Story of the Grail Part II

This image of white snow tainted with red blood I find very interesting. When looking at the colors themselves, white often signifies purity, light, joy and glory, all positive images. Red on the other hand is often the color of passion, rage and of course the color of blood itself. In many ways this red blood is much like the blood of the red knight Perceval has spilled. It shows us once again the violence associated with knighthood. If we contrast that to the white that represents Blancheflor, we can infer that Perceval's blood or the blood of those he has shed has somehow contaminated her. It is as though the red blood seeping into the white snow is a symbol of both their unity since we assume they are in love and at the same time a symbol of the pain and violence he will bring to her. Perceval will taint her purity with the violence and blood he has shed. In many ways when Perceval sees the blood over the white snow he sees this image of Blancheflor being somehow tainted. I would also say that he beings to see that he himself is the new “red knight” since he killed him in order to get his armor. Perceval as this new red knight will forever represent this image of violence and rage and understands that merging this with the purity and joy Blancheflor represents will ultimately strip her of that purity and joy.