Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Manuscript: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight exists in only one original manuscript, as
the last of four poems in the MS. Cotton Nero A x. dating no later than 1400. The three
poems preceding it are Pearl, Purity, and Patience, and all four are generally considered to
have been written by the same anonymous poet, judging from similarities in style, dialect,
and theme. The poems are also illustrated with crude drawings; in the case of Gawain, the
illustrations show the various characters of the poem but are not necessarily in keeping with
the poem's description of the characters. We have no further evidence of when or where the
manuscript was written, although most scholars believe that the dialect indicates an origin
in the northwest Midlands of England. The earliest record of this manuscript is in the
catalogue of an sixteenth-century lord in Yorkshire, but we do not know how it got there, or
how it fell into the hands of Sir Robert Cotton, after whom the manuscript has now been
named.
Note on poetic meter: Gawain is typical of Middle English alliterative poems in that it is
written in alliterative long lines, following the basic metrical principles of Old English verse.
Each long line consists of two half-lines, each half with two stressed syllables and a varying
number of unstressed syllables. Most importantly, the two half lines are connected by
alliteration ? that is, repetition of the same consonant sound on at least two, often three, of
the stressed syllables. For example, the poem begins: "Sithen the sege and the assaut was
sesed at Troye" (line 1), with the "s" sound recurring five times within the single long line.
The long lines do not rhyme with each other. However, they are organized in stanzas of
fifteen to twenty-five lines, and each stanza concludes with a construction known as a "bob
and wheel." This term refers to a group of five short lines, which do rhyme, to the pattern of
ababa. If you are not reading Gawain in the original Middle English, the poetic structure
may not be maintained in the translation. Some modern English translations keep the
rhyme and meter strictly; others are only prose translations.
Character List
Sir Gawain
The protagonist of the poem, Sir Gawain is the central figure whose fundamental character
change forms the focus of the work. At the start of the poem he is an eager, optimistic, and
loyal knight who undertakes the Green Knight's challenge to protect Arthur and preserve the
reputation of Camelot. By the end, he has come to question the viability of the chivalric
code and realize the weakness in his own human nature. Ultimately, it is his instinctive fear
of mortality which comes in conflict the societal values he has learned and it is this conflict
which leaves Gawain feeling troubled at the poem's close.
By all societal standards, Gawain is seen as the epitome of chivalry, as illustrated by his
deferential speech to Arthur when he accepts the Green Knight's challenge: "My life would
be least missed, / if we let out the truth. / Only as you are my uncle have I any honor, / For
excepting your blood, I bear in my body slight virtue" (Gardner ll.555-7). Here he
demonstrates the chivalric values of selfless loyalty to one's king and one's relative, and it is
this strong sense of chivalry that serves as the catalyst for Gawain's adventure. Central to
our understanding of Gawain's character is his shield, marked on the inner side by the
image of the Virgin and on the other by the Pentangle. The Pentangle represents the five
ways in which Gawain is seen as a flawless character who embodies Franchise, Fellowship,
Cleanness, Courtesy, and Charity: "Like purified gold, Sir Gawain was known for his
goodness, / All dross refined away, adorned with virtues" (Gardner ll. 634-5). And the
image of the Virgin on the inside signifies the religious faith which Gawain uses as his inner
protection.
Indeed, much of Gawain's virtue rests in his religious piety, from which he gains the
strength to endure his ordeals. As he wanders through a desolate Waste Land, Gawain is
the "servant of God" and finds his strength in talking to God (ll. 692-711). On the brink of
despair, Gawain beseeches the Virgin Mary to guide him, and almost immediately stumbles
upon the castle of Bertilak. In Book III, Gawain draws upon his Christian faith and chivalric
loyalty to Bertilak to counter the sexual advances of Lady Bertilak: "And all that passed
between them was music and bliss and delight./ŠBut the danger might have been great /
Had Mary not watched her knight!" (Gardner ll.1766-70) His human sexual desire, coupled
with the chivalric sense of duty to a lady, are formidable adversaries to his religious faith
and chivalric loyalty to the lord but ultimately, it is his human fear of death that defeats his
chivalric values when Gawain decides to keep the green girdle.
This failure is certainly understandable from a human perspective, and the Green Knight
pardons Gawain after wounding him in an exchange stroke. But Gawain himself, so tied to a
sense of chivalry and morality, dwells upon his moral failing. He at first blames the wily
Morgan le Fay and Lady Bertilak in an unexpected misogynistic outburst (ll. 2407-2428), but
ultimately can only come to blame himself his cowardice and covetousness -- for his failure.
By the end, the experience has shattered Gawain's faith in himself and in a society which
cannot see his moral failure. In this way, the poet uses Gawain's character to subtly
question the validity of societal and chivalric values, and to question the strength of human
nature when compared to the infallibility of Godliness.
The Green Knight/Bertilak de Hautdesert
As the other title character, the Green Knight functions mainly as a static foil to the dynamic
character of Gawain. We see him in two different guises: first as the Green Knight who
bursts into Arthur's court to issue a beheading challenge, and secondly as the generous,
noble, though somewhat mischievous lord who hosts Gawain in the days before the New
Year. It is not until Book IV, after the exchange stroke has been given, that we realize the
Green Knight and the lord are one and the same. Thus, the character is shrouded in
mystery and we know no more about him than the baffled Gawain does.
As the Green Knight, he represents an Otherworldly, natural force intruding into the refined
circle of Camelot. His green color, enormous size, and apparent immortality indicate his
Otherworldliness; he seems allied with Nature in all its furious, regenerative grandeur. Many
critics here point out out his resemblance to the Green Man of Celtic/English legend, and
certainly the Green Knight can be seen as a symbol of the fertility and magnitude of Nature,
as opposed to Society. He mocks the reputation of Arthur's court, and in this sense can also
be seen in opposition to the artificial constructions of society, its values, and its pretensions.
In Book IV, he is very much the same figure, superhuman, supercilious, yet respectful of
true courage. In this guise, the Green Knight is always a figure of awe and fear, clearly
operating above the constructions and restrictions of the human world.
As Bertilak, he is not quite so formidable and easily fits the role of the generous, civilized
host who treats Gawain with the respect bebooking his reputation. However, he proposes an
unusual pact to exchange each day's winnings with Gawain, and seems nonchalantly aware
of the attraction between Gawain and his own wife. Again, there is the sense that the lord is
operating above and beyond the rules of Gawain's world. This is all quite subtle, though,
and is not fully realized until Book IV. In the hunting scenes, the vigorous Bertilak seems to
function with an innate connection to the natural world, perhaps suggesting his true identity
as the primal, visceral Green Knight.
Lady Bertilak
The only other character with a major role, Lady Bertilak's motives seem all too clear until
the surprising explanation in Book IV that all her advances have been staged. A static
character, she serves as a temptation for Gawain to break his chivalric duty to Lord Bertilak
and his Christian duty to uphold his moral purity. And yet, she approaches him in such a
way that challenges Gawain's chivalric sense of courtly love: would he not be dishonoring a
noble lady by rejecting her requests for passion? The dialogue between Gawain and Lady
Bertilak in these bedroom scenes is a fascinating study of careful diplomatic arguments
around and about the topic of courtly love and chivalry. In a sense, Lady Bertilak triumphs
by giving Gawain the green girdle which he does not relinquish to her husband. However, it
is his fear of death more than his covetousness or his sense of chivalry that causes him to
hide the girdle. And yet, at the end it is revealed that Lord and Lady Bertilak have been
conspiring with each other to outwit Gawain in this game. Thus, just as Bertilak pursued
beasts relentlessly in the hunting scenes, Lady Bertilak pursued Gawain relentlessly in the
bedroom, pushing him to the limit of his moral capacity.
King Arthur
Arthur plays a small role in the poem, functioning primarily as the figurehead of Camelot,
the epitome of chivalric society. However, the author does not perhaps portray Arthur in a
thoroughly positive light. In Book I, the author suggests that the young Arthur, while gentle
and noble, may perhaps be too immature in his need for entertaining adventures and
marvels. He accepts the Green Knight's challenge only to protect the name of Camelot,
when no one else volunteers; he lightly passes over Gawain's new, forbidding mission by
turning to revelry at the end of Book I; and at the end of the poem he honors Gawain for
his bravery without detecting the knight's moral unease. Does Arthur take these matters
seriously enough? And if not, what does this say about the validity of his courtly society and
its views toward serious moral issues?
Guinevere
Essentially a bit player in the poem, Guinevere, Arthur's queen, functions as the epitome of
feminine courtliness. In Book I, she is the richly garbed vision of beauty; the author later
describes Lady Bertilak as lovelier even than Guinevere to emphasize her entrancing
beauty. At the poem's end, she too, is just as unaware as Arthur of Gawain's moral crisis.
Perhaps we can see her as a symbol of the superficiality of courtly society.
Old Lady (Morgan le Fay)
A rather strange character, she is the elderly noble lady in Bertilak's castle who befriends
Gawain. Hideously ugly, she serves to emphasize Lady Bertilak's beauty while also
demonstrating Gawain's virtue and courtesy toward even unattractive ladies. Nevertheless,
Bertilak in Book IV reveals her to be the scheming Morgan le Fay, Arthur's jealous halfsister and traditional nemesis who engineered the entire beheading game so that Guinevere
would be shocked to death. This sort of explanation often comes off as unsatisfactory and
artificial to readers, and many view it as a cheap tack-on to an otherwise gripping and
emotionally genuine story.
Gawain's guide to the Green Chapel
This servant is assigned by Bertilak to guide Gawain to the Green Chapel on New Year's
Day. Though he only figures in a few stanzas at the end of Book III and the start of Book
IV, he nevertheless serves two functions: 1) to again emphasize the respect that is shown
to the highly-esteemed Gawain, and more importantly, 2) to heighten the sense of fear that
the Green Knight incites. His descriptions of the Green Knight are truly terrifying and allow
us to feel the fear that Gawain is experiencing and the threat to his mortality.
Part I
Part I Summary:
The poem begins with a lengthy description which establishes the setting firmly in Arthurian
Britain. The writer traces the history of Britain from the Trojan War, the founding of Rome
by Aeneas, and through to the eventual founding of Britain by the legendary Felix Brutus.
Britain is a land of great wonders and strife, but King Arthur has established a court of
utmost nobility and chivalry, peopled with the bravest knights and fairest ladies. The poet
will now proceed to relate a particularly extraordinary episode from King Arthur's court,
which begins at a lavish New Year's celebration in Camelot.
A rich description of the celebration follows, where the poet carefully conveys luxurious
details of decoration and attire. There is the incomparably beautiful Queen Guinevere,
Arthur himself, and seated in honor around them, various noble knights and relatives of
Arthur, including Sir Gawain. We learn that Arthur does not like to begin his feasts until he
has heard a great tale or witnessed a great marvel. Indeed, in the midst of the feasting, a
wondrous stranger bursts into the hall. The stranger is most remarkable because he is
entirely green, and the poet devotes nearly 100 lines to a meticulous description of his
appearance.
Giant-like with an enormous green beard, the stranger nevertheless carries an air of
handsome civility, wearing sumptuous green and gold clothes and armor. His horse is
equally decked in ornate green, and the knight himself holds a branch of holly in one hand
and a formidable battle-axe in the other. He demands, somewhat arrogantly, to speak to
the ruler of the company, while the court stares on in stunned silence. When Arthur finally
speaks, the stranger explains that he has come to this famously valiant court to play a
Christmas game. Whoever agrees to play this game will be allowed to strike the Green
Knight on the spot, in the middle of the court; in exchange, the Green Knight will strike a
return blow upon the volunteer a year and a day hence. None of the court volunteers as the
game seems to imply certain death for whomever plays; the stranger ridicules them all for
Camelot's supposed bravery. Eventually Arthur agrees to play the game, but as he is about
to wield the great battle-axe, Gawain speaks. In polite and self-effacing language, Gawain
begs to take up the boon instead, so the life of the king can be spared in place of a knight
as weak and lowly as he. The court agrees to let Gawain play, and after restating the terms
of the agreement to each other, the stranger gives the battle-axe to Gawain, then exposes
his neck for the blow. Gawain cleaves off the stranger's head in one blow, but the stranger
does not die, despite the abundant bloodshed. In fact, the body of the Green Knight picks
up the severed head, which then addresses Gawain. The stranger charges Gawain to meet
him at the Green Chapel next New Year's morning, so that he may receive his exchange
blow.
After the stranger leaves, Arthur urges Guinevere to continue reveling, while he tells Gawain
to hang up the stranger's battle-axe and forget about his new mission for the time being .
The New Year's feast continues unaffected, but the poet ends the book by foreshadowing
the dangerous adventures Gawain must face.
Part I Analysis:
The conventions of the romance genre: Gawain appears to fit neatly into the genre of the
medieval romance, a French poetic form which had great influence in England beginning in
the middle of the twelfth century. The romance has several characteristics: a celebration of
warrior society, a setting amidst the feudal nobility, close attention to details of pageantry,
and most importantly an emphasis on the chivalric concept of courtly love. This last idea
hinged on the relationship between the ideal hero the knight errant and the noble woman
he loves. However, in the aristocratic society of chivalry, the most supreme kind of courtly
love was for an unattainable woman, often the queen of a knight's lord. A knight's love for
this lady would inspire him to braver deeds, just as, in the traditional Arthurian material, Sir
Lancelot was driven to great accomplishments by his love for Queen Guinevere Thus, in a
larger sense, the code of chivalry focused on the protection of the weak and fair elements of
society by the loyal, self-sacrificing knight. But it also included a knight's fidelity to his court
and king, and his respect for other warriors and the rules of combat.
It is important to consider Gawain in light of the conventions of the romance genre. All the
characteristics of the romance are present, however, closer examination suggests a
questioning of the values of chivalry and the typical romance. Does the poet really support
these values, even when he writes in the style of the romance? Is there a not a greater
irony to his description of conventional romance elements, or to the way the events unfold
in the poem? Remember the poem was written sometime in the fourteenth century, at a
time when the romance genre was already a dying form. Thus, the poet, while not exactly
satirizing the romance, could certainly be expressing his doubts about the values and social
institution of the chivalric court by playing within the bounds of the romance genre.
Book I and the Romance Genre: From the very beginning, Book I corresponds with expected
conventions of the romance genre. Among these is the opening exposition which establishes
the historical setting via a list of previous battles and legendary heroes. Many other
romances and epics (another popular genre of the time) began this way, establishing a link
with the legendary past and thereby legitimizing the unfolding content of the current
narrative. When the poet focuses upon Arthur's court, this too is a romantic convention, for
Arthur and his knights were already a popular topic of romances, serving as the ideal of
chivalric loyalty and valor. Again, it is no surprise that the scene unfolds at a great New
Year's feast, another romantic convention, for this provides the poet with a chance to
display the chivalric society at its greatest and most vibrant. Notice how he describes Arthur
and his knights in superlatives, as the most famous knights in Christendom and the
handsomest of kings. Superlative mention is also made of Queen Guinevere, her beauty and
nobility, with particular attention paid to the details of her dress and accoutrements. Finally,
the poet emphasizes Arthur's wish for a great wonder or tale to entertain him at the feast,
again an affirmation of the typical view of Camelot as a place of adventure and unparalleled
bravery. In all these elements the historical opening, the Arthurian setting, the opulent
feast, the superlative portrayal of Guinevere, the lavish attention to detail, and Arthur's
desire for adventure in all of these, the poet acts clearly within the convention of the
romance.
But perhaps it is not so simple, for as we have noted earlier, the poet seems to be
questioning the values of the chivalric romance at the same time he uses the conventions.
The historical opening hints at the darker side of British history, writing that war, misery
and distress, have alternated with prosperity since the founding of Britain. Already, this is
no glorifying portrayal of military values. Also, the superlative description of Camelot verges
on the excessive. A poet this skilled in description would surely be able to exalt Arthur and
his court in a less simplistic manner. But lines 36-40 are so unsophisticated in their utmost
praise of Camelot that we cannot help but question the poet's genuine belief in its glory.
Certainly this supposed "greatness" of Camelot is something we will want to consider at the
end of the poem, when Gawain has returned to Arthur after his momentous adventure.
In similar ways, the poet's description of the lavishness and merriment at the New Year's
feast suggests a certain decadence in Arthur's court. The description of Guinevere thus far is
in keeping with romantic conventions of the exalted noble woman, but these portrayals of
women will continue to evolve throughout the poem, calling into question the concept of
courtly love. Meanwhile, in Line 86 the poet describes Arthur as restless, youthfully lighthearted and rather boyish ("so joly of his joyfnes, and sumquat childgered"). While this is
certainly a young, attractive King Arthur, in the springtime of life, we get the sense that this
Arthur is also somewhat immature, demanding great wonders as an entertainment before
his feast, and not as events with serious outcomes and implications. Again, we should
consider this at the end of the poem, when Arthur and the court react to the result of
Gawain's quest.
For the meantime, Book I continues with more subtly ambiguous treatment of romantic
conventions. Considerable detail is lavished on the stranger's physical appearance, down to
the ornamental knots in the mane of his horse. When the stranger speaks, his half-mocking
tone provides another chance to criticize the chivalric court. And surely, the initial silence of
the court affirms his censure of Camelot's cowardice, despite its reputation of valor. Arthur
responds nobly to the challenge, but the poet describes the wary king in not-so-flattering
terms, at least in comparison to the magnificent and towering stranger. Gawain's speech,
while deferential and self-effacing, is perhaps too deferential, perhaps hiding a criticism of
the other cowardly court members as he begrudgingly accepts the challenge for his king?
The repeated terms of agreement between the Green Knight and Gawain serve to reinforce
the chivalric code of respect for the rules of combat. Yet for all their seriousness, Arthur at
the end of the book lightly ignores the implications of Gawain's mission, urging for more
revelry and suggesting again, the immature and decadent Camelot of this complicated
romance. As the poem progresses and Gawain moves from Camelot to other settings, it will
be important to view other romantic conventions as they appear and consider their
commentary on the values of chivalry.
Links with Celtic mythology: Another way to view Gawain is to consider its relationship with
Celtic mythology, something frequently present in Arthurian material. The Celts, the people
who lived in the British Isles prior to the arrival of the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons, had a
strong body of pagan belief, ritual practices, and stories surrounding those beliefs and
practices. Many of the characters in these myths were gods and goddesses; many of their
ritual practices and beliefs echoed motifs in their myths. As the Middle Ages progressed and
Christianity grew more dominant, these motifs and characters were often preserved in the
folklore and literature of the British Isles. Arthurian material is particularly notable for its
ties to Celtic myth, for many of the characters and events in these stories resemble gods
and motifs in the older myths. In Gawain, there is a constant sense of the Celtic, pagan
cosmology underlying the events with the Green Knight and Gawain's quest. As the poem
progresses, this becomes especially complicated when set against the obvious Christianity in
the story: Christian belief and pagan ritual mingle in intricate ways in Gawain.
Book I and Celtic mythology: In Book I, this link with Celtic belief is most noticeable in two
ways: in the Christmas/New Years setting of the scene and in the figure of the Green
Knight. Celtic pagan belief considered the year to be an important cycle in both the human
and natural worlds. The Celts designated a certain time of year as the end of the old year
and the beginning of the new one. At this "limbo" time of year, strange, supernatural events
were likely to happen and the human world was likely to come in contact with the
Otherworld of mystical beings. At the same time, though, the year was made new and
revelry often took place to celebrate the new year and release the excess of spiritual
energy. Traditionally, this designated time of year took place around November 1 for the
Celts, and was known as Samhain. However, with the influence of Christianity and more
Continental beliefs, this limbo time was moved to the period between Christmas and New
Year's day.
Gawain corresponds with this pattern, with the strange Green Knight bursting in upon King
Arthur's court on New Year's day. In this way, he can be seen as an Otherworldly visitor to
the human world, as a strange, unaccountable force of nature entering Camelot, the
epitome of civilized society. The bizarre beheading game has been seen to represent the
ritual slaying and renewal of the year. There are in fact direct parallels between the
beheading game in Gawain and an eighth-century Irish myth, "Bricriu's Feast." In this tale,
the Celtic hero Cuchulainn must behead an Otherworldly figure at a feast, with similar
consequences the apparent immortality of the other figure and the challenge for an
exchange stroke a year later. In both cases, the Beheading Game has a ritual, pagan
significance, suggesting the regenerative quality of Nature and the turning of the year.
In Gawain, the Green Knight in fact designates the following New Year's day as the date for
the exchange blow, thus emphasizing the significance of the year as a cycle of time. And
renewal and regeneration are certainly implicit in the Green Knight's immortality, since the
beheading has no effect on him. Another clue to his Otherworldly nature would be his green
color. Green, as the dominant color in nature, here suggests the natural cycle of rebirth and
renewal that is so essential to the concept of the year and, as well, to the character of the
Green Knight.
Symbols in Book I: The Green Knight himself thus serves as an important symbol in the
story. We have already established that he personifies the renewable, indestructible forces
of nature, entering human society on New Year's Day. But his description merits a closer
look, for the poet does not portray him solely as a figure of terror and foreignness. In fact,
the Green Knight is a mixture of the familiar (the civil) and the foreign (the raw). He is
opulently dressed and clearly noble, yet his green color and sheer size indicate he is not
entirely of this world. Thus, the Green Knight functions as a liminal figure, mediating
between the civilized world of chivalry and the unknown world of nature. As we will see later
on, he not only signifies the ritual renewal of the natural cycle, but also calls into question
the civilized structure of chivalric and Christian values which confront Gawain.
Several specific traits of the Green Knight should be noted in this light. First, he bears in
one of his hands a branch of holly and in another a cruel battle-axe. This clearly symbolizes
his dual function. On one level it indicates his civilized wish for peace, offset by his potential
for destruction. On another level, it symbolizes his understanding of the rules of society,
despite his innate link with the natural world.
We should also note the recurring colors of green and gold in the description of the Green
Knight. Similar to the battle-axe and holly, the green obviously indicates his raw, natural
character, yet the gold implies something different. Gold is, after all, often associated with
wealth, royalty, and the ultimate level of society. In medieval times, it was seen as the
desired end product of the meticulous process of alchemy, the final possible attainment for
human beings. Thus, the gold here brings a note of civility and social greatness to the figure
of the Green Knight, in addition to his Otherworldly nature. As the poem progresses, green
and gold will continue to take on a greater significance, especially in relation to the
character of Gawain himself.
Major Themes
Nature vs. Human Society
This is the central conflict which Gawain must deal with in his quest. He is forced to confront
the forces of Nature both external and internal -- in the form of the Green Knight, the
winter landscape, his own sexual desire, and ultimately, his own fear of death. Throughout,
Gawain counters this with his own faith in God and in chivalric values. But in the end his
natural fear of death overcomes his sense of human morality, causing him to accept the
green girdle. And when Gawain returns to human society at the end of the poem, it is with a
sense of unease, having realized the power of Nature in comparison to his human beliefs.
Throughout the poem, we see natural settings and impulses constantly opposed to those of
human society and civility. And while humans shy away from their inevitable death, it is
Nature which can continue to restore and regenerate itself, as seen in the indestructible
Green Knight and the passing and resurrection of the year.
The Futility of Human Constructions
The poem is full of detailed descriptions of human constructs, like armor, clothing, food,
architecture, even the cutting of hunted deer. There is a ritualistic, overly technical sense to
these descriptions, where the poet seems to be hinting at the superficiality of these human
constructs and questioning their purpose. For example, the concept of Courtly Love is one
such elaborate human construction, but in Book III, it is essentially parodied in the
conversations between Gawain and Lady Bertilak. And Gawain's sumptuous armor, no
matter how well-forged or polished, will be of little use to him when he receives the
exchange stroke from the Green Knight. In comparison to the powerful descriptions of
natural forces, these human constructions appear silly, excessive, and ultimately futile.
The Viability of Chivalric Values
Perhaps the most significant of these human constructions is chivalric code which forms
such an essential part of medieval literature and of Gawain's belief system. Gawain is the
very embodiment of chivalric values, yet his encounter with the seductive Lady Bertilak
forces a crisis in the chivalric value system: should he honor the requests of the noble lady
or remain faithful to his lord? Upon his return to Camelot, King Arthur does not even detect
the moral crisis within Gawain. And most unexpectedly, the "test" of Gawain's chivalric
values have been in fact a game engineered by Morgan le Fay for a less-than-noble
purpose. Disillusioned, the once-idealistic Gawain finds that the code of chivalry which once
formed his moral core has now been shaken.
Faith in God
In contrast to the questionable nature of the chivalric code, the poet upholds Christian faith
as the ultimate, saving grace for humanity. Ever pious, Gawain continuously finds guidance
in God: from the image of the Virgin Mary on the inside of his shield to his prayers while
journeying alone, to his narrow escape from the adulterous temptations of Lady Bertilak. It
is, in a sense, faith in God which enables mankind to negotiate between the dangers of
human society and the dangers of the natural world. To affirm this, the poem concludes
with a supplication to Jesus Christ, the Savior.
Celtic Pagan Sources and Christian overlay
Despite its Christian message, the poem has strong roots in Celtic pagan myth. There are
many elements common to pre-Christian Celtic mythology, such as the waiting period of
twelve months and a day, the Beheading Game, and the Temptation Game. The Green
Knight himself is a strongly pagan character, similar to the Green Man or Wild Man of the
Woods who symbolizes fertility in folklore. Gawain's journey can even be seen as the hero's
archetypical encounter with the Otherworld, an essential theme in pagan belief. The
Pentangle is often a pagan symbol; thus Gawain’s shield, with the Pentangle on one side
and the Virgin Mary on the other, comes to represent the dual pagan/Christian nature of the
poem.
Questioning the Romance
The poem contains many conventions of the medieval romance tradition, but in many ways
it does not celebrate the genre. Many elements verge on parody; others seem deliberately
excessive. The conversation between the seductive Lady Bertilak and the diplomatic Gawain
satirizes the language of Courtly Love, the descriptions of armor and clothing can be overthe-top, and the poem does not conclude with the resolution of the typical romance.
Instead, there is a sense of unease, as the poet concludes what seems to be a subtle
questioning of the romance genre.
The Fall of Man and Loss of Innocence
Biblical parallels can be found in the appearance of Bertilak's castle (Paradise) and the role
of his wife as temptress (Eve). Accordingly, Gawain loses his moral innocence when his
value system is shattered by the end of the poem. Such an allegory emphasizes once more
the poet's Christian message, and the relationship between mankind and the divine.
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