Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

This is the book to get your poetry-resistant friend this #Booksgiving 2017. I read it on a dare. I don't like poetry very much, it's so snooty and at the same time so pit-sniffingly self-absorbed that I'd far rather stab my hands with a fork repeatedly than be condescended to in rhyming couplets.

This tale is fabulous in every sense of the word, which is no surprise since it's survived for so many centuries. But poet and translator Simon Armitage has made the old world new again. He sucked me right in and never let me come up for air with his gorgeous words and his carefully chosen words and his alliterative rhythmical phrases.

If the idea of a Norton Critical Edition is keeping you far away from this delightful read, rest assured it's show more not stodgy or dry or just plain boring. It's vibrant, alive, shimmering with an inner power, waiting for you to open its covers and fall utterly under its spell. Become happily ensorcelled, gentle reader, relax into the sure and strong embrace of a centuries-old knight and his spectacular tale. show less

During "Christmastide" at King Arthur's court, a "giant" green-skinned man with red eyes in emerald armor, astride a green horse, arrives to challenge any member of the court to strike him a blow with his "Danish" axe if he may return the gesture. Just as King Arthur is about to accept the challenge, Sir Gawain humbly offers himself in his liege's stead. Gawain successfully cuts off the Green Knight's head but is astonished to see him still alive. In a year's time, before the New Year, Gawain must seek out the Green Knight at the Green Chapel to accept the returning blow.

I read this one in high school, and while it is a short 115 pages, and brimming with chivalrous affectations, it is still a delightful read. The introduction to the show more Penguin edition provides an outline of events and explains the contrasts throughout, esp. the warm "life" of Arthur's court vs Gawain's journey through a cold, mysterious land towards "death."

Even though it was written in the late 14th c., you can spot several pagan influences. The Green Man - in this case a knight - appearing since the 12th c., was a symbol of rebirth and he holds a sprig of holly, further implying rebirth and that he "proceeds in peace." On the face of Gawain's shield is a pentacle - an endless knot of protection. The Green Knight's arrival at "Yuletide" is also no coincidence, as it is traditionally a time of "cleverness" or rather, when the supernatural veil between the living and the dead is thinnest.

It follows the traditional lay tropes of the hero's journey, three tests and an equal exchange. However, it flips the script on the "magical object" motif. It upends the readers expectations, especially if they're used to sly deeds of Greek mythology. It's a story that surprisingly stands the test of time and I recommend it! show less

Well, now. That was interesting.

It's kind of hard not to have healthy respect for a 700 year old poem written about a knight of King Arthur's court that survives in only one Middle English manuscript, a story about a literal green giant of a man who picks up his own head after it's been chopped off by an axe and challenges the untried virgin knight to have the same done to him in a year's time, all done as some sort of chivalric "game."

Hoo boy.

Armitage's translation was beautifully clear and easy to follow through all 2,530 lines. I learned a thing or two about a traditional form of old verse where there is no end line rhyme but instead contains plentiful inner line alliteration and that rather grows on a person. I liked it. At the end show more of each stanza there is something called a "bob and wheel." You gotta love that phrase, bob and wheel.

I read this as part of a February-long group read on LibraryThing and had a hoot with fellow readers, including one who kindly shared photos of the Folio edition illustrations, risking life and limb to merely lift that hefty tome from a top shelf.

When done, I tried to watch a film version, one from 1973. Er, I wouldn't recommend it unless you are a fan of that 70s camp and/or are a partaker of "the herb." Matter of fact, I wonder a little about the original audience of the original poem--just how much ale did they drink while listening to it?

Four stars merely because I don't have the audacity to rate such a rare historic work a 3. show less

I've always liked the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but I never enjoyed reading it before. I first encountered this tale in a survey course of British Literature early in my college career (first semester--Beowulf to Sheridan; second semester--Blake to the Present Day...I still have the texts), in which we were exhorted to remember that the knight's name was pronounced GOWan. With apologies to the late Mr. Graham (who I believe preferred the 18th century to the 14th), I'm all in favor of Armitage's approach---let the rhythm and the alliterative requirements of the text dictate which consonant or syllable gets the stress. This version is so read-out-loudable that I feel it banishes any objection that might be raised to show more liberties Armitage took with literalness. (I'm not much of a purist that way when it comes to translating poetry anyway. I mean...it needs to remain poetic, above all.) I later had some exposure to the medieval language of the poem in a more advanced course; I may even have been expected to claw some of it into modern English myself, an effort best lost to time. This edition places the ancient version side-by-side with the new translation. It's interesting to compare, and to try to remember the sounds of the good old Anglo-Saxon, a clankier language by far. I counted four different spellings of our valiant knight's name in that text--Gawan, Gawayne, Gawen and Gauan. Surely that isn't just sloppiness or inconsistency, but suggestive of varying pronunciation in the original? In any case, if you're inclined to visit this classic tale, I commend you to Armitage's translation. It's just plain fun. show less

During holiday festivities in King Arthur's court, a mysterious green knight appears with a challenge: any knight of Arthur's court may strike the green knight a blow, and the green knight will return the strike in a year's time. The only knight brave enough to face the challenge is young Gawain, who indeed strikes the green knight, chopping off his head. Unperturbed, the green knight picks up his head and tells Gawain to find him in a year's time in order to receive the return blow.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written by an unknown fourteenth-century poet, is my favorite of the classic Arthurian tales (so far). The story is vivid and full of gorgeous contrasts, love and death and trust and renewal. The story unfolds with good show more pacing and entertaining adventures with true courtly manners, all without being redundant or dull (as some unnamed fourteenth-century Arthurian romances can be).

Armitage's translation from the Middle English focuses on the alliterative and poetic structure of the original, rather than being a literal translation. The Middle English version appears on the left hand page with the Modern version on the right, so the reader can compare and see the differences. For the most part his version is surprisingly readable with beautiful phrases and imagery, though in some cases it strays into being a bit too modern (at one point Arthur is described as "keeping his cool"), which can be jarring. My second reading was just as enjoyable as the first, and I would love to add it to my library.

However, since Arimitage's is only the only translation I've read, I'm very curious about trying a more literal translation. Apparently, even J.R.R. Tolkien did a translation, and I'd love to read that.

For audio book lovers, I highly recommend the audio version of Armitage's translation, which is read by Bill Wallis. He does an amazing job highlighting the alliterative aspects of the text, while making it easy to follow. Once the Modern English translation is finished, Wallis then does an amazing reading of the original Middle English version of the book. It's amazing to hear and I found myself understanding more than I thought I would. Fantastic. show less

I adore this. I have to admit to cheating slightly, in that it was in translation and not in the original middle English, but I think that's allowed.



Poetry of this vintage is very different to that we're used to - there's nothing even resembling the usual iambic pentameter, and the end of the lines don't even begin to rhyme. Instead the rhythm comes from the alliteration of the stressed sylables within a line. It seems to lend itself to being read aloud - maybe an indication of the transition from an aural to a written tradition.



The poem itself is a tale of king Arthur's court, with a challenge being issued by a stranger at the Christmas court, and the bulk of story being played out at the following year's end. It has everything - show more chivalrous knights, the splendour of court, lovely ladies, but it also has dark overtones - there's sex, blood and gore of the hunt (both beast and man). There's also the threat of nature to the ordered life of the court and to an individual against it. It's not very long, no more than 115 pages, but it has so much packed into it that it goes by in a flash. show less

This is an exciting, dramatic and fast moving poem that can be appreciated for it's brilliant alliterative poetry and for its satisfying and intriguing narrative. It has all the elements of an Arthurian romance. Its opens with the young King Arthur holding court with the knights of the round table who are celebrating the new year. Arthur is described by Armitage:

"He brimmed with ebullience, being almost boyish
in his love of life, and what he liked the least
was to sit still while watching the seasons slip by"

They are all deep in revelry when Arthur calls for a story, but they are rudely interrupted by the appearance of the giant Green Knight. He throws down a challenge to Arthur, which is accepted on his behalf by Sir Gawain. The Green show more Knight stands to take a mortal blow from Gawain with the proviso that he will do the same same to him in one years time. Gawain is faced by a seemingly impossible quest and sets off towards the end of the year to confront his nemesis. He travels through wild and distant lands and is on the point of exhaustion when after a fervent prayer he comes upon a grand castle. He is welcomed inside by the Lord and almost at once finds himself involved in yet another game/test. The Lord goes out hunting leaving Gawain to rest, however it soon becomes apparent that Gawain will be sorely tested by the Lords wife who is bent on learning from him the art of love. Gawains stature as a chivalric Knight is tested to breaking point by the beautiful lady who spends three days seducing him while her husband is away hunting. Gawain must still face his final confrontation with the magically invincible Green Knight. He survives but the quest has found him wanting: he has proven to be less than heroic when faced with death. he has suffered a loss of faith and he has been deceitful, all which have undermined the code of chivalry, but curiously have made Gawain seem more human

Although a medieval tale this is not allegorical nor is it a dream vision; it is a straight romance with some excellent story telling There is both high drama and comedy in many of the incidents. The entrance of the Green Knight and his challenge to the round table knights that results in the famous beheading sequence. The tales of the hunt; the rounding up of the deer, the battle with the wild boar and the fox chase are all vividly brought to life. High Comedy when Gawain finds himself naked in bed pretending to be asleep but aware that the Lord's wife has crept into his chamber to talk of love. He must resist her advances and maintain his dignity without breaking his chivalric code

Key themes explored in the tale are Christianity versus paganism, salvation versus temptation, courtly love versus nature and loyalty versus faith. The poem spells out its message to its 14th century readers when the Green Knight says "to put pride on trial"

Armitage's translation is a modern one dated 2007 and there are a few modern idioms eg; "the mother of all axes." Its strengths are the narrative flow which carries you effortlessly through the story. Armitage is excellent with his descriptions of the changing seasons and the countryside - there is real poetry here. He also brings out the humour in the all too human situations that occur in the tale. He is inventive in following the alliterative line and this works pretty well. This translation is well worth reading. show less