This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf, That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte. 500 Out of the gosple he tho wordes caughte,

yeddynges

He gave for that text not a plucked hen Which holds that hunters are not holy men; Nor that a monk, when he is cloisterless, 180 Is like unto a fish that’s waterless; That is to say, a monk out of his cloister. But this same text he held not worth an oyster;

He could make songs and words thereto indite, Joust, and dance too, as well as sketch and write.

Then folk do long to go on pilgrimage,

pricks

When in April the sweet showers fall That pierce March’s drought to the root and all And bathed every vein in liquor that has power To generate therein and sire the flower; 5 When Zephyr also has with his sweet breath, Filled again, in every holt and heath, The tender shoots and leaves, and the young sun His half-course in the sign of the Ram has run, And many little birds make melody 10 That sleep through all the night with open eye

May He bring us to his bliss! AMEN.

I confess to you knight, here, still, my fault in this affair; let me understand your will, and henceforth I shall beware.’

But wild weather awoke in the world outside, clouds cast cold keenly down to the earth, with wind enough from the north, to flail the flesh. The snow sleeted down sharp, and nipped the wild; the whistling wind wailed from the heights and drove each dale full of drifts full great. The knight listened full well, as he lay in his bed.

calls on the priest for absolution; and he absolved him surely and left him so pure that Doomsday yet might be declared on the morn.

but he was still mighty, the greatest of boars, full grim when he grunted. Then grieved many for three hounds at first thrust he felled to the earth,

Then they slit the slot, and seized the first stomach, shaved it with sharp knives, and knotted the sheared. Then lopped off the four limbs and rent off the hide, next broke they the belly, the bowels out-taking, deftly, lest they undid and destroyed the knot. They gripped the gullet, and swiftly severed the weasand from the windpipe and whipped out the guts. Then sheared out the shoulders with their sharp knives, hauled them through a little hole, left the sides whole. Then they slit up the breast and broke it in twain.

And ever the lord of the land intent on his games, hunted, in holts and heath, for barren hinds, Such a sum he there slew by the set of sun, of does and other deer, it were deemed a wonder. Then fiercely they flocked in, folk at the last, and quickly of the quenched deer a heap they made. The noblest sped there with servants enough, gathered the quarry greatest in flesh that were there, and had them deftly undone as custom demands. Some that were there searched them in assay,

I am all ways unworthy, I know well myself.

I shall kiss at your command, as befits a knight, and further, lest I displease you, so plead no more.’

‘One gracious as Gawain is rightly held to be, with courtesy contained so clear in himself, could not lightly have lingered so long with a lady, but he had craved a kiss out of courtesy, with some trifling touch at some tale’s end.’

At the first call of the quest quaked the wild; deer drove for the dales, darting for dread, hied to the high ground, but swiftly they were stayed by the beaters, with their stout cries.

deer drove for the dales, darting for dread,

blew briskly on their bugles three bare notes; braches bayed therefore, and bold

.

it’s fitter I fall dead than fail of my errand.’

There was established by statute a pact us between both to meet at that mark, if I should live; and of that same New Year but little is wanting, and I would look on that lord, if God would let me, more gladly, by God’s Son, than any goods gain.

marvels by mountain there the man finds

swarthy

‘Where is,’ he said, ‘the governor of this throng? Gladly I would see that soul in sight and with himself speak reason.’ On knights he cast his eyes, And rolled them up and down. He stopped and studied ay who was of most renown.

I am the weakest, I know, and of wit feeblest. least worth the loss of my life, who’d learn the truth. Only inasmuch as you are my uncle, am I praised: No bounty but your blood in my body I know.

And all his vesture verily was bright verdure, both the bars of his belt and other bright stones, that were richly rayed in his bright array about himself and his saddle, on silk work, it were tortuous to tell of these trifles the half, embroidered above with birds and butterflies,

The horse he rode on was also of that hue,

This king lay at Camelot nigh on Christmas with many lovely lords, of leaders the best,

as in this land so long.

the beheaded knight picks his head up and instructs Gawain

A grand, coming-of-age story that asks fundamental questions about what it means to be a righteous human being in a brutal world.

Arthurian tale

chivalrous

.

demesne

proffer

For aye with us in fairy land; And if thou failest, woe to thee, For thou shalt feel the fairies’ hand ! ‘

More beautiful I never spied. He showed me castles, rivers wide, Towers, and vast forests, mead and plain. Again to horse, again we ride, And so he brought me home again.

But we have loved as love we ought; Thou art my life, and I am thine. Now do thy best and do not pine,

For we must part, and I to doom ! ”

afleth

Then sudden with a cry she rose And burst in tears of wild despair, And wrung her hands, and showered blows Upon her breast, and tore her hair.

bourgeoning

Full of love and courtesies; None can tell her loveliness.

minstrelsy

And the king himself would play, Singing with a merry mind. And, as all the gleemen say, A better harper none could find.  

And that we all should featly hold In heart the mirth of elder days,

jests and ribaldry,

fairy lore;

The Bretons tell that the knight was ravished by his lady to an island, very dim and very fair, known as Avalon. But none has had speech with Launfal and his faery love since then, and for my part I can tell you no more of the matter.

“fair friend, it is for you that I have come from my own far land. I bring you my love. If you are prudent and discreet, as you are goodly to the view, there is no emperor nor count, nor king, whose day shall be so filled with riches and with mirth as yours.”

Launfal unbitted his steed

These two maidens were richly dressed in kirtles closely laced and shapen to their persons and wore mantles of a goodly purple hue. Sweet and dainty were the damsels, alike in raiment and in face. The elder of these ladies carried in her hands a basin of pure gold, cunningly wrought by some crafty smith—very fair and precious was the cup; and the younger bore a towel of soft white linen.

squire.

King Arthur—that fearless knight and courteous lord—removed to Wales,

baron,

narrative tradition of Northern France. Keep in mind that Marie wrote the lais from memory since they were stories that were told and sung to her. At the time, most other writers would merely translate from one language to another but Marie composed original stories

depiction of gender roles.

Breton lays (lais)

first female French poet, Marie de France.

lad hight

he was a childless man.

He was the man most gracious and fair-minded, Kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.

That Beowulf is dead. In days gone by When our warriors fell and we were undefended He kept our coffers and our kingdoms safe. He worked for the people, but as well as that He behaved like a hero.

Waegmundings

The old lord gazed sadly at the gold

For the last time: “I risked my life Often when I was young. Now I am old, But as king of this people I shall pursue this fight For the glory of winning, if the evil one will only Abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open.”

“I would rather not Use a weapon if I knew another way To grapple with the dragon and make good my boast 2520 As I did against Grendel in days gone by. But I shall be meeting molten venom In the fire he breaths, so I go forth In mail-shirt and shield

Unscathed

“The treasures that Hygelac lavished on me 2490 I paid for as I fought, as fortune allowed me, With my glittering sword. He gave me land And the security land brings, so he had no call To go looking for some lesser champion, Some mercenary among the Grifthas Or the Spear-Danes or the men of Sweden.

At seven, I was fostered out by my father, Left in the charge of my people’s lord.

His mind was in turmoil, Unaccustomed anxiety and gloom Confused his brain;

The wise man thought he must have thwarted Ancient ordinance of the eternal Lord, 2330 Broken His commandment.

After many trials, He was destined to face the end of his days In this mortal world; as was the dragon, For all his leasehold on the treasure.

And sway were inherited by the higher born. Previous: Dream of the Rood Next: Beowulf: Part III Back to top

Thus Beowuld bore himself with valor; He was formidable in battle yet behaved with honor And took no advantage: never cut down

I have wrested the hilt From the enemies’ hand, avenged the evil Done to the Danes; it is what was due. 1670

this force for evil Driven to avenge her kinsman’s death. 1340 Or so it seems to thanes in their grief

He relied for help on the Lord of All, On His care and favor. So he overcame the foe, Brought down the hell-brute

Bu Beowulf was mindful of his mighty strength, 1270 The wondrous gifts God had showered on him:

But the Lord was weaving A victory on his war-loom for the Weather-Geats.

Sinews split And the bone-lappings burst. Beowulf was granted The glory of winning;

The story goes That as the pair struggled, mead benches were smashed And sprung off the floor, gold fittings and all. Before then, no Shielding elder would believe There was any power or person on earth Capable of wrecking their horn-rigged hall Unless the burning embrace of fire 780 Engulf it in flame.

What your people wanted or perish in the attempt,

filigree

paying

They marched in step, Hurrying on till the timbered hall Rose before them, radiant with gold. Nobody on earth knew of another Building like it. Majesty lodged there, 310 And its light shone over many lands.