Important Arthurian Legends: Sir Gawain & the Green Knight

image from British Literature to 1800 blog Many of the tales associated with Arthurian legend aren’t actually stories featuring Arthur. One of the most famous is that of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It originated as a 14th-century Middle English poem. Its original author (sometimes known as “The Pearl Poet”) is unknown, but it has been retold in many forms. The essence of the story is that of a knight on a quest. A mysterious green knight appears at Camelot during a feast sometime around Christmas or New Year’s and offers up a challenge to the knights present. Sir Gawain takes up the challenge and chops off the head of the green knight. However, the knight then picks up his head, puts it back on, and informs Gawain that his half of the deal will be due in one year. The green knight then gets his turn to drop the axe on Gawain’s neck.

True to his word, Gawain sets out the next fall to find the Green Chapel, the home of the green knight. He has several adventures, but the most notable is meeting up with Lord Bertilak who puts Gawain up in his castle and promises to show him to the Green Chapel when the time is right. Gawain’s chivalry is tested by the lord’s tempting wife. Gawain passes the test which leads to him surviving the confrontation with the green knight. It turns out the green knight is actually Bertilak. The tale is relevant to Otter and Arthur in that Gawain’s confrontation with the green knight – and a search for the Holy Grail – provides the inspiration for the as-yet unwritten third book in the series. Resources: Anonymous the original poem, as edited by J.R.R. Tolkien and E.V. Gordon (late 14th century) A.S. Kline’s translation of the original poem (2007) Michael Morpurgo (author) and Michael Foreman (illustrator): adapted into an illustrated children’s book Shmoop.com: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: In a Nutshell Jessie L. Weston’s prose translation of the original poem Wikipedia.org: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

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Character Study: King Lot

In Arthurian legend, King Lot is generally the king of Lothian and sometimes Orkney and Norway ^GM as well. There is historical basis as there appears to have been a king in the fifth century in the Lothian area who was headquartered near Edinburgh. ^RC

Lot is typically considered the father of Sir Gawain, one of the Knights of the Round Table. Depending on the source, he is married either to King Arthur's half-sister Anna ^GM or Morgause. ^TM There is even an argument to be made that he was married to Morgan Le Fay. ^RL

Lot is sometimes portrayed as an ally of Arthur's ^GM and at other times the leader of a rebellion against him. Some accounts have Lot taking over the British armies after Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father, became ill. However, when Uther died and Arthur was named king, Lot rebelled. ^EBK In some versions, Lot is defeated at Bedegraine and then becomes Arthur's ally. ^PV In other versions of the story, Lot remains a bitter enemy of Arthur until he is killed by King Pellinore. ^TM

King Lot as portrayed by James Perefoy in 2011's 'Camelot,'
image from violetjovovich.blogspot.com

In Otter and Arthur and the Round Table, Lot is King Arthur's primary enemy. Lot had a bitter rivalry with Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father, and maintained his desire to destroy the family after Arthur came to power. This hatred against Arthur is deepened when Lot marries Arthur's sister, Morgan (a composite of Anna, Morgause, and Morgan Le Fay). They bear a child, Mordred, who will maintain the hatred against Arthur.

Also see Morgan's character study.

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Resources:

• ^RC Ronan Coghlan The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Arthurian Legends Barnes & Noble Books. (1993)
• ^EBK EarlyBritishKingdoms.com
• ^GM Geoffrey of Monmouth Historia Regum Britanniae (c. 1136)
• KingArthursKnights.com
• ^RL Wikipedia entry on Roger Sherman Loomis (authority on Arthurian literature)
• ^TM Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (1485)
• ^PV Post-Vulgate Cycle (c. 1230-1240)
• Wikipedia entry on King Lot

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