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THE AWNTYRS OFF ARTHUR
The Awntyrs off Arthur
Edited by Thomas Hahn
Originally Published in Sir Gawain: Eleven Romances and Tales
Kalamazoo, Michigan: Western Michigan University for TEAMS, 1995
In the tyme of Arthur an aunter bytydde, adventure occurred; (see note)
By the Turne Wathelan, as the boke telles, relates; (see note)
Whan he to Carlele was comen, that conquerour kydde, famous; (see note)
With dukes and dussiperes that with the dere dwelles. 1 (see note)
5 To hunte at the herdes that longe had ben hydde, hidden (i.e., in the wild)
On a day thei hem dight to the depe delles, themselves went off; valleys
To fall of the femailes in forest were frydde, 2 (see note)
Fayre by the fermesones in frithes and felles. 3 (see note)
Thus to wode arn thei went, the wlonkest in wedes, most splendid in apparel
10 Bothe the Kyng and the Quene,
And al the doughti bydene. brave ones together
Sir Gawayn, gayest on grene, the most polished of all
Dame Gaynour he ledes. Guenevere; (see note)
Thus Sir Gawayn the gay Gaynour he ledes,
15 In a gleterand gide that glemed full gay - glittering gown
With riche ribaynes reversset, ho so right redes, 4
Rayled with rybees of riall array; Ornamented; rubies; royal
Her hode of a hawe huwe, ho that here hede hedes, (see note)
Of pillour, of palwerk, of perré to pay; 5
20 Schurde in a short cloke that the rayne shedes, Clothed; repels
Set over with saffres sothely to say, sapphires truly
With saffres and seladynes set by the sides; celedonies studded at; (see note)
Here sadel sette of that ilke, Her; same
Saude with sambutes of silke; Covered; saddle-clothes
25 On a mule as the mylke, as [white as] milk
Gaili she glides.
Al in gleterand golde, gayly ho glides she passes [along]
The gates with Sir Gawayn, bi the grene welle. paths
And that burne on his blonke with the Quene bides knight; horse; stays
30 That borne was in Borgoyne, by boke and by belle. 6 (see note)
He ladde that Lady so longe by the lawe sides; along; hill sides
Under a lorre they light, loghe by a felle. laurel; low; ridge
And Arthur with his erles ernestly rides,
To teche hem to her tristres, the trouthe for to telle. 7
35 To here tristres he hem taught, ho the trouthe trowes. stations; who; believes
Eche lorde withouten lette hesitation
To an oke he hem sette, At an oak
With bowe and with barselette, bow; hound
Under the bowes. boughs
40 Under the bowes thei bode, thes burnes so bolde, wait; warriors
To byker at thes baraynes in bonkes so bare. shoot; fawnless does; hills
There might hatheles in high herdes beholde, nobles in haste; espy
Herken huntyng in hast, in holtes so hare. Take note; haste; woods; frosty
Thei kest of here couples in cliffes so colde, cast off their [dogs'] leashes
45 Conforte her kenettes to kele hem of care. 8
Thei fel of the femayles ful thikfolde; killed; manyfold
With fressh houndes and fele, thei folowen her fare. many; pursue their trail
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (see note)
With gret questes and quelles, assaults; kills
50 Both in frethes and felles. woods; ridges
All the dure in the delles, deer; valleys; (see note)
Thei durken and dare. hide; cringe
Then durken the dere in the dymme skuwes, cower; dark woods
That for drede of the deth droupes the do. [So] that; goes to ground; doe
55 And by the stremys so strange that swftly swoghes 9 (see note)
Thai werray the wilde and worchen hem wo. 10 (see note)
The huntes thei halowe, in hurstes and huwes, 11
And till thaire riste raches relyes on the ro. 12 (see note)
They gaf to no gamon grythe that on grounde gruwes. 13 (see note)
60 The grete greundes in the greves so glady thei go; 14 (see note)
So gladly thei gon in greves so grene. thickets
The King blowe rechas blows "rechase" (see note)
And folowed fast on the tras track
With many sergeant of mas, mace
65 That solas to sene. That pleasant sight to [go] see
With solas thei semble, the pruddest in palle, 15
And suwen to the Soverayne within schaghes schene. meet up with; woods bright
Al but Sir Gawayn, gayest of all, [knight] most gracious
Beleves with Dame Gaynour in greves so grene. [Who] stays behind; groves
70 By a lorer ho was light, undur a lefesale 16 (see note)
Of box and of berber bigged ful bene. box trees; barberry amply made
Fast byfore undre this ferly con fall Just; mid-morning; marvel did occur
And this mekel mervaile that I shal of mene. great; tell
Now wol I of this mervaile mele, if I mote. speak; might; (see note)
75 The day wex als dirke became as dark
As hit were mydnight myrke; murky
Thereof the King was irke distressed
And light on his fote. alighted [from his horse]
Thus to fote ar thei faren, the frekes unfayn, 17
80 And fleen fro the forest to the fawe felle. mottled hill; (see note)
Thay ranne faste to the roches, for reddoure of the raynne 18 (see note)
For the sneterand snawe snartly hem snelles. 19 (see note)
There come a lowe one the loughe - in londe is not to layne - 20 (see note)
In the lyknes of Lucyfere, laytheste in Helle, most hateful; (see note)
85 And glides to Sir Gawayn the gates to gayne, path to block; (see note)
Yauland and yomerand, with many loude yelle. Howling and wailing; (see note)
Hit yaules, hit yameres, with waymynges wete, cries out; lamentations tearful
And seid, with siking sare, sighing sore
"I ban the body me bare! curse; [that] me bore
90 Alas! Now kindeles my care; kindles
I gloppen and I grete!" despair; wail; (see note)
Then gloppenet and grete Gaynour the gay became fearful and wailed
And seid to Sir Gawen, "What is thi good rede?" best advice
"Hit ar the clippes of the son, I herd a clerk say," 21 (see note)
95 And thus he confortes the Quene for his knighthede. chivalrously
"Sir Cadour, Sir Clegis, Sir Costardyne, Sir Cay - (see note)
Thes knyghtes arn uncurtays, by Crosse and by Crede, are ungallant
That thus oonly have me laft on my dethday all alone; left (abandoned)
With the grisselist goost that ever herd I grede." grisliest; moan
100 "Of the goost," quod the grome, "greve you no mare, knight; worry; more
For I shal speke with the sprete. sprite
And of the wayes I shall wete, its pains; inquire
What may the bales bete torments relieve
Of the bodi bare." body bare
105 Bare was the body and blak to the bone,
Al biclagged in clay uncomly cladde. clotted with earth foully covered
Hit waried, hit wayment as a woman, cursed; wailed
But on hide ne on huwe no heling hit hadde. skin; complexion; cover
Hit stemered, hit stonayde, hit stode as a stone, stammered; was stunned
110 Hit marred, hit memered, hit mused for madde. 22
Agayn the grisly goost Sir Gawayn is gone; Towards
He rayked oute at a res, for he was never drad. 23 (see note)
Drad was he never, ho so right redes. whoever correctly understands
On the chef of the cholle, top; neck; (see note)
115 A pade pikes on the polle, toad bites into the skull
With eighen holked ful holle eyes sunken; hollow
That gloed as the gledes. glowed; coals
Al glowed as a glede the goste there ho glides, she
Umbeclipped in a cloude of clethyng unclere, 24 (see note)
120 Serkeled with serpentes all aboute the sides - 25 (see note)
To tell the todes theron my tonge wer full tere. 26
The burne braides oute the bronde, and the body bides; 27
Therefor the chevalrous knight changed no chere. At that; expression
The houndes highen to the holtes, and her hede hides, 28 (see note)
125 For the grisly goost made a grym bere. outcry
The grete greundes wer agast of the grym bere. greyhounds; corpse
The birdes in the bowes, branches
That on the goost glowes, stare
Thei skryke in the skowes screech; woods
130 That hatheles may here. noble men may hear
Hathelese might here, the hendeste in halle, 29 (see note)
How chatered the cholle, the chaftis and the chynne. 30 (see note)
Then conjured the knight - on Crist con he calle: implored; did
"As thou was crucifiged on Croys to clanse us of syn: cleanse; (see note)
135 That thou sei me the sothe whether thou shalle, 31
And whi thou walkest thes wayes the wodes within." on these paths
"I was of figure and face fairest of alle, appearance
Cristened and knowen with kinges in my kynne; 32 (see note)
I have kinges in my kyn knowen for kene. celebrated for bold deeds
140 God has me geven of his grace
To dre my paynes in this place. suffer through
I am comen in this cace at this time
To speke with your Quene.
"Quene was I somwile, brighter of browes formerly; in looks
145 Then Berell or Brangwayn, thes burdes so bolde; those women; (see note)
Of al gamen or gle that on grounde growes pleasures or mirth; occurs on earth
Gretter then Dame Gaynour, of garson and golde, 33
Of palaies, of parkes, of pondes, of plowes, enclosures; estates
Of townes, of toures, of tresour untolde, strongholds
150 Of castelles, of contreyes, of cragges, of clowes. lands; mountains; valleys
Now am I caught oute of kide to cares so colde; snared without kin in
Into care am I caught and couched in clay. laid out
Lo, sir curtays kniyght,
How delfulle deth has me dight! doleful; treated
155 Lete me onys have a sight once
Of Gaynour the gay."
After Gaynour the gay Sir Gawyn is gon,
And to the body he her brought, the burde bright. 34 (see note)
"Welcom, Waynour, iwis, worthi in won. indeed, among your people
160 Lo, how delful deth has thi dame dight! Behold; grievous; your mother left
I was radder of rode then rose in the ron, ruddier of complexion; branch
My ler as the lelé lonched on hight. face; lily bloomed; (see note)
Now am I a graceles gost, and grisly I gron;
With Lucyfer in a lake logh am I light. deep; sunk
165 Thus am I lyke to Lucefere: takis witnes by mee! take warning; (see note)
For al thi fressh foroure, fur garments
Muse on my mirrour; Think; (see note)
For, king and emperour,
Thus dight shul ye be. so treated; (see note)
170 "Thus dethe wil you dight, thare you not doute; treat you, of that; (see note)
Thereon hertly take hede while thou art here. heartily; still alive
Whan thou art richest arraied and ridest in thi route, decked out; company
Have pité on the poer - thou art of power. 35 (see note)
Burnes and burdes that ben the aboute, Servants and women; you; (see note)
175 When thi body is bamed and brought on a ber, embalmed; borne on a bier
Then lite wyn the light that now wil the loute, 36
For then the helpes no thing but holy praier. nothing helps you
The praier of poer may purchas the pes - for you peace
Of that thou yeves at the yete, 37 (see note)
180 Whan thou art set in thi sete, seat of honor
With al merthes at mete joys; meal
And dayntés on des. delicacies; dais
"With riche dayntés on des thi diotes ar dight, 38 (see note)
And I, in danger and doel, in dongone I dwelle, sorrow, in bondage I languish
185 Naxte and nedefull, naked on night. Nasty
Ther folo me a ferde of fendes of helle; follow; troop
They hurle me unhendely; thei harme me in hight; rudely; lacerate me violently
In bras and in brymston I bren as a belle. brass (cauldron); burn; bonfire
Was never wrought in this world a wofuller wight. a more woeful person
190 Hit were ful tore any tonge my turment to telle; tedious; torment
Nowe wil Y of my turment tel or I go. I; before
Thenk hertly on this - intently
Fonde to mende thi mys. Try to amend your misdoing
Thou art warned ywys: for sure
195 Be war be my wo." by my woe
"Wo is me for thi wo," quod Waynour, "ywys! Guenevere
But one thing wold I wite, if thi wil ware: know, if it were your will
If auther matens or Mas might mende thi mys, either liturgy or Mass; hardship
Or eny meble on molde? My merthe were the mare 39 (see note)
200 If bedis of bisshopps might bring the to blisse, prayers
Or coventes in cloistre might kere the of care. clergy; deliver you from
If thou be my moder, grete mervaile hit is (see note)
That al thi burly body is broughte to be so bare!" fine; has lost color
"I bare the of my body; what bote is hit I layn? bore; profit; conceal it
205 I brak a solempne avowe, broke; vow
And no man wist hit but thowe; knows; you
By that token thou trowe, believe
That sothely I sayn." truthfully; speak
"Say sothely what may the saven of thi sytis you save; troubles; (see note)
210 And I shal make sere men to singe for thi sake. several (priests)
But the baleful bestes that on thi body bites beasts; your; (see note)
Al blendis my ble - thi bones arn so blake!" 40 (see note)
"That is luf paramour, listes and delites [The cause] is sexual love; pleasure
That has me light and laft logh in a lake. brought me low and left me deep
215 Al the welth of the world, that awey witis that [wealth] completely vanishes
With the wilde wormes that worche me wrake; work me pain
Wrake thei me worchen, Waynour, iwys. Pain
Were thritty trentales don thirty series of masses said; (see note)
Bytwene under and non, morning and afternoon (in one day)
220 Mi soule were socoured with son aided immediately; (see note)
And brought to the blys."
"To blisse bring the the Barne that bought the on Rode, 41
That was crucifiged on Croys and crowned with thorne.
As thou was cristened and crisomed with candel and code, chrism cloth
225 Folowed in fontestone on frely byforne - Baptized at font openly when young
Mary the mighti, myldest of mode, in spirit
Of whom the blisful barne in Bedlem was borne, child; Bethlehem; (see note)
Lene me grace that I may grete the with gode 42 (see note)
And mynge the with matens and Masses on morne." remember you; each morning
230 "To mende us with Masses, grete myster hit were. remember; need
For Him that rest on the Rode, For [the sake of] Him who hung; Cross
Gyf fast of thi goode energetically
To folke that failen the fode lack food
While thou art here." alive
235 "Here hertly my honde thes hestes to holde, [I promise] these vows to keep
With a myllion of Masses to make the mynnyng. 43 (see note)
Bot one word," quod Waynour, "yit weten I wolde: But; know about; (see note)
What wrathed God most, at thi weting?" 44
"Pride with the appurtenaunce, as prophetez han tolde excess; have; (see note)
240 Bifore the peple, apertly in her preching. openly; their; (see note)
Hit beres bowes bitter: therof be thou bolde; sprouts branches; vigilant
That makes burnes so boune to breke his bidding. 45 (see note)
But ho his bidding brekes, bare thei ben of blys; whoever; deprived; heaven
But thei be salved of that sare, Unless; absolved; wound
245 Er they hethen fare, go hence from this world
They mon weten of care, must endure woe
Waynour, ywys." indeed
"Wysse me," quod Waynour, "som wey, if thou wost, Teach; know
What bedis might me best to the blisse bring?" prayers; best lead me
250 "Mekenesse and mercy, thes arn the moost; are the greatest
And sithen have pité on the poer, that pleses Heven king.
Sithen charité is chef, and then is chaste, Accordingly; paramount; chastity
And then almessedede aure al other thing. next almsgiving above; (see note)
Thes arn the graceful giftes of the Holy Goste
255 That enspires iche sprete withoute speling. 46 (see note)
Of this spiritual thing spute thou no mare. doctrine dispute no further
Als thou art Quene in thi quert, court
Hold thes wordes in hert. Keep
Thou shal leve but a stert; live; fit (i.e., a short time)
260 Hethen shal thou fare." Hence
"How shal we fare," quod the freke, "that fonden to fight, 47 (see note)
And thus defoulen the folke on fele kinges londes, 48
And riches over reymes withouten eny right, enter; realms; any
Wynnen worshipp in werre thorgh wightnesse of hondes?" 49
265 "Your King is to covetous, I warne the sir knight. too
May no man stry him with strenght while his whele stondes. 50 (see note)
Whan he is in his magesté, moost in his might, [Just at the point] when
He shal light ful lowe on the sesondes. fall full low; seashore
And this chivalrous Kinge chef shall a chaunce: 51 (see note)
270 Falsely Fortune in fight, strife; (see note)
That wonderfull wheelwryght, (see note)
Shall make lordes to light - to fall
Take witnesse by Fraunce. (see note)
"Fraunce haf ye frely with your fight wonnen; completely; conquered
275 Freol and his folke, fey ar they leved. Frollo; troop, dead; left; (see note)
Bretayne and Burgoyne al to you bowen, 52 (see note)
And al the Dussiperes of Fraunce with your dyn deved. warcry are stunned
Gyan may grete the werre was bigonen; Aquitaine; rue that war
There ar no lordes on lyve in that londe leved. no warriors alive; left
280 Yet shal the riche Romans with you be aurronen, by you be overrun; (see note)
And with the Rounde Table the rentes be reved; 53 (see note)
Then shal a Tyber untrue tymber you tene. 54 (see note)
Gete the, Sir Gawayn: Take heed
Turne the to Tuskayn. Go quickly
285 For ye shul lese Bretayn lose
With a knight kene. Through; bold; (see note)
"This knight shal kenely croyse the crowne, 55 (see note)
And at Carlele shal that comly be crowned as king. nobleman; (see note)
That sege shal be sesede at a sesone knight; empowered; time; (see note)
290 That myche baret and bale to Bretayn shal bring. strife; sorrow
Hit shal in Tuskan be tolde of the treson, announced
And ye shullen turne ayen for the tydynge. come back; news; (see note)
Ther shal the Rounde Table lese the renoune: lose its renown; (see note)
Beside Ramsey ful rad at a riding suddenly; battle; (see note)
295 In Dorsetshire shal dy the doughtest of alle. die; boldest
Gete the, Sir Gawayn, Take heed
The boldest of Bretayne;
In a slake thou shal be slayne, valley; (see note)
Sich ferlyes shull falle. Such wonders; occur
300 "Suche ferlies shull fal, withoute eny fable, wonders; befall; falsehood
Uppon Cornewayle coost with a knight kene. coast because of a knight fierce
Sir Arthur the honest, avenant and able, honorable, gracious and powerful
He shal be wounded, iwys - wothely, I wene. indeed; lethally, I trust
And al the rial rowte of the Rounde Table, royal company
305 Thei shullen dye on a day, the doughty bydene, one day the brave ones together
Suppriset with a suget: he beris hit in sable, 56 (see note)
With a sauter engreled of silver full shene. 57
He beris hit of sable, sothely to say; black, truly
In riche Arthures halle,
310 The barne playes at the balle child; with
That outray shall you alle, undo
Delfully that day. Sorrowfully
"Have gode day, Gaynour, and Gawayn the gode;
I have no lenger tome tidinges to telle. 58 (see note)
315 I mot walke on my wey thorgh this wilde wode must; wood
In my wonyngstid in wo for to welle. dwelling place; woe; seethe; (see note)
Fore Him that rightwisly rose and rest on the Rode, righteously; hung; Cross
Thenke on the danger and the dole that I yn dwell. 59 (see note)
Fede folke for my sake that failen the fode who lack food
320 And menge me with matens and Masse in melle. remember; services; besides
Masses arn medecynes to us that bale bides; who torment endure
Us thenke a Masse as swete We think (i.e., to us seems)
As eny spice that ever ye yete." ate
With a grisly grete groan
325 The goste awey glides.
With a grisly grete the goost awey glides
And goes with gronyng sore thorgh the greves grene. groves green
The wyndes, the weders, the welken unhides - weathers; sky clears
Then unclosed the cloudes, the son con shene. parted; sun did
330 The King his bugle has blowen and on the bent bides; field waits
His fare folke in the frith, thei flokken bydene, wood; flock together
And al the riall route to the Quene rides; royal company
She sayes hem the selcouthes that thei hadde ther seen. 60
The wise of the weder, forwondred they were. learned; utterly bewildered
335 Prince proudest in palle, robes
Dame Gaynour and alle, every one [else]
Went to Rondoles Halle (see note)
To the suppere.
The King to souper is set, served in sale, seated; hall; (see note)
340 Under a siller of silke dayntly dight canopy
With al worshipp and wele, innewith the walle, (see note)
Briddes brauden and brad in bankers bright. 61 (see note)
There come in a soteler with a symballe, musician; cymbal
A lady lufsom of lote ledand a knight; lovely of face leading
345 Ho raykes up in a res bifor the Rialle She moves quickly; King
And halsed Sir Arthur hendly on hight. saluted; courteously aloud
Ho said to the Soverayne, wlonkest in wede, She; most radiant in clothing
"Mon makeles of might, Sire without equal
Here commes an errant knight. questing
350 Do him reson and right Treat him with consideration and justice
For thi manhede." manhood
The mon in his mantell sittes at his mete man [King]; meal; (see note)
In pal pured to pay, prodly pight, cloth trimmed handsomely, richly displayed
Trofelyte and traverste with trewloves in trete; 62 (see note)
355 The tasses were of topas that wer thereto tight. topaz; to that affixed
He gliffed up with his eighen that grey wer and grete, glanced; eyes
With his beveren berde, on that burde bright. 63 (see note)
He was the soveraynest of al sitting in sete lordliest; in his proper place
That ever segge had sen with his eye sight. person had seen
360 King crowned in kith carpes hir tille: 64 (see note)
"Welcom, worthely wight - honorable woman
He shal have reson and right!
Whethen is the comli knight, From where; (see note)
If hit be thi wille?" If it pleases you [to say]
365 Ho was the worthiest wight that eny wy welde wolde; 65 (see note)
Here gide was glorious and gay, of a gresse grene. Her dress; grass-green
Here belle was of blunket, with birdes ful bolde, cloak; wool, [embroidered]
Brauded with brende gold, and bokeled ful bene. 66
Here fax in fyne perré was fretted in folde, 67
370 Contrefelet and kelle coloured full clene, Ribbon and head-dress; brightly
With a crowne craftly al of clene golde. finely [wrought]
Here kercheves were curiouse with many proude prene, (see note)
Her perré was praysed with prise men of might: 68
Bright birdes and bolde women
375 Had ynoghe to beholde enough; (see note)
Of that frely to folde, that [woman] gracious to embrace
And on the hende knight. courteous
The knight in his colours was armed ful clene, 69
With his comly crest clere to beholde, handsome plume
380 His brené and his basnet burneshed ful bene, armor; headpiece; well
With a bordur abought al of brende golde. about; burnished; (see note)
His mayles were mylke white, enclawet ful clene; 70 (see note)
His horse trapped of that ilke, as true men me tolde; in trappings of the same
His shelde on his shulder of silver so shene, bright
385 With bere hedes of blake browed ful bolde; bear heads; with brows; (see note)
His horse in fyne sandel was trapped to the hele. silk; draped; feet
And, in his cheveron biforne, horse's head armor; (see note)
Stode as an unicorne,
Als sharp as a thorne,
390 An anlas of stele. dagger
In stele he was stuffed, that stourne uppon stede, armor; warrior [mounted]
Al of sternes of golde, that stanseld was one straye; 71
His gloves, his gamesons glowed as a glede outer coat; coal
With graynes of rebé that graithed ben gay. 72 (see note)
395 And his schene schynbaudes, that sharp wer to shrede,
His poleinus with pelydodis were poudred to pay. (see note)
With a launce on loft that lovely con lede; 73 (see note)
A freke on a freson him folowed, in fay. 74 (see note)
The freson was afered for drede of that fare, 75
400 For he was selden wonte to se seldom accustomed
The tablet fluré: table so decorated with fleurs-de-lis
Siche gamen ne gle Such games or festivities
Sagh he never are. Saw; ere (i.e., before)
Arthur asked on hight, herand him alle: aloud all hearing him; (see note)
405 "What woldes thou, wee, if hit be thi wille? 76
Tel me what thou seches and whether thou shalle, seek; wither you intend to go
And whi thou, sturne on thi stede, stondes so stille?" 77
He wayved up his viser fro his ventalle; lifted; visor; helmet
With a knightly contenaunce, he carpes him tille: 78
410 "Whether thou be cayser or king, her I the becalle 79 (see note)
Fore to finde me a freke to fight with my fille.80
Fighting to fraist I fonded fro home." 81 (see note)
Then seid the King uppon hight, said; aloud
"If thou be curteys knight, courteous
415 Late and lenge al nyght, Stay; tarry; (see note)
And tel me thi nome." name
"Mi name is Sir Galaron, withouten eny gile, guile; (see note)
The grettest of Galwey of greves and gyllis, 82 (see note)
Of Connok, of Conyngham, and also Kyle, [places in Scotland?]; (see note)
420 Of Lomond, of Losex, of Loyan hilles.
Thou has wonen hem in werre with a wrange wile taken; war; unjust trick
And geven hem to Sir Gawayn - that my hert grylles. angers
But he shal wring his honde and warry the wyle, hand(s); curse the time
Er he weld hem, ywys, agayn myn unwylles. 83 (see note)
425 Bi al the welth of the worlde, he shal hem never welde, them never rule
While I the hede may bere, my head
But if he wyn hem in were, Unless; combat
With a shelde and a spere,
On a faire felde. fair field (i.e., in equitable combat)
430 "I wol fight on a felde - thereto I make feith - will; oath
With eny freke uppon folde that frely is borne. warrior; earth; nobly
To lese suche a lordshipp me wolde thenke laith, 84
And iche lede opon lyve wold lagh me to scorne." (see note)
"We ar in the wode went to walke on oure waith, 85 (see note)
435 To hunte at the hertes with hounde and with horne. deer
We ar in oure gamen; we have no gome graithe, 86
But yet thou shalt be mached be mydday tomorne.
Forthi I rede the, thenke rest al night." 87 (see note)
Gawayn, grathest of all, most accomplished
440 Ledes him oute of the hall
Into a pavilion of pall rich cloth
That prodly was pight. proudly made up
Pight was it prodly with purpour and palle, 88 (see note)
Birdes brauden above, in brend gold bright. Birds embroidered; burnished
445 Inwith was a chapell, a chambour, a halle, 89
A chymné with charcole to chaufe the knight. chimney; coals; warm
His stede was stabled and led to the stalle;
Hay hertly he had in haches on hight. plentifully; fodder-racks
Sithen thei braide up a borde, and clothes thei calle, 90
450 Sanapes and salers, semly to sight, Table-cloths; salt-cellars; (see note)
Torches and brochetes and stondardes bitwene. 91
Thus thei served that knight
And his worthely wight, worthy companion
With rich dayntes dight delicacies prepared
455 In silver so shene. bright
In silver so semely thei served of the best,
With vernage in veres and cuppes ful clene. wine in glasses; brim full
And thus Sir Gawayn the good glades hour gest, entertains their guest
With riche dayntees endored in disshes bydene. glazed; in succession
460 Whan the riall renke was gone to his rest, princely warrior had gone
The King to counsaile has called his knightes so kene.
"Loke nowe, lordes, oure lose be not lost. 92
Ho shal encontre with the knight? Kestes you bitwene."
Then seid Gawayn the goode, "Shal hit not greve. grieve
465 Here my honde I you hight, [with] my hand; promise
I woll fight with the knight
In defence of my right,
Lorde, by your leve."
"I leve wel," quod the King. "Thi lates ar light, 93
470 But I nolde for no lordeshipp se thi life lorne." would not for any; lost
"Let go!" quod Sir Gawayn. "God stond with the right! 94 (see note)
If he skape skathlesse, hit were a foule skorne." escape unscathed; insult
In the daying of the day, the doughti were dight, dawning; bold men; outfitted
And herden matens and Masse erly on morne. matins (i.e., early service)
475 By that on Plumton Land a palais was pight, 95 (see note)
Were never freke opon folde had foughten biforne. Where; warrior on earth
Thei setten listes bylyve on the logh lande. 96 (see note)
Thre soppes demayn Three pieces of fine bread soaked in wine
Thei brought to Sir Gawayn
480 For to confort his brayn,
The King gared commaunde. [As]; did
The King commaunded kindeli the Erlis son of Kent: 97 (see note)
"Curtaysly in this case, take kepe to the knight." 98
With riche dayntees or day he dyned in his tente; 99
485 After buskes him in a brené that burneshed was bright. 100
Sithen to Waynour wisly he went; Afterwards to Guenevere prudently
He laft in here warde his worthly wight. left in her keeping his noble lady
After aither in high hour horses thei hent, 101
And at the listes on the lande lordely done light 102
490 Alle bot thes two burnes, baldest of blode. 103 (see note)
The Kinges chaier is set throne
Abowve on a chacelet; dais; (see note)
Many galiard gret Many a hardy [knight] called out
For Gawayn the gode.
495 Gawayn and Galerone gurden her stedes; gird (i.e., ready); (see note)
Al in gleterand golde, gay was here gere. glittering; equipment
The lordes bylyve hom to list ledes, promptly move to the barrier
With many serjant of mace, as was the manere. 104
The burnes broched the blonkes that the side bledis; 105 (see note)
500 Ayther freke opon folde has fastned his spere. Each warrior on the turf; fixed
Shaftes in shide wode thei shindre in shedes, split wood; splinter in shards
So jolilé thes gentil justed on were! spiritedly; nobles jousted in combat
Shaftes thei shindre in sheldes so shene, splinter upon; bright
And sithen, with brondes bright, after; swords
505 Riche mayles thei right. armor; strike
There encontres the knight enters combat; (i.e., Galeron)
With Gawayn on grene. on [the] grass
Gawayn was gaily grathed in grene, splendidly equipped
With his griffons of golde engreled full gay, engraved; (see note)
510 Trifeled with tranes and trueloves bitwene; Adorned with devices; love-knots
On a startand stede he strikes on stray. rearing; hammers away; (see note)
That other in his turnaying, he talkes in tene: jousting; speaks in anger
"Whi drawes thou the on dregh and makes siche deray?" 106
He swapped him yn at the swyre with a swerde kene; struck; neck; sharp
515 That greved Sir Gawayn to his dethday.
The dyntes of that doughty were doutwis bydene; blows; absolutely dreadful
Fifté mayles and mo mail-links and more
The swerde swapt in two, snapped
The canelbone also, collar bone
520 And clef his shelde shene. cleft (i.e., cut through)
He clef thorgh the cantell that covered the knight, 107 (see note)
Thorgh the shinand shelde a shaftmon and mare. 108 (see note)
And then the lathely lord lowe uppon hight, 109 (see note)
And Gawayn greches therwith and gremed ful sare: 110
525 "I shal rewarde the thi route, if I con rede right." 111
He folowed in on the freke with a fressh fare; moved in; new thrust
Thorgh blason and brené, that burneshed wer bright, shield; mail coat
With a burlich bronde thorgh him he bare. stout sword into him he cut
The bronde was blody that burneshed was bright. 112
530 Then gloppened that gay - was stunned that knight [Galeron]
Hit was no ferly, in fay. marvel, in truth
The sturne strikes on stray hardy [knight] (Galeron) hammers away
In stiropes stright. [Standing] in his stirrups upright
Streyte in his steroppes, stoutely he strikes,
535 And waynes at Sir Wawayn als he were wode. rushes; mad
Then his lemman on lowde skirles and skrikes, 113 (see note)
When that burly burne blenket on blode. goodly knight shone with
Lordes and ladies of that laike likes with that turnabout are pleased
And thonked God of his grace for Gawayn the gode. (see note)
540 With a swap of a swerde, that swithely him swykes; (see note)
He stroke of the stede hede streite there he stode. 114
The faire fole fondred and fel, bi the Rode. 115 (see note)
Gawayn gloppened in hert; was stunned
He was swithely smert. intensely angry; (see note)
545 Oute of sterops he stert jumped
Fro Grissell the goode. [his horse]; (see note)
"Grissell," quod Gawayn, "gon is, God wote! God knows
He was the burlokest blonke that ever bote brede. hardiest horse; took food
By Him that in Bedeleem was borne ever to ben our bote, Bethlehem; remedy
550 I shall venge the today, if I con right rede." avenge [myself on] you
"Go fecche me my freson, fairest on fote; Frisian [horse]; afoot
He may stonde the in stoure in as mekle stede." 116
"No more for the faire fole then for a risshrote. [I'll take] no more; weed
But for doel of the dombe best that thus shuld be dede, 117
555 I mourne for no montur, for I may gete mare." grieve for; mount; more
Als he stode by his stede, As
That was so goode at nede,
Ner Gawayn wax wede, Nearly; went mad
So wepputte he sare. sorrowfully; (see note)
560 Thus wepus for wo Wowayn the wight, weeps; hardy
And wenys him to quyte, that wonded is sare. intends to get revenge; sorely
That other drogh him on dreght for drede of the knight 118 (see note)
And boldely broched his blonk on the bent bare. spurred his horse; field open
"Thus may thou dryve forthe the day to the derk night!" throw away (pass)
565 The son was passed by that mydday and mare. 119 (see note)
Within the listes the lede lordly done light; 120
Touard the burne with his bronde he busked him yare. 121 (see note)
To bataile they bowe with brondes so bright. move
Shene sheldes wer shred, Bright; shredded
570 Bright brenés bybled; mail-coats stained with blood
Many doughti were adred, brave [warriors]; afraid
So fersely thei fight. fiercely
Thus thei feght on fote on that fair felde
As fressh as a lyon that fautes the fille. fierce; lacks its fill
575 Wilelé thes wight men thair wepenes they welde; Adroitly; wield their weapons
Wyte ye wele, Sir Gawayn wantis no will. 122 (see note)
He brouched him yn with his bronde under the brode shelde 123 (see note)
Thorgh the waast of the body and wonded him ille. waist; seriously
The swerd stent for no stuf - hit was so wel steled. 124
580 That other startis on bak and stondis stonstille. 125
Though he were stonayed that stonde, he strikes ful sare - stunned; moment
He gurdes to Sir Gawayn pierces
Thorgh ventaile and pesayn; face and neck armor
He wanted noght to be slayn 126
585 The brede of an hare.
Hardely then thes hathelese on helmes they hewe. Fiercely; warriors; helmets
Thei beten downe beriles and bourdures bright; 127
Shildes on shildres that shene were to shewe, 128
Fretted were in fyne golde, thei failen in fight. [Which] adorned were; fail
590 Stones of iral thay strenkel and strewe; rainbow colors; scatter
Stithe stapeles of stele they strike done stright. 129 (see note)
Burnes bannen the tyme the bargan was brewe, People curse; brewed (made)
The doughti with dyntes so delfully were dight. 130
The dyntis of tho doghty were doutous bydene. absolutely terrible; (see note)
595 Bothe Sir Lete and Sir Lake (see note)
Miche mornyng thei make. Much
Gaynor gret for her sake lamented for their
With her grey eyen.
Thus gretis Gaynour with bothe her grey yene weeps; eyes
600 For gref of Sir Gawayn, grisly was wound. 131 (see note)
The knight of corage was cruel and kene, [Gawain]
And, with a stele bronde, that sturne oft stound; 132 (see note)
Al the cost of the knyght he carf downe clene. 133 (see note)
Thorgh the riche mailes that ronke were and rounde strong; round
605 With a teneful touche he taght him in tene, 134 (see note)
He gurdes Sir Galeron groveling on gronde. strikes; writhing to the ground
Grisly on gronde, he groned on grene. Horribly; on [the] grass
Als wounded as he was,
Sone unredely he ras rashly he arose; (see note)
610 And folowed fast on his tras pursued [Gawain] fast in his tracks
With a swerde kene.
Kenely that cruel kevered on hight, 135
And with a cast of the carhonde in cantil he strikes, 136 (see note)
And waynes at Sir Wawyn, that worthely wight. rushes; worthy warrior
615 But him lymped the worse, and that me wel likes. 137
He atteled with a slenk haf slayn him in slight; 138
The swerd swapped on his swange and on the mayle slikes, struck; thigh; slides
And Gawayn bi the coler keppes the knight. 139 (see note)
Then his lemman on loft skrilles and skrikes - lover; screams and shrieks
620 Ho gretes on Gaynour with gronyng grylle: She beseeches; groaning bitter
"Lady makeles of might, matchless in
Haf mercy on yondre knight
That is so delfull dight, woefully set upon
If hit be thi wille."
625 Than wilfully Dame Waynour to the King went; (see note)
Ho caught of her coronall and kneled him tille: removed her crown; to him
"As thou art Roye roial, richest of rent, 140 (see note)
And I thi wife wedded at thi owne wille -
Thes burnes in the bataile so blede on the bent, knights; field
630 They arn wery, iwis, and wonded full ille. weary, surely; wounded grievously
Thorgh her shene sheldes, her shuldres ar shent; Through their; destroyed
The grones of Sir Gawayn dos my hert grille. torment
The grones of Sir Gawayne greven me sare. grieve
Wodest thou leve, Lorde, If you please; (see note)
635 Make thes knightes accorde,
Hit were a grete conforde comfort
For all that here ware." here were; (see note)
Then spak Sir Galeron to Gawayn the good: spoke
"I wende never wee in this world had ben half so wight. 141
640 Here I make the releyse, renke, by the Rode, 142 (see note)
And, byfore thiese ryalle, resynge the my ryghte; 143 (see note)
And sithen make the monraden with a mylde mode after; homage; good will
As man of medlert makeles of might." 144
He talkes touard the King on hie ther he stode, aloud from where
645 And bede that burly his bronde that burneshed was bright: 145
"Of rentes and richesse I make the releyse."
Downe kneled the knight
And carped wordes on hight; aloud
The King stode upright
650 And commaunded pes. peace (i.e., silence)
The King commaunded pes and cried on hight,
And Gawayn was goodly and laft for his sake. gracious; left [off]
Then lordes to listes they lopen ful light - barriers; leapt
Sir Ewayn Fiz Uryayn and Arrak Fiz Lake, (see note)
655 Marrake and Moylard, that most wer of might - (see note)
Bothe thes travayled men they truly up take. wearied; gave support
Unneth might tho sturne stonde upright - Scarcely; those bold [knights]
What, for buffetes and blode, her blees wex blak; 146
Her blees were brosed, for beting of brondes. faces were bruised
660 Withouten more lettyng, goings on (delay)
Dight was here saghtlyng; Prepared; reconciliation
Bifore the comly King,
Thei held up her hondes. [in sign of agreement]
"Here I gif Sir Gawayn, with gerson and golde, 147 (see note)
665 Al the Glamergan londe with greves so grene, Glamorganshire; groves
The worship of Wales at wil and at wolde, lordship; at his command; (see note)
With Criffones Castelles curnelled ful clene; crenellated; (see note)
Eke Ulstur Halle to hafe and to holde, Also
Wayford and Waterforde, wallede I wene; fortified [towns] I guess; (see note)
670 Two baronrees in Bretayne with burghes so bolde, fortified cities
That arn batailed abought and bigged ful bene. 148
I shal doue the a duke and dubbe the with honde, endow (invest); (see note)
Withthi thou saghtil with the knight On condition you accord
That is so hardi and wight, bold and strong
675 And relese him his right, give freely to
And graunte him his londe."
"Here I gif Sir Galeron," quod Gawayn, "withouten any gile, (see note)
Al the londes and the lithes fro Lauer to Layre, vassals; (see note)
Connoke and Carlele, Conyngham and Kile;
680 Yet, if he of chevalry chalange ham for aire, 149 (see note)
The Lother, the Lemmok, the Loynak, the Lile,
With frethis and forestes and fosses so faire. woods; moats
Withthi under our lordeship thou lenge here a while, 150 (see note)
And to the Round Table make thy repaire, 151 (see note)
685 I shal refeff the in felde in forestes so fair." 152 (see note)
Bothe the King and the Quene
And al the doughti bydene, together
Thorgh the greves so grene, Through; groves
To Carlele thei cair. travel
690 The King to Carlele is comen with knightes so kene,
And al the Rounde Table on rial aray. royal
The wees that weren wounded so wothely, I wene, knights; lethally
Surgenes sone saned, sothely to say; 153 (see note)
Bothe confortes the knightes, the King and the Quene. 154
695 Thei were dubbed dukes both on a day. a [single] day
There he wedded his wife, wlonkest I wene, most beautiful; (see note)
With giftes and garsons, Sir Galeron the gay; treasures
Thus that hathel in high withholdes that hende. 155
Whan he was saned sonde, cured wholly
700 Thei made Sir Galeron that stonde They (i.e., the court); at that point
A knight of the Table Ronde
To his lyves ende.
Waynour gared wisely write into the west 156 (see note)
To al the religious to rede and to singe;
705 Prestes with procession to pray were prest, urged
With a mylion of Masses to make the mynnynge. perform the memorials
Bokelered men, bisshops the best, Book-learned
Thorgh al Bretayne belles the burde gared rynge. 157 (see note)
This ferely bifelle in Ingulwud Forest, marvel occurred; Inglewood; (see note)
710 Under a holte so hore at a huntyng - wood so bare
Suche a huntyng in holtis is noght to be hide. left untold; (see note)
Thus to forest they fore, went
Thes sterne knightes in store. brave; in battle
In the tyme of Arthore (see note)
715 This anter betide. adventure occurred
THE AWNTYRS OFF ARTHUR: FOOTNOTES
1 companions; beloved [king]
2 slay; does; enclosed
3 Thriving because of the close season in the woods and hills
4 With rich strands of material reversed to show their colors, whoever takes proper notice
5 lines 18-19: Her hood [is] a shade of aqua, [as] anyone who pays attention to her head [will note], / With fur, rich cloth, and jewels most pleasingly arranged
6 Who was born in Burgundy, [I swear] by book and by bell
7 To assign them to their hunting stations, to tell the truth
8 their hounds; cool them of agitation
9 rapids so strong; rush
10 make war on; cause them woe
11 hunters; shout; hillsides; cliffs
12 And at their hiding places the hounds set on the deer
13 game quarter; lives
14 greyhounds; thickets
15 pleasure; gather; noblest; dress
16 laurel she remained; arbor
17 have proceeded the troubled knights
18 rocks; severity; rain
19 driving hail keenly them stings
20 There appeared a fire in the lake - not to conceal a word
21 It is an eclipse of the sun
22 It grieved, it murmered, it groaned as a mad person
23 moved; in a rush; frightened
24 Enclosed; shrouds unfathomable
25 Encircled; on all sides;
26 To account [the number of] the toads clinging to her would be too tedious for my tongue
27 The knight pulls out his sword and the corpse stands still
28 hasten; their heads hide
29 Nobles; hear; handsomest
30 jowls; jaws; chin
31 [I demand] that you tell me the truth [about] where you intend to go
32 Baptized and renowned; family
33 More [I enjoyed] than; treasure
34 ghostly corpse; woman
35 Have pity on the poor - you have the power [to do so]
36 Then little wish [they] to comfort you, who now will flatter you
37 According to what you distribute [to the poor] at your gate
38 feasts are furnished
39 goods on earth; joy; more
40 All blanches (i.e., whitens) my countenance - [because] your skeleton is so black
41 May the hero who redeemed you on the Cross bring you to bliss
42 Grant; commemorate you properly
43 multitude; you remembrance
44 angered; according to your understanding
45 people ready; commandment
46 inspires each soul; instruction
47 warrior; undertake
48 put down; diverse; countries
49 Achieve renown in warfare through prowess of arms
50 No man may overthrow him by force while Fortune holds him high on her wheel
51 shall receive his fate
52 Brittany and Burgundy; have yielded
53 And by; incomes be taken over
54 Then shall the treacherous Tiber (Rome) cause you woe
55 boldly sieze office of king
56 Overcome by a subject (i.e., one of the King's retainers): he bears a black coat of arms
57 cross showing a notched edge; bright
58 more time to give information
59 peril; sorrow; in
60 tells them of the wonders
61 lines 340-42: Under a canopy of silk, daintily wrought / With distinction and splendor, [a canopy located] up against the wall, / [With] birds embroidered and displayed on its brilliant panels
62 Decorated and crisscrossed with love-knots in a row
63 reddish beard, at that woman fair
64 among his household speaks to her
65 She was the most worthy person that anyone might wish to have governance of
66 Embroidered with burnished gold and fashioned most attractively
67 Her hair; jewels; arranged in pleats
68 lines 372-73: Her head-scarves were remarkable with many noble brooches, / Her clothing was admired by renowned warriors
69 heraldic dress; armed to perfection
70 [coat of] mail; fastened
71 stars; patterned at random
72 beads of ruby; fashioned; graciously
73 lines 395-97: And his handsome greaves (shin guards), that were sharp for slashing, / His knee guards with gems were pleasingly spangled. / With his lance at rest that worthy [knight] presented himself What do you desire, knight, if you please
74 squire; Friesland horse; in truth
75 spooked with fear of those goings on
76 What do you desire, knight, if you please
77 And why you, fearsome on your horse (i.e., mounted for combat), abide here so silently?
78 chivalric manner; speaks to him
79 emperor; challenge
80 an opponent; to my satisfaction
81 Fighting to demand (i.e., seeking combat) I set out from home
82 greatest [knight]; thickets; ravines
83 Before he wield them, indeed, over my resistance
84 lines 432-33: To lose such lordship (i.e., dominion over those lands) to me would seem hateful, / And every warrior alive would laugh me to scorn
85 We have come to the forest to proceed on our hunt (i.e., we are unprepared for combat)
86 Lines 435-36: We are at our games (i.e., fitted out for the hunt); we have no champion ready, / Though nonetheless you shall be matched [with an opponent] by noon tomorrow
87 Therefore I advise you take care to
88 Adorned; purple; rich cloth
89 Therein was a chapel, a chamber (i.e., a private room), [and] a hall (i.e., a public space)
90 set up a table; call for
91 Candles and candleholders and tapers in the middle
92 lines 462-63: Look [to it] now (i.e., take care), lords, [that] our honor (reputation) is not lost. / Who shall join battle with the knight? Decide between yourselves
93 "I believe [that] easily," said the King. "Your sense of honor is quick
94 "Don't worry!" said Sir Gawain. "May God stand with (uphold) the right'
95 Right after that; enclosure; pitched
96 They set [up] lists (i.e., jousting barriers) quickly on the level field
97 Earl of Kent's son
98 With all courtesy proper to the circumstances [of the impending combat], see to [preparing] the knight (i.e., Galeron)
99 before daylight he (i.e., Galeron)
100 Afterwards, he goes off in his armor that burnished was brightly
101 Then both hastily their horses seized
102 barriers onto; nobly did alight
103 warriors; boldest; blood (i.e., in spirit)
104 With many a sergeant-at-arms (i.e., mace bearer), as was the custom
105 spurred the horses so that
106 Why do you draw yourself back so far and make such a fuss?
107 shield-cover; protected
108 shining; hand's-breadth; more
109 fierce; laughed out loud
110 seethed at that; felt deep anger
111 I shall pay you back [for] your stroke, if I have anything to say [about it]
112 The sword was bloody that polished had been brightly
113 Then his beloved screams aloud and shrieks
114 Lines 540-41: With a stroke of a sword, that knight (Galeron) promptly calls him up short; / He struck off the horse's head right where it stood
115 foal (i.e., horse) stumbled; Cross
116 serve you in combat just as well
117 Except for the sadness over the dumb beast that died so [disgracefully]
118 The other (i.e., Galeron) drew himself away because of uncertainty about the knight (i.e., about the proper response to Gawain's want of a horse)
119 The sun had passed by that [time] midday and more (i.e., it was after noon)
120 warrior (i.e., Galeron); did dismount
121 Towards the knight (i.e., Gawain) with his [drawn] sword he (i.e., Galeron) moved quickly
122 Believe me; lacks no determination
123 stabbed into him
124 stopped; equipment; forged
125 That other (i.e., Galeron) falls back and stands still as a stone
126 lines 584-85: He (i.e., Gawain) lacked nothing to be slain / [Only] the breadth of a hair (i.e., Gawain escaped death by a hair's breadth)
127 knock off beryls (gems) and trim
128 Shields on shoulders; bright; look on
129 Strong clasps; right off
130 strokes so grievously were covered
131 Out of distress for; [who]
132 the bold [Galeron] often stunned
133 side; carved through cleanly
134 hurtful stroke; attacked him in anger
135 Boldly that fierce [knight] (i.e., Galeron) defended [himself] (i.e., retaliated) in haste
136 left hand; shield corner
137 But something worse befell him (i.e., Galeron), and that well pleases me
138 He undertook a blow that would have slain him (i.e., Gawain) through its skill
139 by the collar takes captive
140 King majestic; most powerful overlord
141 I never imagined [there was a] knight in the world [who] was half so powerful [as you are]
142 grant you quit-claim, sir; Cross
143 And, before these royal [persons], [I] resign [to] you my right (i.e., all claims to lands and entitlements)
144 [Insofar] as [you are a] man of middle earth matchless in strength (i.e., as a man without equal in this world)
145 And offered that good [man] his sword that was brightly polished
146 What with the beatings and bleeding, their faces waxed black (i.e., had become darkened)
147 together with treasure
148 That have surrounding battlements and have been very well built
149 In addition; claims them as heir
150 If then; you [will] abide
151 (i.e., join in the fellowship)
152 reinvest you on this field with
153 Surgeons swiftly made [them] whole
154 Both (royal persons) comfort the knights, the King and the Queen
155 Thus that knight quickly takes to himself that gracious [woman]
156 lines 703-04: Guenevere commanded, wisely, [that] written messages be sent into the west (i.e., had word sent throughout the land) / To all the clergy to read and to sing (i.e. to celebrate masses)
157 Throughout all Britain the Queen had [them] ring [church] bells
THE AWNTYRS OFF ARTHUR: NOTES
Unlike Hanna's edition, this text does not try to indicate the shape or intention of an author or original; and unlike Gates' edition, it does not attempt to document all variants and manuscript evidence. What I offer here is a conservative reading text, conservative in that it reproduces the readings of the Douce MS insofar as these make sense (or can be argued to make sense). I emend only when lexical, grammatical, metrical, or contextual lapses seem to demand it.
Abbreviations: D = Douce MS; Ir = Ireland MS; L = Lambeth MS; T = Thornton MS; A = Amours' edition; G = Gates' edition; H = Hanna's edition. See Select Bibliography for these selections.
1 In the tyme of Arthur. This is the classic characterization for the setting of a Gawain narrative. Compare the first line of Gologras: "In the tyme of Arthur, as trew men me tald"; Ragnelle, line 4: "In the tyme of Arthoure thys adventure betyd"; and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, line 2522 (nine lines from the end): "Thus in Arthurus day this aunter bitidde." The last line of Awntyrs repeats this first line almost verbatim (see note).
2 By the Turne Wathelan. Tarne or terne was a northern ME word for a small lake. The Tarn Wathelene (I adopt this spelling as common among local historians of Cumberland) was renowned out of all proportion to its size as a site for Arthurian adventure. It is mentioned in Avowyng ("Tarne Wathelan," lines 131 and 338, and notes at lines 29, 131, and 132), and in Marriage ("Tearne Wadling," line 32 and note), and its setting in Inglewood Forest is alluded to in Ragnelle (line 16 and note); Greene Knight may also invoke the Tarn (line 493 and note). The lake's name is given further variants in the colophon at the end of Awntyrs (see line 715 and note), and in the titles of editions by G and H.
as the boke telles. A conventional alliterative formula, though Awntyrs clearly draws upon literary sources.
3 that. D: and; Ir, T: that, so emended by A, G, and H.
4 dussiperes. The legendary twelve companions of Charlemagne. See line 277, and compare Gologras line 1334 and note at line 1313.
7 were. D: and; L: were, so emended by G and H.
8 fermesones. D: firmysthamis; Ir: fermesones; T: ferysone tyme; emended to fermysone tyme by A and G; to fermyson by H.
by the fermesones. A technical term for the closed season (approximately September to June), when hunting male deer was prohibited. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the first day's hunt for deer takes place "in fermysoun tyme," when the lord has forbidden the taking of "the male dere" (lines 1156-57). Arthur serves the Roman senators "Flesch fluriste of fermysone" (Alliterative Morte Arthure, line 180), apparently fatted does taken in the closed season.
13 Dame Gaynour. In his novel The Lyre of Orpheus (recounting the production of a rediscovered opera, Arthur of Britain, or The Magnanimous Cuckold), Robertson Davies suggests that in Welsh Guenevere's name signifies "white ghost" - which would give peculiar resonance to the queen's encounter with the blackened ghost of her mother. See The Lyre of Orpheus (New York: Viking, 1989), p. 137. Kenneth G. T. Webster, in his Guinevere: A Study of Her Abductions (Milton, Massachusetts: Turtle Press, 1951), notes that "the name in Welsh is Gwenhwfar, which may mean white ghost, or enchantress" (pp. 2-3).
18 hawe. D: herde; Ir, T: hawe, so emended by A, G, and H. H inserts ho to regularize hedes.
22 set by. Ir, L: serclet on, followed by G and H. See phrase in line 120.
30 Borgoyne. Neither Gawain nor Guenevere have connections with Burgundy. Madden and A somewhat desperately suggest that Gawain's horse (called Grissell at line 546) may have been born in France. H suggests that Borgoyne is a corrupted reading of "Orkney," connected to Gawain's birth.
by boke and by belle. A conventional phrase indicating an oath sworn by the Holy Sacrament (celebrated by reading the sacred text and ringing bells at the elevation), or by the rite of excommunication, which entailed the ritual use of bell, book, and candle.
48 The rhyme scheme makes clear that a line is lacking here in all surviving manuscripts.
51 dure. D: durere, with er abbreviated; dure given provisionally by G, unconditionally by H (disregarding G's note); emended to dere by A; I follow G's provisional reading of D as dure.
55 This line is omitted in D; supplied from T (following G).
56 wilde. D follows this word with swyne (agreeing with Ir, L, T); swyne is omitted by A, G, and H.
58And till thaire riste raches relyes on the ro. D: And bluwe reches ryally, they ran to the ro, which repeats line 62; like A, G, and H, I follow T, though I substitute D's on the ro for T's final phrase, on thaire ray.
59 grythe. Omitted by D, though it occurs in the other three manuscripts (spelling from T).
60 greundes. D: grendes; I follow G's emendation (adopted by H).
62 rechas. This is a technical hunting term for the horn note that signals hounds and hunters to reassemble. Gawain and Guenevere ignore the call (lines 68 ff.).
70 By. D: Under; By inserted from Ir, L, T.
undur a lefesale substituted from Ir (following G and H), for D, that lady so small, which seems a nonsensical tag rhyme (though it occurs in L and T as well).
74 mele. D: meve; Ir, L: mele, followed by G and H.
80 fawe felle. D: fewe felles; I follow emendation suggested by A, accepted by G and H.
81 This line omitted by D; supplied from T (following G).
82 sneterand snawe. This is a notable instance (among many) where Awntyrs directly imitates a memorable passage from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:
The snawe snitered ful snart, that snayped the wylde;
The werbelande wynde wapped fro the hyghe,
And drof uche dale ful of dryftes ful grete.
(lines 2003-05)
83 a lowe one the loughe. D: a lede of the lawe; I follow T (with A).
84 This line omitted by D; I follow T (as do A, G, and H).
85 glides to Sir Gawayn. Ir, L, and T all have the ghost first approach Dame Gaynoure, and the opening of the next stanza, in giving Guenevere's horrified reaction, perhaps supports an initial address to the Queen by the apparition.
86 yelle. D: yelles; L, T: yelle, so emended by A, G, and H.
The participles and verbs of this and the next line vividly recall the second day's hunt in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, when the hounds "Ful yomerly yaule and yelle" (line 1453).
91 I gloppen and I grete. Guenevere's reaction here echoes the description of the fright Morgan Le Faye intended for the Queen in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: she hoped "to haf greved Gaynour and gart hir to dyghe / With glopnyng of that ilke gome that gostlyche speked / With his hede in his honde bifore the hyghe table" (She hoped to have grieved Guenevere and caused her to die from fright of that being that, like a ghost, spoke with his head in his hand before the high table; lines 2460-62).
94 clippes of the son. Gawain's quick-witted and protective rationalization of the horrible apparition (like his resilient efforts in his exchanges with Lady Bertilak in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where "he defended hym so fayr that no faut semed" line 1531) expresses the unfailing courtesy that upholds his "knighthede."
96 Sir Cadour, Sir Clegis, Sir Costardyne, Sir Cay. What these four knights, all familiar figures in Arthurian romance, have here in common seems mainly to be their alliterating names; see Carlisle, lines 35, 44, and notes. Costardyne seems to be a variant spelling of "Constantine," perhaps the son of Sir Cadour who succeeded Arthur as king; see also Avowyng line 914 and note.
112 he. Omitted by D; included by other manuscripts and editors.
114 cholle. D: clolle; clearly a misspelling, corrected by A, G, and H, according to Ir, L, and T.
119 Umbeclipped in a cloude of clethyng unclere. D: Umbeclipped him with a cloude of cleyng; A, G, and H follow Ir and T in substituting in and expanding to clethyng.
120 Serkeled. D: skeled; T: serkeled, followed by A, G, and H.
124 holtes. D: wode; alliteration demands h (as in Ir, L, and T). I follow Ir (with G).
131 the hendeste in halle. D: so fer into halle; A, G, and H substitute hendeste in from T.
132 the chaftis and the chynne. D: the chalus on the chynne; A, G, and H correct reduplication of cholle by substituting chaftis and from T (H spells chaftes).
134 ff. The syntax here is confusing because of the repeated thou (lines 134, 135 twice, 136). Gawain begins by calling upon Christ for aid, but then addresses the ghost in the same second-person singular. Having uttered his prayer directly to Christ, Gawain seems to feel authorized to make the demand of the ghost that follows (paraphrased in the footnote).
138 knowen. L agrees in this reading, while Ir and T read krysommede, adopted by A, G, and H to eliminate reduplication in the following line.
145 Berell or Brangwayn. I capitalize Berell, assuming that the phrase names two women (rather than comparing the speaker's brows to beryl). Berell is otherwise unknown in ME romance, and H suggests the line originally named the enchantress Brusen (see Malory, Works, pp. 794 ff.). Brangwayn is Isolde's servant in the Tristan stories.
158 the burde bright. D: and to the burde; I omit and to as intrusive.
162 lonched. D: louched (so A and G read); H reads lonched, which I follow, though I retain on hight from D, in place of so light (G, H).
165 Thus am I lyke to Lucefere: takis witnes by mee! D: Take truly tent tight nowe by me. The repetition of a key word, usual in the ninth line of each stanza, fails in D. I follow A and G (and H, with modification) in substituting T's line.
167 Muse on my mirrour. Ir: your; L: thy, followed by H; T: thir. D's reading makes good sense within the tradition of the three living and the three dead, where the supernatural apparition forms a mirror of the ultimate fate of the living. In Gologras, the latter hero offers a commentary on his defeat by Gawain, and Gawain's pretense of submission, in which he invokes in passing Fortune and the Nine Worthy; in the course of the speech, Gologras suggests that each person, "Baith knyght, king and empriour . . . [may] muse in his myrrour" (lines 1230-31; see note). The recommendation of grisly, gruesome, and morbid subjects as useful mirrors of moral understanding to those in the midst of life occurs widely in ME poetry; in The Parlement of the Thre Ages, Elde admonishes (just before launching into a lengthy exposition of the Nine Worthy), "Makes youre mirrours bi me, men, bi youre trouthe" (line 290; see M. Y. Offord's edition [EETS 246 (Oxford, 1959)], with note at line 290, and Introduction, pp. xl-xlii).
169 dight. This word is inserted from L, following H, for stanza linking.
170 Thus dethe wil. D: Thus dight wil; dethe inserted from Ir, L, and T (following G and H).
173 thou art of power. Ir, L add whil, and T adds for before this phrase.
174 that ben the aboute. Ir, L, T present variants of are besye the aboute.
179 at the yete. D: at the thete; Ir, L, T: yate; emended for rhyme by G and H.
183 ar. D: art.
199 meble on molde. Guenevere's spontaneous question - whether possessions on earth can aid those beyond the grave - and the ghost's grateful, affirmative reply underscores the profound bond in Awntyrs of material with spiritual, living with dead; in doctrinal terms, this is epitomized by the communion of the saints, which allows grace and merit to be redistributed among the saved. Communal prayer - matens or Mas - may thus undo temporal punishment (in some legends, even eternal punishment) due an individual's sinful acts, and the individual's fate is beyond her own control. The phrase itself is a distinctive alliterative formula, occurring only here and in Gologras, line 807; compare line 499.
202 mervaile. D: wonder; alliteration demands mervaile (from T, though I take spelling from lines 73 and 74); so emended by A, G, and H (note).
209 the saven of thi sytis. D: the sauen ywys; I emend with L's phrase for the sake of alliteration and rhyme, following A and G.
211 body bites. D: body is; rhyme demands bites, as in Ir, L, and T (so emended by A, G, and H).
212 blendis. D: bledis; L, T: blendis, followed by A, G, and H.
218 thritty tentales. A trental is a series of thirty Masses in memory of the dead; Guenevere's mother therefore requests that nine hundred Masses be said for her soul. The merit earned by these Masses (in the form of indulgences) frees her from the torment of Helle (line 84), which may actually mean Purgatory. See line 236 and note.
220 were. This word is inserted from Ir, L, following G, H.
227 barne. D: barme, an apparent misspelling; correctly given in Ir and L; emended by A (glossary) and H.
228 grete. This form seems to draw upon a collapsed sense of greten, "greet, give honor" (MED, 2) and a different verb with identical form, greten, "lament, cry out" (MED, 3), which can be transitive, as here. The variant in D of the for thi soule indicates that the verb takes an object, and is seen as salutation by the D scribe. Yet the passage suggests that grete here takes in both the formal features of honor and the personal dimension of lament in referring to the liturgical remembrance and intercession of the Trental of Masses. It seems then to mean "commemorate, mourn for"; this meaning is reinforced by mynge in the next line, which also refers to the formal commemoration of the soul through Masses for the dead.
236 a myllion of Masses. Guenevere's promise here encompasses a huge number of Masses, though not literally a million. Lollards and their sympathizers, who openly criticized the ritual observances of the Church, were particularly outraged by the assumption (implied, for example, by trentals) that the eternal merit and satisfaction of Christ's sacrifice in the Mass might be improved by multiplication. The thritty trentales requested by the ghost (line 218 and note) would comprise nine hundred Masses, and myllion may here (and at line 706) simply round this number to one thousand. Archbishop Henry Bowet of York, who died in 1421, designated in his will that money be given "pro mille missis celebrandis more trentale Sancti Gregorii . . ." (for a thousand Masses to be celebrated in the form of St. Gregory's trental); see Speculum 49 (1974), 89. Such a request was therefore not so unusual for late medieval Christians.
237 Bot one word, quod Waynour. D: A quod Waynour iwis; alliteration requires word, which appears in L and T (so emended by A, G, and H); I omit iwis for the sake of meter.
239 Pride. While pride is here designated the greatest of the seven deadly sins, Awntyrs places a corresponding emphasis on the sin which, during the high and later Middle Ages, came to rival pride as the worst - avarice. The ghost's concern for charity to the poor (see lines 232 ff., 251 ff., and her final exhortation at line 319) suggests that the remedy for aristocratic excess is acceptance of responsibility for the material support of all in the Christian community. The ghost's instructions reinforce the corporate identity that marks late medieval chivalry and religion by linking the spiritual treasury of merit (trentales, line 218) with the distribution of earthly goods (almessedede, line 253).
240 apertly. D: apt; L: apertly, T: appertly, so emended by A and G; H: apert.
242 boune. D: bly; Ir: boune (adopted by G) makes contextual sense.
253 aure. D: cure. To make sense and complete alliteration, I follow Ir's reading (adopted by A and G; modified by H).
255 withoute speling. H gives "destruction, waste" (from OE spillan); G gives "sparing" (from OE spelian). The context implies, however, that these gifts are infused in each soul - graceful, enspires iche sprete - and that speling therefore means "formal training, instruction," which conscience does not require in order to act charitably. Awntyrs here offers the view that the moral understanding prerequisite for salvation - the Golden Rule or the two great commandments - is implanted in each person withoute speling. The reference in the next line to spiritual thing about which a lay woman should dispute no further links the passage yet more closely to formal theological discourse. Similar issues, concerning intuitive knowledge or "kinde knowing" versus the need for explicit dogmatic or sacramental understanding, are explored in contemporary poems like St. Erkenwald and Piers Plowman.
261 ff. Gawain's question to the ghost, had it originated with an actual medieval knight, would demonstrate a remarkable degree of self-consciousness and self-criticism. Other chivalric narratives offer similar chastisement of territorial avarice that renders a king to covetous; in particular, Arthur's downfall in the Alliterative Morte Arthure follows upon his desire to spread his rule across Europe to Jerusalem (see lines 3216-17).
266 while his whele stondes. The ghost here refers to the traditional image of Fortune's wheel, which commonly shows four kings moving through various phases of rule (about to rule, ruling, falling from power, out of power) as the wheel turns; Arthur is momentarily at the top of the wheel, and cannot be overthrown while Fortune keeps him there. But the ghost also prophesies that the wonderfull wheelwryght will give the king a chaunce, and he will suffer a fall from high estate (lines 267-68). The Alliterative Morte Arthure provides an elaborate dream, complete with interpretation, of Fortune's Wheel; as a prophecy of Arthur's eventual downfall, and the disintegration of the Round Table, it serves as a commentary and explanation for the end of the Arthurian fellowship. Gologras also employs the image of Fortune's Wheel, together with the Nine Worthy, but uses these to pinpoint the nature of knightly honor, rather than to underscore its transitoriness; see Gologras, lines 1220 ff. and notes.
269 Kinge. D: knight; Ir, T: kynge, followed by A, G, and H.
a. D: thorgh; Ir, L, T: a, followed by A, G, and H.
270 Falsely Fortune. D: Falsely fordone; L, T: False Fortune, followed by A, G, and H.
271 That wonderfull wheelwryght. D: With a wonderfull wight; Ir, T (followed by A, G, and H) give the present reading.
273 Take witnesse by Fraunce. This line and the next stanza to which it links allusively encompass the entire career of Arthur's European adventures, and in a version that closely resembles that told in the Alliterative Morte Arthure. The ghost's account of the Round Table's exploits, though they are presented as if already accomplished (at least through line 280, which moves to future tense), must be taken as a prophetic prologue to Arthur's downfall.
275 Freol and his folke. In the Alliterative Morte Arthure and other versions of Arthur's career (beginning with Geoffrey of Monmouth), Arthur initiates his continental conquests by defeating Frollo, the tribune in charge of Roman forces in France (Gaul). Fortune tells Arthur that she has "fellid downe Sir Frolle" (Alliterative Morte Arthure, line 3345), and the interpreters of Arthur's dream link "Froille" with "Ferawnt" (line 3404). T's reading, Freol and his farnaghe, would appear to be a confused reminiscence, one of many signs of borrowing from the Alliterative Morte Arthure in Awntyrs.
276 and. D: in; Ir, L, T: and, followed by A, G, and H.
280 Romans. D: remayns; Ir, L, T: Romans, followed by A, G, and H.
you. D: one; Ir, L, T: you, followed by A, G, and H.
281 ff. Arthur's campaign against the Romans, the culmination in the Alliterative Morte Arthure of his continental wars, takes him to Tuscany (lines 284, 291), but is aborted before he can reach Rome and receive the Emperor's crown; the dream of Fortune, and the news of Mordred's treachery in Britain, cause him to lead his fellowship back to England for the final battles, as the ghost here prophesies (lines 291 ff.).
282 Then. D: thus; then, suggested for sense by A, followed by G.
you. D: with; T: you, supported by A.
286 knight. D: King; Ir, L, T: knyghte (followed by A, G); here as elsewhere, I adopt an emendation (as does H) to reflect D's usual scribal spelling.
knight kene. The phrase refers to Mordred, Arthur's son-nephew, as the oblique and ominous prediction of the fall of the Round Table in the following twenty-five lines indicates. The ghost makes clear the inevitability of Arthur's death (line 302), Gawain's death (line 298), and the disintegration of the fellowship (line 293), all through treson (line 291). As H and William Matthews (The Tragedy of Arthur: A Study of the Alliterative "Morte Arthure" [Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1960], pp. 156-61) point out, many details and verbal echoes connect this passage to the Alliterative Morte Arthure and its descriptions of Mordred's arms, his actions, Gawain's death, and the fall of the Round Table. The ghost's striking vision of the destruction of Arthurian chivalry through a little child who even now "playes at the balle" (line 310), nursed in the household of the powerful Arthur, epitomizes the emphasis in Awntyrs on the tensions inherent in Christian knighthood.
287 shal kenely croyse the crowne. D: shal be clanly enclosed with a crowne. To have Mordred decisively crowned makes less sense than Ir's reading of Mordred's treason, which I adopt. In accepting the reading of Ir, croyse, I follow the MED in taking this as a form of crushen, used figuratively to mean "acquire by conquest" (though this is the only instance cited where such a meaning is possible). H ingeniously inserts encroche the crowne.
288 at Carlele. The adventures of Awntyrs start when Arthur comes to Carlisle (line 3), and the poem concludes with the entire court assembled again at Carlisle (lines 689, 690). In making Carlisle the seat of the Round Table, Awntyrs resembles Ragnelle, Avowyng, Greene Knight, and so on, which place Arthur's court there. This explains the precise appropriateness of Mordred's overthrowing his uncle/father by being crowned at the very center of power. No other romance stages the rebellion in this way.
289 That sege shal be sesede at a sesone. D: A sege shal he seche with a cession. All editors reject D's line as "meaningless" (A); I substitute T's reading (with slightly modified spelling).
292 tydynge. D: tying; Ir, L, T: tydynge, followed by A, G, and H.
293 ff. The ghost here foretells to Gawain his own death - In Dorsetshire shal dy the doughtest of alle - though it remains unclear whether Gawain understands her indirection. By muffling this prophecy of Gawain's death and the fall of the Round Table, Awntyrs potentially magnifies its shattering impact; this effect, however, depends upon the audience's familiarity with the vivid description of Gawain's final combat in the Alliterative Morte Arthure, when after a sea battle he wades ashore and is slain by Mordred (lines 3706-3863). Both Mordred and Arthur offer moving laments on his death (lines 3875 ff., 3956 ff.). In the Alli-terative Morte Arthure, Arthur moves his force "to Dorsett" (line 4052) for the confrontation with Mordred only after Gawain's death.
294 Ramsey. Matthews argues that this is Romsey in Hampshire, next to Dorset, and that the line therefore refers to the place of Arthur's last battle in the Alliterative Morte Arthure.
riding. This word must mean "battle" or "encounter" rather than "region," "area." It has the latter meaning only when applied to one of the three "ridings" (i.e., "thridings," thirds) of Yorkshire.
298 Matthews (following A's note) argues that the precision of this prophecy, involving as it does the relatively unusual word slake, proves direct borrowing from the Alliterative Morte Arthure, where Gawain impetuously wades ashore at a "slyke" only to meet death at Mordred's hand (line 3719).
306 suget. D: surget; I follow G's emended spelling.
306 ff. Any description of Mordred's arms is exceptional in Arthurian literature; in this case, the details are unmistakably taken from the Alliterative Morte Arthure, where Mordred disguises himself by putting aside "the sawturoure engrelede" (line 4182).
314 to. Omitted from D, this word is supplied from Ir, L, and T (followed by A, G, and H).
316 welle. D: dwelle; alliteration requires welle, as in Ir and T (followed by A, G, and H).
318 and. D: that; Ir, L, T: and the dole (with variants), which meter requires (so emended by A, G, and H).
337 Rondoles Halle. The other manuscripts read "Rondallsete" (Ir, L) and "Randolfesett" (T). A, following a nineteenth-century local historian, connects this with Randalholme, "an ancient manor house near the junction of the Ale with the Tyne" in Cumberland.
339 sale. D: halle; Ir, L, T: sale, which alliteration requires (followed by A, G, and H).
341 innewith. D: menewith the walle (so A, G read MS); as A notes, the abbreviation strokes are not clear, and H ingeniously reads (without comment) innewith, which I adopt.
342 brauden. A reads branden, G concurs, offering "(? for braudene)"; my reading agrees with H.
352 The mon in his mantell sittes at his mete. D: Mon, in thy mantell, that sittes at thi mete; G adopts T's reading, and H emends using T, a decision I follow.
354 This line is omitted in D; supplied from T, following A, G, and H. This line may have been omitted in exemplars of the other copies as well, and supplied by scribal copying from line 510, with which it is nearly identical. The descriptions here, and of the tapestries above and the lady's cloak and Galeron's pavilion below (lines 340 ff., 367 ff., and 443 ff.) echo the elaborately embroidered materials associated in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with the Green Knight's appearance (lines 165-66), the arming of Sir Gawain (lines 609 ff.), and the dress of Morgan (lines 959-60).
357 his beveren berde. Bertilak's beard is "bever-hwed" in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (line 845), and in the Alliterative Morte Arthure (in a scene reminiscent of Froissart's description of King Edward III's wearing a beaverskin hat in his ship before the battle of Winchelsea, 1350) Arthur is described "with beveryne lokkes" (line 3630).
360 carpes. D: talkes; Ir, T: carpis, which alliteration requires (followed by A, G, and H).
363 Whethen. D: Whelen; emended from Ir and T (followed by A, G, and H).
365 eny wy welde wolde. D: eny wede wolde; present emendation adapts T, wy myghte welde, following G.
372 prene. D: pene; Ir, L: prene, followed by A, G, and H.
375 ynoghe. D: Had I nore; Ir, T: ynoghe, followed by G, H.
381 bordur. D: brandur; Ir, L, T: bordur, followed by A, G, and H.
382 enclawet ful clene. D: white many hit seen; reading from Ir adopted for alliteration (also by A, G, and H).
385 blake. D: brake; emended for sense by A, G, and H.
387 ff. The suggestion that the cheveron - ME chaumfrein, from French chaufrein, the top or front of the horse's head-armor - makes Gawain's horse resemble a unicorn is not simply a literary fantasy. In the later Middle Ages armor for both knight and mount became ever more elaborate and decorative, and visual evidence affirms the use of dagger-like horns such as that described here.
392 that stanseld was one straye. D: golde his pencell displaied; the manuscripts show much confusion here, though Ir, L, T show vague agreement in their description. I adopt T's phrasing, though I insert Ir's stanseld; A, G, and H make other modifications.
394 graithed. D: graied; L, T: graythede; emended for sense (following A, G, and H).
396 poleinus. A and G read D as polemus; I follow H's astute reading of D and his gloss.
pelydodis. D: pelicocus; Ir: pelidoddes, L: pelydodis (emended variously by A, G, and H).
397 that lovely con lede. Variants show that scribes thought the phrase should be taken as "the knight accompanies or leads in that lovely woman": that lady gane he lede (T), that lovely he ledus he ludus (Ir, with obvious scribal error). MED, loveli, 4a, interprets the line similarly, reediting "Thus, launce opon lofte, that lovely [T: lady] he ledus" (which agrees with no manuscript reading, but follows Robson's edition, stanza XXI). But loveli, as adjective and substantive, is used of men as well as women; given that the lady has preceded Galeron into the hall and moved to the dais, it makes no sense that he would be said to be leading her. In this case, lede would mean either procede - "that worthy knight did go forward with his lance at rest" - or, better, conduct himself (see OED, lead, v.1, 9, 12, and so on) - "that worthy knight did present himself." See also line 497, where "lordes . . . hom . . . ledes" is used reflexively, meaning "the lords move."
398 A freke on a freson. A Frisian horse was apparently not an appropriate chivalric mount, but a workhorse; when Galeron offers Gawain his "freson, fairest on fote" (line 551) as a substitute steed, the latter refuses with scorn. The phrase recalls the Alliterative Morte Arthure, where a Roman warrior pursuing Gawain and his band is described (perhaps contemptuously) as a "freke alle in fyne golde . . . [who did] Come forthermaste on a fresone" (lines 1364-65).
404 herand him alle. All four manuscripts read hem alle, which may refer to the lady and Galeron, to whom Arthur will give a hearing. But the context of public speech engaging the interest of the entire court suggests the line specifies that the assembled nobility stand as witnesses for the formal exchanges and compact that follow. The phrase is equivalent to "in their hearing"; I therefore emend hem to him, reading the phrase as "with all hearing him (Arthur)." Here and in many other details the narrative emphasizes that the public, festive nature of the occasion intensifies how much of the court's reputation as the font of chivalric values is at stake in Galeron's challenge.
410 be. D lacks this word, which is supplied from Ir, L, and T (followed by A, G, and H).
412 Fighting to fraist. Galeron's statement of his desire for combat with a champion of the Round Table recalls the Green Knight's disavowal of any such interest: "Nay, frayst I no fyght, in fayth I the telle . . . Here is no mon me to mach, for myghtez so wayke" (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, lines 279-81: "Nay, I seek no fight, in faith I tell you . . . There is no man here to match me, for want of might").
415 and. D lacks this word, which occurs in Ir, L, and T.
417 Sir Galaron. Carlisle mentions "Syr Galerowne" in its roster of knights of the Round Table (line 43), and "Galyran" appears (together with Gawain) in the Alliterative Morte Arthure (line 3636). As Sir Galeron of Galloway he makes one of the twelve knights (all "of Scotlonde" or connected to Gawain's affinity) who in Malory align themselves with Mordred and Aggravayne in the ambush of Lancelot at the Castle of Carlisle (Works, p. 1164). Sir Gyngalyne, clearly the same knight as the son of Ragnelle and Gawain (Ragnelle, line 799) and identical in other romances with the Fair Unknown (Libeaus Desconus; see Carlisle, line 55 and note), is also among this group, as is Sir Gromore Somyr Joure (see Ragnelle, line 62 and note, and Turke, line 320 and note).
418 gyllis. D: grylles; Ir, L, T: gyllis (followed by A and G); H: gylles.
Galwey. Galloway is the southwesternmost territory of Scotland, northwest of Carlisle and the Solway Firth, and north of the Isle of Man (the setting of Turke). In his note (p. xli), Madden points out that from the Middle Ages Gawain was popularly known as Lord of Galloway, making Galeron's challenge to Arthur's sovereignty particularly pointed.
419 ff. Galeron's territorial possessions - the source of identity for a knight, as a member of the landed aristocracy - are all presumably in Scotland, though scribal corruption of proper names makes some difficult to locate precisely. The claim by a Scots lord that the English king had illegitimately taken his lands resonates with the continuous hostilities between England and Scotland in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It reflects also a pattern common to the Gawain romances, whereby the Arthurian court (often set in its familiar seat at Carlisle, near the northern border) gains possession or control of far-flung, sometimes exotic or magical (and often Celtic) territories and provinces. At the point when Galeron accepts Arthur's lordship and joins the Round Table, he has some of the lands mentioned in these lines restored to him by Gawain (lines 677 ff. and note).
424 unwylles. D: umwylles; Ir, L: unwilles, followed by A, G, and H.
433 What motivates Galeron is less an internalized sense of righteousness than his public identity derived from the honor of his lordship, and the desire to avoid the shame of public derision for non-action.
434 ff. Arthur's remarks here point up the intrusive character of Sir Galeron's combat-ready status. He sits upon his charger in battle armor, facing a court that is on holiday and unready for the rites of chivalric violence. The scene precisely repeats the opening confrontations of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Greene Knight, where a mounted knight challenges the court. It also resembles the opening of Ragnelle, where Arthur, in the midst of a hunt, is approached by the armed Sir Gromer Somer Joure, who unchivalrously coerces the King's agreement in a compact. Galeron has demonstrated his own knightly honor by insisting that he wishes to fight by the laws of war, "On a faire felde" (line 429). In its adherence to the codes of chivalric combat, promoting honor through ritualized but unrestrained violence, the fight between the two heroes in the present poem resembles that between Gawain and Gologras, even down to the description of particular details and the use of verbal formulas; see line 499 below, with note, and Gologras, lines 586, 754, 807, and notes.
438 H emends ingeniously to I rede the, renke, rest the al night, which suits the alliterative pattern; A and G adopt readings from T. I have left D unemended.
443 it. D lacks this word, which is supplied from L and T (followed by A, G, and H).
450 Sanapes and salers. D: sanape and saler; Ir, L, T: sanapes and salers, followed by A, G, and H.
471 God stond with the right. Gawain's assertion here is not simply equivalent to "May the best man win," but a statement of an honor code's fundamental commitment to the display or vindication of worship through violence. The public and ritualized combat of the joust or duel, like an ordeal, assumes that God's honor is at stake as well, or at least that divine justice supports the rightness of the outcome. Awntyrs itself creates a showcase for the display of chivalric honor, even as it raises questions (through Guenevere's mother, Galeron's complaints, or the references to the poor) about the self-evident rightness of traditional aristocratic values.
475 Plumton Land. Plumpton and Plumpton Head are villages in Cumberland, south of Carlisle, along the Roman road that passes alongside Inglewood Forest and the Tarn Wathelene.
477 Thei setten listes. Here and at lines 489 and 497 listes refers to the barriers that enclose the area set off for the joust between the two knights, and perhaps as well to a central barrier or palisade serving to keep the mounted knights apart but on course as they rush at each other with lances. The rule-bound and spectacular nature of the chivalric ethos emerges clearly in the care given to organizing this combat, including the installation of viewing places for the King and other noble witnesses (line 492). Two further examples from Malory (Works, pp. 518, 1233, cited by H), and Chaucer's description of Theseus' seat in the Knight's Tale, equally emphasize the essential role of display and judgment in chivalric combat.
bylyve. I agree with H, where A and G read by lyne.
482 kindeli. D: krudely; Ir: kindeli (followed by G, whose reading I adopt); H takes krudely as a garbled proper name.
490 Alle bot. D: bothe, without Alle; Ir, L, T: Alle bot, followed by A, G, and H.
492 Abowve. D: Quene; Ir, L, T: Abowve, followed by A, G, and H.
495 ff. The single combat that follows underscores Gawain's role as the preeminent champion of the Round Table. It strikingly resembles Gawain's part as representative of the Round Table in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and his comparably bloody duels with Sir Gologras (see note at lines 434 ff., above) and with Sir Piramus in the Alliterative Morte Arthure (lines 2513 ff.).
499 The burnes broched the blonkes that the side bledis. Gologras offers almost identical phrasing of this distinctive alliterative formula; see lines 306, 754.
509 griffons of golde engreled. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain's heraldic device is the pentangle; in the Alliterative Morte Arthure, Kyng Froderike of Frisia asks Mordred about the knight "with the gaye armes, / With this gryffoune of golde" (lines 3868-69). In Carlisle (lines 80 ff.), the arms of Sir Ironside (son of the Knyght of Armus Grene) consist of a golden griffin on a field of blue, surrounded by fleurs-de-lis. In Carle (lines 55 ff.; see note), Ironside bears similar arms, though apparently with several griffins, which are said to be those of his father (the Knight of Green Arms) with a difference. In one fifteenth-century album of arms, Gawain's device is said to be three golden lions' heads on an azure field, or, alternatively, three golden griffins on a green field (see General Introduction, note 21). It may be that the arms of Gawain or his kin have been mistakenly transferred to Ironside; see the notes accompanying the lines in Carlisle and Carle mentioned above.
511 startand. D: staryand; Ir, T: startand, followed by A, G, and H.
he. D: that; Ir, L, T: he, followed by A, G, and H.
521-22 These lines echo the description in the Alliterative Morte Arthure of the blows Arthur strikes against Mordred:
The cantelle of the clere schelde he kerfes in sondyre,
Into the schuldyre of the schalke a schaftmonde large.
(lines 4231-32)
A further variation of line 521 occurs in Gologras: "And claif throw the cantell of the clene schelde"; see line 937 and note.
522 shinand. D: shiand; I emend spelling for sense.
523 the lathely lord. D: the lady loude; L: lothely that lord, adopted by G; H: lathely.
536 skrikes. D: skirkes; I emend spelling for sense, following G and H.
539 of his grace. D: fele sithe; Ir, L: of his grace, followed by A, G, and H.
540 swithely. D: swathel; G: swithely.
542 bi the Rode. D: o the grounde; Ir: bi the Rode, followed by A, G, and H for the sake of rhyme.
544 He was swithely smert. D: Of he were hasty and smert; line supplied from L (following G), for the sake of sense.
546 Grissell. Gawain's horse bears this name (meaning "gray") in no other romance; in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (as in Chrétien and other French romances) Gawain's horse is Gryngolet (line 597 and elsewhere).
559 wepputte. D: siked; I emend to Ir's reading (following A, G, and H) for the sake of concatenation with the first line of the following stanza.
562 ff. The action of these lines is so compacted that it is hard to follow. With the killing of Gawain's horse and his refusal of another mount, Galeron feels drede - doubt, not fear - about how the combat should properly continue. He boldely - vigorously - spurs his horse across the field, so that he can dismount and continue the fight fairly, on foot (lines 566-67); but first he taunts Gawain for his want of action (line 564) in the wake of Grissell's death. A and H take line 564 as spoken by Gawain, not Galeron.
565 Other editors place quotation marks at the end of this line, making it part of the direct discourse of the preceding line. As a marker of time on the part of the narrator, the line seems to recall Gawain's mythic associations with the sun god, whereby his strength increased until noon and diminished afterward (see Stanzaic Morte Arthur lines 2802-07, and Malory, Works, pp. 1216-17).
567 yare. D: thare; Ir, L: yare, followed by A, G, and H.
576 D omits this line; I follow H in substituting L's line.
577 brouched. A, G read bronched, which A glosses as "pierced" and G glosses as "crouched"; I follow H in my reading of the manuscript.
591 stright. D: stight; Ir: streghte, followed by A and G; H: stright, emended for rhyme.
594-98 D gives the following for these lines:
Then gretes Gaynour, with bothe her gray ene,
For tho doughti that fight,
Were manly mached of might
Withoute reson or right,
As al men sene.
The nonsensical use of rhyming tags and the lack of concatenation with the following stanza indicate the lines are corrupt; A, G, and H emend. I follow G in adopting L for these lines.
595 Sir Lete and Sir Lake. A and H follow Ir, where the first name reads Lote, no doubt King Lot of Lothian and Orkney, Gawain's father; A and H identify Lake as the father of Erec, King Lac. Medieval forms of address almost never make use of the last term (derived from a place or family name) in a knight's title, so that an allusion to Lancelot de Lake or to Arrak Fiz Lake (that is Erec, son of King Lac, line 654) could not be intended here.
600 wound. D: wounded; I follow A, G, and H for the sake of rhyme.
602 stound. D: stonded; A, H: stound.
603 the knyght. D lacks the article, which is supplied from Ir and L (so emended by A, G, and H).
609 unredely. I follow H's reading of D.
610 on his tras. I retain the reading of D, which makes adequate sense. A, G, and H emend to Ir's on his face (T: faas). All three editors seem to take this literally as specifying the place where Galeron attacks Gawain. The immense array of words for "face," "visage," "countenance," "look," "gaze," "glance," and so on, which occurs throughout Awntyrs, Gologras, and other martial chivalric romances, may indicate that this should be taken as an adverbial phrase of manner: Galeron, wounded and exhausted, makes his last desperate attack "in Gawain's face" - that is, without any care for self-protection, in full view of others and especially of one's adversary, and therefore in the face of ultimate threat. Such a usage resembles phrases appropriated by American English from African-American dialects: "in your face," "in your face disgrace," "get out of my face." As in chivalric romances, such contemporary phrases contain traces of orality and oral contest, and insist that the ultimate point of self-display in an honor society is to command the attention of others. In such situations, success does not depend upon physical victory, for dying gloriously (as Galeron seems about to do) can be a vindication of honor; success instead consists in making a spectacle of honor and prowess and of forcing others - in particular, the adversary - to witness and assent to it, as the court and Gawain do here.
613 a cast of the carhonde. D: a scas of care; Ir: a cast of the carhonde, followed by A, G, and H.
cantil. I follow H's reading, where A and G give cautil ("craft," "deceit").
618 bi the coler. Gawain takes hold of Galeron by his coler, the part of his armor that protects his neck and throat (the gorget). The idiomatic use of "collar" as a verb does not seem implied here, and is not recorded in English until the sixteenth century.
625 Than wilfully. D: wisly, without than; T: Than wilfully, followed by A, G, and H for concatenation.
625 ff. The Queen's plea for mercy, on bended knee before her sovereign, seeking the life of a captive knight, is a stylized scene in chronicle and romance. A notable instance occurs in Froissart, when six citizens of Calais, stripped to their undergarments with nooses around their necks, present themselves to Edward III and offer him the keys to their city. When Edward orders them put to death, "the noble Queen of England, pregnant as she was, humbly threw herself on her knees before the King and said, weeping: 'Ah, my dear lord, since I crossed the sea at great danger to myself, you know that I have never asked a single favour from you. But now I ask you in all humility, in the name of the Son of the Blessed Mary and by the love you bear me, to have mercy on these six men.' The King remained silent for a time, looking at his gentle wife as she knelt in tears before him. His heart was softened . . . , and at last he said: 'My lady, I could wish you were anywhere else but here. Your appeal has so touched me that I cannot refuse it. So, although I do this against my will, here, take them. They are yours to do what you like with"' (Froissart: Chronicles, trans. Geoffrey Bereton, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1969, p. 109). Similar scenes of queenly intervention occur in Chaucer's Knight's Tale and Wife of Bath's Tale. In the morality play Pride of Life, the Queen of Life attempts to warn her mate against deadly arrogance; in the romance Athelston, the pregnant Queen kneels and begs mercy for the King's sworn brother, though he strikes her and thereby kills their unborn heir. These poetical and dramatic scenes underscore the conventionality of Froissart's anecdote, discussed by Paul Strohm in "Queens as Intercessors," Hochon's Arrow: The Social Imagination of Fourteenth-Century Texts (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1992), pp. 95-119.
627 Roye. D: ioy; L, T: roye, followed by A, G, and H.
634 I follow H's punctuation, which makes leve not an adjective ("dear lord"), but a subjunctive verb form ("if you would allow").
637 here. D: ther; L, T: here, followed by A, G, and H.
640 releyse. Galeron here uses a quasi-technical term in giving a quitclaim on Gawain's estates; since he makes it byfore thiese ryalle - in the royal presence - it stands as a legally binding agreement. A knight's word delivered in public, oral performance thus becomes the ultimate example and guarantee of his honor.
641 byfore thiese ryalle, resynge. D: by rial reyson relese; I adopt T's reading, following A, G, and H.
654 Ewayn Fiz Uryayn. D: Ewayn Fiz Grian; the other manuscripts contain different variants, and I adapt the spelling "Uryayn" [Urian] from Ir's Fusuryayn.
654-55The names of the knights specified here appear muddled because of scribal transmission. Carlisle includes in its roster of the Round Table Syr Eweyne the Uyttryan (line 40 - Ywain fitz Urien) and Syr Mewreke (line 34). Before the final battle with Mordred in the Alliterative Morte Arthure, Arthur arrays his troops so that
Sir Ewayne, and Sir Errake, and othire gret lordes
Demenys the medilwarde menskefully thareaftyre,
With Merrake and Meneduke, myghtty of strenghes
(lines 4075-77).
The group that runs to the lists in Awntyrs clearly seems to be drawn from this passage.
655 Marrake and Moylard. D: Sir Drurelat and Moylard; Ir, L, T mention Marrake, and all three garble a second alliterating name (Melidule, Marcaduk, Menegalle). A, G, H emend to Meneduke (as found in the Alliterative Morte Arthure; see previous note). I follow the other editors in substituting Marrake for the non-alliterating Drurelat, but retain D's Moylard as metrically appropriate (if otherwise unknown).
664 ff. Arthur seems here to bestow upon Gawain, in compensation for the territories he is about to restore to Galeron, the lordship of Wales together with a collection of individual lands. Glamorganshire occupies the southeast portion of Wales, with its major towns Cardiff and Swansea on the Bristol Channel. Bretayne likely refers to Brittany, an area of northwestern France with strong Celtic links. The other place names cannot be precisely identified; A and H assume they refer to towns in Wales or northern England. Ulstur Halle and Waterforde might as easily refer to Ireland; the English crown was actively involved in holding and developing its possessions in these two areas of Ireland during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The vagueness and interchangeability of reference to these fringe territories underscores their function in the Gawain romances as tokens of Arthur's kingly power; such scenes suggest that the English king can give away to his vassals (and thus retain control of) the entire Celtic world. In granting Gawain The worship of Wales Arthur seems close to endowing Gawain with the principality of Wales. From the time of Edward III (fourteenth century, a generation or so before the composition of Awntyrs), the eldest son of the king was created Prince of Wales by the monarch to signify his status as heir to the throne. Given that he has no son (except Mordred), Arthur's bestowal here of The worship of Wales upon Gawain seems to hint at the possibility that the King intends his sister's son to be his successor; in any case, the title given here would have special resonance for a medieval audience.
666 at wolde. D: al wolde; I follow emendation of A, G, and H.
667 Criffones Castelles. Ir: kirfre castell; T: Gryffones castelle. I take this as another garbled place name, though (as the scribe of T suggests in his rationalized reading) one might stretch the line to mean "crenelated castles with griffins." The latter symbols are associated with Gawain in romance heraldry; see Carlisle, lines 80 ff. and note, and Carle, lines 55 ff. and note.
669 wallede. D: in Wales; Ir, L, T: wallede, followed by A, G, and H.
672 doue. D: dight; Ir: doue; T: endewe; A, G: endowe (misreading T); H: dowe, emending spelling.
677 Gawayn. D: G.; I expand abbreviation, with G.
678 ff. Gawain's gift returns to Galeron some of those territories Arthur had bestowed upon Gawain (though not Galloway; compare lines 418, 419 ff. and notes). Except for the names repeated from this earlier passage, none of the place names can be identified with certainty, and equally garbled names appear in the other manuscripts. Though some invite guesses (Lother, the Lowther Hills?; Carlele itself), they seem mainly to serve as empty markers of Arthur's power to exercise dominion over border territories; indeed, Galeron seems positioned - as a lord with holdings in both Scotland and England - as a marcher lord, entrusted with resolving differences between emergent national identities.
680 There are several erasures and additions to the line in D, and the other manuscripts show more confusion than usual. I follow G in simply retaining D with its inserted corrections.
683 Withthi. I follow H in supplying this word from Ir as a connective.
our. D: your; Ir, L: our, followed by H.
thou. D: to; Ir: thou, followed by H.
684 make thy. D: to make (corrected in MS); L: make thy, followed by H.
685 the. D: him; Ir, L: the, followed by H.
693 saned. A and G read D as saved; I follow H's equally plausible reading of the MS (here and in line 699) since it seems more appropriate.
696 wlonkest. D: slonkest; Ir: wlonkest, so emended by G and H.
703 into. D: in; Ir, L, T: into, followed by A, G, and H.
708 belles the burde. D: besely the burde; G: belles the burde, followed by H.
The ringing of church bells usually signals public celebration, and in particular marks the passage of a soul from Purgatory; St. Erkenwald (which, like Awntyrs, has connections to the Trental of St. Gregory) ends on this same note.
709 Ingulwud. D: Englond; Ir: Ingulwud, followed by G and emended for spelling by H.
711 holtis. D: haast; Ir, T: holtis, followed by A, G, and H (with modification).
714-15 In having these last lines almost precisely repeat the opening lines, Awntyrs creates a final stanzaic concatenation that links the whole poem in a circular structure. A number of other alliterative poems, most of them nearly contemporary with Awntyrs, employ this structural device; these include Avowyng, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Patience. T provides a colophon in couplets following the final line: "This ferly byfelle, full sothely to sayne, / In Yggillwode Foreste at the Tern Wathelayne." For this location, see line 2 and note.