Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The Green Knight arrives at King Arthur's court during a New Year's celebration. Graphic courtesy of QuestGarden.Com

One of our selections for the Arthurian legend is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (the other being Le Morte D'Arthur, The Death of Arthur). The stories of King Arthur are among the most popular pieces of British literature; and elements of the Arthurian legend are very well known.

Camelot is the castle of King Arthur and his court. The name evokes a sense of Medieval court splendor.

King Arthur receiving the sword from the Lady of the Lake. From the movie Excalibur (1981); picture courtesy of MovieMasterworks.Com.

Excalibur is the famous mythical sword of King Arthur. It is often mistaken as the sword that the boy Arthur drew from a stone from which others cannot. The actual sword was given to him by Merlin, who took him to a lake where the mysterious hand of the Lady of the Lake offered him this sword. (An assault rifle from India and a World War II British submarine has been named after the sword.)

A kiddush cup, the type used for the Jewish Passover. Photo courtesy of JesusBoat.Com

The Holy Grail is said to be the chalice or cup which Jesus used during the Last Supper; which was also used by St. Joseph of Arimathea to collect Jesus' blood and sweat as Joseph took him down the cross and prepared him for burial. The expression "holy grail" has came to mean a much-desired but elusive goal. The Holy Grail has been the topic of several movies, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Da Vinci Code.

King Arthur presiding over a meeting of the Knights of the Round Table. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

King Arthur's Knights and the Round Table. King Arthur and his knights (which includes  Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Sir Galahan, Sir Bedivere, as well as the villainous Sir Mordred) meet around a round table where there is no head and everyone is considered equal. Today, a "round-table discussion" still means that everyone is considered as equals.

Gandalf the wizard in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is heavily influenced by Merlin.

Merlin is portrayed in the Arthurian legends as a wise and powerful wizard who serves as an advisor to King Arthur. In the 2010 film "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", the character David discovers that he is the last descendant of Merlin and he is trained by Balthazar, Merlin's last student. Merlin is also the wizard in the logo of the theme park Enchanted Kingdom.

Here is a summary of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:

One

While King Arthur’s court is feasting and partying in celebration of New Year’s, a strange figure, referred to only as the Green Knight, makes a surprise visit. He requests that the group’s leader or any other brave member of the court challenge him in a beheading game. He will allow whomever accepts the challenge to strike him with his own axe, but on one condition. The challenger must find the Green Knight in exactly one year to receive a blow in return.

Arthur is stunned by the challenge, and hesitates to respond. When the Green Knight mocks Arthur’s silence, the king steps forward to take the challenge. But when Arthur grips the Green Knight’s axe, Sir Gawain steps in and volunteers to take the challenge himself. In one great blow, Gawain cuts off the knight’s head. The court stands shocked to discover that the now-headless Green Knight picks up his severed head. He rides away with his head in his hand, repeating the terms of the challenge, reminding the young Gawain to seek him in a year and a day at the Green Chapel. The court returns to its festivities, but Gawain is nervous.

Two

The year passes, and autumn arrives. On the Day of All Saints, Gawain makes his lengthy preparations to leave Camelot in quest of the Green Knight. He undergoes the almost holy ritual of arming himself, mounts his horse, Gringolet, and starts off toward North Wales. He must travel through the wilderness of northwest Britain where Gawain encounters many beasts, suffers from hunger and cold, and grows more desperate as the days pass. On Christmas Day, on the verge of freezing to death, he prays to find a place to hear Mass. When he looks up he sees a castle situated in an oasis of green in the distance.

The lord of the castle welcomes Gawain warmly, introducing him to his lady and to the old woman who sits beside her. For holiday fun, the host (whose name is later revealed to be Bertilak) invites Gawain to partake in a game / challenge to play during the three days Gawain will rest there: the host will go out hunting with his men every day, while Gawain can remain in the castle. When the lord returns in the evening, he will exchange his winnings for anything Gawain has managed to acquire by staying behind. Gawain happily agrees to the pact, and goes to bed.

Sir Gawain with a shield with the Star of Solomon on it.

Three

The first day, the lord hunts deer. Meanwhile Gawain sleeps late in his bedchamber. On the morning of the first day, the lord’s wife steals into Gawain’s chambers and attempts to seduce him. Gawain puts her off, but before she leaves she gets one kiss from him. That evening, the host gives Gawain the venison he has captured, and Gawain, who is bound to the fidelity of the game, kisses him, since that is what he has won. The second day, the lord hunts a wild boar. Once again, the lady enters Gawain’s chambers, and this time she kisses Gawain twice. So, that evening when Gawain receives the boar, he gives the host the two kisses in exchange.

The third day, the lord hunts a fox, and this time the lady kisses Gawain three times. But on this visit, she also asks him for a token of love, like a ring or a glove. Gawain refuses to give her anything and refuses to take anything from her. But then the lady mentions her girdle. The green silk girdle she wears around her waist is an extraordinary piece of cloth, the lady claims. It possesses the magical ability to protect the person who wears it from death. Wide-eyed with the intriguing possibilities of such a fetish, Gawain accepts the cloth. When it comes time to exchange his winnings with the host, Gawain gives him three kisses, but he says nothing about the lady’s green girdle. The host gives Gawain the fox skin he won. They all go to bed preoccupied with the fact that Gawain must leave for the Green Chapel the following morning to find the Green Knight.

Four

New Year’s Day arrives, and Gawain arms himself—including, secretly, the girdle–then sets off with Gringolet in search of the Green Knight. A guide accompanies him out of the estate grounds. When they reach the border of the forest, the guide promises not to tell anyone if Gawain wants to turn around and avoid the challenge. Gawain refuses. He is determined to meet his fate head-on—and certain that he is protected, of course. Eventually, he hears the grinding sound of a grindstone, realizing he has reached the Green Chapel. The Green Knight emerges to greet him. Intent on fulfilling the terms of the contract, Gawain presents his neck to the Green Knight.

On the first wielding of the axe, however, Gawain flinches. The Green Knight pulls back, and wants more courage from Gawaine. On the second attempt at a blow, the Green Knight pulls back, even though Gawain does not flinch. Enraged, Gawain demands that the Knight go through with it. On the third attempt, the Greene Knight nicks Gawain’s neck, drawing just a little blood. Even though Gawain jumps up in rage, the Green Knight starts to laugh.

The Green Knight reveals himself as Bertilak, the lord of the castle where Gawain recently stayed. He tells Gawain that since he did not honestly exchange all of his winnings on the third day, Bertilak scratched him on his third blow. Nevertheless, the lord says that Gawain has proven himself a worthy knight of Camelot. When Gawain questions Bertilak further, Bertilak explains that the old woman at the castle is really Morgan le Faye, Gawain’s aunt and King Arthur’s half sister. She sent the Green Knight on his errand and used her magic to change Bertilak’s appearance. Gawain is ashamed of his behavior in the beheading game, but Bertilak tells him that his only fault is loving life too much.

The End

* * *

The author wishes to express his gratitude to Britannia.Com for much on the Arthurian legend and to Peter Sinclair of Albertus Magnus College for his summary of the story in his blog, Masterworks of British Literature.