Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A Critical Introduction
The latest Text and Critical Introduction book on the poem about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is available in print and will soon be available as an ebook.
The tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is set in the time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table. It is a medieval poem which encompasses romance, heroic quests and several tests of the knight’s chivalry. The Middle English text has an interlinear translation and there are other chapters on sources, theme, structure, etc. For anyone who wants to understand the themes and the style of writing of that time, this book is a must read.
Here is my favorite part. A gigantic man, all green, rides into Arthur’s court:
Whether hade he no helme ne hawbergh nauther,
Yet the knight wore no helmet, nor mail hauberk either,
Ne no pysan, ne no plate that pented to armes,
Nor throat-guard, nor plate armor to protect his arms,
Ne no schafte, ne no schelde, to schwve ne to smyte, (205)
Neither spear nor shield with which to thrust or to smite,
Bot in his on honde he hade a holyn bobbe,
But in one hand he had a holly bough,
That is grattest in grene, when greves ar bare,
That is at it greenest when other trees are bare,
And an ax in his other, a hoge and unmete,
And an axe in the other hand, huge and terrible,
A spetos sparthe to expoun in spelle, quo-so myght.
A brutal weapon to describe in words, whoever might try.
The hede of an elnserde the large lenkthe hade, (210)
The head of the axe was as great in length as an ell-yard
[Basically a cubit - the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger - 45 inches.]
The grayn al of grene stele and of golde hewen,
The grain of the metal forged of green steel and gold,
The bit burnyst bryght, wyth a brod egge,
The biting blade burnished bright with a broad edge,
As wel schapen to schere as scharp rasores.
As keenly honed to cut as a sharp razor.
The stele of a stif staf the sturne hit bi-grypte,
The steel was set into a strong staff and the hand-grip
That was wounden wyth yrn to the wandes ende, (215)
Was wound round with iron straps right to the end,
And al bigraven with grene, in gracios werkes.
And all exquisitely engraved with green designs.
A lace lapped aboute, that louked at the hede,
A leather thong was wound about the shaft that looped over the axe-head,
And so after the halme halched ful ofte,
And all above the handle its entire length
Wyth tryed tasseles therto tacched innoghe,
With many tied tassels attached to it,
On botouns of the bryght grene brayden ful ryche. (220)
Buttons of bright green were richly ornamented there.
This hathel heldes hym in, and the halle entres,
This intimidating man enters the hall in rush,
Drivande to the heghe dece, dut he no wothe.
Driving straight towards the dais, with no care for danger.
Haylsed he never one, bot heghe he over loked.
He hailed no one, but looked over their heads.
The fyrst word that he warp, “Wher is,” he sayd,
The first word he uttered, “Where is,” he asked,
“The governour of this gyng? Gladly I wolde (225)
“The leader of this company? I should be glad
Se that segg in syght, and with hymself speke
raysoun.”
To see that lord with my own eyes, and to him say
my piece.”
