“An Exemplary British Knight, the famous Sir Gawain”.
The Setting
It was New Year’s Eve in King Arthur’s court. Feasting and conversation filled the ears of everyone anywhere close by. With no prior warning the large doors at the front of the hall fly open. Silence fills the air and gasps can be heard. Everyone’s attention was drawn towards a very strange figure, making his way into the hall.
A ginormous green man arrived on the scene, to the astonishment of all attendants.
Before anyone can approach the stranger, the Green Knight exclaims, is there a brave representative amongst you, who might engage with me? The engagement would consist of the challenger striking the Knight with the Knight’s own axe. When the following year passes the challenger must reciprocate and allow the Green Knight to deliver the same blow.
Silence fills the hall.
The Green Knight surprised, mocks King Arthur for the silence. As honour and chivalric code dictates, Arthur begins to move forward and grips the Knight’s axe hesitantly. Gawain instantly steps forward and insists that he takes King Arthur’s place. Gawain, grips the axe and in one quick swoop, severs the Green Knight’s head from his body. To the amazement of the crowd, the Knight then proceeds to pick up his head and make his way out of the hall. The decapitated head reiterates the pact towards Gawain and leaves the castle. The festivities then recommence; however, Gawain remains in a state of angst.
The Journey
Time passes and Autumn arrives. On the day of ‘All Saints‘, Gawain dons his best armour, mounts his trusted horse Gringolet and leaves Camelot making his way through the wilderness of Britain.
The Trials Begin
Gawain encounters all sorts of beasts, suffers from hunger and cold and begins to become desperate. On Christmas Day, praying to find a place to hear Mass, he looks up to see a castle shimmering in the distance. As he approaches, the Lord of the castle greets him, welcoming him warmly, while simultaneously introducing him to his wife.
Gawain attends Mass and stays at the Castle until the call to meet the Green Knight presents itself on New Year’s Eve.
The Castle
The next day, the Lord of the Castle, asks Sir Gawain if he would like to participate in a game. Gawain accepts and the game is explained. The Lord of the Castle will go on a hunt and exchange his bounty in return for whatever Gawain may accrue during his stay at the Castle.
The very next day the hunt ensues, Gawain however sleeps late in his bedchambers. The Lord’s wife makes her way graciously into the bed of Gawain. She attempts to seduce him, Gawain startled, distances himself from her. However, he could not prevent the seductress from stealing one kiss. The day of the first hunt comes to an end and Gawain meets the Lord who presents him with the venison that he caught. Gawain then approaches his host and kisses him.
On the day of the second hunt the lady once again presents herself to Gawain and kisses him twice. As the Lord returns to his castle, delivering a bounty of a wild boar’s head, Gawain proceeds to kiss his host twice.
On the third and final day of the hunt, the Lord returns with a fox. On this day the lady had kissed Gawain three times. She had also asked him for a love token, such as a ring or a glove. Gawain refused, though he asked her about the mysterious girdle that she was wearing. It was a green silk girdle worn around her waist, that protects the wearer from death. Gawain, reflecting on the quest that lay before him insisted that the Lady let him have the cloth. The lady accepted.
When presented with the fox, Gawain kissed the host three times but did not mention the girdle. Everyone then went to bed happy, though weighed down by the fact that Sir Gawain must leave for the Green Chapel the following morning.
The Journey to the Green Chapel
New Year’s Day arrives, and Sir Gawain equips his suit of armour with the girdle beneath. He mounts Gringolet and sets out to find the Green Chapel and confront the Green Knight. A guide accompanies Sir Gawain away from the estate. When they reach the border of the forest, where the Green Chapel is said to be, the guide promises Sir Gawain, that if he were to relinquish his duty and leave now, he would never tell a soul. Sir Gawain refuses, determined to accept his fate and stay true.
Sir Gawain then enters the forest alone, meeting a crevice in a rock, visible through the tall grass. He calls out to the Green Knight, believing to be close to the Green Chapel. The Green Knight emerges to greet him. Determined to stay true he presents his neck to the Green Knight. The Green Knight feigns the first blow, and then the second and on the third feint the Green Knight barely skims the neck of Sir Gawain, drawing a little blood. Startled and angered Sir Gawain shouts out that their contract had been met, but the Green Knight laughs.
Bertilak
The Green Knight then reveals his name, Bertilak. He explains that he is also the Lord of the castle where Sir Gawain had resided. Due to Sir Gawain not disclosing all that he had received when the Lord was on the hunt, just a small amount of blood was drawn by the third strike.
Nevertheless, Sir Gawain has now proven himself a worthy knight, without equal in the land. Relieved to be alive but extremely guilty regarding his sinful failure to tell the whole truth, Sir Gawain wears the girdle as a reminder of his own failure to remain entirely true, he returns to Camelot and King Arthur’s court where all the Knights join Sir Gawain, wearing girdles on their arms to show their support.
Legacy
Sir Gawain’s legacy has inspired many who have studied Arthurian literature. His chivalric method of placing himself in the way of his beloved king, continues to motivate all those who find themselves in service of others.
Sir Gawain can also be looked towards at times when we must face our fears. It is beyond doubt that the anticipation of meeting his very own demise at the Green Chapel troubled his mind. However, he remained true to his word and sought out the Green Knight only to be spared.
This poignant message can be extrapolated into meaning into our own lives. No matter what challenge, no matter how terrifying it is, we can meet it with dignity and even prevail.
With all that being said we can still point to one incident where there was a lapse in his exemplary character. He was not entirely honest with Bertilak, his host. We can suppose this was due to his innate instinct to survive, taking the cloth in the hope that it may save his own life. This incident may serve as a reminder that he was not the finished article, that no matter who or what we are, we are after all human and we are susceptible to making mistakes from time to time.