Alain le Gros
Alain le Gros (or Alain the Large) was remembered in Arthurian tradition as father of Percivale and the third Grail keeper at Carbonek.
Alternative Names
Alain the Large, Alaine, Alains, Alan, Alanz, Alein, Aleins, Helain, Helains li Gros, Hellyas, Julain
Introduction#
Alain le Gros (“the Large”) is a shadowy yet significant figure in Arthurian tradition. Remembered either as the father of Perceval or as the third keeper of the Holy Grail, Alain’s identity shifts depending on which medieval text one reads. In some romances, he is rooted in the Grail lineage founded by Joseph of Arimathea; in others, he rules castles, fathers heroes, or even performs miracles akin to Christ himself. His story embodies the way Arthurian literature developed through overlapping traditions — sometimes contradictory, but always striving to bind the Grail legend into a sacred genealogy.
Origins in Robert de Boron#
In Robert de Boron’s Joseph d’Arimathie (c. 1191–1202), Alain appears as the twelfth son of Bron, Joseph of Arimathea’s brother-in-law. Robert casts him as the third Grail keeper, destined to guide his brothers to Britain, where his son would one day become Grail King. But Robert also calls Alain celibate — creating a tension that later writers had to resolve or reinterpret.
Alain as Percivale’s Father#
The Didot-Perceval (c. 1220–1230), probably drawing on Robert’s lost Perceval romance, identifies Alain directly as father of Percivale. Here, he is guided by the Holy Spirit and personally sends his son to Arthur’s court — unlike other traditions where Percivale’s father dies in his youth (as with Bliocadran in Chrétien, or Gahmuret in Wolfram). This version makes Alain a living link between the Grail keepers and Arthur’s Round Table.
The Perlesvaus Tradition#
In the Perlesvaus (early 13th century), Alain’s identity shifts again. Now he is the son of Gais the Large, lord of Kamaalot, husband of Yglais, and father of Percivale. Far from sending his son to Arthur, he opposes Perceval’s departure. His later life is marked by strife: his lands are attacked by the Lord of the Fens, and in vengeance for his brother Aliban, he slays the Red Giant but dies from his wounds. This portrayal gives Alain a tragic, almost epic flavor — a warrior-lord undone by feud and fate.
The Vulgate Estoire del Saint Graal#
The Vulgate Estoire del Saint Graal (c. 1220–1235) expands Robert’s tale but separates Alain from Percivale entirely. He is again Bron’s twelfth son and the third Grail keeper, called the Rich Fisherman. Like Christ with loaves and fishes, he multiplies one fish into a feast for Joseph’s followers. After Josephus’ death, Alain inherits the Grail and journeys with his brother Joshua and a hundred companions. He heals King Calafes of leprosy with the Grail, prompting the king to build Corbenic, the Grail Castle, where Alain is later buried in the chapel of Notre Dame.
Confusion in Later Vulgate Texts#
Later Vulgate texts — the Merlin and the Livre d’Artus — blur Alain’s role further. Now he and his brothers (named as Pelles and Pellinore) rule Listenois or the Strange Land. Alain suffers an illness and awaits the knight who will ask the Grail Question, a role elsewhere tied to the Fisher King. These texts often confuse Alain with Pelles, whose identity as Grail King eventually eclipsed Alain’s.
A Brief Note in Chrétien’s Continuation#
In one manuscript of the First Continuation of Chrétien’s Perceval, Alain reappears briefly as Percivale’s father — but this time he is described as the husband, not the son, of Enygeus, further showing how unstable his genealogy became in the Arthurian tradition.
Role in Arthurian Legend#
Alain le Gros does not stand among the great adventurers of Arthurian romance, nor does he ride in the forefront of battle. Instead, his importance lies in the quieter role of guardian and transmitter. As one of the first keepers of the Grail, he ensures that the sacred vessel passes safely from the earliest Christian tradition into the age of Arthur and his knights.
Placed between the better-known figures of the Grail tradition, Alain occupies a pivotal if understated position. Joseph of Arimathea is remembered as the original custodian of the vessel, Bron the Rich Fisherman as the first to hold it in Britain, and King Pelles as the wounded guardian who awaits healing through the Grail Question. Alain bridges these figures. In some texts, he follows Bron as the third Grail keeper, charged with leading his brothers to Britain and preparing for the coming of the chosen knight. In others, he is remembered as the earthly father of Percivale, the seeker most closely tied to the Grail itself.
However inconsistent the accounts, Alain consistently embodies the idea of stewardship. He represents the continuity of a divine trust across generations, holding the Grail in safe keeping until the quest can be revealed. In this way, Alain le Gros belongs to the essential framework of the legend: one of the background figures whose quiet devotion gives meaning to the great adventures that follow.
Sources#
Joseph d’Arimathie | Robert de Boron, 1191-1202
Perlevaus | Early 13th century
Didot-Perceval | c. 1220-1230
Vulgate Estoire del Saint Graal | 1220-1235
Vulgate Merlin | 1220-1235
Le Livre d’Artus | Early 13th century
