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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. Indeed, throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, this version of Gawain was used by a number of romance writers to explore themes of kingship, identity, and regionalism in England and Scotland. This thesis attempts to explain the complexities and contradictions of Gawain’s role in the Middle English and Middle Scots tradition. Chapter one establishes a “northern Gawain type”, drawing on thematic patterns in four northern Gawain romances: The Weddyng of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell, The Avowyng of Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle, and The Knightly Tale of Golagros and Gawain. Gawain’s popularity in the north, coupled with similarities in characterization and narrative focus, mark him as an important regional figure. This discussion continues in the second chapter, which examines The Awntyrs off Arthure, a poem specifically concerned with Arthurian kingship and imperialism. In Scotland, Gawain is used in romances to explore pertinent contemporary concerns with the recent loss of Scotland’s kings and attitudes towards English expansion. The third chapter considers Gawain’s role in two Scottish romances, particularly, The Knightly Tale of Golagros and Gawain and Lancelot of the Laik. The final two chapters examine Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur. By exploring these narratives in the context of the “northern Gawain type,” these chapters offer new insights into Gawain’s literary significance for late medieval writers. This thesis offers a reconsideration of Gawain’s reputation in late medieval Middle English and Middle Scots literature. It suggests both why he was such a useful figure for the authors of the northern and Scottish romances and why Malory ultimately chose to reject their reading of him and followed instead the more critical and dismissive French tradition. The lasting legacy of Malory’s Gawain has influenced his reputation and representation in post-medieval Arthurian literature. Yet, his popularity in the north of England and Scotland during the late Middle Ages, and his symbolic significance in discussions of governance, make him a character deserving of rehabilitation in the pantheon of Arthurian knighthood. Acknowledgments Listen lords and ladies to the gratitude I bestow: First and foremost, Greg Walker, supervisor extraordinaire, Game of Thrones enthusiast, and occasional therapist. Thank you for the hours of editing, the patience, the wisdom, and the endless advice over the years. And thank you for removing all of the “Canadianisms” from the dissertation. Sorry about those, eh. To David Salter, for his many helpful suggestions and support along the way, especially the recommendation to read Ywain and Gawain. My new goal in life is to own a pet lion. Or, at the very least, a lion-esque dog. I would also like to thank John McGavin and Sarah Dunnigan for their support and advice throughout the viva process. There are many people to thank from the English Department at the University of Edinburgh who have helped guide me over the years. While I cannot possibly name everyone, thank you for the ongoing support, the quick response to panicked emails, and the reassuring smiles. For early inspiration, a special thank you to the late Sheldon Oberman. I would also like to acknowledge my University of Manitoba colleagues, especially Dr. Robert Finnegan and Dr. David Watt, who introduced me to medieval literature and thus ruined my life in the best way possible. To my friends: My fellow members of the university’s most noble Late Antique and Medieval Postgraduate Society. To Feminist Hallway. To Newcastle’s very own Wolverine. To those in Edinburgh and those abroad. To those that read pieces of this dissertation, attended my seminars, fed me, hugged me, answered my increasingly hysterical questions, and assured me that everything was going to be okay. You have made these PhD years the adventure of a lifetime. You bow to no one. A special thank you to the staff at Edinburgh’s Forbidden Planet and Cameo Cinema. To those back home in Winnipeg, Canada: Baba and Zaida, Aunty Brenda and Uncle Howard, Aunty Reesa, Joyce, Brad, Jer, Seth, Patricia, (puppy niece) Quinn: the Skype, the food, the happiness at my homecomings, the sadness at my departures, the high fives, the faith in me, and the unwavering support. I thank you. And to the Winnipeg Jets, I’ll never let go. I dedicate this thesis to: My Mom, for always being mission control. My Dad, for the (metaphorical) spiritual guidance. My Rachel, my favourite. Dots and dots… To the memory of my uncle, Shep Nerman, my aunt, Ellen Chochinov, my grandfather, Sam Sellers, and my grandmother, Sheila Sellers (baba, thank you for the luck). In my thoughts, eternally. Table of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...1 Chapter I. Knight of the North: The Gawain Romance Tradition Defined…………………………………6 Chapter II. Dark Knight: Conquest and Catastrophe in The Awntyrs off Arthure………………….54 Chapter III. “Schir, I knaw be conquest thow art ane kynd man”: Gawain in the Scottish Romance Tradition…………………………...95 Chapter IV. “I am þe wakkest, I wot”: Reputation and Identity in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight………………………………...159 Chapter V. “the moste untrewyst lyff that ever I herd knyght lyve”: Contextualizing Sir Thomas Malory’s Gawain in Le Morte Darthur………………………………………………….224 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………270 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………….296 1 Introduction In the latter half of the fourteenth century, an anonymous poet writing in the north midlands of England described King Arthur’s reaction upon finding the body of his beloved nephew, Sir Gawain, on the battlefield. The king’s grief is all consuming as he cries, “For nowe my wirchipe es wente and my were endide;/ Here es þe hope of my hele, my happynge of armes-/ My herte and my hardynes hale one hym lengede” (3959-3961). Here in the alliterative Morte Arthure (c. 1400), the death of Gawain signifies the death of Arthur’s hope, as the man who “was worthy to be king” dies while defending his lord against Mordred’s treachery. At approximately the same time, another anonymous poet in the northwest midlands of England, composed Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (c. 1400), a poem especially curious about Gawain’s reputation. There, in a series of courtesy tests, the lady of the castle attempts to seduce the chivalrous but anxiety prone knight, and upon leaving his bedchamber she chides, “Bot Þat 3e be Gawan hit gotz in mynde!” [But that you should be Gawain I very much doubt] (1293), a veiled reference by the poet to Gawain’s widespread reputation both within the narrative frame and in the broader Arthurian literary tradition. These poems, widely considered the crown jewels of the fourteenth-century alliterative revival, treat Gawain with particular interest, and, taken together, suggest just how rewardingly adaptable a character Gawain was in this period. For the poet of the alliterative Morte, Gawain is a wise counsellor and celebrated warrior. In Sir Gawain, Gawain’s reputation is more complicated, as his famed courtesy is not only recognized, but purposely tested in order to expose his own personal failings and the failings of Arthur’s Round Table. Less than one hundred years later, Sir Thomas 2 Malory, writing from London, exemplifies the versatility of Gawain’s character when he notes that he “was evir vengeable, and where he hated he wolde be avenged with murther” (225); a marked change from the more complimentary depictions found in the narratives written in the midlands and northern England and Scotland. The literary tradition surrounding Gawain’s characterization is obviously complicated and his place in the canon of Middle English romances becomes increasingly variable throughout the period. For medieval writers and readers of Arthurian texts, Gawain is a popular literary figure whose characterization evolves depending on the geographical, political, and social environment of his makers. Because of Gawain’s adaptability as a literary character, the richness of the romances related to him enable an especially rewarding examination of pertinent late medieval social and political issues. My own interest in Gawain’s literary evolution began in 2010 after I completed my MA thesis, which focused on aspects of the loathly lady motif in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.