Editing Galahad (section)

===Conception===
[[File:SirGalahadwindow3.jpg|thumb|The life of Galahad portrayed in a stained glass window at [[St. Mary & St. George Anglican Church]] in [[Jasper, Alberta]]]]

The circumstances surrounding Galahad's conception derive from the earlier parts of Grail prose cycles. It takes place when [[King Arthur]]'s greatest knight, [[Lancelot]], mistakes Princess [[Elaine of Corbenic]] (originally known as Heliabel or Amite in the Vulgate Cycle) for his secret mistress, Queen [[Guinevere]]. Lady Elaine's father, [[King Pelles]], has already received magical foreknowledge that Lancelot will give his daughter a child and that this little boy will grow to become the greatest knight in the world, the knight chosen by God to discover the [[Holy Grail]]. Pelles also knows that Lancelot will only lie with his one true love, Guinevere. Destiny will have to be helped along a little; therefore, a conclusion which prompts Pelles to seek out "one of the greatest enchantresses of the time," Dame Brusen, who gives Pelles a magic ring that makes Elaine take on the appearance of Guinevere and enables her to spend a night with Lancelot. On discovering the deception, Lancelot draws his sword on Elaine, but when he finds out that they have conceived a son together, he is immediately forgiving; however, he does not marry Elaine or even wish to be with her anymore and returns to Arthur's court (albeit years later they eventually come to live together for a time, after Elaine cures him of his severe and long madness caused by both herself and Guinevere). Galahad is born and placed in the care of a great aunt, who is an abbess at a nunnery, to be raised there.

According to the 13th-century Old French [[Prose Lancelot|Prose ''Lancelot'']] (part of the Vulgate Cycle), "Galahad" (actually written as ''Galaad'', in some manuscripts also as ''Gaalaz'' or ''Galaaus'') was Lancelot's original name, but it was changed when he was a child. At his birth, therefore, Galahad is given his father's own original name. [[Merlin]] prophesies that Galahad will surpass his father in valor and be successful in his search for the Holy Grail. Pelles, Galahad's maternal grandfather, is portrayed as a descendant of [[Joseph of Arimathea]]'s brother-in-law Bron, also known as Galahad (Galaad), whose line had been entrusted with the Grail by Joseph.