SIR GALAHAD
Questions to arouse interest. Who is this man? How is he dressed? What do his armor and title “Sir” tell us he is? How many have read Tennyson’s poems telling the story of the knights of the Round Table? What does Sir Galahad look as if he were about to do? Why do you think he is starting on a journey, rather than returning from one? Why do you think it must be an important journey? How will he go? What was expected of a knight in those days? Tell of some of their good deeds. What would you judge the character of this knight to be? Where is he represented in this picture? Is he walking, or standing still? looking at something in particular, or lost in thought? Does he appear angry, meek, determined, hesitating, thoughtful, or dreamy? What do his clasped hands indicate? What color is the horse? Upon what part of the man and horse does the light fall? What would you consider the main thought expressed in this picture?
Original Picture: Collection Alexander Henderson, M.P., London, England.
Artist: George Frederick Watts (wŏts).
Birthplace: London, England.
Dates: Born, 1817; died, 1904.
The story of the picture. Many wonderful stories have been told of the famous knights of the Middle Ages, but none perhaps more interesting than the adventures of the knight Sir Galahad when he went in search of the Holy Grail.
In those times the greatest praise a boy could hope to receive was “You are brave enough to become a knight some day,” or “You are as courteous as a knight”; and his greatest ambition was to receive this title as he knelt before his sovereign or a superior knight. In those days boys were carefully trained for knighthood, just as for any other profession. They were sent away from home when very young, and spent at least ten years under severe discipline and training.
The boy Galahad had passed through these years of preparation. He had been taught to be quick in action,—managing a horse so that he could jump on or off while it was in full gallop,—to throw his spear with sure aim, to run swiftly, to obey all commands promptly; and, more difficult still, he had learned to wait patiently and uncomplainingly when he could not understand why he should wait.
Now he was twenty-one years old. Knighthood had been bestowed upon him, according to the custom, by a blow with the flat of the sword on his shoulder as he knelt, and the words, “Arise, Sir Galahad.” And now he was ready to start out on his quest for the Holy Grail.