Magic and Myth of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Myth and Magic of Gawain and the Green Knight

Written by Kimberly Anne

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a classic poem containing courtly love, poetry devices, Celtic myth, and dual thoughts of nature and civilization. Within the poem, ideologies of Christianity, paganism, and a glimpse into loyalty to liege can also be found (Greenblatt). Sir Gawain particularly struggles with nature and the natural world in many ways. The Green Knight himself is symbolic of nature as is Gawain of civilization (George). The Green Knight also represents nature by color, the change of season, and his ease of connection to nature itself (George). Gawain struggles with the concept of nature by trying to maintain control of it throughout his journey. When Gawain leaves Camelot he goes into the wilderness and forests. According to the poem during his travel, no signs of friends can be found (Greenblatt). His journey to the Green Chapel is one example of Gawain struggling with nature and the natural world. Gawain’s natural world is composed of courtly civilization, the exact opposite of the wilderness as described by the poem which the Green Knight represents. Gawain wants to conquer the green knight, which is symbolic of humans trying to control the forces of nature. From the moment Gawain leaves Camelot, he endures a mission Jilled with battles against non-human creatures and animals (Greenblatt). “With no friend but his horse through forests and hills” (Line 695)

This particular line foreshadows what is to come. Eventually, Gawain needs to defend himself against the nature of the wilderness, which is completely unnatural to him.

“He trails through bleak terrain. His mood and manner change… it’s no surprise to :ind that he faces a foe/so foul or :ierce he is bound to use force.” (Line 716)

“Here he scraps with serpents and snarling wolves/here he tangles with wodwos causing trouble in the crags/or with bulls and bears and the odd wild boar. (Line 720)

“Hard on his heels through the highlands come giants. Only diligence and faith in the face of death will keep him from becoming a corpse or carrion” (Line 723)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a good example of medieval attitudes about the non-human world because a primary theme of the poem is based on relationships between humans and nature. With Gawain establishing warlike control over natural elements, like his battle in the forest for example, the Gawain poet portrays opposing perspectives about the medieval ideas of the non-human world. The prevalence of these opposing viewpoints (nature versus humanity) demonstrates that medieval thought on the non-human world's role was an inconclusive topic. Gawain represents the mindset that the environment is hostile and must be dominated by ruthlessness. The Green Knight symbolizes a different viewpoint: humans should be environmental stewards, working with and respecting the environment. As a symbol of nature, and a memory of Celtic mythology and paganism, the Green Knight represents nature by his color and by the seasons that go by in between the dual that would take place (George).

The Green Knight is a supernatural entity and easily qualiJies as a large part of Celtic myth. He is similar to the pagan deity called Green Man (George) (Davidson) (MacCulloch). This fact directly connects the essence of Celtic myth and its relation to nature (Butler). On the other hand, Gawain is a knight of Arthur’s court who represents a far holier and more Christian character than the Green Knight. This is only one example of paganism and Christianity found in the poem (Greenblatt). The symbols of paganism and Celtic myth found within the poem are everywhere. The Welsh and Irish traditions and mythological motifs can be found in Gawain through the journey, they can be found through the creatures mentioned, the pentangle symbol

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When the Green Knight appears in the story he brings in the elements of Celtic myth and pagan lore with him. There is nothing Christian about a giant green-skinned man with glowing eyes who wants to challenge common folk or Sires to bloody duals with axes. Green and gold are allocated to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as symbolic representations of their characteristics in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. These colors are also symbolic of nature's wildness and are also a reJlection of Celtic folklore (MacCulloch). The Green Knight's skin color, his emerald horse, the ax (made of natural elements), and the Green Chapel are all symbols of the free natural world that Gawain deeply struggles to get through. These colors, the horse, and the other symbols associated represent his adventurous spirit. When it comes to deJining the Green Knight, nature, magic, and unpredictability are all entwined; and they are all elements of paganism and Celtic mythology (Davidson). On the other hand, Sir Gawain is represented by the color gold. He is frequently described as wearing gold items and his body armor is tinted with the color. Gold is often associated with integrity and riches (Davidson). Sir Gawain has even been described as having a golden heart, according to the poem (Greenblatt). Even Sir Gawain’s shield featured the bold color along with the pentangle symbol representing a never-ending-knot, (Greenblatt) which is similar to many other Celtic pagan mythological symbols (MacCulloch,1996). “For Gawain was as good as the purest gold…/So the star on the spangling shield he sported shone royally, in gold...” (Lines 625-660) There is more to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight than courtly love or romance. This poem gives us the chance to discover the thoughts and ideas of myth, magic, and nature in connection to literature and characters like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

References: Greenblatt, Stephen. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). 10th Edition, Volume A, W.W. Norton, 2018. George, Michael W. “Gawain’s Struggle with Ecology: Attitudes toward the Natural World in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The Journal of Ecocriticism, A New Journal of Nature, Society and Literature , vol. 2, 2010, https://doi.org/https://www.csub.edu/~cmacquarrie/isle_of_man/documents/george.pdf. Davidson, H. R. E. Myths and symbols in pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic religions. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. (1988) BUTLER, JENNY. “Entering the Magic Mists: Irish Contemporary Paganism, Celticity and Indigeneity.” International Journal for the Study of New Religions, vol. 9, no. 2, July 2018, pp. 177–94. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1558/ijsnr.37627 MacCulloch, J. A. Celtic Mythology. Academy Chicago Publishers, 1996. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1065591&site=eds-live&scope=site.