Sarras

This article is about the legendary location. For real places named "Sarras", see Saras and Sarras (disambiguation).

Sarras
Lancelot-Grail Cycle location
Genre	Arthurian legend
Type	Mystical island
Notable characters	Josephus of Arimathea

Sarras is a mystical island to which the Holy Grail is brought in the Arthurian legend. In the Lancelot-Grail Cycle, Joseph of Arimathea and his followers visit the island on their way to Britain; while there Joseph's son Josephus is invested as a bishop and shown the mysteries of the Grail by Christ himself. The party wins many converts, and moves on to Britain where they establish a great line of kings. After they achieve the Grail the knights Galahad, Percival, and Bors return the object to Sarras aboard Solomon's ship, but they find the residents fallen back to paganism. The Grail knights restore the people's faith and preside over them benevolently for a year, but Galahad dies in ecstasy when the Grail is taken to Heaven by God, and Percival follows him shortly after. Bors returns to Arthur's kingdom to tell the tale.

The Lancelot-Grail places the Sarras on the road from Jerusalem to the Euphrates and Babylon, and it is considered the origin of the name "Saracens" for Muslims. In reality "Saracens" was a Greek designation for Arab tribes of the Sinai Desert.

References

Norris J. Lacy (editor), Lancelot-Grail: The Old French Arthurian Vulgate and Post-Vulgate Cycles in Translation, 5 volumes.

King Arthur and the Matter of Britain

Key people	King Arthur Constantine Sir Ector Gawain Gorlois Queen Guinevere Igraine Iseult Lady of the Lake Lancelot King Lot King Mark Merlin Mordred Morgan le Fay Morgause Percival Tristan Uther Pendragon

Knights of the Round Table	Agravain Bagdemagus Bedivere Bors Breunor (La Cote Mal Taillée) Calogrenant Caradoc Dagonet Dinadan Ector Elyan the White Erec Gaheris Galahad Gareth Geraint Griflet Hector de Maris Hoel Kay Lamorak Leodegrance Lionel Lucan Maleagant Marhaus Palamedes Pelleas Pellinore Safir Sagramore Segwarides Tor Uriens Ywain Ywain the Bastard

Other characters	Sir Balin Sir Balan King Ban Claudas Culhwch Dindrane Elaine of Astolat Elaine of Corbenic Fisher King Galehaut Hellawes Black Knight Green Knight Red Knight Lohengrin Emperor Lucius Olwen Questing Beast Rience Tom Thumb

Objects	Excalibur Holy Grail Round Table Siege Perilous

Places	Astolat Avalon Brocéliande (Paimpont) Caerleon Camelot Celliwig Corbenic Glastonbury Logres Lyonesse Sarras Tintagel

In media	Books Films Various media

Topics	Battle of Badon Battle of Camlann Dolorous Stroke King Arthur's family Historicity of King Arthur King Arthur's messianic return

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