The term chapel perilous first appeared in

Sir Thomas Malory Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'A ...

's ''

Le Morte d'Arthur ' (originally written as '; Anglo-Norman French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...

'' (1485) as the setting for an adventure in which sorceress Hellawes unsuccessfully attempts to seduce

Sir Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), alternatively written as Launcelot and other variants, is a popular character in the Arthurian legend's chivalric romance tradition. He is typically depicted as King Arthur's close companio ...

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

used it symbolically in ''

The Waste Land ''The Waste Land'' is a poem by T. S. Eliot, widely regarded as one of the most important English-language poems of the 20th century and a central work of modernist poetry. Published in 1922, the 434-line poem first appeared in the United ...

'' (1922).

Dorothy Hewett Dorothy Coade Hewett (21 May 1923 – 25 August 2002) was an Australian playwright, poet and author. She wrote in a number of different literary styles: Modernist poetry, modernism, socialist realism, Expressionism (theatre), expressionism a ...

took ''The Chapel Perilous'' as the title for her autobiographical play, in which she uses "the framework of the Arthurian legend, Sir Lancelot, to create a theatrical quest of romantic and epic proportions."

Other uses

As used in literature

The term as used in literature is explicated in detail by Jessie L. Weston in her 1920 book '' From Ritual to Romance''. It is defined by Thomas C. Foster as "the dangerous enclosure that is known in the study of traditional quest romances." He cites the plot of the 1966 book ''

Crying of Lot 49 ''The Crying of Lot 49'' is a novel by the American author Thomas Pynchon. It was published by J. B. Lippincott & Co. on April27, 1966. The shortest of Pynchon's novels, the plot follows Oedipa Maas, a young Californian woman who begins to embr ...

'' as an example. This term is also used by Eleanore M. Jewett in her 1946 book ''The Hidden Treasure of Glaston''.

As used in psychology

"Chapel perilous" is also a term referring to a psychological state in which an individual is uncertain whether some course of events was affected by a supernatural force, or was a product of their own imagination. It was used by writer and philosopher

Robert Anton Wilson Robert Anton Wilson (born Robert Edward Wilson; January 18, 1932 – January 11, 2007) was an American writer, futurist, psychologist, and self-described agnostic mystic. Recognized within Discordianism as an Episkopos, pope and saint, Wilson ...

in his 1977 book ''

Cosmic Trigger The ''Cosmic Trigger'' trilogy is a three-volume autobiographical and philosophical work by Robert Anton Wilson. The first volume of the series was published in 1977, initially published without numbering, as the second volume did not appear fo ...

''. According to Wilson, being in this state leads the subject to become either paranoid or an agnostic. In his opinion there is no third way. The term "chapel perilous" was used by

Antero Alli Arto Antero Alexander Alli (11 November 1952 – 9 November 2023) was a Finnish astrologer, filmmaker, theatre director, and writer. He wrote esoteric books on experimental theatre, astrology and Timothy Leary's 8-circuit model of consciousness. ...

, in his 1986 book, ''Angel Tech: A Modern Shaman's Guide to Reality Selection'' which is based on

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from "bold oracle" to "publicity hound". Accordin ...

eight-circuit model of consciousness The eight-circuit model of consciousness is a holistic model originally presented as psychological philosophy (abbreviated "psy-phi") by Timothy Leary in books including ''Neurologic'' (1973) and ''Exo-Psychology'' (1977), later expanded on by ...

. In Alli's book ''chapel perilous'' is a rite of passage, when moving between the four lower circuits of consciousness to the higher circuits.

Cultural references

* "Chapel Perilous" is the title of a level in the 1999

real-time strategy Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that does not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time." By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, tur ...

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

, ''

Homeworld ''Homeworld'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Studios on September 28, 1999, for Windows. Set in space, the science fiction game follows the Kushan exiles of the planet Kharak after t ...

''. * "Exit Chapel Perilous" is a 2005 song by Umberloid, written and produced by Ott and Chris Barker. * "Chapel Perilous" is a song by Telesma on their 2007 album ''O(H)M''. * '' Chapel Perilous'' is a 2013 comedy fantasy short film, directed by

Matthew Lessner Matthew Lessner is an American artist and independent filmmaker. Biography Born in Walnut Creek, California, Lessner was raised in Roseburg, Oregon, where he attended Roseburg High School. He graduated in 2005 from Chapman University, where h ...

. * "Chapel Perilous" is a song by Feed Me Jack, and was a part of their 2015 EP ''Anatolia''. * "Chapel Perilous" is a song by

Mild High Club Mild High Club is an American psychedelic pop group, led by the musician Alexander Brettin. History Brettin grew up in the Midwest, playing flute in his school band. He majored in jazz studies at Columbia College in Chicago, and started Mi ...

, which featured on their 2016 album ''Skiptracing'', which heavily referenced the song " When You Wish Upon A Star" sung by

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American pop singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop sta ...

. * ''Chapel Perilous'' is a 2018 album by the experimental rock band Gnod. * "Exit Chapel Perilous" is a song on the 2019 album ''Jettison Mind Hatch'' by Tipper. * Chapel Perilous is the name of the rebel group in the 2023

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

limited series ''Bodies'' based on the DC Vertigo graphic novel of the same name.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapel Perilous Arthurian literature Mental states