Bleeding Lance

by Brian Edward Rise

Bleeding Lance (Spear of Destiny, Holy Lance) — A sacred object, imbued with magic, in Grail ceremonies, first appearing in Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval. Drops of blood issue from its point. When the Grail is Christianized, this weapon transforms into the Holy Lance, the spear that pierced the side of Christ by the hand of a Roman soldier named Longinus. The blood is that of the lamb and drips ad eternam into the Grail. From the Vulgate Cycle onward, the Lance is also the weapon that inflicted the Grail Keeper's wound even though it is often attributed with healing powers.

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