Parsifal, the penetrator of the valley -- PERCEVAL, PERCIVAL

Speranza

By courtesy of Paolo

Wagner didn't create the "Fal Parsi" (Arabic for "perfect fool") idea, but rather adopted it from Gorres's "Lohengrin."

In the introduction, Gorres asserts that the name "Parzival" is derived from the Arabic "Fal
Parsi".

Wagner changed the spelling accordingly, from Parzival to "ParsiFal".

The closer truth to Parsifal's origination is that it is derived from the French "Percival", "Perceval",
which isn't even close to "perfect fool."

Its meaning is more along the lines of "Penetrator of the Valley" or "to penetrate the valley" (perce-le-val).

In a letter to Judith Gautier, Wagner wrote:

"All this for mornings well spent on Parsifal."

"This is an Arabian name."

"The old troubadours no longer understood what it meant."

"Parsifal" means:

""parsi" - think of the fire-loving Parsees - "pure".

"Fal" means "mad" in a higher sense, in other words a man without erudition, but
one of genius."


So, whether his facts were right or wrong ultimately doesn't matter at
all. ETYMYTHOLOGY

Wagner believed it to be so and that is good enough for us. 

This (in our opinion) is the basis for all real art - the belief in it by the
artist.

This is all that is necessary for a work to be 'true'.

Historical accuracy? Who the heck cares! 

We want to be moved, touched, entertained
and have my brain and senses stimulated.

Parsifal never fails to do this.

When we want facts we go to the library not the opera house.