Paganism and Christianity’s Roles in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

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Paganism and Christianity’s Roles in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Gawain’s belief by the end of “Sir Gawain and the Green

Knight” is that he has failed—in honesty, fidelity, and faith. As a

representative of an ideal Christian whose priority is to remain godly

(and knightly), he sees the outcome of his quest quite differently than

the Green Knight. The Green Knight also prizes honesty, though not

always at the cost of life, a view not necessarily shared by Gawain.

Strangely enough, King Arthur’s court, ideally as devout as Gawain,

sees Gawain’s small human flaws not as a failure (as Gawain does)

but as an overall achievement—he returned to court alive and bravely

kept his word to the Green Knight. Considering these three points

of view, one may wonder if the author is suggesting that the pagan

Green Knight’s emphasis on life and humanness is more sensible than

Gawain’s pursuit of godliness. Arthur’s court (and the poet) seems to

think so. Furthermore, the poem suggests that in Arthur’s kingdom

(and throughout medieval Europe), there is a blend of both Christian

and pagan customs. The poem itself is, arguably, centered on a quest

more pagan than Christian. While to Gawain the Green Knight is a

supernatural and mysterious being associated with evil, the poet suggests

that all things green are life-giving and good. This essay explores the

Green Man’s travel through pagan myth into Christian art, legend and

Arthur’s court, and how his view of success differs from Gawain’s faithcentered

standards.

The essay begins with sections on “ Greenness” and “The Green Man in the Open”;

excerpted here are the final three sections. The full text will soon be made available online at this address.

Green Man Legend...

... middle of paper ...

...ing of the old Celtic religion, for it prevails even in their

Christian-themed surroundings—in churches and even in the Bible. If

the divinity and sacredness of nature can survive in art and literature,

Arthurian society cannot help but accept it and welcome it into its life.

Works Cited

Anderson, William. Green Man: The Archetype of Our Oneness With the

Earth. London: Harper Collins, 1990.

Burrow, J.A., ed. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. New York:

Penguin, 1972.

Doel, Fran, Geoff Doel. The Green Man In Britain. Charleston:

Tempus, 2001.

Merwin, W.S., ed. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. New York: Knopf,

2002

Morgan, Gerald. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Idea of

Righteousness. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1991.

Price, Brian R. Ramon Lull’s Book of Knighthood and Chivalry with the Ordene

de Chevalrie. The Chivalry Bookshelf, 2001.

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