Parsifal

[An Onymus (imported)]

I recently read that, in the medieval romance Parsifal, the character of the Fisher King is described as having suffered an injury in battle, which made it impossible for him to bear children (hence, I guess, the line of succession passed to Parsifal.) What I wondered is, whether the injury was the loss of the testes, or simply something which caused impotence. Does anybody know this? It would be rather interesting if, in the medieval world, someone who has lost his testes, was still considered to be king, even in fiction.

[philorchites (imported)]

Well, according to Milton Cross's notes on Wagner's opera "Parsifal", the only wounded king in the picture is Amfortas, king of the knights of the Holy Grail, who was wounded in the side by the sorcerer Klingsor, using Amfortas' own spear or lance. Parsifal is himself the son of Gamuret, a warrior who was slain in battle, and whom Parsifal himself never knew.

The composer derived his libretto from three sources, however: Wolfram von Eschenbach's poem, "Parsifal"; the 14th century manuscript known as the Mabinogion; and Chretien de Troyes's "Percival Le Galois". This may help others who have access to these sources (I don't) to give a more satisfactory answer.

[Paolo]

Klingsor the Wizard was also emasculated by the King of Italy, I think it was, for sleeping with the Queen Iblis. According to the script, this multiplied his Powers as he was unable to channel his energy from sexual frustration any other way.

See also 'Harry Potter and the Knife of Klingsor' in the Fiction Archive here.