Parzival is a medieval romance by the German poet, knight, and troubadour Wolfram von Eschenbach. The story belongs to the most significant examples of medieval literature. The poem, dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, tells about the legendary knight of the Round Table Parzival (Percival in English) and his long search for the Holy Grail following his initial failure to achieve it. The story begins with Parzival's birth and early life, continues with his attempts to find King Arthur and join him, together with his friend Gawan and concludes in meeting and marriage to the love of his life Orgeluse. Although the poem is dedicated to the spiritual and physical search for Saint Grail, its central narrative is love, chivalry, and courtship that reward the hero with a happy completion of his deeds.

In presenting, for the first time, to English readers the greatest work of Germany's greatest mediæval poet, a few words of introduction, alike for poem and writer, may not be out of place. The lapse of nearly seven hundred years, and the changes which the centuries have worked, alike in language and in thought, would have naturally operated to render any work unfamiliar, still more so when that work was composed in a foreign tongue; but, indeed, it is only within the present century that the original text of the Parzivalhas been collated from the MSS. and made accessible, even in its own land, to the general reader. But the interest which is now felt by many in the Arthurian romances, quickened into life doubtless by the genius of the late Poet Laureate, and the fact that the greatest composer of our time, Richard Wagner, has selected this poem as the groundwork of that wonderful drama, which a growing consensus of opinion has hailed as the grandest artistic achievement of this century, seem to indicate that the time has come when the work of Wolfram von Eschenbach may hope to receive, from a wider public than that of his own day, the recognition which it so well deserves. Of the poet himself we know but little, save from the personal allusions scattered throughout his works; the dates of his birth and death are alike unrecorded, but the frequent notices of contemporary events to be found in his poems enable us to fix with tolerable certainty the period of his literary activity, and to judge approximately the outline of his life. Wolfram's greatest work, the Parzival, was apparently written within the early years of the thirteenth century; he makes constant allusions to events happening, and to works produced, within the first decade of that period; and as his latest work, the Willehalm, left unfinished, mentions as recent the death of the Landgrave Herman of Thuringia, which occurred in 1216, the probability seems to be that the Parzival was written within the first fifteen years of the thirteenth century. Inasmuch, too, as this work bears no traces of immaturity in thought or style, it is probable that the date of the poet's birth cannot be placed much later than 1170.

Acclaimed storyteller and Newbery medalist, National Book Awardwinner, and Laura Ingalls Wilder award recipient Katherine Paterson breathes new life into this classic tale of action, adventure, and romance. Raised in the wilderness, Parzival knows nothing of his destiny as the Grail Knight--the one who is fated to seek the sacred vessel of hope and eternal life. To succeed in his quest, Parzival must struggle against countless obstacles. His triumphant story is one that will move readers to joy and despair, laughter and tears.

Originally published in 1951, this collaboration of two accomplished translators resulted in the first English verse translation of a major work of German literature. Rather than a translation of the entire poem, in this volume the translators present key passages connected by prose summaries, and include an introduction giving an overview of the work and its historical and literary context.

Presenting the story of 'Parzival' that was intended as an argument against continued efforts by Latin Christians to regain the Holy Land by force, the author reveals the secrets of the altar stone that inspired Wolfram's work in the diocesan museum of the German city of Bamberg.

Parzival is the greatest of the medieval Grail romances. It tells of Parzival's growth from youthful folly to knighthood at the court of King Arthur, and of his quest for the Holy Grail. Cyril Edwards's fine translation also includes the fragments of Titurel, an elegiac offshoot of Parzival.

The story of Parzival is one of the great classics of the previous millennium. It is the colorful tale of the time of knights, filled with romance, love and, adventure. David Newbatt's illustrations in this book bring a refreshing, vivid, and direct interpretation of Parzival's quest for the Holy Grail, while the text gives a brief, clear, and concise introduction to some of the many characters and events portrayed in this epic tale. Parzival is a great story for reading by the fireside, but it is also a deep and intense piece of literature. It portrays an individual's archetypal biography, which still speaks to us today as we pursue our own search for the modern Grail Temple. This lavish edition is highly recommended ... a great gift that will be treasured for years to come.