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Types of Magic in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight
Introduction
(Baughan) Sir Gawain and the Green knight is a literature work that has been there for a number of years, but very few people know of it due to its difficult English form. The Poem opening tells us about a story of “the Beheading Game,” where a character is introduced named Morgan Le Fay. She portrays the role of a magician who saves a hero from being beheaded.
This literature contains several passages, and therefore choosing to focus on Bercilak should be broken down easily. It takes place after the green knight visits the King’s court. The king being mentioned is King Arthur. He then challenges Sir Gawain, and he accepts the challenge without hesitation (Borroff). However, we’re told that Sir Gawain had been praying and suffering because he was looking for the Green Knight. Eventually, the Knight sets up a date between the two of them due to the customs of staying true to his promise. It is strange that the castle just appeared out of nowhere and rests on a green field even though it is winter. This castle plays a considerable role as well in that it changed the fate of Sir Gawain.
The supernatural theme.
Choosing to focus on the green magic used in this passage, another story is introduced. As mentioned earlier, Megan La Fay plays a magical role in this challenge, together with the green knight. The green knight possessed powers that could be noticed from his immediate entrance into the castle. He was a strange-looking being that drew power from nature like trees or seasons. Sir Gawain and Morgan La Fay are introduced when he meets her with Bertilak’s wife. Later, Gawain’s journey is controlled by seasons that freeze and warm him up, affecting the pace of his quest (Morgan).
The poem gives a natural or, as many may call it, a supernatural power that controlled the people of this passage’s lives, be it in terms of growth or death or rebirth except the mundane people of Camelot. The kingdom has a rule against the use of magic that separates the real nature of things (Thompson). A term is then introduced known as the green girdle that offered protection toward magical creatures such as the Green Knight; however, the rule changes by the end of the poem. Later on, Gawain welcomes the green girdle’s idea hanging the strict structure of the Camelot kingdom (Loganbill).
Later it is discovered that the role of Morgan Le Fay is completely misunderstood. In that she’s the one who actually sent the Green Knight to Arthur’s court, so that she can test the knights of the round table and frighten Guinevere to death as well. According to English romance her plans fail, but according to (Friedman) the plan succeeded due to the change in Gawain’s take on magic.
The Chart theory
What was the point of the beheading (Morgan) game?
Such a fole vpon folde, ne freke J’at hym rydes,
Wat3 neuer sene in Vat sale wyth sy3t er pat tyme,
with y3e. (7)
” Wher is,” he sayd,
“De gouernour of Pis gyng? Gladly I wolde
Se Jat segg in sy3t, and with hymself speke
raysoun.”
To kny3te3 he kest his y3e,
And reled hym vp and doun;
He stemmed, and con studie
Quo walt per most ren (8)
Now 11at3 Arthure his axe, and pe halme grype3,
And sturnely sture3 hit aboute, bat stryke wyth hit Jo3t.
De stif mon hym bifore stod vpon hy3t,
Herre pen ani in pe hous by be hede and more.
Wyth sturne schere per he stod he stroked his berde,
And wyth a countenaunce dry3e he dro3 doun his cote,
No more mate ne dismayd for bys mayn dinte3
Pen any burne vpon bench hade bro3t hym to drynk
of wyne.(18)
If he hem stowned vpon fyrst, stiller were panne
Alle je heredmen in halle, pe hy3 and ]e lo3e.
Pe renk on his rounce hym ruched in his sadel,
And runischly his rede y3en he reled aboute,
Bende his bresed bro3e3 blycande grene,
Wayued his berde for to wayte quo-so wolde ryse.
When non wolde kepe hym with carp he co3ed ful hy3e,
Ande rimed hym ful richley, and ry3t hym to speke:
” What, is lis Arfure3 hous,” quoj pe hazel penne,
” Pat al pe rous rennes of Jurz ryalmes so mony?
Where is now your sourquydrye and your conquestes,
Your gryndellayk and your greme, and your grete wordes?
Now is be reuel and pe renoun of Je Rounde Table
Ouerwalt wyth a worde of on wy3es speche,
For al dares for drede withoute dynt schewed!”
Wyth lis he la3es so loude pat be lorde greued;
De blod schot for scham into his schyre face and lere…. (12)
Morgne be goddes
Perfore hit is hir name:
Welde3 non so hy3e hawtesse
Dat ho ne con make ful tame. (21)
Gauan gripped to his ax, and gederes hit on hy3t,
Pe kay fot on be fold he before sette,
Let hit doun ly3tly ly3t on be naked…(22)
From a personal point of view, the passages are a little ancient in their language format; however, they can easily be deciphered. They are all based on the theme of nature or supernatural and involve the challenge that was presented before Sir Gawain. Nonetheless, there are scholars with their view of the passages. Beginning with the first passage on page 7, it talks about a man and his horse. The scholar describes the two using fear in that Bercilak was concerned about how he was going to humiliate Arthur. I agree with the interpretation in that it is just straight forward and briefly narrated.
Based on the second passage on page 8, the scholar analyses it by saying that Bercilak, who was empowered by Morgan’s magic, knew precisely where to find Gawain as well as Arthur. I imagine that Arthur was embarrassed in this situation as everyone was looking at him, including Bercilak, when he was insulted. But the scholar says that the embarrassment was only physical and that the king spoke out in power, announcing that he was the ruler of the kingdom.
Coming down to the 12th passage, it is seen that the king is angry and uses his power to restore order and withdraw the humiliation. Nevertheless, this scholar describes Arthur’s action as instilling fear. He takes an ax, and this is where the beheading process begins. It then becomes a dilemma to the poet because for Morgan’s purpose to work, then Arthur had to strike the ax and not just scare him away. This, in my opinion, gave Morgan a higher power in controlling the situation, specifically how the ax was a stroke.
This description combines both passages 12 and 18 due to the similarity in the scene of the striking of the ax. But it focuses explicitly on the importance of Morgan, who portrays an old, angry, and powerful woman.
Moving to passage 21 and 22 which are closely related as well, on a personal view this seemed like a test to the people of Camelot from Morgan, showing them that there was something more powerful than their almighty king. The scholar says there was an intention to Arthurs strikes, because what was the purpose of Arthur preparing to strike with all his might when, she could have easily made her move. He later says that Gawain had a specific virtue that made him the only one that could have made the beheading a game.
Conclusion
The main purpose of the beheading game ritual was to play not specifically with physical emotions but, the mentality of both the parties. Both the king and the knight exchanged wins on their sides. The knight managed to scare the king and vice versa (Wilson). Everyone had a key role to play including a role as simple as Guinevere, who was the valuable possession of the King and used as leverage. This therefore answers the question, that the game was indeed important. Everything from the specification of the green field below the castle, to the green Knight, one can see the symbol use of green.
Summing it all up its important to note that the people were threatened by the use of magic and deemed it unfair or unworthy or posed great evil. Later in history it is what triggered the difference of opinion in Christianity and pagans, but that leads into a whole other topic.
The poet also used styling formats in the poem such as rhyme, which was not so different from the modern-day poems as much as the English styles were different. The poet uses a similar format as William Shakespeare which can be seen from the use of words and the difficulty in understanding it.
Works Cited
Baughan, Denver Ewing. “The Role of Morgan Le Fay in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” ELH (1950): 241–251. Web.
Borroff, Marie. “trans. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A New Verse Translation.” New York: WW Norton (1967): 24.
Friedman, Albert B. “Morgan le Fay in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” speculum (1960): 260–274.
—. “Morgan le Fay in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Speculum (1960): 260–274.
Loganbill, Dean. “The Medieval Mind in” Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Bulletin of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association (1972): 119–126.
Morgan, Henry Grady. “The Role of Morgan le Fay in Malory’s Morte Darthur.” Southern Quarterly (1964): 150.
Thompson, Raymond H. “The First and Last Love: Morgan le Fay and Arthur.” {The Arthurian Revival: Essays on Form, Tradition, and Transformation (1992): 230–247.
Wilson, Anne. The magical quest: the use of magic in Arthurian romance. NewYork: Manchester University Press, 1988.