Sir Galahad, The Son Of Lancelot
Public DomainSir Galahad was guided by angels on the quest for the Holy Grail.
Born from the union of Sir Lancelot and Lady Elaine, Galahad’s conception was said to have been divine intervention — though there was a bit of deception at play as well. Elaine’s father, King Pelles, had seen a vision of the son his daughter would give birth to: the knight destined to find the Holy Grail.
Seeking to bring Galahad’s fate about, Pelles scoured the land for an enchantress who could make Elaine appear to Lancelot disguised as Queen Guinevere. She did so, tricking Lancelot into sleeping with her. Despite this trickery and Lancelot’s own impurity, Galahad was born pure of heart and spirit and remained so throughout his life.
Galahad was not in the original Arthurian legends. Initially, it was Sir Percival who embarked on a quest for the Holy Grail. Then, in the 13th century, the story was changed so that the champion of the Grail required ancestry dating back to the House of David in the Old Testament. As such, Galahad was created as the son of Lancelot, first appearing in the Queste del Saint Graal, part of an Old French prose version of Arthurian legend known as the Vulgate Cycle.
Unlike his father, Galahad maintained absolute chastity and spiritual purity. He was described as the “Good Knight” or the “Perfect Knight,” possessing not only unmatched martial prowess but also unwavering moral virtue. His strength came not just from physical training but from divine favor, making him invincible in battle while remaining humble and selfless.
Public DomainAn 1885 engraving by Dante Gabriel Rossetti of Sir Galahad drinking from a well at a chapel.
Galahad’s arrival at Camelot was preceded by divine, supernatural signs. He alone could sit in the Siege Perilous, the seat at the Round Table reserved for the worthiest knight. He had also drawn a sword from a stone that no other knight could move. It was clear that Galahad was no mere knight. His resemblance to Lancelot also didn’t go unnoticed — especially by the queen. As written in Queste del Saint Graal:
“When she heard of the resemblance, she thought it must be Galahad whom Lancelot had begotten with the daughter of the rich Fisher King, in accordance with the story she had often been told of how he had been deceived; and that was why she was so angry with Lancelot, if the fault had been his.”
The quest for the Holy Grail became Galahad’s defining adventure. The personal failings of the other Knights of the Round Table had prevented their success in the journey, but Galahad’s purity allowed him to bear witness to the Grail’s mysteries in full. Accompanied by Sir Percival and Sir Bors, Galahad ventured to the castle of Corbenic, where he achieved the ultimate spiritual vision.
With his quest complete, Galahad experienced divine rapture and chose to die in perfect grace rather than return to the imperfect earthly realm. His soul was taken directly to Heaven, bringing an end to the Holy Grail’s earthly presence — and marking the start of Camelot’s spiritual decline.
