Word: gawaine
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...fourteenth century there were many stories about Sir Thomas Gawain, some traced directly from French source, some imitations and some indigenous to the English soil. The poem of "Sir Thomas Gawain and the Green Knight" is only French in its materials, for it has been worked up by an English artist of genius. Unfortunately, this poet, though second only to Chaucer in his century, is unknown. The whole poem contains the highest artistic, religious and ethical purpose. It is written in a more northern dialect than Chaucer's. The metre is a combination of alliterative metre and rhyme...
...clad in green, who challenges the assembled knights to a strange contest. The green knight offers to allow any man present to deal him a blow with his axe on condition that he (the green knight) may deal a return blow a twelvemonth hence at the Green Chapel. Sir Gawain is the only knight valiant enough to accept the challenge. Accordingly, with a ponderous blow he chops off the green knight's head. But the latter picks his head up again and rides...
...Gawain sets out soon after in search of the Green Chapel. After encountering many dangers on the road, he finally arrives at a large castle in a forest. Here he is handsomely entertained by the hoast, who tells him that the Green Chapel is but two miles distant. The day after his arrival Sir Gawain asks to be allowed to rest in bed, being tired out with his travels. The host then makes a proposal that each one should give the other what he gets on that day. The host goes deer hunting. During the day the mistress...
...third day the lady of the house gives Sir Gawain a girdle of green lace which will protect the bearer from hacking and cutting. That evening Sir Gawain concealed this gift from his host...
...Year's Day coming round, Sir Gawain proceeds to the "Green Chapel," where he finds the green knight. The latter strikes, but the axe only makes a slight scratch on Sir Gawain's neck, because it is protected by the green lace. Thereupon the green knight reveals his identity with the lord of the castle and says that the visits of his wife to Sir Gawain's bed chamber were but to try his purity...