Beyond the Forest: The Story of Parsifal and the Grail
The Grail Quest is an archetypal story of the journey of humanity and of each person. Parsifal’s search for wholeness—passed down by generations of storytellers—is retold vividly here by Kelvin Hall.
There is a Parsifal in each of us as we move from the innocence and naivety of forgetting, through courage and surrender, to love and redemption. Although impaired by fear, bewilderment, loss and misunderstanding, we learn to trust the instinct of the heart and to accept the wisdom and support of others along the way.
This ancient story was told by Wolfram von Eschenbach during the Middle Ages. It asks us why we hold ourselves back from asking the compassionate question. It shows us how this restraint leads to our suffering and alienation, and that we can acknowledge our own suffering only by engaging with the suffering of others. This allows the possibility of transformation and renewal.
Because this is an initiation story, it will be especially useful to English and drama teachers as well as to storytellers and psychotherapists. The Parsifal story is also an essential part of the Waldorf curriculum for eleventh graders (seventeen-year-olds), and Beyond the Forest provides the most accessible version for teenagers.
Virginia L. (verified owner) –