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Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Parzival

also Parsifal, hero of medieval legends, from Old French Perceval, literally "he who breaks through the valley," from percer "to pierce, break through" (see pierce) + val "valley" (see vale).

Wikipedia
Parzival (band)

Parzival is a band from Copenhagen, Denmark. Their musical style is somewhat reminiscent of that of Slovenian pioneers Laibach, but differs from it in that it has a less electronic sound, and incorporates elements of medieval music, Gregorian chants, and an overall epic feel. All of the band's lyrics are in German and Latin (except Noblesse Oblige LP, lyrics of which are mainly in Russian by famous Russian poets of the 19th century, like Alexander Pushkin), to suit the group's highly Wagnerian style.

The core of the band is Dimitrij Bablevskij, originally from Russia, but quite a few Danish guest musicians appear on their albums.

Though hard to define, the band's music appeals mainly to the goth, metal, neo-folk and industrial scenes, and has achieved a modest cult following within their respective subcultures.

The band was earlier known as Stiff Miners, releasing two albums ( Giselle and Vox Celesta) under that moniker. Their current name comes from Wolfram von Eschenbach's 13th-century German poem Parzival.

Parzival

Parzival is a medieval German romance written by the poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) and his long quest for the Holy Grail following his initial failure to achieve it.

Parzival begins with the knightly adventures of Parzival's father, Gahmuret, his marriage to Herzeloyde (Old-German "threnodial heart"), and the birth of Parzival. The story continues as Parzival meets three elegant knights, decides to seek King Arthur, and continues a spiritual and physical search for the Grail. A long section is devoted to Parzival's friend Gawan and his adventures defending himself from a false murder charge and winning the hand of the maiden Orgeluse. Among the most striking elements of the work are its emphasis on the importance of humility, compassion, sympathy and the quest for spirituality. A major theme in Parzival is love: heroic acts of chivalry are inspired by true love, which is ultimately fulfilled in marriage. The romance was the most popular vernacular verse narrative in medieval Germany, and continues to be read and translated into modern languages around the world. Wolfram began a prequel, Titurel, which was later continued by another writer, while two full romances were written adapting Wolfram's story of Loherangrin. Richard Wagner based his famous opera Parsifal, finished in 1882, on Parzival.

Usage examples of "parzival".

My father Parzival, a crown he weareth, His knight am I and Lohengrin my name!

Though they captured the imagination of poets and chroniclers—the Knights of the Grail in Parzival were Templars, as were the demonic antiheroes in Ivanhoe —as the Crusades acquired the label of European aggression and imperialism, the Templars became an integral part of their brutal fanaticism.