Masters Theses
Date of Award
5-2007
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Major
English
Major Professor
Laura Howes
Committee Members
Mary Dzon, Stanton Garner
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to study the specific condition of female characters in the literature of the Holy Grail. While this women do not occupy a substantial portion of the narratives, they exude a feminine authority over the test and its progression. The female characters of Perceval's sister in both the Vulgate's Queste del Saint Graal and Malory's "Tale of Sankgreal" and Sigune and Cundrie of Wolfram's Parzival play integral roles to the ultimate achievement of the Grail by their male counterparts. By contextualizing these characters within the medieval Christian tradition, as presented by Caroline Walker Bynum, it is evident that they participate in a large convention of the unique female religious experience of the time. This special feminine spirituality allows them both autonomy and control over the story's events.
Recommended Citation
Lopez, Teresa Marie, "Searching for the Feminine: The Women of the Holy Grail. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2007.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/768