Lohengrin (opera) later gave Wagner the means and opportunity to compose, build a theatre for, and stage his epic cycle "The Ring of the Nibelung". The most popular and recognizable part of the opera is the Bridal Chorus, better known as "Here Comes the Bride", often played as a processional at weddings in the West. The literary figure of Lohengrin first appeared as a supporting character in the final chapter of the medieval epic poem Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach. The Grail Knight Lohengrin, son of the Grail King Parzival, is sent to the duchess of Brabant to defend her. His protection
Bridal shower ("trousseau") custom. A related custom practised in medieval England was the Bride Ale: in Langland's "Piers Plowman" (§ B.II.45) there is a reference to a "bruydale." This was a feast held before the wedding day, at which the bride made beer and sold it to the guests at a high price. In the United States, bridal showers started in urban areas in the 1890s mainly among the upper middle classes. By the 1930s, bridal showers had spread to rural America. The earliest use of this sense of the word in print may be in the Grand Rapids "Michigan Evening Press"