Dolorous Stroke

The people can't conceive or have children because you have wounded the king with the spear.

You have struck, and it's called the dolorous stroke, and it's really...

And I can remember my mum telling me that story.

And I had to stop.

This is nothing but that.

You know, oh, that...

That deeply moving dolorous stroke grail healing story is nothing but a pre-Christian fertility ritual.

Jesus used to call that thing, oh, it's nothing but that.

Then as Sir Balin and Sir Balan rode away, Merlin met with them and said to Balin, Thou hast done thyself great harm not to have saved that lady's life who slew herself.

And because of it, thou shalt strike the most dolorous stroke that ever man struck, save he that smote our Lord.

For thou shalt smite the truest and most worshipful of living knights, who shall not be recovered from his wounds for many years, and through that stroke three kingdoms shall be overwhelmed in poverty and misery.

If I believed, said Balin, what thou sayest, I would slay myself to make thee a liar.

The strange spear beside him was the spear wherewith the soldier Longus smote our Lord, which evermore had dripped with blood.

King Pellis is the nearest kin to Joseph in direct descent, wherefore he held these holy things in trust.

Now have they all gone at thy dolorous stroke.

No man knoweth whither, and is the great damage to this land, which until now hath been the happiest of all lands.

And here beside him also lieth his lady Columbae, who slew herself with her lover's sword for grief and sorrow." Then as Sir Balin and Sir Balan rode away, Merlin met with them, and said to Balin, "Thou hast done thyself great harm not to have saved that lady's life who slew herself.

And because of it, thou shalt strike the most dolorous stroke that ever man struck, save he that smote our Lord.

For thou shalt smite the truest and most worshipful of living knights, who shall not be recovered from his wounds for many years, and through that stroke three kingdoms shall be overwhelmed in poverty and misery." "If I believed," said Balin, "what thou sayest, I would slay myself to make thee a liar." At that Merlin vanished suddenly away, but afterwards he met them in disguise towards night, and told them he could lead them to King Ryance, whom they sought.

For this night he is to ride with sixty lances only through a wood hard by.

King Pellias is the nearest kin to Joseph in direct descent.

Wherefore he held these holy things in trust.

Now have they all gone at thy dolorous stroke.

No man knoweth whither, and is the great damage to this land, which until now hath been the happiest of all lands.

Tale 8.

The Dolorous Stroke And there with mourning Merlin came, And on the tomb that told their fame He wrote by Balon's Balon's name, And gazed thereon, and wept.

swinburne's tale of balin once when arthur was holding his court at caerleon up to the castle gate there rode a messenger from our old acquaintance king rhynes of north wales this was the giant you will remember from whose clutches arthur had rescued poor old king leodogron of cameliard thus winning for himself not only glory but what was former precious to him his beautiful bride reigns it would appear had by this time somewhat forgotten the lesson taught him then by britain's young overlord for he was once again worrying about that famous mantle of his whose fringe still lacked the twelfth king's beard with which the old giant wished to trim it so the message now came to arthur much as it had come to leodogran long ago If you do not send me your beard peaceably and of your own accord, I will march against you with a great army and take it and your head along with it, so beware.

At that threat, however, Arthur and all his knights broke into a merry laugh.

Yes, but you have done more than that, continued the sage.

The old man who lay in that bed was the saintly Joseph of Arimathea, and King Pallis is his descendant and the present keeper of the grill, while that spear with which he wounded the king's side was the very one the Roman soldier used when he pierced the heart of our saviour on the cross.

And joseph and king pelis whispered balin in an awed voice are they dead no replied merlin for it was not in your power to kill them but the king can never be healed of that terrible wound which you gave him until the coming of the best knight in all the world It was because you struck with that sacred spear that the castle fell, and by that same dolorous stroke the whole land for miles about is laid waste, and must remain desolate until the coming of that knight of whom I spoke.

Then Merlin vanished, and Balin, sick at heart, rode on his dreary way alone.

The story of King Arthur in 12 tales by Winona Caroline Marchin.

Tale 8, The Dolorous Stroke.

And there with morning Merlin came, and on the tomb that told their fame he wrote by Balin's Balin's name, and gazed thereon and wept.

Swineburne's tale of Balin.

And Joseph and King Pellis, whispered Balin in an awed voice, are they dead? No, replied Merlin, for it was not in your power to kill them.

But the king can never be healed of that terrible wound which you gave him until the coming of the best knight in all the world.

It was because you struck with that sacred spear that the castle fell, and by that same dolorous stroke the whole land for miles about is laid waste, and must remain desolate until the coming of that knight of whom I spoke.

Then Merlin vanished, and Balin, sick at heart, rode on his dreary way alone.

So pitching his pavilion there, he sought through all the country round to find a monument, and found at last a rich and fair one in a church, which he took and raised above the dead knight and his damsel, writing on it, Here lieth Lancier, son of the King of Ireland, who at his own request was slain by Baleen, and here beside him also lieth his lady Colombe, who slew herself with her lover's sword for grief and sorrow.

Then as Sir Baleen and Sir Baleen rode away, Merlin met with them, and said to Baleen, Thou hast done thyself great harm not to have saved that lady's life who slew herself, and because of it thou shalt strike the most dolorous stroke that ever man struck, save that he smote our Lord.

For thou shalt smite the truest and most worshipful of living knights, who shall not be recovered from his wounds for many years, and through that stroke three kingdoms shall be overwhelmed in poverty and misery.

If I believed, said Sir Baleen, what thou sayest, I would slay myself to make thee a liar.

Joseph of Arimathea brought it to this land when first he came here to convert and save it, and on that bed of gold was he himself who lay, and the strange spear beside him was the spear wherewith the soldier Longus smote our Lord, which evermore had dripped with blood.

King Pellis is the nearest kin to Joseph in direct descent, wherefore he held these holy things in trust.

But now have they all gone at thy dolorous stroke no man knoweth whither, and great is the damage to this land which until now hath been the happiest of all lands, for by that stroke thou hast slain thousands, and by the loss and parting of the Sangrael the safety of this realm is put in peril and its great happiness is gone forevermore.

Then Baleen departed from Merlin, struck to his soul with grief and sorrow, and said, In this world shall we meet nevermore.

Then as Sir Balin and Sir Balan rode away, Merlin met with them and said to Balin, Thou hast done thyself great harm not to have saved that lady's life who slew herself.

And because of it, thou shalt strike the most dolorous stroke that ever man struck, save he that smote our Lord.

For thou shalt smite the truest and most worshipful of living knights, who shall not be recovered from his wounds for many years, and through that stroke three kingdoms shall be overwhelmed in poverty and misery.

If I believed, said Balin, what thou sayest, I would slay myself to make thee a liar.

The strange spear beside him was the spear wherewith the soldier Longus smote our Lord, which evermore had dripped with blood.

King Pellis is the nearest kin to Joseph in direct descent, wherefore he held these holy things in trust.

Now have they all gone at thy dolorous stroke.

No man knoweth whither, and is the great damage to this land, which until now hath been the happiest of all lands.