‘In the Grail myth, the core wound is symbolised by the figure of the wounded king (sometimes called the fisher king).
The King represents the old patriarchal model of the universe. Furthermore, the King’s wound is extended in the legend to the land itself, which becomes the ‘wasteland’.
In the myth, the Grail itself represents the possibility of wholeness and healing, although it has been unable to fully heal the King’s wound despite its power. The great turning point in the Grail myth comes when the young Perceval approaches the wounded King and asks a simple and very courageous question: How can I serve the Grail?’
– Richard Rudd, Pearl Sequence