Celtic Mythology 15: Gawain and the Green Knight; Tales of King Arthur’s Court
Celtic Mythology 15: Gawain and the Green Knight; Tales of King Arthur’s Court
In this tale, New Year is when the supernatural and natural worlds mingle, as on the Celtic Feast of Samhain. The Green Knight may derive from Cernunnos, the god of abundance and forests, just as Morgan is related to the Irish goddess the Morrigan.
At the New Year’s feast, a giant Green Knight with a massive green axe charged into King Arthur’s hall on a green horse. He challenged any knight to decapitate him, on condition that he be allowed to return the stroke in a year and a day. Gawain took the axe and cut off the knight’s head, whereupon the torso picked it up and departed.
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Almost a year later, Gawain set out for the appointed rendezvous at a place called the Green Chapel. He met a man in the forest who invited him to stay at his home, as the Green Chapel was nearby. The host proposed that he and Gawain exchange anything they received each day and Gawain agreed. For three days the man went hunting, returning with much game for his guest. In the meantime, the man’s wife tried to seduce Gawain and gave him one kiss on the first day, two on the second and three on the third, as well as a green belt that prevented its wearer’s death. The embarrassed knight passed on the kisses to his host, but kept the belt.
On the fourth day Gawain went to face the Green Knight at the Green Chapel, but the giant’s axe merely scratched his neck. “That cut is for the belt,” he said. “ I am Bercilak, the knight of Morgan Le Fay, your aunt, who sought to test the honour of the Round Table. You did well, but broke our pact by keeping the belt.” Bercilak was none other than his host.
Gawain returned home and Arthur ordered all his knights to wear green belts.
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