perceval

English - English

Definition of perceval in English English dictionary

Hero of Arthurian legend. His childlike innocence protected him from worldly temptation. In Chrétien de Troyes's 12th-century Le Conte du Graal, Perceval visits the castle of the wounded Fisher King and sees the Grail, but he fails to ask about it and therefore fails to heal the Fisher King. He subsequently sets out in search of the Grail and grows spiritually. In later Grail legend he was displaced by Galahad as the hero of the Grail quest but continued to play an important role. His story was told in Wolfram von Eschenbach's 13th-century Parzifal, which provided the basis for Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal (1882)

Related Terms

Spencer Perceval

born Nov. 1, 1762, London, Eng. died May 11, 1812, London British prime minister (1809-12). He entered Parliament in 1796 and supported William Pitt's policy of war with France. He served as attorney general (1802-06) and as chancellor of the Exchequer (1807-09). As premier from 1809, he was noted as an efficient administrator but also for his opposition to religious tolerance. He was assassinated by a deranged man who had applied to him for redress of a complaint against the government

Hyphenation

Per·ce·val

Turkish pronunciation

pırseyväl

Pronunciation

/pərsāˈval/ /pɜrseɪˈvæl/

Etymology

[ 'p&r-s&-v&l ] (noun.) Old French.