The alliterative poems Pearl and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight unite traditional Celtic mythology with Christian orthodoxy to produce a distinctly British Christianity
The Catholic church in fourteenth century England was undergoing a convulsion. The church was unable to explain why God inflicted the Black Plague on the citizenry, or to conjure up his mercy and end the suffering and death. The Babylonian Captivity saw the papacy in Avignon, under the influence if not the direct control of the hated French. Even when Rome once again became the seat of the Holy See, the Great Western Schism divided the loyalties of Christians between the two rival popes -- who excommunicated each other and all the other's followers. Corruption among the hierarchy of priests and bishops seemed epidemic.
As ever, "The obvious alternative, for anyone wishing to withdraw from the ideological and bureaucratic complexities of the Christian empire, was to return to the simplicity of the Church's founder," (Saul 544). We still see this today, in evangelical and fundamentalist Christian sects.
Lollardy was one reaction to the church's apparent loss of direction. John Wyclif and his followers disavowed the authority of the papacy, the truth of the sacraments, and the dogma and doctrines of the Catholics church.
The alliterative poems Pearl and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight also turn away from the orthodoxy of the Catholic church. By the subtle yet simple technique of excluding Catholic doctrines, and by adapting the mythical British past into the Christian present, these poems illustrate the development of a specifically British Christianity.
While the poems may seem to approve of Lollardy, we would be in error in believing that. Rather, these heretical views all flow from a common wellspring in the English character that would later lead to Protestantism and the establishment of the Church of England.
Veneration of the Virgin Mary was to be scornfully dubbed "Mariolotry" by Protestants, but was at the time (and remains) a central doctrine of Catholicism. Teachings of the church "formed so vital a part of literary backgrounds" (Ackerman 81) that someone unfamiliar with Catholicism would fail to understand the literature of the period. Both Pearl and Gawain treat as normal veneration of the Virgin Mary. This is, however, the only piece of Catholic orthodoxy these poems contain; all the other Christian symbols and allusions are taken directly from the Bible, not the church. Gawain does mention in passing St. Julian (774) and St.
Medieval people could find no Divine reason for the four-year nightmare, and dissatisfaction with the church gave impetus to reform movements that eventually broke apart the unity of the Catholic Church. The plague itself was disastrous enough, especially in the appearance of more than one form during the same epidemic. But coming when it did was as catastrophic as its form. The middle 14th century was not a good time for Europe. The European economy was already in difficulties.
Riddy, Felicity. "Jewels in Pearl" in A Companion to the Gawain-Poet, pp. 142-55. Derek Brewer and Jonathan Gibson, editors. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1997.
In de-emphasizing the role of the Church, it’s rituals, and offices, and supplanting them with a more direct and personal approach to God and spirituality; the Protestant Reformation, through the works of Martin...
Thesis Statement: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight shows the struggle between a good Christian man against the temptations of this world.
Catholic Liturgy is well explored in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. There are various expressions that indicate this nature of liturgy. To begin with, the description of Christmas is one of the expressions of catholic liturgy in the poem. Christmas is a religious celebration that focuses on the birth of the savior. The poet provides a proper analysis of what is to be done during the time of Christmas and what order should be followed. Terminologies such as ‘Nowel’ are used as a sign of courtesy during the exchange of gifts. The poet takes a closer look at the various occurrences during the Christmas season as described in lines 37-197 and 750-2479. The main function of the religious liturgy is to show the beliefs of the characters and their importance in providing guidance to the Christian faithfuls (Howard, & Zacher, 1968).
The characteristics that heroes hold are highly influenced by the culture that they come from. In the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", the hero Gawain represents the Celtic culture and the views that the ancient Celts held for heroes. The characteristics that Gawain possesses are humble, focused, brave, loyal, virtuous, and religious. Within the poem, the trials that he undergoes, and the events in the journey that are faced are influenced immensely by the characteristics that he has, some Celtic cultural symbolism, as well as the steps of the hero 's journey.
Markman, Alan M. "The Meaning of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Modern Language Association 72.4 (1957): 574-86. JSTOR. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
“I refuse!” Rosa Parks was an African American lady who did not move to the back of the bus. She wanted to be treated like a human being. Rosa Parks, who was 42 years old at the time, wanted to make a difference in blacks. She refused to move to the back of the bus, and then started the Montgomery Bus Boycott with Martin Luther King Jr. Eventually, Rosa was a member of the NAACP and acted as a leader to stop segregation in the South.
The significance of religious beliefs in the tales of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, portrayed diverse roles in each story. Although it was clear that God was highly-favored and worshipped in each of these tales, the abundance of praising Him was greatly differed. Both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the green knight are written to be believers of God and his mighty works and miracles. In this passage, the significance of religious beliefs in these tales are explained by presenting how Beowulf and the characters of his time praised the Lord for all of his works, even those that pertained to evil doings, Sir Gawain praised the Lord for blessings and strength instead of his unfortunate times, and how each character was destined to become more like Christ, living their lives being heroes and God-like.
Seafaring, paganism, and the hero’s code were all imperative traditions of the ancient Anglo Saxon English culture. Bede's fictional work A History of the English Church and People clearly doesn't help in the audiences’ understanding of these traditions although it expresses the general idea of the culture. Ultimately, the epic poem Beowulf reveals and ties these traditions together to make it easier to understand, while enjoying the tale of the epic hero Beowulf. This fictional piece is best suited in understanding the culture of the Ancient Anglo-Saxon English, because overall, the epic poem Beowulf sheds more light on the Ancient Anglo Saxons.
Authors incorporate religious principles to set forth the moral characteristics and ideals expected of a person. Literary works are illustrated with biblical allusions to help express the message behind the plot of a story. The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight integrates biblical beliefs to depict the views on human nature. In this work, Christian concepts are embedded into the poem to suggest the Green Knight’s characterization as God, a representation to test human nature’s fidelity.
Rosa parks “whose defiance of segregation laws in Montgomery, Alabama sparked the civil rights movement in 1955”, unfortunately died at her home on Wednesday, October 26 in Detroit at the age of 92. Millions of people view Parks as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, it is a designation she repeatedly disclaimed; citing that she was only doing what she thought was her right.” (Boyd).
Rosa Parks is famous for a lot of things. But, she is best known for her civil rights action. This happen in December 1,1955 Montgomery, Alabama bus system. She refused to give up her sit to a white passenger on the bus. She was arrested for violating a law that whites and blacks sit in separate sit in separate rows.
Rosa Parks was an African American woman who was brave enough to stand up to the whites. Even though she went to jail for what she did, she believes she did the right thing. What Rosa had done on the bus started boycotts and created more and more activists. People wonder if Rosa Parks was raised to stand up for herself or if she was supposed to stay quiet. Looking at Rosa’s life and what happened on the bus and beyond, it can be concluded that she was taught to take pride in her race.
Riddy, Felicity. "Jewels in Pearl" in A Companion to the Gawain-Poet, pp. 142-55. Derek Brewer and Jonathan Gibson, editors. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1997.