Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• author is anonymous
• written c. 1400 in Middle English
• important in literature because it represents
all of the following significant poetic genres:
–Arthurian romance poetry/courtly
love poetry
–medieval alliterative poetry
–epic poetry
Sir
Gawain
and the
Green
Knight
in
Middle
English
Wel gay watz þis gome gered in grene,
And þe here of his hed of his hors swete.
Fayre fannand fax vmbefoldes his schulderes;
A much berd as a busk ouer his brest henges,
Þat wyth his hi3lich here þat of his hed reches
Watz euesed al vmbetorne abof his elbowes,
Þat half his armes þer-vnder were halched in þe wyse
Of a kyngez capados þat closes his swyre;
Þe mane of þat mayn hors much to hit lyke,
Wel cresped and cemmed, wyth knottes ful mony
Folden in wyth fildore aboute þe fayre grene,
Ay a herle of þe here, an oþer of golde;
Þe tayl and his toppyng twynnen of a sute,
And bounden boþe wyth a bande of a bry3t grene,
Dubbed wyth ful dere stonez, as þe dok lasted,
Syþen þrawen wyth a þwong a þwarle knot alofte,
Þer mony bellez ful bry3t of brende golde rungen.
Such a fole vpon folde, ne freke þat hym rydes,
Watz neuer sene in þat sale wyth sy3t er þat tyme,
with y3e.
He loked as layt so ly3t,
So sayd al þat hym sy3e;
Hit semed as no mon my3t
Vnder his dynttez dry3e.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as
Arthurian romance/courtly love poetry
• There is no solid evidence for/against
the reign of a historic “King Arthur.”
• Some historians suggest Arthur was a
Roman military leader who held
power anywhere from 3rd to 7th
century A.D. (Artorius = “plowman”)
• Arthur is more important for the
legends that developed around him
and his “Knights of the Round Table”
A statue of King Arthur from around 1400 AD
image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Arthur3487.jpg
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as
Arthurian romance/courtly love poetry, cont.
• Arthur traditionally credited with uniting
all England (i.e. uniting the pagan tribes)
and therefore creating the potential for the
development of a unique British character
after the Norman invasion of England.
• Arthurian legends reach height in/around
12th century A.D.
(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Arthur#The_Arthurian_romance)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as
Arthurian romance/courtly love poetry, cont.
• Even more importantly, it is around the
legendary King Arthur that the chivalric
tradition of the middle ages developed.
• Chivalry – from the French word cheval or
“horse” – refers to the code of behavior that
was expected of knights (all noblemen).
This tradition was also called courtesie
(also French), meaning “the behavior of the
court.”
CHIVALRY
• “Chivalry” comes from the
French cheval, or horse (n.b.
Norman influence in language).
• Only the wealthiest people in
medieval society could keep
horses and afford to use them
in combat. (Why?)
• “Chivalry” became associated,
therefore, with the qualities of
“horsemen”, or knights.
• related words: cavalier (Fr., L.),
cavalry (from L. caval),
caballero (Sp.)
a “portrait of Gawain by artist Jackie Sullivan fromhttp://www.runtotheocean.net/sketchblog/apr03.html
• In Arthurian tradition, the
“Knights of the Round
Table” (Lancelot, Galahad,
Bedivere, Agravain,
Perceval, Tristan, Gawain,
et.al.*) embodied – both
individually and en masse,
the characteristics of
courtesie or “courtly
love.”
*see a complete list at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_the_Round_Table
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as
Arthurian romance/courtly love poetry, cont.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as
Arthurian romance/courtly love poetry, cont.
Characteristics of Courtly Behavior
• Respect the king. Do nothing to bring him
dishonor.
• Respect women. Do nothing to bring
dishonor to any woman.
• Protect the poor and the weak.
• Honor God as a faithful Christian.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian
romance/Courtly love poetry, cont.
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (from
now on SGGK) is cited as a seminal
example of Arthurian romance poetry or
“courtly love” poetry.
• Assignment: As we read SGGK, identify all
behavior on the part of any character in the
poem that conforms to the medieval regard
for courtesie.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as
medieval alliterative verse
• Like all other examples of literature we’ve read
thus far, SGGK almost certainly began as an oral
history carried from village-to-village by a bard –
or singing storyteller.
• Like the Iliad and Beowulf, therefore, SGGK is
marked by meter, rhyme, and (as with Beowulf)
alliteration.
• All these poetic devices were intended to help in
the oral retelling of the story.
Why is it
called
alliterative
verse?
VERSE FORM: the "Gawain
stanza"--a varying number
of alliterative long lines
terminated by a "bob &
wheel," five short rhyming
lines (ababa).
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/
second/ggknotes.htm
He was a fine fellow fitted in green -And the hair on his head and his horse's matched.
It fanned out freely enfolding his shoulders,
and his beard hung below as big as a bush,
all mixed with the marvelous mane on his head,
which was cut off in curls cascading to his elbows,
wrapping round the rest of him
like a king's cape clasped to his neck.
And the mane of his mount was much the same,
but curled up and combed in crisp knots,
in braids of bright gold thread and brilliant green
criss-crossed hair by hair.
And the tossing tail was twin to the mane,
for both were bound with bright green ribbons,
strung to the end with long strands of precious stones,
and turned back tight in a twisted knot
bright with tinkling bells of burnished gold.
No such horse on hoof had been seen in that hall,
nor horseman half so strange as their eyes now held
in sight. A
He looked a lightning flash, B
they say: he seemed so bright; A
and who would dare to clash B
in melee with such might? A
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
as epic poetry
Review: Characteristics of the Epic Hero
1. He is a model of faith, loyalty, or bravery…
2. who makes a long, difficult journey…
3. to do battle on behalf of another…
4. perhaps using his own superhuman
talents…
5. against an enemy who may himself
have or be guarded by supernatural
powers.
Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight as epic poetry, cont.
Review: Characteristics of the Epic Poem
1. An epic poem is a long, highlystylized narrative poem…
2. that recounts the exploits of its main
character – the epic hero.
3. Because most epic poetry originated
as sung or spoken verse, it is
rigidly metered and rhymed.
Journey = Quest
• In medieval poetry, the epic hero’s journey
to battle (like Achilles’ voyage to Troy or
Beowulf’s to Dane-land) becomes a quest.
• A quest is “an adventurous expedition in
search of something spiritually fulfilling or
self-enhancing.”
Gold spurs?
Immediately
upon He was got up in green from head to heel:
reading/hearing a tunic worn tight, tucked to his ribs;
these lines about and a rich cloak cast over it, covered inside
the Green with a fine fur lining, fitted and sewn
Knight who has with ermine trim that stood out in contrast
burst into from his hair where his hood lay folded flat;
Arthur’s and handsome hose of the same green hue
Christmas which clung to his calves, with clustered
spurs
festivities, the
audience would of bright gold; (ll. 151-55)
know that he
was a guy not to
be messed with:
What’s so hardcore – so OD –
about gold spurs?
Why the
Green Knight?
• In medieval England, the
“Green Man” was a pagan
representation of nature. The
“Green Man” was not
Satanic, but did symbolize
the nature worship that
characterized pre-Christian
tribal paganism.
• The “Green Man” is not evil,
but is also not Christian  a
battle between any of
Arthur’s knights and any
creature reminiscent of
Britain’s pagan past is, by
extension, a battle between
“good” and “evil” – or
between the Christian piety
of Arthur’s knights and their
tribal, non-Christian
predecessors.
Gawain’s Shield
In the poem, Gawain’s
shield is very clearly
described as a golden
pentangle on a field of
red. The pentangle, the
poem goes on to tell us,
represents Gawain’s Five
Fifths.
The pentangle is also
called the “endless knot.”
In medieval symbology, red signifies
humility as the blood of Christ
Gold signifies perfection.
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008
1
Gawain was said to
possess five qualities –
one for each of the
pentangle’s points –
wherein he far
excelled all other knights.
The first of these “Five Fifths” was
his faultlessness in his five senses.
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008
2
Gawain was said to
possess five qualities
wherein he far excelled
all other knights, cont.
The next (second) of
these “Five Fifths”
was his faultlessness
in his five fingers.
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008
Gawain was said to possess
five qualities wherein he far
excelled all other knights,
cont.
3
The next (third) of these
“Five Fifths” was the
strength Gawain drew
from his devotion to the
“five wounds of Christ.”
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008
The Jerusalem Cross
1. The wounds
in the hands.
2. The wounds
in the feet.
3. The wound
in the side of
Christ
Gawain was said to
possess five qualities
wherein he far excelled all
other knights, cont.
4
The next (fourth) of
these “Five Fifths” was
the strength Gawain
drew from his devotion
to the “five joys of
Mary.”
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008
The five joys of Mary are also known
as The Five Joyful Mysteries of the
Rosary. They are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
the Annunciation
the Nativity
the Resurrection
the Ascension
the Assumption
5
Gawain was said to
possess five qualities
wherein he far excelled
all other knights, cont.
The last of these “Five
Fifths” was Gawain’s
well-known practice
of the “five social
graces.”
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008
The five social graces which Gawain
exemplifies above all others are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
free-giving (generosity)
brotherly love
chastity
pure manners (courtesie)
piety
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008
Gawain faced 5 challenges
1. to voluntarily confront the Green Knight
2. to strike his blow properly
3. to keep his vow to meet the Green
Knight in a year and a day.
4. to survive journey to the green chapel
5. to resist the lady’s temptations
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008
More on
Gawain’s
fifth
challenge
The FIFTH TEST is the temptations and
the three gifts; it tests especially the fifth
point of the pentangle, the social virtues.
Gawain falls: his acceptance of the girdle
is not a fault; his hiding of it is a potential
fault; his actual withholding of it from
Bertilak is his fall. Had he given it back to
the lady, he would have erased his
potential fault. The real fault, from
Gawain's point of view, is that the reality
of his own mortality induces him to break
the endless knot. Thus two effects of
original sin are reasserted: cowardice
(bodily mortality) and covetousness (willful
cupidity). His nature as a man is asserting
itself against his nature as a knight.
from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008
The Garter
• Honi soit qui
mal y pense
• “Shame be
upon him who
thinks evil of
this.”
Chastity? Piety?
Respect for the
King?
Q: Gawain knows that he is
facing certain death –
and SOON – when he
finally confronts the
Green Knight and
accepts his half of the
bargain. Why would he
still adhere to courtesie
and resist the Lady’s
temptation?