ABSTRACT
The myth of Parsifal is at the centre of the vast group of texts devoted to the quest for the Grail, and is thus part of the most original and crucial mythical edifice of the Middle Ages. In the case of Tristan, passion that transgresses the norms will end by failing to recognize the importance of temporal power, excluding it from the world which it inhabits. The character of Parsifal had to be of considerable importance for Wagner deliberately to choose his story to crown his life's work. Wonders are again in evidence, but the author's departure from the original myth is all the greater here because the Grail reverts to being a pagan object: it ceases to be a sacred chalice and becomes the cup of Venus containing a regenerating liquid.
