Gripla - 2023, Blaðsíða 363

“SHOULD SHE TELL A STORY …” 361
search of the Holy Grail. Although these wise figures clearly have knowl-
edge that the knights lack, their interpretations are somewhat ambiguous
and even contradictory. In one of the tales about Lancelot, the color black
is interpreted as symbolizing sin, but in one of Bors’ dreams, black rep-
resents the church and, therefore, virtue. Things are further complicated
when the devil appears in the guise of a priest and presents an interpreta-
tion of the color black that is explicitly intended to confuse Bors. To some
extent, Todorov explains, “the quest of the Grail is the quest of a code. To
find the Grail is to learn how to decipher the divine language.”28
Another narrative feature Todorov discusses in this context are prophe-
cies, which are a familiar feature of folk tales and also appear in other types
of texts. “Thus Circe, or Calypso, or Athena predicts to Odysseus what
will happen to him,” observes Todorov in his discussion of The Odyssey,
adding that at times Odysseus even predicts his own future.29 Prophecies
are also a common feature in The Quest of the Holy Grail and often appear
in the form of spells that are contingent on positive or negative conditions:
“If X does this or that thing, then this or that will happen (to him).”30 Such
spells essentially provide a formula for the plot, indicating to the readers
ahead of time what the hero will do, even if he has some limited choices
(breaking a spell, for instance). But with each page of The Quest of the Holy
Grail, even these options dwindle. Todorov specifically focuses on the
adventures of Galahad. While the other knights are more like traditional
folk tale characters, whose ultimate triumph is not assured, it is clear early
on that Galahad is the good knight who will overcome every obstacle in
his path and see the quest of the Holy Grail through to the end. Stories
about him become so predictable that they revolve less around the question
of “What will happen next?” than the question of “What is the meaning
of the Grail?”. Todorov sees a persistent tug-of-war between these two
questions in The Quest of the Holy Grail and clarifies that they are at play
in most literary works and can even shed light on different literary genres:
The two fundamental types of detective story, the mystery and the
adventure, illustrate these same two points. In the first case, the
28 Todorov, The Poetics of Prose, 129.
29 Ibid., 64.
30 Ibid., 130.