The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

An important symbol in the text, King Bran’s wasteland is based on the motif of a cursed land, often found in Celtic, Welsh, and other folklore. In a romance by Chretien de Troyes, the Fisher King—a guardian of the Holy Grail—is grievously wounded and his land rendered barren by a curse. His land can only be healed if a holy knight completes the Grail quest. Grossman combines the medieval with the death-and-resurrection symbolism of Greek myths and Christian beliefs. In Greek myths, Adonis symbolically dies every winter so that his death can trigger spring. Jesus’ death and resurrection recharges the world with grace. Similarly, King Bran’s death is necessary for his land to live.

The wasteland itself symbolizes spiritual decay and stasis. The only way to overcome that stasis is to change. When a people cannot do so themselves, a god or a king must sacrifice themselves to jolt the people out of their stupor. Only after King Bran is killed can Elidir and Ystradel move ahead; only after Arthur dies can the knights understand that a new age has begun, which calls for a fresh world view.