Similarities Between Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Edson Perez

9/19/14

EUH2021

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a Christian text due to the fact that it mentions several religious figures, prayers and holidays. A story about a knight who makes a deal with a strange knight known as the Green Knight. The Green Knight challenges anyone of King Arthur’s men but all refuse except Sir Gawain. The Green Knight allows one blow with his axe but there is a condition and that condition is Sir Gawain must find the Green Knight in a year to receive a blow in return. Although this story does contain a lot of strange things that are not considered Christian or part of Christianity such as the Green Knight described as “one of the largest creatures in the whole world”(Gawain, line 137). But even before the Green Knight comes into the picture there is already mention of religion “When the knights arrived in the hall and Mass was over in the echoing chapel, the singing continued from the priests and the rest” (Gawain, lines 62-64), already you have Christianity being mentioned before the main character is introduced.

Then when Gawain decides to take the Green Knight’s challenge, King Arthur gave God’s blessing to Gawain (Gawain, line 370), this is before Gawain and the Green Knight go over the terms of their deal. As these terms are being reviewed by both the Green Knight and Sir Gawain the Green Knight says “By God, Sir Gawain” (Gawain, line 390). God is mentioned a lot throughout the first chapter