The Fisher King: The wound that does not heal [audio 45min]

In the world of medieval romance there are many weird and wonderful creatures -- golden dragons and green knights, sinister enchantresses and tragic kings, strange magicians and spears that bleed and talk. And yet, in all this panoply of wonder, few figures are more mysterious than the Fisher King. Entrusted as the keeper of the Holy Grail itself, he resides in a castle made of magic where he lies blighted by a wound that doesn't heal. He is a complex and poetic figure and has meant many things to many people. From the age of chivalry to that of psychoanalysis and beyond, he's been Christian and pagan, tragic and enduring, a sinner, a fertility god, and a symbol of sexual fear and desire. Presenter Melvyn Bragg investigates the history of ideas and debates their application in modern life with his guests Stephen Knight, Distinguished Research Professor in English Literature at Cardiff University; Juliette Wood, Associate Lecturer in the Department of Welsh, Cardiff University and Director of the Folklore Society; and Carolyne Larrington, Tutor in Medieval English at St John’s College, Oxford. Baron Bragg -- historian, journalist, novelist -- is Controller of Arts for London Weekend Television.