Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (The Poem)

A 14th-century Middle English Arthurian romance composed between 1375 and 1400 that stands as one of the finest examples of the Alliterative Revival.

The Gawain Poet (Pearl Poet)

The anonymous author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, generally believed to be a cleric or church-trained professional who also wrote Pearl, Patience, and Purity.

Northwest Midlands

The remote dialectal region between Cheshire and Staffordshire where the Gawain poet and his audience are geographically localized.

Alliterative Revival (Renaissance)

A late 14th-century literary movement in northern and western England marking a renewed flowering of traditional Old English alliterative verse.

Bob and Wheel

A unique stanzaic structure containing a variable group of long alliterative lines followed by a five-line rhyming section (ababa); the "bob" is a one-stress line and the "wheel" consists of four three-stress lines.

Beheading Game

A folkloric plot motif originating in ancient Celtic/Irish traditions where a supernatural challenger proposes an exchange of axe blows.

Bricriu’s Feast

An early Middle Irish Gaelic tale containing the oldest recorded written instance of the Beheading Game motif.

Cú Chulainn

The legendary Irish/Gaelic hero who triumphs flawlessly in Bricriu's Feast, serving as an ancient mythological precursor to Gawain.

Truth (Middle English: Trawthe/Troth)

A multifaceted concept meaning factual truth, spiritual faith, and a sacred pledge of moral obligation or loyalty owed to lords, hosts, and God.

Pentangle

A five-pointed star displayed on Gawain’s coat of arms and shield, symbolizing his interconnected Christian and chivalric perfections.

Brutus Books

Cyclical foundation stories tracing the origins of Britain back to Felix Brutus and the fall of Troy, used to frame the poem's historical scope.

Chrétien de Troyes

The 12th-century French writer who expanded the Arthurian legends, introducing Lancelot and shifting the focus away from Gawain.

Geoffrey of Monmouth

The 12th-century author of The History of the Kings of Britain, a Latin text in which Gawain serves prominently as Arthur's premier warrior.

Thou / Thee / Thy

Old English singular second-person pronouns used by the Green Knight to subtly insult King Arthur by addressing him as an individual rather than showing royal plural respect.

Blush

A word recorded in its original Middle English form within the poem, meaning a brief glimpse, glance, or quick look.

Gringolet

The legendary, golden-spurred steed belonging to Sir Gawain.

Green Sash (Lovelace)

The protective silk girdle given to Gawain by the lady of the castle, which he keeps in secret, breaking his promise to the host.

Bertilak de Hautdesert

The real identity of the Green Knight and the lord of the grand castle where Gawain rests before his final trial.

Morgan le Fay

The ancient matriarchal figure disguised at the castle who orchestrated the Green Knight's magical transformation to test Arthur’s court.

The Three Estates

The foundational medieval social theory dividing society into the Nobility (those who fight/rule), the Church (those who pray), and the Commoners (those who work).

The Deer Hunt

The first day's hunt where Bertilak slaughters does, contrasting with the lady's gentle, domestic "hunting" of Gawain in his bedroom.

The Boar Hunt

The second day's hunt featuring a fierce, aggressive beast that injures hounds, mirroring the escalating pressure of the bedroom temptation.

The Fox Hunt

The third day's hunt chasing Reynard the fox, a creature of thieves and trickery, matching Gawain's descent into deception with the green sash.

Ian Mortimer

The historian and author of Medieval Horizons who argues that the expansion of human horizons between 1000 and 1600 transformed society far more than modern technology.

The Black Death

A massive medieval psychological and physical ordeal that drastically shifted demographic realities, labor value, and social theory in the 14th century.