DOCSLIB.ORG

THREE DAYS and TWO KNIGHTS an Amusing Arthurian Adventure By

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
THREE DAYS and TWO KNIGHTS an Amusing Arthurian Adventure By THREE DAYS AND TWO KNIGHTS An Amusing Arthurian Adventure By Scott Davis Howard © 2015 Scott Davis Howard PJPF Press www.piedmontjpf.com 42 The Final Day: 10 DAWN, CATHBAD‘S HENGE After relieving his bladder in the tall grass, Alanbart yawned and walked back toward the henge. He passed the pile of still-warm ash and twisted metal where the wicker giant had been, crunching brittle grass under his feet as he did so. The fire had blackened and crisped a ten-foot circle of vegetation. In its center, the charred and warped remains of Gawain‘s once-elegant armor seemed a sad and pathetic monument to Arthurian knighthood. It cast the faintest amorphous shadow in the predawn light. Alanbart thought of the gold, garnets, and possibly even rubies that might be buried in the ash and made a mental note to revisit the spot after it had sufficiently cooled. He paused to listen to a thrush trill a beautiful morning song from deep in the heather. Enchanted by the cheerful innocence of the melody, he sat on a rectangular slab of stone and took in his surroundings. His gaze was drawn to the gathering dawn in the east, and remained fastened there for a time as he went over the events of the previous evening in his mind. After the sacrifice and reading of the omens, the druid had gathered them round the fire and outlined his scheme to recapture the king. First and foremost, he planned to send Scot and Alanbart to defeat the banshee in her bog. He claimed that she guarded a trove of magical treasures that would amplify their powers and improve their chances for success against Radborath. Cathbad desired three particular things: The Hammer of Autumn, an ancient weapon that could sunder anything crafted of dead wood with one blow and which would grant them immediate entrance to the palisade and the tower; The Staff of Väinämöinen, which would multiply his magical abilities tenfold; and the Ring of Mudarra, which reputedly held the power to cure blindness. Alanbart saw this all as more than a little self-serving on Cathbad‘s part, as he reaped ninety percent of the benefit with no danger to his person, but realized, as did everyone else, that the druid stood a better chance of defeating a wizard if he increased his power and regained his sight. The necessity of the hammer was also obvious. Alanbart would have protested, of course, at being included in the party (if you can call two a party) that would venture into the bog after the banshee, except that Gonoth grinned at him evilly. He‘d swallowed his objections for that reason and also because of his confidence that he could convince Sir Gawain to go in his stead— which, of course, he accomplished once Cathbad, Gonoth, and Bruuzak retired for the evening. The chief danger, according to Cathbad, was the scream of the banshee, which had the power to sever the soul from the body, slaying a person and binding his corpse to the demonic creature in an un-death of eternal servitude. The solution, Cathbad said, was to deafen oneself by shouting and by loud banging of metal on metal, directly next to the ears, until they began to bleed. At this point, the ear canals would be dried and filled with warm beeswax. The two warriors then could commence their attack, impervious to her scream, but would be unable to use the sense of sound to coordinate their attack. 43 The druid also warned them that many powerful warriors served as the guards of the banshee‘s inner sanctum. Each great warrior who faced her over the generations (many of whom originally owned the aforementioned magical artifacts) succumbed to her fatal scream and served her in death with all of the martial ability that he possessed in life. Scot seemed excited at the prospect of combat with ancient heroes, an idea that chilled Alanbart to his bones. Heather‘s interactions with Sir Gawain also interested Alanbart. Arthur‘s knight appeared to be nearly twenty years her senior, but their relationship seemed more romantic than friendly. They shared secret glances and, after the sacrifice, talked in hushed tones. Alanbart felt something rare and unexpected while watching them: a twinge of jealousy. After Alanbart had solved the two dilemmas in the Gloamwood—how to save Gawain and how to placate Scot—Heather thanked him and complimented him on his intelligence, even placing her hand tenderly on his arm, a gentle and warm touch that, inexplicably, he could still feel. He laid three fingers against the spot; strange, he thought, that she should affect him in this way. He‘d always considered himself impervious to the charms of women and sought to keep himself aloof from love and romance. He mentally rebuked himself. Love was a dangerous emotion and too many knights (all of them better than he) had or would die for it: Paris, Siegmund, Tristan, and probably Lancelot next. To Alanbart, the physical sensations were not worth either the emotional angst or the negative outcomes. Still, he felt the unbidden beginnings of something for Heather, and despite the fact that he could step outside of himself, look down on those feelings as dangerous and ridiculous, compare himself to Sir Gawain and note his utter deficiency, and judge himself to be the worst possible example of manhood, love, and chivalry, those feelings of affection took root nevertheless. ‗That‘s just one more reason to escape from this absurd situation before it gets more serious.‘ He sighed and shifted positions on the cold rock. A light breeze ruffled his hair, and his mind returned to Heather. The climactic moment occurred as Alanbart tried to fall asleep, wrapped in a pair of borrowed blankets, too thin to warm him. He closed his eyes and made an attempt to control his breathing, but found himself unable to nod off, probably because of the cold and because he hadn‘t a drop to drink. Alcohol was his crutch, of late, in combating chronic insomnia. As he lay there, cold and uncomfortable, he listened to the quiet conversation between Heather and Gawain. ―It can never be,‖ the knight insisted gently. ―I know that‘s what you believe,‖ she replied, bitterness in her tone. ―But you didn‘t think so once.‖ ―It is difficult to speak of it,‖ he said. ―I am a Knight of the Round Table, and I have placed a lifetime of belief in the code of chivalry. What we had was not chivalrous and can never be so now.‖ She remained silent. He continued, his voice gaining power and speed. ―You loved me because I was forthright and courteous. Your feelings for me were and are bound up in who I was on that day. That man was honorable. He was a man of his word. He kept his vows. He respected himself, and that was why you respected him. When we…‖ he cleared his throat. ―When I betrayed my chivalric values, I betrayed myself and in so doing, I betrayed you. I ceased to be the man you desired—the man who deserved you—and doomed our love from its very inception. 44 ―It is a sad paradox, I confess it,‖ he continued after a pause. ―If we admit to a love that is founded on shame and embrace our base desires, we betray ourselves and commit to living a life founded on desire and deceit. And if we do not, we maintain our honor and self-respect by betraying our love. And then we willfully choose to live in agony. What fool chooses the agony?‖ ‗I chose the agony of lying on this damned root,‘ Alanbart thought bitterly, torn between an overwhelming desire to shift positions and a compulsion to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation. His curiosity soundly defeated his discomfort, and he remained still. Gawain paused again, waited. Heather replied with stony silence. The hiss of the dying fire and the droning crickets filled the void. An owl hooted somewhere beyond the henge. ―A knight chooses the agony,‖ he added at last. ―A lady chooses the agony. We may have been weak for a moment, but we will not commit to a life of weakness and lies, no matter the physical or emotional reward. I will not, in any event.‖ ―You are morally right, of course,‖ Heather responded finally. Her voice, too, was filled with emotion. ―And the irony is that this decision will make you more desirable. And my acceptance of it will amplify your love for me.‖ She sighed. ―This is the kind of thing, I suppose, that troubadours sing tragic love songs about. I always thought they were just fiction.‖ ―They are,‖ he sighed. ―Love is always a fiction, written in the heart of a man or a woman—only when two fictions align do we call it ‗true.‘ Most romances are short and trite, many are passionate, some are farcical… and…a very few are tragic.‖ ―Enough of this,‖ Heather said, cutting him off, turning away, and putting a note of finality in her voice. ―If this is to be the way of it, I am content. I will always have my memories—many women don‘t even have that comfort. At the moment, however, we have a king to rescue and on the morrow you may have two battles to fight. Get your sleep, Sir—I‘ll take the first watch.‖ She walked away, and the conversation ended. Alanbart‘s jealousy returned as he thought of it.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight New Verse Translation by Benedict Flynn POETRY Read by Jasper Britton
    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight New verse translation by Benedict Flynn POETRY Read by Jasper Britton NA286512D 1 I. When siege and assault had ceased... 1:47 2 This fair Britain, founded by that famous knight... 0:52 3 The king lay at Camelot one Christmas tide... 1:08 4 With New Year not yet a day old... 1:16 5 Now, Arthur would not eat until all were served... 0:58 6 So he stands, the stern young king... 1:06 7 I’ll say nothing more about the meal... 1:12 8 Green, were both the garments and the grinning man... 1:31 9 Garbed in green was the gallant rider... 1:27 10 And yet he had no helm or hauberk either... 1:38 11 Stunned, the court stared... 1:00 12 From the dais Arthur watched... 1:34 13 ‘Fight? Have no worry.’ 1:28 14 If he astonished them first... 1:21 15 ‘By heaven,’ said Arthur... 0:53 16 ‘Grant me grace,’ said Gawain... 1:06 17 The king commanded the courtly knight to stand. 1:12 18 ‘By God,’ said the Green Knight... 1:24 19 The Green Knight stood... 1:30 20 For he held the head up high in both his hands... 1:29 21 And yet high-born Arthur was heavy at heart... 1:25 22 II. Arthur was granted his gift of adventure... 1:29 23 So comes the summer season... 1:10 2 24 Yet he lingers till All Hallows... 1:26 25 He dwelt there that day..
    [Show full text]
  • Vilain, Auctor : the Upward Flow of Wisdom in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight / by Gail Althea Bell.
    Yf LAIN, AUCTOR: THE UPWARD PLOW OF VfSCCfl IW SIR GABAfN AMD TRE GREEN KNIGHT -m __I- -- I-_.-- ---- Gail Althea Bell THESIS SUBHXTTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLHENT Of THE REQUIREHENTS FCR THE DEGREE OF RASTER OF ARTS in the Departaent English C Gail Althea Bell 1981 SISCN FRASEX UNXVERSITP October 198 1 A11 rights reserved, This thesis may not be reproduced i~whale or in part, by photocopy or other meaos, without permission of the author, APPROVAL NAME: Gail A1 thea BELL DEGREE: Master of Arts TITLE OF THESIS: Vilain Auctor: The Upward Flow of Wisdom in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. EXAMINING COMMITTEE: Chai rman: Dr. Michael Steig Dr. Joseph Gal 1agher, 'Senior Supervi sor Associate Professor of Engl ish Dr. dary-~nnStouck, Assistant Professor of Engl ish Dr. Harvey De i ROO, Assistant Professor of Engl ish Dr. Kieran Kealy , ~xtehalExaminer Professor of English, U.B.C. Date Approved: 3/81. PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or sing l e cbp ies only for such users or in response to a reqbest from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission.
    [Show full text]
  • Is Sir Gawain a Typical Knight?
    Lesson 3 – Is Sir Gawain a typical knight? Can you use your knowledge of knights to understand Gawain better? Can you demonstrate understanding of knightly principles? Send work to your teacher via Google Classroom, Google Drive or email. Activity 1 Read the following extract taken from the opening of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR PASSED BY, however, as seasons came and went, it was difficult for Gawain not to think from time to about the terrible fate he must face - sooner now, not later. Many a long night lay awake, willing time to slow but time neither waits nor hurries for any man. It was already Michaelmas (a saint’s day celebrated in September) and he knew he must soon leave and be on his way. His spirits were raised by the love of the king and by his brotherhood of knights. Gawain stayed as long as he could, up until All Saints' Day (a day in November to celebrate all known and unknown saints). The last night before he was to leave they held a great feast in his honour, and everyone at Camelot, lords and ladies, squires and servants, did all they could to keep him merry. But try as they might the jokes and the laughter seemed flat and forced, the smiles thin, for all of them realised this was likely to be the last time they would dine with brave Gawain. No knight in that court was more well-loved and honoured than he. Figure 1 - a medieval feast Bravely, but sadly, Gawain rose to his feet.
    [Show full text]
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Quiz
    2. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Quiz 1. Which of the following time brackets comprises the Anglo-Norman period in England? a) 1044-1259 b) 952-1066 c) 1066-1340 d) 1020-1450 2. The Battle of Hastings was fought between William the Conqueror of Normandy and whom? a) Harold Godwinson b) Harold Harefoot c) Harald Olafsson d) Harald Gormsson 3. Which of these was not a consequence of the Norman Conquest of England? a) The foundation of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge b) A zest for refined life and the knightly code c) Implementation of laissez-faire economics d) Religious crusades to claim Jerusalem from the infidels 4. During the Anglo-Norman period, which of the following became the language of court? a) English b) French c) Latin d) Flemish 5. Which of these is not one of the seven deadly sins? a) Gluttony b) Sloth c) Wrath d) Dishonesty 1 6. The “Wheel of Fortune” was a pervasive idea throughout the Middle Ages. What did it not represent? a) The ephemeral nature of earthly things b) The stability of all things c) An evolution of the Old English “wyrd” d) That important things in life come from within 7. The Ptolemaic conception of the universe stated what? a) That the earth was located at the centre of the universe b) That the sun was located at the centre of the universe c) That the planets align once every decade d) That the Age of Aquarius would signify the end of the world 8. How many estates was medieval society divided into? a) 2 b) 3 c) 4 d) 5 9.
    [Show full text]
  • Sparknotes on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Sparknotes
    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Plot Overview DURING A NEW YEAR’S EVE FEAST at King Arthur’s court, a strange figure, referred to only as the Green Knight, pays the court an unexpected visit. He challenges the group’s leader or any other brave representative to a game. The Green Knight says that he will allow whomever accepts the challenge to strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the challenger find him in exactly one year to receive a blow in return. Stunned, Arthur hesitates to respond, but when the Green Knight mocks Arthur’s silence, the king steps forward to take the challenge. As soon as Arthur grips the Green Knight’s axe, Sir Gawain leaps up and asks to take the challenge himself. He takes hold of the axe and, in one deadly blow, cuts off the knight’s head. To the amazement of the court, the now-headless Green Knight picks up his severed head. Before riding away, the head reiterates the terms of the pact, reminding the young Gawain to seek him in a year and a day at the Green Chapel. After the Green Knight leaves, the company goes back to its festival, but Gawain is uneasy. Time passes, and autumn arrives. On the Day of All Saints, Gawain prepares to leave Camelot and find the Green Knight. He puts on his best armor, mounts his horse, Gringolet, and starts off toward North Wales, traveling through the wilderness of northwest Britain. Gawain encounters all sorts of beasts, suffers from hunger and cold, and grows more desperate as the days pass.
    [Show full text]
  • Urban Spaces Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
    URBAN SPACES SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT This is a story written almost 700 years ago. It comes from north-west England. The story is a Christian version of a Green Man myth, set in the time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The Green Knight seems at first to be a wild man but he tests Sir Gawain's courage and honesty. King Arthur, his knights and the ladies of the court were celebrating the Christmas festival at Camelot. On New Year’s Eve they were all seated in the hall, feasting and making merry. Only the King was not eating, for he had vowed not to eat until someone told an adventurous tale. It was an icy night, and the snow lay thick outside the castle. Suddenly the great doors were flung open and a rush of freezing air swept into the hall. In rode a horse with a gigantic, fierce knight on its back. The knight was dressed all in green, his face, beard and hair were green - and so was his horse. In one hand the knight held a large green axe, and in the other he carried a holly bush. ‘Who is the leader among you?’ asked the Green Knight in a booming voice. ‘I am the Lord of Camelot. You are welcome to join our celebrations,’ answered King Arthur. He hoped this strange knight would have some wondrous tales to tell. But the knight did not dismount from his horse. Sitting high in his saddle he said: ‘I offer a challenge.
    [Show full text]
  • When a Knight Meets a Dragon Maiden: Human Identity and the Monstrous Animal Other
    When a Knight meets a Dragon Maiden: Human Identity and the Monstrous Animal Other (Detail of ‘Mélusine in the Bath’, illustration to Thüring von Ringoltingen’s Mélusine, 14771) Research Master Thesis Name: Lydia Zeldenrust Student Number: 3440346 Date: 11 July 2011 Supervisor: dr. Katell Lavéant Second Reader: dr. Jelle Koopmans 1 Taken from Françoise Clier-Colombani, La Fée Mélusine au Moyen Age: Images, Mythes et Symboles (Paris: Le Léopard d’Or, 1991), front page and image 15 of the appendix. Acknowledgements I would like to thank several people who have all played a different part in my process of writing this Thesis. Firstly, of course, I would like to thank my supervisor, dr. Katell Lavéant, for all she has done. I would like to express my gratitude and admiration for her daring to take on this topic with me, for her useful feedback, and for all the time she has bestowed upon me. I would naturally also like to thank the second reader, dr. Jelle Koopmans, for being so kind to take on the task. Secondly, I wish to thank dr. Bart Besamusca, not only for being my tutor, but also for being a constant source of support over the past two years. I am happy that he is always willing to listen to my passionate, though perhaps at times somewhat strange, plans and ideas. Finally, I would like to thank several people from outside Utrecht University; dr. Karen Olsen, prof. Simon Gaunt, prof. Karen Pratt, and dr. Sarah Salih, for having helped me with several queries into the world of (medieval) academia, and for allowing me to sit in on their wonderful classes.
    [Show full text]
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
    Sir Gawain and The Green Knight translated by W. A. Neilson In parentheses Publications Middle English Series Cambridge, Ontario 1999 FYTTE THE FIRST 1. After the siege and the assault had ceased at Troy, the city been destroyed and burned to brands and ashes, the warrior who wrought there the trains of treason was tried for his treachery, the truest on earth.1 This was Aeneas the noble; he and his high kindred afterwards conquered provinces, and became patrons of well nigh all the wealth in the West Isles. As soon as rich Romulus turns him to Rome, with great pride he at once builds that city, and names it with his own name, which it now has; Ticius turns to Tuscany and founds dwellings; Longobard raises homes in Lombardy; and, far over the French flood, Felix Brutus establishes Britain joyfully on many broad banks, where war and waste and wonders by turns have since dwelt, and many a swift interchange of bliss and woe. 2. And when this Britain was founded by this great hero, bold men loving strife bred therein, and many a time they wrought destruction. More strange things have happened in this land since these days than in any other that I know, but of all the British kings that built here, Arthur was ever the most courteous, as I have heard tell. Therefore, I mean to tell of an adventure in the world, which some count strange and extraordinary even among the wonders of Arthur. If ye will listen to this lay but a little while, I will tell it forthright as I heard it told in town, as it is set down in story that cannot be changed, long written in the land in true words.
    [Show full text]
  • D:\Legends of King Arthur\Mar14legend.Vp
    LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR Richard Barber THE BOYDELL PRESS LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR selected and presented by Richard Barber THE BOYDELL PRESS Introduction, selection and adaptation © Richard Barber 2001 All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system, published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast, transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the copyright owner First published 2001 The Boydell Press, Woodbridge ISBN 0 85115 837 4 Arthur and Tristan originally appeared in Legends of King Arthur, published by The Folio Society in 2000, and are reprinted with their permission. The editor and publishers are grateful to the following translators and publishers for their permission to reprint extracts from copyright material: The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth, translated by Lewis Thorpe (Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth, 1966), copyright © Lewis Thorpe 1966; The High Book of the Grail, translated by Nigel Bryant (D.S. Brewer, Cambridge 1978), copyright © Nigel Bryant 1978; The Death of King Arthur translated by James Cable (Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth, 1971), copyright © James Cable 1971; Roman van Walewein (Arthurian Archives: Dutch Romances I) translated by David F. Johnson (D.S. Brewer, Cambridge, 2000) copyright © David F. Johnson; Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg, translated by A.T. Hatto (Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth, 1960), copyright © A.T.Hatto 1960; The Romance of Tristan and Iseult, retold by Joseph Bédier, translated by Hilaire Belloc (George Allen & Company Ltd, London, 1913) copyright © the Estate of Hilaire Belloc.
    [Show full text]
  • Sirgawain and the Green Knight
    S IR GAWAIN AND THE GREE N KNIGHT REND ERED LI TERALLY INTO MOD ERN ENGLI S H F ROM THE ALLI TERATIV E ROMANCE -P OEM OF M D F O OTTO MS . O A IN A. 1360 C x . , R N NER BRITI S H MUS EUM WITH AN INTROD UCTION ON THE ARTHUR AND GAWAIN S AGAS IN E ARLY E NGLIS H LITE RATURE NE S T ! . B. KIRTLAN REV . E R R W S B . A. (LO N D ON) , B . D . (S T . AN D E ) FRE D E R IC LAWRE NCE $ 0 11 h o n H K E LLY CHAR LE S . - Y R D AND 2 6 PATERN OS TE R R o w E C 2 5 35 CI T OA , , S ir Gawain hath sough t th e isles of Ligh t Be th e sh es da yond or of y, Where moon never wan eth to shades o f nig ht An th il e u t i s la d e s v r fo n a n p y . ’ There h e holdeth high c ourt as th e maiden s knight ’ ’ th m i s isl a In e a den e for y . PART I KING ARTHU R AN D THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROU ND TABLE N i s e v e r r e a c h i n g o u t p a s s i o n a t e h a n d s t o g r a s p t h e ideal .
    [Show full text]
  • This Thesis Has Been Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Postgraduate Degree (E.G
    This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. “the graciouseste gome that vndir God lyffede”: A Reconsideration of Sir Gawain in the Late Medieval Middle English and Middle Scots Romance Tradition Lauren Jessie Chochinov Doctor of Philosophy The University of Edinburgh 2015 Declaration This is to certify that that the work contained within has been composed by me and is entirely my own work. No part of this thesis has been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. Signed: Lauren Jessie Chochinov Abstract In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, King Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain, is presented as a troublesome figure whose vengefulness hastens the collapse of Camelot. This characterization is unsurprising in the light of traditional French depictions of Gawain, but it is distinctly at odds with a rival, Anglo-Scottish tradition that depicts him rather differently as a figure of moderation, wise counsel, and courtesy.
    [Show full text]
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight° As Scribes Have Set It Duly Fitt" 1 in the Lore of the Land So Long
    286 SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHl of self-knowledge is not clear. The poem is probably less a conscious attempt to Cut And far over the French flood Felix Brutus ° the Arthurian heroes down to size than it is a Christian exploration, in the form of On many spacious slopes set Britain with joy a romance, of "the cycle of social living, alienation, self-disrovery, desolation, recovery And grace; and restoration" (J. A, Burrow). Its exemplary value, the questions constantly before Ifie Where war and feud and wonder reader: how to recognize temptation and how to steer the right moral course, must Have ruled the realm a space. have given the poem its power over medievaf audiences and is stil! its attraction, A^m, And after, bliss and blunder protect himself as he will, among his fellows at court, with the pentangle, with "power• By turns have run their race. ful," (alismanic gems, with the magic belt, Gawain has still to face the cycle of experience. He does not come home to journey's end and rest, but back to society, II wearing the badge that will remind him of his condition, and seeing others wear it And when this Britain was built by this brave noble, too, in token that humility, true penitence, and trust in God's grace are man's only Here bold men bred, in battle exulting. possible rejoinder to his sinful condition. Stirrers of trouble in turbulent times. Iiiere many a marvel, more than in other lands. The translation, which attempts to keep the meter and alliteration of the original, Has befallen by fortune since that far time.
    [Show full text]