ somewhat infeasible. This, again,
makes Sir Bedivere look foolish. And is also really quite amusing…
This well-known battle tactic and piece of powerful imagery
was also used in a comedy sketch by the Perrier Award winning Noel Fielding,
who takes a giant wooden shrew to Africa – covered in kit-kat wrappers to make
it ‘double dangerous’, so bright that small boys would rather eat a pair of
scissors than look at it – as a method of allowing the woodland animals to
infiltrate the ranks of the greater beasts…
3-headed fighting giants
Within the film, Sir
Robin comes across a camp bickering bearded three-headed giant. World-wide,
there is always a 
place for three-headed giants in
mythology.
For example…
The Arthurian-period
legend of ‘Jack The Giant Killer’ who gained his name (and fame) for trapping
and killing the three-headed Cornish giant Cormoran… he later defeated several other
giants (with variable numbers of heads) with a combination of strength and
cunning. He served Arthur’s son for a time, but never became a Knight of the
Round Table.
Greek legend tells
of how one of Herakles’ 12 Labours was to obtain the cattle of the three-headed
giant Geryon (or Geryoneus); having dispatched the peace-able giant’s
two-headed dog, Herakles shot Geryon in his throats with the one arrow, and
killed him.
There’s also a
Bedouin legend which tells of a wicked three-headed giant djin called Antar Bin
Shaddad who was killed by a man called Thiab who cut off his middle head.
Knights Who Say ‘Ni’
As is to be expected, the Knights Who Say ‘Ni’ are a Monty Python
invention.
However, they could
be seen as an amalgam of Arthurian foes, who set difficult or impossible tasks
for the heroes before they are allowed to pass and continue with their quest
for eternal life (rather as Eurystheus set Herakles 12 Labours). They are also
a good excuse to get shrubberies into the world’s consciousness as a tool for
comedy, and make a worryingly bearded Michael Palin says
‘Ecki-ecki-ecki-ecki-pa-TANG-za-boom-mumble…
Lancelot rescuing one who is to be married against their will
Within the film, a
captured weed of a boy called Hubert sends a message from his tower prison,
hoping for rescue before he is married against his will.
Lancelot’s rescue
of what he presumed to be a ‘damsel in distress’ was basically what knights of
legend did (when they weren’t slaying giants or dragons); he himself, it is
told, had had to rescue Guinevere several times from various abductors.
Here, the Pythons
use the scene as a good excuse to turn the tables and make it a boy that needs
rescuing, as well as showing the gruesome reality of such heroics (‘he’s killed
the bride’s father!’)
A castle full of nubile
temptation
In Wagner’s drama,
this Castle of Maidens becomes Klingsor’s Castle, where Gawain frees women and
girls from enchantment. Within ‘The Holy Grail’, however, it is Sir Galahad who
comes upon the castle…
An 1896 mural by
Edwin Austin Abbey depicting ‘Sir Galahad at the Castle of the Maidens’ tells
the story of his defeating the Seven Knights of Darkness (7 Deadly Sins) in
order to set Virtue free. It is only Sir Galahad the Pure who could accomplish
such a thing, and he is pictured before a white shield bearing a red cross,
kissing the hands of the 
maidens. The 7 brothers had taken
the castle from Duke Lianour, and when they had been defeated, its keep fell to
the Duke’s daughter.
Within the film, the
castle is inhabited by ‘8 score young women, all aged between 16 and 19½’, and
the greatest danger Galahad faces within their walls is to his chastity (a
peril from which he is rescued by Launcelot and another helmeted knight). It is
notable however that his shield is the same as in the painting; white with a
red cross.
In Chretien de Troyes' ‘Perceval’, Igraine
(Ygurna, Arthur’s mother) is the ruler of the Castle of Maidens. She is portrayed
there as a white-haired queen, adorned with golden flowers, who has taken
possession of the castle along with her daughter and granddaughter. The
place is protected by the spells of a magician who accompanies Igraine
everywhere, ensuring that only knights of the purest character can enter the
castle. The twin rulers of the castle within the film are Zoot and Dingo, both
of whom are played by Carol Cleveland; neither of these characters, with their
predilections for spanking, and tendencies to mislead wandering knights with
their false grail beacon, could hope to match Arthur’s mother in terms of
strength of character.
Receiving guidance from peculiar old 
men/crones
In one legend of the Middle Ages, King Arthur
is helped in his quest to find the answer to the question of what it is that
women want by a ‘loathly’ crone, much as he is guided in the film by a
disfigured old cackling man from scene 24. Such characters appear to be staples
of mythology, although they are often revealed to be gods in disguise –
however, it is in helping such individuals that one gains their favour, and
they are rarely so malevolent as The Old Man From Scene 24. He is in fact more
reminiscent of Little John guarding his bridge (or stretch of water),
threatening to knock off any man he bests; John fought physically, while The
Old Man’s weapons are his questions, but the effect is much the same…
Tim The Enchanter
Played as Scottish
and deeply weird by John Cleese with a good hat and beard, Tim The Enchanter
first appears on a mountain top, setting of explosions with a mere point of his
fingers. He then takes the Knights to the cave of Ca’er Bannog to battle the
fierce beast which guards the Grail secrets.
This character is
fiercely reminiscent of Merlin, who does not appear in the film
The ‘real’ Merlin is
supposed to have been a bard who lived in the 5th Century, serving
first Ambrosius Aurelianus the British chief, and then King Arthur. Having
‘lost his reason’ (suffered a nervous 
breakdown) following the battle of
Solway Firth, he broke his sword, retired to the forest, and soon after there
died.
By legend, Merlin is
the product of a Satanic virgin birth, and has no human father. (Satan,
frustrated at the growing numbers of Christians, had sought to retaliate with
his own devil spawn.) The child was, however, baptised soon after his birth,
annulling ‘the evil purpose of Satan’ and while Merlin retained his magical
powers, they were not used to an evil end.
Merlin had great prophetic powers, and was
soon installed within the King’s court, fore-telling the futures of the Kings.
It was Merlin who, intent on pleasing Uther Pendragon, built the castle at
Carlisle, and there established a round table (in the style of Joseph of
Arimathea). He also built the castle of Camelot. (‘It’s only a model.’) And,
conveniently for puzzled locals and centuries of beard-scratching scientists,
it was he who, in
honour of the slain Pendragon, created Stonehenge in a night, magically
conveying all the stones from Ireland to England.
The importance of
such an enchanter or wizard in Arthur’s retinue is picked up by the Pythons
with their Merlin-esque ‘Tim the Enchanter’ character.
Terrifying creatures guarding great treasure
In ‘The Holy Grail’ the terrifying
creature is a rabbit with ‘a vicious streak a mile wide’ – in most mythologies
(which are aiming for grand action rather than expectation-defying humour), the
animal both looks and acts worringly nastily. For example, Smorg the Dragon,
who sleeps on his gold and jewels in Tolkein’s ‘The Hobbit’, or the dragon of
Colchis guarding the Golden Fleece.
Here, the rabbit is
defeated with the help of God and some cunning (as is traditional for such
situations); it’s blown up by the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.
Being asked 3 questions before being allowed to pass one of great
power, and continue on your journey unhindered.
Before they can
cross the Bridge of Death – on the other side of which lies the castle in which
the Grail is kept – the remaining Knights must answer ye these 
questions three.
This is comparable
to Oedipus solving the riddle of the Sphinx, or the character of Been Nighe (of
Irish & Highland Scottish legend), a washing woman who can grant wishes,
and will answer three questions if her interviewer will honestly do the same.
In legend, in one quest which he alone
undertakes, Arthur is asked questions by a giant with great magical powers in
order to retain his life and dignity – much as the Knights in ‘The Holy Grail’
are questioned by The Old Man From Scene 24 before they can cross the bridge.
(And his answer is just as funny; what women want is revealed to be ‘their own
way’.)
Crossing a lake, ferried by a
peculiar oarsman, in order to reach the island castle / eternal life.
This is a feature of many myths, including that of Gilgamesh
(Sumerian-Babylonian), who, seeking the secret of eternal life, is taken to
Utnapashtim’s island by a boatman. Also, in Greek mythology Charon the boatman
was the only one who could ferry dead souls (and venturing heroes) across the
poisonous River Styx in return for payment…
CONCLUSION
The most important
things which Eric Idle claims to have learnt during filming were to ‘always have
sufficient budget’, and to ‘try and stay out of soggy woollen armour’. But
there is a little bit more in the film than just that.
Even though the details of the myth itself do not remain
true to the versions 
available, retaining only a bald
outline of typical Knightly exploits and the names of Arthur’s company… this
itself seems to be in keeping with the tradition of Arthurian story-telling;
all of those writers who have taken these legends as a basis for their poems,
prose or operatic works have changed the events and characters depicted within
them to suit their own purpose. The Python team seem only to be following in
their footsteps. And it seems to have worked in their favour; the film has sold
well not only in England and America, but also throughout Europe and the Far
East, with Thailand being one of the first countries to pick up the
international film distribution after its release.
The Pythons themselves would like to think that this is
because it deals with universal themes; Michael Palin is a little more
gleefully specific though. He says…
‘I still think that’s one of the best designed and directed
films about the medieval period that I’ve seen, it really is superb – the
buildings we used, and the costumes, the look of the people, the army at the
end and all that stuff. This wonderful idea of the anti-Hollywood medieval film
was very important to us, where people didn’t all have even teeth, blond hair
and horses!’
Cox, George; Jones, Eustace. 1995. ‘Arthurian Legends Of
The Middle Ages’. London: Random House
Ebbutt,
M.I. 1986. ‘The British: Myths And Legends’. London: Bracken Books
Guerber,
H.A. 1985. ‘Middle Ages: Myths And Legends’. London: Studio Editions
Hope
Moncieff, A.R. 1985. ‘Romance & Legend of Chivalry’. London: Studio
Editions
Leeming,
David Adams. 1998. ‘Mythology: The Voyage Of The Hero’. New York: Oxford
University Press
Morgan,
David. 1999. ‘Monty Python Speaks’. London: Fourth Estate Limited.
Willis,
Roy. 1995. ‘Dictionary of World Myth’. London: Duncan Baird Publishers
Web references
Sir Galahad At The Castle Of The Maidens
Last revised: 31/03/03