NIGHTBRINGER | The Arthurian Encyclopedia

Hermit King

Hermit Uncle

In the Fourth Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval, Perceval’s uncle is called Elyas AnaïsPerceval came across his forest cloister after having failed to ask the Grail Question during his first visit to the Fisher King’s castle. The Hermit King gave Perceval additional information about the Grail and the Grail keepers. The character first appears in Chrétien de Troyes’s Perceval, though he has no name or designation.

There is some confusion as to whether he is Perceval’s maternal uncle (and therefore the brother of the Fisher King) or his paternal uncle (the brother of Alain the Large).


Sources
Perceval, or Le Conte del Graal | Chrétien de Troyes, late 12th century
Second Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval | Attributed to Wauchier of Denain, c. 1200
Didot-Perceval | c. 1220-1230
Perlesvaus | Early 13th century
Parzival | Wolfram von Eschenbach, 1200–1210
Fourth Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval | Gerbert de Montreuil, c. 1230