Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Gawain (pronounced /ˈgɔːwɪn/ or /gəˈweɪn/; also called Gwalchmei, Gawan, Gauvain, Walewein, etc. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century ) is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table who appears very early in the Arthurian legend's development. King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders Knights of the Round Table were those men awarded the highest order of Chivalry at the Court of King Arthur in the literary cycle the Matter of Britain He is one of a select number of Round Table members to be referred to as the greatest knight, most notably in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century He is almost always portrayed as the son of Arthur's sister Morgause (or Anna) and King Lot of Orkney and Lothian, and his brothers are Agravain, Gaheris, Gareth, and Mordred. Morgause, known in earlier works as Anna, is the sister or half-sister of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. Lot or Loth is king of Lothian, Orkney, and sometimes Norway in the Arthurian legend. Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north Sir Agravain or Sir Agravaine is a nephew of King Arthur and a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. Gaheris is a figure of Arthurian legend, a knight of the Round Table, and a son of Morgause and King Lot of Orkney and Lothian Sir Gareth was a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian Legend. Mordred or Modred ( Welsh: Medraut, Medrod, etc is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought In some works he has sisters as well. Gawain is often portrayed as a formidable but brash warrior, fiercely loyal to his king and family. He is a friend to young knights, a defender of the poor, and a consummate ladies' man. In some works, his strength waxes and wanes with the sun; in the most common form of this motif, his might triples by noon, but fades as the sun sets. His knowledge of herbs makes him a great healer, and he is credited with at least three children: Florence, Lovell, and Gingalain, the last of which is also called Libeaus Desconus or Le Bel Inconnu, the Fair Unknown. Sir Gingalain ( Guinglain, Gingalin, Gliglois, Wigalois, etc also known as Le Bel Inconnu, or The Fair Unknown, is a Libeaus Desconus is a 14th century Middle English version of the popular " Fair Unknown " story Sir Gingalain ( Guinglain, Gingalin, Gliglois, Wigalois, etc also known as Le Bel Inconnu, or The Fair Unknown, is a In later Welsh Arthurian literature, Gawain is considered synonymous with the native champion Gwalchmei.

Gwalchmei

Gawain is commonly considered identical with the Welsh hero known as Gwalchmei (or Gwalchmai) ap Gwyar, who appears in the Welsh Triads and in Culhwch and Olwen, an Arthurian romance associated with the Mabinogion. The Welsh Triads ( Welsh Trioedd Ynys Prydein, literally "Triads of the Island of Britain " are a group of related texts in Medieval Culhwch and Olwen ( Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts His appearance in Culhwch, which probably dates to the 11th century, makes him, like Cai (Kay) and Bedwyr (Bedivere), one of the earliest characters associated with Arthur. In Arthurian legend, Sir Bedivere ( Welsh: Bedwyr French: Bédoier also spelt Bedevere) is the Knight of the Round Table who returns Here Gwalchmei, like Gawain, is Arthur's nephew and one of his chief warriors; Arthur sends him and five other champions with the protagonist Culhwch on his journey to find his love Olwen. Culhwch (kʉlˈhuːχ kil-HOOKH with the final consonant of Scottish "loch" in Welsh mythology, is the son of Cilydd son of Celyddon and In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden.

Scholars are not entirely convinced that the later character of Gawain is derived from the Welsh Gwalchmei ap Gwyar, but later Welsh writers clearly thought this was the case; the name "Gwalchmei" consistently substitutes for "Gawain" in Cymric translations and adaptations of foreign works, such as the Welsh Romances of the Mabinogion. The Three Welsh Romances ( Y Tair Rhamant in Welsh) are three tales associated with the Mabinogion. The name itself is the subject of speculation; in Welsh, the term gwalch translates as falcon or hawk, but both mei and mai are more obscure. They may be archaic petrified genitives of Middle Welsh ma, meaning "plain, field" (from Brythonic *magos, genitive *magesos), but the exact relationship is debated. Middle Welsh (Cymraeg Canol is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 14th centuries of which much more remains than for any earlier The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being ^[1] Mai is the modern Welsh name for the month of May, leading to the popular speculation that the name means "Hawk of May", but this derivation is unlikely. MAY ( also known as: Mei メイ 메이 is a Korean singer well known in South Korea for singing the song "Miracle" ^[1] Additionally, not all scholars accept the gwalch derivation; noted Celticist John Koch has suggested the name could be derived from a Brythonic original *Wolcos Magesos, "Wolf/Errant Warrior of the Plain". ^[2] At any rate the spelling "Gwalchmai" has become popular, and there is a small village in Anglesey called Gwalchmai, probably named after the 12th century bard Gwalchmai ap Meilyr. History There are numerous Megalithic monuments and Menhirs present on Anglesey testifying to the presence of mankind in prehistory Gwalchmai is a village on Anglesey in north Wales. Location It is less than a mile from the A55 and the Anglesey Show Ground Gwalchmai ap Meilyr (fl 1130 - 1180) was a Welsh language court poet from Ynys Môn who composed poems in praise of Owain Gwynedd Alternatively, there is another Gwalchmai from the Brythonic kingdom of Gododdin whose father was a king named "Lot" and probably gave that area the name of Lothian^[3]. The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being The Gododdin (goˈdoðin were a Brythonic people of north-eastern Britain (modern north-east England and south-east Scotland) in the sub-Roman

Gawain in early literature

In the Gesta Regum Anglorum of around 1120, William of Malmesbury records that Gawain's grave had been uncovered in Pembrokeshire during the reign of William the Conqueror, and writes that the great nephew of Arthur had been driven from his kingdom by Hengest's brother, though he continued to harry them severely. Biography The education William received at Malmesbury Abbey included a smattering of Logic and Physics; Moral philosophy and History, Geography Pembrokeshire is a maritime County, bordered by the sea on three sides by Ceredigion (Cardiganshire to the northeast and by William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages

Gawain is a major character in the Arthurian section of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, where he is a superior warrior and potential heir to the throne until he is tragically struck down by Mordred's forces. Geoffrey of Monmouth ( Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c The Historia Regum Britanniae ( English: The History of the Kings of Britain) is a pseudohistorical account of British history Mordred or Modred ( Welsh: Medraut, Medrod, etc is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought The sheer amount of later works featuring him speaks to his popularity; he is an important character in most of Chrétien de Troyes' romances, functioning as a model of chivalry to whom the protagonist is compared and contrasted. Chrétien de Troyes was a French poet and Trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. Chivalric order Chivalry is a term related to the Medieval institution of Knighthood. His role in the unfinished Perceval, the Story of the Grail is so substantial that some commenters have wondered if his adventures were originally meant to form a separate book. Perceval the Story of the Grail (Perceval le Conte du Graal is the unfinished fifth romance of Chrétien de Troyes. However, Chrétien's title hero usually proves morally superior to Gawain, who follows the rules of courtliness and chivalry to the letter rather than the spirit.

Gawain in French literature

Gawain unwittingly fights Ywain, from Chrétien's Knight of the Lion

A large number of romances in French appeared in Chrétien's wake, and Gawain was portrayed in various ways. Sir Ywain (also called Owain, Yvain, Ewain or Uwain) is a Knight of the Round Table and the son of King Urien Yvain the Knight of the Lion (Yvain le Chevalier au Lion is a romance by Chrétien de Troyes. Sometimes he is the hero, sometimes he aids the hero, sometimes he is the subject of burlesque humor. Burlesque is theatrical entertainment of broad and parodic humor which usually consists of comic skits (and sometimes a strip tease) In the Vulgate Cycle, he is depicted as a proud and worldly knight who demonstrates through his failures the danger of neglecting the spirit for the futile gifts of the material world. The Lancelot-Grail, also known as the Prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle, or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is a major source of Arthurian legend On the Grail quest, his intentions are always the purest, but he is unable to use God's grace to see the error in his ways. According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers Later, when his brothers Agravain and Mordred plot to destroy Lancelot and Guinevere by exposing their love affair, Gawain tries to stop them. In the Arthurian legend, Sir Lancelot ( Lancelot du Lac, also Launcelot) is one of the Knights of the Round Table. Guinevere was the legendary Queen consort of King Arthur. She was most famous for her love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot, which first When Guinevere is sentenced to burn at the stake and Arthur deploys his best knights to guard the execution, Gawain nobly refuses to take part in the deed even though his brothers will be there. But when Lancelot returns to rescue Guinevere, a battle between Lancelot's and Arthur's knights ensues and Gawain's brothers, except for Mordred, are killed. This turns his friendship with Lancelot into hatred, and his desire for vengeance causes him to draw Arthur into a war with Lancelot in France. In the king's absence, Mordred usurps the throne, and the Britons must return to save Britain. Gawain is mortally wounded in battle against Mordred's armies, and writes to Lancelot apologizing for his actions and asking for him to come to Britain to help defeat Mordred.

In the Prose Tristan and the Post-Vulgate Cycle Gawain is a villain and a murderer. The Prose Tristan is an adaptation of the Tristan and Iseult story into a long Prose romance, and the first to tie the subject entirely into The Post-Vulgate Cycle is one of the major Old French Prose cycles of Arthurian literature This depiction was not as popular in subsequent literature, however, as this type of generic evil does not make for a very good hero or foil for a hero, or indeed even an interesting villain. For the most part Gawain remained an honorable if flawed champion.

Gawain in English literature

For the English and Scottish, Gawain remained a respectable and heroic figure. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English The Scots people ( Scots Gaelic: Albannaich) are a Nation and an Ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. He is the subject of several romances and lyrics in the dialects of those countries, and his reputation remained untarnished perhaps through a reluctance to follow the French in portraying a British knight negatively. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located He is the hero of one of the greatest works of Middle English literature, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where he is portrayed as an excellent, but human, knight. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century In The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle, his wits, virtue and respect for women frees his wife, a loathly lady, from her curse of ugliness. The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle is one of several versions of the " Loathly lady " story popular during the Middle Ages; an earlier loathly lady is a common Literary device used in Medieval literature, most famously in Geoffrey Chaucer 's The Wife of Bath's Tale. The rise of Gawain, nephew of Arthur tells of Gawain's boyhood and early adventures through till his becoming a knight of the Realm. The Rise of Gawain Nephew of Arthur is an anonymous work telling the story of Gawain 's boyhood and early adventures through till his becoming a knight of the Realm of King ^[4] Other important English Gawain romances include The Awntyrs off Arthure (The Adventures of Arthur) and The Avowyng of Arthur.

These glowing portraits of Gawain all but ended with Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, which is based mainly, but not exclusively, on French works from the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate Cycles. Sir Thomas Malory (c 1405 – 14 March 1471 was an English writer the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur. Le Morte d'Arthur (spelled Le Morte Darthur in the first printing and also in some modern editions Middle French for la mort d'Arthur Here Gawain retains the negative characteristics attributed to him by the later French, and the popularity of Malory's work ensured that most post-medieval English-language writing would retain those characteristics. Nonetheless, Gawain is cited in Robert Laneham's letter describing the entertainments at Kenilworth in 1575,^[5] and the recopying of earlier works such as The Greene Knight suggests that a popular tradition of Gawain continued. The Greene Knight is a late medieval rhyming romance found in the Percy Folio Manuscript The Child Ballads include a preserved legend in the positive light, The Marriage of Sir Gawain a fragmentary version of the story of The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle, and recently, many writers have returned to the old English and Welsh sources and found a much more heroic Gawain. The Child Ballads are a collection of 305 Ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants collected by Francis James Child " The Marriage of Sir Gawain " is a Child Ballad. Found in the Percy Folio, it is a fragmented account of the story of Sir Gawain and the Loathly The character appears in a positive light in novels like Gillian Bradshaw's Hawk of May, Thomas Berger's Arthur Rex, and Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle. Gillian Marucha Bradshaw (born May 14, 1956) is an American writer of historical fiction, Historical fantasy, Children's literature Thomas Louis Berger (born July 20, 1924) is an American Novelist. Stephen R Lawhead (born July 2, 1950) is a best-selling American Writer known for his works of Fantasy, Science fiction The Pendragon Cycle is a series of Fantasy or semi- Historical books based on the Arthurian legend, written by Stephen R He is also the subject of Harrison Birtwhistle's and David Harsent's opera Gawain. Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH (born 15 July, 1934) is a British contemporary Composer. David Harsent (born in Devon on December 9 1942) is an English poet. Gawain is an opera with music by Harrison Birtwistle to a libretto by David Harsent.

In the book series by Chris D'Lacey(consisting of three books: The Fire Within, Icefire, and Fire star), Gawain is the name of the last true dragon on earth. It is also clear in the series that several names were taken from the King Arthur legend, such as Guenivere and even Arthur himself.

Notes

See also

References

• Bromwich, Rachel (2006). Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain. University Of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1386-8.
• Busby, Keith (1991). "Gawain", in Lacy, Norris J. (Ed. ), The New Arthurian Encyclopedia. New York: Garland. ISBN 0-8240-4377-4.
• Koch, John T. (1995). "The Celtic Lands". In N. J. Lacy (ed. ), Medieval Arthurian Literature: A Guide to Recent Research, pp. 239-322. New York.

External links

• Gawain page at the Camelot Project
• Dr. Anthony Colaianne, Chris Baugh - Medieval English Narrator - listen to recorded excerpts of Medieval English literature with text alongside for translation help. Several excerpts from Sir Gawain.
• Sir Gawain page including online translation
• Timeless Myths: Sir Gawain