The Headless Horseman

At first when Dr. MB told us about this excerpt, my initial thought was the Headless Horseman from Sleepy Hallow. I’ve only vaguely heard of the Headless Horseman from an episode of Scooby-Doo so I do not know much about the story line behind Sleepy Hallow, but that was the image I had engraved in my head. Then Dr. MB asked us what the color green meant. Instantly, I thought of the famous phrase “green with envy” and how in TV shows characters’ eyes would turn green when they were jealous. Going in to read this excerpt, I imagined a green, headless knight, filled with jealousy, galloping on a horse into the sunset. To my surprise, I was more correct than I thought I would have.

It amazed me at the end of the excerpt when the Green Knight rode off into the night carrying his head. The image I had before reading the poem was correct. Now, because I do not know the story of Sleepy Hallow, I do not know if these two characters are relatable in any other ways, but have some sort of connection. I believe my theory of the Green Knight being jealous is possible. The other meanings of green are renewal and rebirth which I do not think are the case for the giant. Many other students mentioned how the Green Knight was a giant, maybe meaning he was an outcast or misunderstood. If this is the case then is it possible he was jealous of King Author and the knights are the round table. Maybe he just wanted to get their attention with his ridiculous request? Any attention is good attention, right? Maybe the Green Knight wanted to scare the people of the round table to prove that he was better than them? The thoughts of the Green Knight are unknown, and there are many different theories of why he is the way he is.

My favorite element of the poem was the alliteration. I struggle with reading and understanding poems, and the alliteration rolls off of the tongue easily so it keeps me focused because of the rhythm. Line 182 mentioned his “bushy green beard growing down to his breast” which created great imagery for the Green Knight. The Green Knight is given a hulk-like description, but is still attractive as all knights are, but the bushy beard gives him a lumberjack-vibe, along with his giant green ax. Line 324 also has great alliteration: “and folly finds the man who flirts with the fool.” This line stuck out to me because 1. “folly” is a great word and needs to be used more often and 2. “flirts with the fool” is a great expression along with “flirting with the devil” and it shows how idiotic the Green Knight’s request is. The alliteration made a big impact on the poem and made it much more interesting to read.

Green Dreams Are Made of This….remix with The Corrupt Businessman

 

In a world where giant, green men with very large axes simply stroll into Arthurian courtyards during Michaelmas...but can you imagine if there was more than one Green Knight? That’s a bit scary. This is probably my third time reading this story and this part is probably my second favorite; since I am quite fond of the whole “an honorable end for an honorable man,” so I like the weird ending. But this part always sticks out, because you know, decapitation. Yet even so “that scalp and skull now swung from his fist/…and it opened its eyelids, stared straight ahead/ and spoke this speech…” (SGGK 49). The supernatural way that he simply addresses the court like some headless horseman makes the story really come to life (no pun intended). 

However one of the most important questions to ask is: Why green? Why not a Blue Knight? Why are this Knight and his horse cantering into the great hall sporting this secondary color? The most common symbol for green is envy and jealousy so would that mean that this mysterious Green Knight is jealous of King Arthur, his court, his followers? So many questions, so little time. The first lines that tell of this unusual pigment in his skin: “Amazement seized their minds/ no soul had ever seen/ a knight of such a kind/ entirely emerald green.” (SGGK 30). There is an intended emphasis on “emerald” since it creates alliteration with “entirely” and with this the knight is put into a noble light since emeralds are jewels which would NOT be associated with a lower born person or even a small-fry knight. My guess is that this honorable green knight heard about all the brave deeds and heroic knights and their love of their king, he got real envious because he lives alone and forgotten in the corner of the world and he comes to the court because he wants to be noticed and talked about like the famous king. 

Also I feel like I should also talk about the other reading we had, “The Canon’s Assistant Tale” which was interesting in how terrible the people in it are. Especially the part where the “rascal canon” swindles a priest with his false alchemy. First of all that priest is way too gullible and a bit corrupt if he is all about making illegal money, probably for himself. And then the swindler, well, I have mixed feelings about him since he is obviously talented about his work and is renown through the town, but also he is a fraud. “That scoundrel canon, whom the devil fetch/ Out of his bosom took a seeming charcoal/ A bit of beech wherein he’d bored a hole/ In which he’d placed an ounce of silver filings…” (CAT 442). Obviously what the fraud canon is doing is horrible, and he is using alchemist pretexts to swindle wealthy, ignorant people who want to believe in magic, and a quick way to more money. Yet, in a way he is just trying to make money and survive, it is his livelihood, and he is good at it. Somehow I saw him more as a corrupt salesman.       

Off With Your Head!

            

The reinstatement of Middle English into my college life was a smooth one, since King Arthur's request  was rather similar to the request of my most familiar middle-aged buddies—those being, the Wife of Bath and her gaggle of travelers (Canterbury Tales) one-upping each other with interesting stories. **Sidebar: I’d be much more interested in a free round of booze for my great, interesting story than King Arthur’s idea of fun (ie; watching him not eat from the rather excessive spread of food. #YourGameIsBoringBro)**

Anyway…

            I cannot entirely decide who I am more interested/fascinated by: the shocking, marvelous Green Knight or the ballsy, loyal Sir Gawain. For sure, Sir Gawain is a brave guy. Beyond bravery, though, he is admirable for his commitment to King Arthur, even after his courts de-glorification in the face of the Green Knight: “Where’s the fortitude and fearlessness you are so famous for?/…what a scandal!/You flap you flinch and I’ve not raised a finger!” Even after King Arthur & his round tables abilities have been showed to be lacking, Sir Gawain maintains that King Arthur, and his men, are “brave and bold” and worthy of his self-sacrifice. (Can’t say I’d agree, regardless to how scary this guy may be). The Green Knight, though, appears as a street corner magician—not magical in the sense that he is foreign and not understood, and therefore must be magic (which I’m sure much of King Arthur’s crew believed), but because he propositions the crowd in a pick-a-card-any-card manor, saying “So who has the gall? The gumption? The guts?/ Who will spring from his seat and catch my weapon?” Sadly, I imagined him with his stage assistant, distracting the audience with her beauty, ready to fool some fool into taking on this battle, little do they know…. he can still live, breathe and walk without his head! Talk about trickery (…but I mean like cool, I-like-your-style kind of trickery).

            While reading the story, I wondered what the Green Knight looked like. What I found surprising was Google Images wide range of interpretations. While one photo makes him and his horse look possessed, another portrays him as a grass-like-monster emerging from the soil and asking someone to chop off his head. I pictured him similarly to the third photo pictured: majestic, kind of strange, but altogether approachable, in the your kinda green and off-putting, but i'll ignore that sort of way..... 

Now That's What I Call Magic

Wow, what a great reading to start off the blog. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of my favorite readings that I have had in any of my courses so far in college. The description of the Green Knight is always fun to read. The fact that this Knight is not only wearing green on his entire body, but his hair and beard are green as well makes this an interesting story right off the bat. The description of the Knight, however, is not the most interesting part of the reading to me. The most interesting part is the fact that he is not only able to live after he is decapitated, but talk and ride off on a horse afterwards. This to me is an excellent example of what magic and mysticism is. This is my fifth time reading this part of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but it still amazes me that this knight is able to ride off into the sunset with his head in his hands.

                                                    

King Arthur wishes to have a special event/moment to occur before every meal and that is exactly what he got from this most peculiar knight.

                The Canon’s Assistant’s Tale was also a good reading to start off with in the class. In many classes, we have to read textbooks for exams and papers and other work, so to have readings like these two are a nice break from it all. The Canon’s Assistant’s Tale was an interesting reading; it had trickery, pseudo-magic, and excitement all in few number of pages. The tale is also from a perspective other than the person who had the misfortune themselves. This gave a more appealing look, in my opinion, into the situation.

                Near the end of the reading, I put myself into the position of the priest. I caught myself thinking that if that happened to me I might not have realized that I had been played; I would probably think that I had made an error in the process of making the silver, it would not occur to me (at least not initially) that I had been made a fool of. Please tell me someone else would think this way.

                This reading helped to reinforce my idea of alchemy during this time period. I think of people in this time period as very obsessed with the idea of making gold (or in this case silver) out of other elements. This story shows just that, a priest being so amazed in the “making “of silver that he is willing to hand over his money to obtain the powder to do it himself.

                I loved these readings and I hope everyone else did as well. Please let me know how you feel about them.

Mind Your Head

While reading  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I was at first struck by the rhythmic beat of the lines and the jovial feel given off by the poem's alliteration. When the first description of the Green Knight came, with the line "a mountain of a man," I immediately thought of Hogwarts' favorite gamekeeper Hagrid, but this image quickly faded from my mind as the description continued. The poet spared no detail as they illustrated this impressive spectacle of a man, who is entirely decked out in green. What were the connotations of the color green during that time period? When I think of the color, I mostly think of trees, leaves, and walks in the woods. Soft shades of it seem to evoke peace. However, the color is also synonymous with envy and perhaps greed. I wonder, to a medieval reader of this poem, what feelings the color green evoked? Did the connotations associated with it change over time, and do they differ from the connotations associated with it today?

The first indication of the Green Knight as being a magical figure is indicated on line 198, where he is described as "otherworldly." This isn't just some weird guy with an unhealthy color obsession; as we later find out, "otherworldly" is almost an understatement, and poor Sir Gawain deals with that otherworldliness firsthand. Here, though, the word has only a neutral connotation. Another reference to the Knight's magical nature is on line 240, when he is described as "a miracle or magic," which is perhaps a neutral-positive connotation because of the use of the word "or."

When the Green Knight's massive war axe is being described, the poet writes that its head is "an ell in length at least." I had never heard of an "ell" as a unit of measurement before so I looked it up on my handy dictionary app. An ell is a unit of measurement that is equivalent to 45 inches, which is 3.75 ft. The freaking head of the axe is 3.75 FEET. Not the whole axe, jUST THE HEAD. I am unsure as to whether or not this description is supposed to be exaggerated or not but in any case: how impressive is that?

When the Green Knight does the whole "take me to your leader" business, King Arthur steps up and we learn (or at least I just did because I don't pay attention to things) that this is a story set in the famous King's court and his knights of the round table.

♫ We're knights of the round table, we dance whene'er we're able ♫

When the Green Knight first relayed his challenge, I at first didn't understand what he meant. I couldn't comprehend this mad challenge up until Sir Gawain actually delivers that nonfatal blow to his opponent because it was just that crazy. 

When I think of the word magic, though, the Green Knight's headless horseman type stunt isn't exactly what comes to mind. Where are the witches and potions and spells? The Green Knight was used by the evil sorceress Morgan Le Fay to test the bravery of King Arthur's court, yet that is the extent of it. After the Green Knight gallops out of his court, Arthur's guests merrily resume their feast and that's the end of it. The spectacle doesn't seem to greatly disturb them. It's almost as if this is just another day in the Arthurian world. Another day another chivalric obligation right? 

Ryan Tutzauer

Green Horsemen blog

It seems to me like this horseman might as well be the Hulk but with a death wish. Trying to start up his own type of fight club he broke the first and second rule… he talked about fight club. Id imagine he wanted to see if anyone in King Authors court was ill-minded enough to behead a man who mad it clear that he was not looking for conflict.  Then again, the knight must just have a pain fetish and a really good doctor. Gawain must have been that one fellow who pregamed for the dinner a little to hard considering there was enough beer and wine to get the village drunk with a dozen plates per pair and all. He seemed drunk enough to believe that if he gets beheaded he too will be able to ride off into the sunset holding his head. YA I don’t think it works like that unless that wine is just that good tasting.

            The knight must have his own personal Kingman tailor or just has a membership to the mens big and tall warehouse. Up to date with the latest medieval fashion while also trying to pick fights, it sounds to me like he belongs on the next season of The Jersey Shore. Leave it to a Jersey Shore Guido to barge into a dinner un -invited and insult the entire company. Jokes on the green knight I guess because neither him nor his horse had anything to eat. I feel like if I knew I was about to be beheaded, I would want a hefty and delicious last meal! It seems like the knight did not think his plan out well at all.

            I wonder what the knight would have done if anyone needed to get up and use the restroom while he was ranting about how he will give away his axe to anyone who strikes him let alone behead him. At least Gawain will have an easier search than trying to find a dragon or sword in the stone of some shorts. He can walk around villages asking if anyone has seen a Green knight without a head. Something tells me those types of knights are not to common; even for midlevel times. We all know that the knight’s intentions were to just be a good wingman for Gawain as they figured that any mistress in the place wouldn’t be able to resist Gawain after he beheaded a hulk looking figure. When you think to far outside the box however, you may find that you will lose your head.

Challenge Accepted

            Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a very interesting tale with an unclear purpose. While I was reading, I couldn’t help but to wonder why the Green Knight was proposing this challenge and why did he specifically visit King Arthur. I suspected that maybe it was a competition to show who was the bravest or the most loyal knight of King Arthur, but that wasn’t really emphasized. The concept of an all-green knight who seems to be indestructible was fascinating. While reading the description of the Green Knight the image of the superhero the Hulk came to my mind, especially when he was described as “a hulk of a human” in line 138.  I immediately wondered why the color green. Is there a significance to that color? When I think of the color green, I think about spring and new life, so I thought that the knight might be green because he can grow new limbs? I also thought that he might be immortal from some kind of magic and perhaps he might have been a wizard. Or maybe someone else with magical powers gave him something like an amulet to protect him or put a spell on him that would keep him from dying.

             A person who is already familiar with the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table may have already had an idea of why the Green Knight was challenging Arthur’s court. Since I am not one of those people and I was extremely curious to learn more about this poem, I read through the Sparknotes. From there I learned that the Green Knight was working with Morgan le Fay who is sorceress and also King Arthur’s half-sister. Morgan apparently hates King Arthur and often tests his knights. Sending the Green Knight to King Arthur I assume was another way for Morgan to test his knights, but it is still unclear what was the purpose of the challenge was. I thought that maybe Morgan was planning on King Arthur accepting the challenge in hopes of killing him.

                Reading this excerpt of the poem makes me want to read the rest of it, as well as more stories about King Arthur. I think they are probably great for learning about that time in history. I would like to learn more about Morgan le Fay and how she is depicted in stories. I’m curious to know if she is thought of like witches of the Middle Ages that were hunted and burned or if she was respected for her power. I would also like to know why she hates King Arthur and what is she trying to achieve by challenging him.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Well, I am shocked to say the least. When Dr. MB mentioned we would be reading about a green knight, the joke about the black knight on the black horse ran through my head, and I was quickly imagining a foolish riddle that circled round itself. In a way, my predictions were correct. The first thing I noticed upon reading was the abundant alliteration (ya see what I did there?) all throughout the story. Lines like "grasp that gruesome axe and show your striking style" and "folly finds the man who flirts with the fool" roll off your tongue. The writing reminds me of a limerick or a riddle, with witty alliteration that keeps the words flowing and tricky, with that hint of humor and mystery. If you read the words out loud, they're written in a very melodious and sing-song way that keeps the dark undertones hidden. If a child were to read this, I feel like they would enjoy the sounds, internal rhyme and creative speech, but would have no idea how vulgar and twisted this truly is. But perhaps that's the point. Kassy mentioned that she thought of the Jolly Green Giant upon reading. Is that the trickery this author is getting at? Disguising real world issues that are grim inside upbeat lines that bring a smile to your face as you try to tackle each tongue twister?

While I read, I was constantly trying to think of the reason why this knight was green. Why bother endlessly listing all these details about the knight and his horse and repeating over and over again, that everything about them both was green? At first, I thought of someone being considered 'green' or new or amateur at something. Perhaps this was an amateur knight who had never done a knightly task before and was looking to prove himself. But further reading removed that thought from my mind. This Green Knight seemed to know exactly what he was doing and was more manipulative and powerful than new and innocent. Green has natural themes as well, and this was my second thought. Sir Gawain, the apparent weakest of the men, offers to stand up to the Green Knight. If the Green Knight represented nature and the weakest was to battle the nature, I thought that maybe even the weakest of us humans can destroy nature even if we think we are powerless and weak. But looking back, that also seems to be a ridiculous conclusion. So I thought back to the basics. Back to expressions we've heard since kindergarten like the expression, "green with envy". Jealously is absolutely associated with the color green and who are the jealous people? The outsiders.

The Green Knight is described as a possible half-giant, like everyone's favorite Hogwarts friend, Hagrid. Characters like Hagrid simply enough, feel too big for this world and can't see to find their place in it. The Knight hands down reminds me of Frankenstein's monster. This monster had no choice but to exist, and although he tried to educate himself with literature and was only looking to help and do good, his actions were always mistaken for trying to harm someone else. He could never fit in no matter how much he tried. The same rings true for other literary monsters like Beowulf's ever-famous Grendel, who might have just been feeling left out of the party in the great hall or couldn't take all of the noise. To be green with jealously is definitely fitting. The Green Knight might have always felt like an outcast, understood by few. When you're alone, you constantly crave to fit in and be with people who can accept you for being yourself. But what if the knight had never found that crowd or sought acceptance? Over time, he would grow green with envy and could only occupy himself by striking fear in others. If people are scared or intimated of you, at least they're thinking of you. By instilling fear in others, The Green Knight created a reputation for himself and would definitely not be forgotten.

I think the symbolism of green is all about envy. The knight is envious of all these men who are accepted by others and can chat amongst themselves about whatever they please. In order to get attention, this knight had to spew riddles and strike up a fight in order to be noticed. Even his axe shows that he is blunt and to the point. He doesn't want to see people struggle or dodge their way out of things. It's quick and dirty. One swift swing. Words and rumors cut deep. All it takes is one swing to bring you down and get hurt. But although he takes the swing of the axe to his neck, he survives the blow. Maybe being attacked by others is dangerous and cruel, but no matter how deep the cut, there is an ability to survive by creating your own escape? Jealousy and the role of being the outcast has made The Green Knight so intimidating and strong that even a true weapon couldn't break his body completely, or his spirit.

What a (K)night

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is written in Middle English. I have some experience with Middle English through the reading of the Canterbury Tales last year. I read through the excerpt twice. The first time, I decided to challenge myself and I only read the original version. I struggled with it but after the first paragraph it got easier. The Middle English started to come back to me and I had fun working on my pronunciation. I read through it a second time I read the translation on the right side of the page. I loved reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I can't help but compare it to what I read of the Canterbury Tales though. I have to admit that I like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight better than what I read of the Canterbury Tales. I have not read Le Morte D'Arthur but it's on my list of things to read in the near future. I like many people do know the story line though. I was absolutely fascinated by the fact that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight  it takes place in Camelot. Camelot is such a fascinating setting. One that has been used over and over again. I'm excited to see what else we uncover together throughout the rest of the semester.

As I was writing this post this movie came to my mind and I couldn't help but include a picture of it in my post.

The Green Giant Who Forgot to Eat His Vegetables

When I first started to read the excerpt of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I kept thinking of the Green Giant from the food isle. Green beans and corn anyone? Yet, I knew this was not the case and paid attention to how he is described. Knowing that everything about him is green, including his horse, I had a brief flash of one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Death rode a horse, which was a pale-green color. The more I thought about it, I realized they are not connected. This knight is an emerald green with bits of gold or white ermine in his clothing.

After some research, I discovered several meanings behind the color green. Green symbolizes growth, rebirth, and renewal and is associated with harmony. It is a positive color, being generous, nurturing, and evoking thoughts of spring (Color Psychology). In religious circumstances, it is a symbol of resurrection or regeneration. On a different, note it is the color of the heart chakra, which connects the physical and spiritual worlds (sensational color).

Besides wearing green, the knight also sports a cloak with “all-white ermine” (line 155). The use of ermine suggests this knight may be of royal standing. Traditionally, ermine is a royal fur used to line crowns and robes of royal individuals (Wikipedia). It stands for justice and moral purity. In addition to this regal fur, the knight is shoe-less and his clothes are “embroidered as it was with butterflies and birds” (line 166). The idea of this knight as some magical fairy or forest dwelling creature comes to mind.

Yet, how does the symbolism of the color green, ermine and decorated clothing have any part in the knight’s challenge to Arthur’s court? I believe they give insight into the reason why the knight challenges the men. If this knight is to represent harmony, generousness and justice, then I  he challenges this court where they proudly brag of their accomplishments and bravery (lines 311-314). He has come to test their humanity, as overtime, their numerous victories have made them confident, proud, if not a bit arrogant. Then again, his coloring may only serve as a distraction to entice the men to challenge and defeat this unknown creature.  

In his attempts to restore balance to this group of men, the knight instigates their pride to arouse a challenger. I find it interesting how it is the weaker of the knights who answers this stranger’s challenge. Why does Gawain step up so that Arthur does not have to fight? If anything, I would say it is to prove that even the weakest among Arthur’s knights has a strong character. Gawain simply needed an opportunity to bring forth the strength he holds. Instead of physical strength, he carries fortitude and strength of mind where others fall short. The Green Knight’s arrival puts him in a position to test and prove his worth.