2022/ Reread twice this year, and I must say it's truly a great story.

Simon Armitage’s translation is simply excellent. It brings out the essence and beauty of the original work in a remarkable way.

The narrators' northern accent in the audiobook added an extra layer of charm and made the listening experience extremely absorbing.

I've been assigned this book four times before, but never got around to reading it. So this time, I decided it was high time I actually gave it a go. And boy, was it well worth the wait.

The assiduous alliterative verse in the story is truly attractive. I found myself emulating it, perhaps even effectively or excellently.

This is a wonderful, majestic fairy tale for grown-ups. It has a certain magic and allure that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

I will definitely read it again, and hopefully three more times. That way, I can look all of the professors of the past in the face with confidence and say that I've truly understood and appreciated this masterpiece. :)

When I discovered that we had to read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for a current university subject, I was rather concerned. Analyzing poetry has always been a struggle for me, and something written in Middle English seemed like it would be anything but easy. Fortunately, we were assigned the Brian Stone translation, which only faintly hints at being Middle English.

This is a renowned 14th-century Arthurian romance, often famous for the beheading game. It is a typical quest narrative. The Green Knight challenges the Knights of the Round Table to the beheading game, thereby exposing them as timid and cowardly. The rules are straightforward: one knight attempts to behead the Green Knight, and in a year and a day, he will meet them for the return blow.

The Arthurian world is governed by a well-established code of behavior, one of chivalry. This code, deeply rooted in Christian morality, serves as a beacon of spiritual ideals in a fallen world. The beheading game is a plot device used as a test in the quest narrative. Sir Gawain is thrust into participating in the game and is faced with a choice: to be a man who lives by his code or not.

The story is filled with a great deal of humor that is often overlooked when analyzing this difficult text. The concept of beheading someone and then having them return for a reciprocal blow should have made that evident. However, the supernatural elements might have made it difficult to pick up on the comedic value. The Green Knight can be interpreted as an allusion to Christ, and the strong religious overtones might lead one to think so, but I saw him more as a plot device to represent life's challenges.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was a rather beautiful and interesting exploration for me. The translation I read确实 made it easier to understand. I don't think I could have coped with learning Middle English. I had to do an assignment on this text and the quest narrative, so I feel like I've already said a great deal about this poem before sitting down to write this review. I hope there is sufficient information here and that it gives the reader an idea of what to expect when reading this poem. It isn't difficult to understand if you have the right translation and is well worth reading.

This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...

Chivalry, gallantry, and loyalty, the most admired qualities of a knight, are all put to the test in this exciting tale.

The story follows a brave knight as he embarks on a perilous journey filled with challenges and obstacles. Along the way, he must prove his worth by demonstrating his chivalry towards others, his gallantry in the face of danger, and his unwavering loyalty to his king and country.

As the knight faces each new challenge, his character is tested and refined. He learns valuable lessons about himself and the world around him, and he grows stronger and more determined with each passing day.

Despite the many difficulties he encounters, the knight never gives up. He remains true to his code of honor and continues to fight for what he believes in, even when the odds are stacked against him.

In the end, the knight emerges victorious, having proven himself to be a true hero. His story is one that will be told and retold for generations to come, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps and uphold the values of chivalry, gallantry, and loyalty.

I am fully aware that this piece is a classic, and I understand that it is a poem that represents its era, even considering the translation.

However, I simply could not avoid finding it incredibly dull.

Maybe a second reading and more in-depth study would assist in changing my perspective, but for the present moment, that is not the case.

The words on the page seem to lack the spark and vitality that I had hoped to encounter.

It is possible that I am not fully grasping the nuances and subtleties that make this poem a classic, but for now, it fails to engage my interest.

Perhaps with time and further exploration, I will come to appreciate its true value and beauty.

But as of right now, I must admit that I am left feeling rather unimpressed.

When it comes to reading older English texts, understanding the language becomes the most crucial tool for comprehending the story.

This particular text was truly enjoyable. The lines, when taken in isolation, are not only beautiful but also highly descriptive. However, without having a proper understanding of "how" to read it, I firmly believe it would be rather difficult to fully enjoy.

When we read Shakespearean sonnets, we are familiar with the "rules" of iambic pentameter. This knowledge makes it easier for us to consume the lines, even though we might encounter some difficulties with the language. For Gawain, on the other hand, there is no such rhythmic dictation. As a result, I found that understanding the text was the main challenge.

Nevertheless, the story itself was entertaining, albeit perhaps a bit on the long side. The poetry within it was truly lovely. In the context of university texts, I must say that I enjoyed this one a great deal more than I had initially expected.

It goes to show that with a bit of effort and an open mind, even older and more challenging texts can offer a great deal of pleasure and intellectual stimulation.

Once upon a time, there was a noble knight named Gawain. In a moment of great challenge and perhaps facing some difficult circumstances, he spoke these words with unwavering determination. "By God," said Gawain then, his voice firm and resolute.

He continued, "I shall not give way to weeping; showing his strength of character and his refusal to be overcome by emotion.

With a deep sense of faith, he declared, "God's will be done, amen! Accepting whatever fate had in store for him with grace and submission to the divine plan.

Finally, he said, "I commend me to his keeping." Placing his trust completely in God's hands, confident that he would be protected and guided.

This simple yet powerful statement by Gawain serves as a reminder of the importance of faith and courage in the face of adversity.

The story is set in Arthurian Britain during Christmas time. The knights of the Round Table are gathered at Camelot, enjoying their festivities. However, their celebrations are suddenly disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious green knight.

The stranger has come with a challenge - a test of courage and heart. Sir Gawain, King Arthur's nephew, steps forward and accepts the challenge.

The Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, has translated this medieval verse romance, and it is narrated by the talented Ian McKellen.

The cast includes Samuel West as Sir Gawain, David Fleeshman as the Green Knight/Sir Bertilak, Deborah McAndrew as Bertilak's wife, and Conrad Nelson as Arthur/Servant.

Adding to the atmosphere is the specially composed music by Gary Yershon.

The producer of this production is Susan Roberts.

This adaptation of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2006. It offers a captivating and immersive experience, transporting listeners back to the magical world of Arthurian Britain.

From BBC radio 4:
Set in Arthurian Britain at Christmas time with the knights of the Round Table, whose festivities at Camelot are disrupted by the appearance of a green knight.

The stranger has come to lay down a challenge - a test of courage and heart which Sir Gawain, King Arthur's nephew, accepts.

Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage's translation of the medieval verse romance is narrated by Ian McKellen.

Sir Gawain...... Samuel West
The Green Knight/Sir Bertilak...... David Fleeshman
Bertilak's wife...... Deborah McAndrew
Arthur/Servant...... Conrad Nelson

With specially composed music by Gary Yershon.

Producer: Susan Roberts

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2006.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007...

Christianising England

27 December 2020 - Adelaide



For a relatively short and uncomplicated story, an astonishing amount of writing has been dedicated to this work. There is even a translation by Tolkien, which isn't entirely unexpected considering his expertise in Medieval Literature. It makes one wonder if, 600 years from now, some of the books written today will face the same level of criticism. Likely so, but it also depends on whether they survive. For example, a computer virus or an electromagnetic storm could easily erase all the information we currently possess.



We don't have all the works from that time, nor do we have all the works from the Greco-Roman era. This might be a good thing, as some Roman writers have pointed out that a lot of what was written was absolute garbage. Even some classical scholars who have discovered lost works from that era realize that many of them are of little value. What has survived probably did so because it was worth retaining.



This work seems to merge pre-Christian English literature with contemporary Medieval literature. From reading it, one gets the sense that much of the King Arthur mythos is pre-Christian, and Medieval writers have been retelling these stories to Christianize them. Additionally, since this is Medieval literature, we see the addition of the chivalric code to create knights who are pure of heart and resistant to sexual temptations, a common theme throughout these stories. This isn't surprising considering the lords would often be away from home, leaving their wives alone.



This theme is evident in the story of Gawain, who is staying at the castle of Sir Bertilac. Each day, Bertilac goes out hunting, leaving Gawain and his wife alone. The wife attempts to seduce Gawain, but he continuously rebuffs her. This continues until the wife gives Bertilac her garter, which is something a man not married to a woman should not possess. Having a woman's garter suggests a certain level of intimacy.



Interestingly, it turns out that Bertilac's wife is none other than Morgana le Fey, Arthur's mortal enemy. She is a recurring character in the Arthurian legends, and whenever she appears, one knows that nothing good will come of it. The world we are exploring is a very male-centric one, where women exist either as servants or as wicked temptresses.



This reminds me of a scene in the Quest for the Holy Grail, where a knight finds himself in a castle full of virgins and struggles to resist their advances. Just as he succumbs, the other knights burst in and rescue him, much to his objections. This scene is a classic example of how things were viewed in those days, and perhaps still are in some circles. If you give in to temptation, it is because your mind has been led astray, and you need to be rescued. And if you object, it is not because you have changed your mind, but because you have succumbed to the devil.



Then there is the Green Knight, who seems to symbolize the old, pre-Christian English world. The fight between Gawain and the Green Knight represents the struggle between the new order of Christianity and the old order. The tale of King Arthur itself seems to represent the significant shift in English culture at the time, as it moved into the more modern Christian world, which was considered civilized. This no doubt had its roots in the Roman belief that everything outside the boundaries of the Roman empire was savage and barbaric.



It is an interesting poem that shows us what literature was like back then. One of the fascinating aspects of this work is the inclusion of the original text, or at least a selection of it. It serves as a reminder of how different Old English was from the English we know today. In fact, from what I understand, the changes in English have been more significant than those in French and German, although these languages have also evolved over time.

I did not take pleasure in the hunting scenes within the story. However, Sir Gawain more than made up for it. I truly love that guy.

A foundational legend that has had a profound influence on numerous other works. It is truly one of the most remarkable examinations of what chivalry was intended to symbolize. For this very reason, it stands as a work of great significance.

One cannot help but be in awe of the vast amount of time and effort that was dedicated to the pursuit of knighthood. It makes one wonder about the possible appearance of Europe if this particular group had not played a crucial role in shaping the sociopolitical issues that were closely associated with the formation of nations.

The concept of chivalry, as depicted in this legend, offers a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era. It showcases the values and ideals that were highly regarded during that time, such as honor, courage, and loyalty.

This work not only provides entertainment but also serves as a valuable historical and cultural artifact. It allows us to better understand the mindset and aspirations of the people who lived during the period when chivalry was at its peak.

Overall, this foundational legend is a testament to the power of storytelling and its ability to shape our understanding of the past and influence our present.

This book is much better than I initially anticipated. Thanks, I suspect, mainly because of Marie Borroff's outstanding translation.

Her translation managed to preserve most of the remarkable alliteration and a pleasing regular meter. Moreover, it didn't have too many overly cheesy "on the nose" rhymes.

The story itself is rather basic, especially if you're not majoring in fashion or the hunting practices of that era. However, I found it an absolute joy to read, especially when read out loud!

Furthermore, the notes at the end were very helpful in enhancing my understanding of the text. Overall, it's a great read that I would highly recommend.

**"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight": A Captivating Medieval Tale**

Y close my 2024 reader through the big door, with my best reading of December and with King Arthur and his noble knights of the Round Table. It had been a long time since I crossed the doors of Camelot, and the reunion has been through a charming and colorful anonymous work of the 14th century that couldn't have a better presentation than this: J.R.R. Tolkien loved it. From the prologue that accompanies the edition I've used, we are warned of this, admitting that surely if "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is still read today, it's because of its influence and because the translation and edition that the professor worked on and published at the time is the one that is still read in modern English and from which most translations into other languages are derived. For many, it is the best work of the Arthurian cycle produced by the native land of the King Who Was and Will Be, Great Britain (with the permission of "Le Morte d'Arthur" by Sir Thomas Malory).

Camelot is celebrating the arrival of the New Year. And as it couldn't be otherwise, during the sumptuous celebration, a new adventure appears when a gigantic knight with green skin, beard, and clothing, on the back of an equally green horse, interrupts in the great hall of the castle demanding that one of the knights present give him a blow with his ax, with the condition that within a year said knight presents himself in the green chapel and receives the same treatment. Sir Gawain, Arthur's nephew, thus becomes the protagonist of a strange adventure that, a year after the events, will lead him on a journey full of tests and mysteries.

We are faced with a metric romance dated to the end of the 14th century that has come down to us in a single manuscript that is currently kept in the British Library. In it, there are also three other poems that are believed to belong to the same author. The four works have some illustrations of their most important scenes, although of poor quality. Most scholars believe that "Pearl", "Purity" (or "Cleaness"), and "Patience" (none of the poems had a title in the original manuscript, they have received them from historians and scholars over time) were written by the same hand, but they are divided on whether this same anonymous author also conceived "Sir Gawain". This is the longest poem in the collection, consisting of more than 2500 verses grouped irregularly in stanzas of between 16 and 20 syllables, most without rhyme or meter, but regularly alliterated. The edition in which I read it presents the work in prose, so throughout the review, I will talk indistinctly about the poem and the novel.

What one has to understand when one enters the world of medieval literature is that the conception that its authors and readers had of fiction is completely different from what one might have today. I am not an expert in medieval literature, far from it, but in many of the works I read from that time, I can't help but remember the genre of magical realism. And it is that in the medieval pages, the fantastic and the unreal were always put in the way of the protagonists during their search for adventures, honor, and love as the most natural thing in the world. Like the historical genre, the literature of the time did not seek real or exact stories, but to exalt a series of adventures and ideas of that era. And, above all, it was a vehicle to comfort oneself in the mere enjoyment of the pure act of reading. Because as Luis Alberto de Cuenca points out in the prologue of this adventure, Sir Gawain is not "just a story of a moral, but a story in itself: fresh and very beautiful literature". Of those that exist to entertain and for the entertainment of readers.

However, for me, the beauty it has also lies in all the fictional that has of the realistic, which is not little. I admit that as a reader, I don't like very extensive descriptions that last longer than necessary on the pages of the novel or book I have in my hands, and I don't especially like to find myself with an abundance of them while reading. I admit that in many cases they are important for the setting of scenes and characters and if I have to go through them, I do it knowing that it can be something important for the narration. But in general, they tire me quite a bit. So in that sense, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" had all the tickets to be a boring work to read. There are many moments when one feels that one is not facing the development of an adventure story or starring a mythical character, but a mere catalog of medieval customs and scenes. We don't know who composed this poem, there are several theories, the only thing we can deduce from this person is that he must have been born in the Midlands of England, or at least know his language well, which would be very difficult to understand for the inhabitants of London. This character would have at least minimum knowledge of French and Latin; was imbued with the religious spirit characteristic of the 14th century, and had strong links with the upper classes and the nobility if he was not part of that segment of the medieval population. There is no doubt about this because of the extensive knowledge he demonstrates of noble uses and good customs throughout the poem. In the middle of all this turmoil that is Sir Gawain's journey, full of enormous green knights, severed heads that continue to speak once separated from the body, spells, and mysterious places, we also find ourselves facing a deeply folkloric work, which takes us into the daily life of the upper classes in 14th-century England. The entire narration is full of scenes of banquets and hunts where we are told in great detail how they were in that era; the descriptions of clothes, armors, harnesses for mounts, ornaments, and utensils are abundant and detailed. It is perfectly noticeable that the author knows what he is writing and that is why he elaborates on it. While the modern reader reads, he feels as if he had traveled in time and will not only find himself in the court of Camelot, but also in that of any English noble of the time or even in that of the king of England himself. And all this our anonymous writer does with an eternal grace and charm. The abundance of descriptions in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is one of the true blessings of this reading, what makes submerging yourself in it is like getting fully into some tapestry or illustration of a manuscript or codex of the time, such is the vividness with which this ancient world is spoken of, and all its color and luxury are represented in a plastic and lively way. As well said in the prologue "there is movement, color, vividness in the details: these are the essential characteristics of the author of Gawain".

And not only is the medieval daily world spoken of in a beautiful way. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is a deeply winter novel. The action takes place over a year, starting on a New Year's Day and ending the next time this date is celebrated. The descriptions of the passage of the seasons have a moving beauty and a sweet melancholy that reminds me of the agricultural calendars painted on the walls of Romanesque temples, as in the case of San Isidoro in the city of León. If the anonymous writer managed to give an aura of poetry to the moments when he spoke of hunting, clothes, and banquets, when it comes to the moment of speaking of the passage of the seasons, he can let loose that side in a precious and delicate way. Especially in winter, which together with the knight who gives the title to the work can be considered the other great protagonist of the reading.

After reading this book, I really want to try other eternal pending on the stories of Arthur and his knights. For now, I'm settling for taking a look at different chapters and fragments of the work "The Magic Kingdom of Arthur" by José Ignacio Gracia Noriega, which I read a few years ago. More than a study of the Arthurian world, it is a catalog of the most characteristic characters and elements of this corpus, compiled in a simple and pleasant way that makes this work ideal for starting to study this world. In the part dedicated to Gawain, the author points out that this character is one of the best to have preserved his inheritance as a Celtic hero and his pagan roots. While Lancelot is a knight born for greatness but incapacitated to achieve it because of his adulterous love with Queen Guinevere and Galahad is the hero destined for perfection and to be the only one capable of accessing the Grail, deeply imbued with the Christian conception from which he emerged, Gawain will always be marked by his Celtic origins. For example: the description of the shield he usually carries, which is supposed to represent the Christian virtues of the Virgin Mary, has its origins in the emblem of Venus Ishtar (you know, in reality, Christianity and many of its celebrations and ancestral symbols draw from other past religions). He will be one of the most important knights in the Arthurian world, but his destiny will always be that he never achieves his goals and that he only manages to remain as an outstanding and important secondary in most of the myths. It is supposed to represent the power of death and renewal symbolized in that his story begins and ends on New Year's Day, which takes up the relationship he had with the sun in past times and to which in the poem that concerns us, only a few lines are dedicated. Therefore, he can be considered as a want-to and can't. Someone who is destined to live adventures, and who within the French perspective in which the Arthurian stories entered since this Arthurian corpus (born from the Celtic and Breton world) was worked on by the authors of courtly love; is ideal for flirting with the ladies and being an excellent corte sano. But that when it comes to the truth, he always fails. In the pages of the work, Gawain is represented to us as the flower and cream of medieval chivalry, ignoring the French Lancelot, admired and known by all the present who appear, wrapped in all the Christian virtues you can imagine. He is so perfect that there are moments when he gets on your nerves and you can't help but grumble against him. Until the last bars of the story. When it is shown that his journey in the novel he stars in is nothing more than a joke that a knight has played on him and the rest of King Arthur's court. And that shows that even the best of all the knights can err in the most human way one can imagine. But for that reason, I don't consider that "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is a waste of time or lacks meaning. Once again, I have to go back to the prologue of Luis Alberto de Cuenca, where we are told that Gawain returns to the court of his uncle, as a new man, who has learned a few lessons about the world and about himself, that "he will purify in value and loyalty throughout his adventure. The lady of the castle will make him rich in temperance. And at the end, back in the court of Arthur, he will have overcome all the risks, even that of getting lost in the future". After all, in real life, those are the trips that really matter, the ones that teach you many things. And a character who takes that lesson without having gained anything else has my sympathy. Because in the end, it feels as if the author of the poem wanted to tell us that perfection only exists in books and dreams, in real life, we can only take what we find well on the way and get the best out of it for our personal growth. And what do you want me to tell you, I prefer a hero like this to any Galahad (if you have read more works on the search for the Grail, I think you will understand why), one with whom in a certain way I can feel identified and whom I can understand, although his adventures and misfortunes were written many centuries before I was born.

As I have already pointed out to you at the beginning of this review, which has become longer than I intended, I couldn't have closed 2024 better. I hope that 2025 gives me the opportunity to read more medieval literature and related to King Arthur, which is something I really like. And of course, all kinds of readings that keep me company, fill me, and I like. And I wish the same to all of you.