Fisher King: Biography, Facts and Career

The Fisher King (French: Roi Pêcheur; Welsh: Brenin Pysgotwir; Cornish: Pyscador Myghtern; Breton: Roue ar Peskataer) is a figure in Arthurian legend, the last in a long line of British kings tasked with guarding the Holy Grail. The Fisher King is both the protector and physical embodiment of his lands, but a wound renders him impotent and his kingdom barren. Unable to walk or ride a horse, he is sometimes depicted as spending his time fishing while he awaits a "chosen one" who can heal him. Versions of the story vary widely, but the Fisher King is typically depicted as being wounded in the groin, legs, or thigh. The healing of these wounds always depends upon the completion of a hero-knight's task. Most versions of the story contain the Holy Grail and the Lance of Longinus as plot elements. In some versions, a third character is introduced; this individual, unlike the hero-knight archetype, is ignorant of the King's power, but has the ability to save the king and land, or to doom it. Variations of this third party produce divergent legends. As a literary character, the Fisher King originates in Chrétien de Troyes' unfinished writings of the adventures of Perceval. Many authors have endeavoured to complete and extend the work, resulting in various continuations. Major sources of the legend include Chrétien's Li Contes del Graal; Perceval, ou Le Conte du Graal (c. 1180–1190), Wauchier de Denain's First Continuation (c. 1190–1200), Robert de Boron's Didot-Perceval (c. 1191–1202), Peredur son of Efrawg (c. 1200), Perlesvaus (c. 1200), Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival (c. 1205), and Thomas Malory's Morte D'Arthur (c. 1400). In his 'Perceval', Chrétien did not say how the quester was related to the Fisher King. In later romances it is made clear, in the end, that the Fisher King is the uncle of the quester. In Wolfram's 'Parzival', the quester is the son of Herzeloyde who is the sister of Anfortas, the Fisher King.

Quick facts about Fisher King

• Full name: Fisher King
• Nationality: United Kingdom
• Known as: Royal
• Wikidata ID: Q1420120

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.