Name ______DuScav Humanities Sir Gawain & Symbolism
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: The hunter and the hunted Gawain and his host make a pact to exchange their “winnings” at the end of the day. While the lord of castle heads out on three days of hunting, Gawain remains at the castle for three day with the lord’s wife. In scenes that echo the story of Joseph and Pontiphar’s wife, Gawain’s knightly virtue is tested each day.
Your task is to explore the parallels between the scenes in the forest where the Lord is chasing his game and the scenes at the castle where Gawain is being chased by the lady. We will fill in the chart as groups report out about their discussions. Begin with your group’s information on the following pages, answering the questions about the symbolism of the animals, the events in the hunt, and Gawain’s actions.
Day 1: The Deer Day 2: The Boar Day 3: The Fox
Symbolism of animal
Events during hunt
What events take place at the castle?
How does
Gawain
respond?
What winnings are exchanged?
Why is this animal used to parallel Gawain’s actions?
Day One: The Deer What symbolism would medieval audiences find in the fact that the lord hunts deer? Read the descriptions from two medieval bestiaries (catalogues of animals and mythical beasts) and decide what the deer symbolize.
Description from the Aberdeen Bestiary: When they cross great rivers or large long stretches of water, they place their head on the hindquarters of the deer in front and, following one on the other, do not feel impeded by their weight. When they find such places, they cross them quickly, to avoid sinking in the mire. They have another characteristic, that after eating a snake they run to a spring and, drinking from it, shed their long coats and all signs of old age. The members of the holy Church seem to have a mentality corresponding to that of deer, because while they change their homeland, that is, the world, for love of the heavenly homeland, they carry each other, that is, the more perfect bring on and sustain the less perfect by their example and their good works. And if they find a place of sin, they leap over it at once, and after the incarnation of the Devil, that is, after committing a sin, they run, by their confession, to Christ, the true spring; drinking in his commandments, they are renewed, shedding their sin like old age. From The Aberdeen Bestiary http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/translat/13v.hti
Screenshots from http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast162.htm
Day One: The Deer Questions to discuss (you will report out this information for your classmates to record on their charts):
- What symbolism would medieval readers see in the animal hunted on the first day?
- Describe the progression of the hunt. What events take place?
- What events take place that day at the castle? How is Gawain tempted?
- How does Gawain respond to the events that day?
- What winnings are exchanged that evening?
- Why does the poet use the animal to parallel Gawain?
Day Two: The Boar What symbolism would medieval audiences find in the fact that the lord hunts a boar? Read the descriptions from two medieval bestiaries (catalogues of animals and mythical beasts) and decide what the boar symbolizes.
Description from the Aberdeen Bestiary: The boar gets its name, aper, from its wildness, a feritate, the letter f being replaced by a p; for the same reason, it is called by the Greeks suagros, meaning wild. For everything which is untamed and savage we call, loosely, agreste, wild. From The Aberdeen Bestiary http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/translat/21v.hti
Screenshots from http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast197.htm
Day Two: The Boar Questions to discuss (you will report out this information for your classmates to record on their charts):
- What symbolism would medieval readers see in the animal hunted on the second day?
- Describe the progression of the hunt. What events take place?
- What events take place that day at the castle? How is Gawain tempted?
- How does Gawain respond to the events that day?
- What winnings are exchanged that evening?
- Why does the poet use the animal to parallel Gawain?
Day 3: The Fox What symbolism would medieval audiences find in the fact that the lord hunts a fox? Read the descriptions from two medieval bestiaries (catalogues of animals and mythical beasts) and decide what the fox symbolizes.
Description from the Aberdeen Bestiary: The word vulpis, fox, is, so to say, volupis. For it is fleet-footed and never runs in a straight line but twists and turns. It is a clever, crafty animal. When it is hungry and can find nothing to eat, it rolls itself in red earth so that it seems to be stained with blood, lies on the ground and holds it breath, so that it seems scarcely alive. When birds see that it is not breathing, that it is flecked with blood and that its tongue is sticking out of its mouth, they think that it is dead and descend to perch on it. Thus it seizes them and devours them. The Devil is of a similar nature From The Aberdeen Bestiary http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/translat/16r.hti
A fox disguised as a monk, misleading innocent birds.
Screenshots from http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast179.htm
Day 3: The Fox Questions to discuss (you will report out this information for your classmates to record on their charts):
- What symbolism would medieval readers see in the animal hunted on the third day?
- Describe the progression of the hunt. What events take place?
- What events take place that day at the castle? How is Gawain tempted?
- How does Gawain respond to the events that day?
- What winnings are exchanged that evening?
- Why does the poet use the animal to parallel Gawain?