Beardless Children

Beardless Children

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is considered to be one of the finest Arthurian romances in English. Unfortunately, the 14th-century author of the epic remains unknown. The poem describes a common game at the time the "Beheading Game," which turns out to be a great physical as well as moral challenge to the main character, Sir Gawain.

The passage (130-202) of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight describes the appearance of a strange knight in King Arthur's court. The anonymous author of the epic describes the rider in great detail, emphasizing the importance of this character. The passage is intended to arouse readers' curiosity, and at the same time, to introduce the mighty danger that the main character, Sir Gawain, will have to face. Furthermore, the strange knight is shown to be a test or trial for King Arthur and his knights. Finally, the passage presents the actual dynamics of Arthur's court as incompatible with the poet's initial praising of nobility, justice and chivalric ideals.

The Green Knight is clearly a magical figure. This strange rider is of green hue, and he is riding a green horse. Physically, the knight is presented as strong and of a great size:

From broad neck to buttocks so bulky and thick,

And his loins and his legs so long and so great,

Half a giant on earth I hold him to be...(138 - 140).

The author gives these characteristics to the character for a reason. Possibly, the author aims to arouse interest of the readers or to emphasize the danger that Sir Gawain is about to face. However, at this point of the story, the reader is unaware of the true identity of the Green Knight, which makes it more exciting to read the poem. The passage describes the great festivities in King Arthur's court during the celebration of Christmas. And already Arthur is portrayed behaving childishly, when he refuses to eat unless he hears an entertaining story:

But Arthur would not eat till all were served;

So light was his lordly heart, and a little boyish;

And also a point of pride pricked him in heart,

For he nobly had willed, he would never eat.