The Anturs of Arther: Part 6

The story so far: At the close of the hunting season, King Arthur’s retinue descend from the fells and prepare to herd the barren does into the hollows in order to slaughter them with bows and arrows. Sir Gawaine leads King Arthur’s wife Gaynore down the track, when suddenly the woods are cast into darkness, and they are separated from their companions. Whilst Gawaine endeavours to explain away the phenomenon as a solar eclipse, a decayed, animated corpse appears before them. Gawaine observes that it is crawling with snakes and toads, and draws his sword to defend his queen. The ghost tells Gawaine that it is all that remains of Gaynore’s mother, and that it once was more beautiful even than its daughter, but is now a rotting corpse. It commands him to bring Gaynore into its presence, and when he obeys, it tells her that it is in Purgatory, and can only be redeemed by her prayers. Gaynore asks whether there is any hope for her mother’s soul, and after giving a prescription for its own salvation, the ghost turns on Gaynore, accusing her of pride, and insisting that she too will suffer its fate, if she does not change her ways. Moreover, it suggests that King Arthur himself is doomed to destruction because of his pride, employing that favourite mediaeval metaphor, the Wheel of Fortune. Gawaine realises that if Gaynore’s sin is enough to send her to Hell, the sins of Arthur’s knights are far worse. The ghost predicts that although Arthur and his knights have been victorious in France, defeating Gian in battle, Arthur himself will fall at the battle of Camlann on the River Tamar. She says that Gawaine will be in Tuscany at the time, but will rush to Arthur’s aid when he hears the news, and will also be killed. The heraldic symbols on the usurping knight’s shield reveal him to be Mordred, currently still a boy in King Arthur’s court. The ghost disappears, leaving Gawaine and Guinevere alone together, but King Arthur’s knights take courage, because the darkness has gone, and lead Guinevere to Rondallsete, where dinner is prepared. King Arthur and his knights sit down to dinner, but it is interrupted by a woman, richly arrayed, leading a mounted knight. The knight identifies himself as Sir Galeron, defrauded of land by King Arthur – land which has, ironically, been given to Gawaine – and lays down his challenge. Arthur accepts it, but Gawaine marches into the hall, ready to champion his king, but not without doing Galeron the courtesy of a night’s hospitality first. Now, whilst Galeron rests in preparation for the next day’s jousting, King Arthur calls his lords together, and against his king’s better judgement, Gawaine volunteers to fight Galeron. The two knights are led to the lists the next day, while Gaynore looks on, weeping. They spur their horses, and clash...

 

The Anturs of Arther: Part 6

 

Through a pompish pavilion with purple-draped walls,

Embroidered with beads, and dazzling with light,

Gawaine led Galeron past chapels and halls

To a tall-chimneyed chamber where embers burned bright.

They haltered his steed and led him to stall

Where hay hung from hatches: a horse’s delight.

A brocaded bedspread and squires at his call,

They opened the cellar for feasting the knight:

With torches ablaze, and standards between,

Plates to dazzle the sight

Of so worthy a knight,

Of such girth and such height,

With their silvery sheen.

 

In silver so bright they serve him the best

White wine in the world, in cups of clear glass,

With luscious meats of fowl, fish and beast,

Rich dainties and delicacies smothered with glaze.

And once bold Galeron has gone to his rest,

The King calls for counsel: with anger he glows:

“Take heed my lords, lest your honour is lost:

Which knight will fight Galeron?” grimly he growls.

Sir Gawain says, “King, there is no cause to grieve.

I will fight with this knight

To uphold my right

By my pledge and my plight,

My Lord, with your leave!”

 

“I know well, said the King, “you are champing to fight,

But I’d not, for a lordship, see your life lost.”

“Let go,” said Sir Gawaine, “God stands with the right:

He shan’t escape scot-free, unscathed by our host!”

And at dawning of day, doughty and bright,

They heard Matins and Mass with no trembling or haste,

Pitched pavilions at Plumpton, their pomp in full sight,

Where no knights before had fought hand to hand.

They set lists on the level, marked out on the land.

Three sops soaked in wine

They brought to Gawaine

To settle his brain

Till the King gave command.

 

The King gave command to the Earl of Kent

To be kindly and courteous to Galeron the knight,

And bade him on dainties to dine in his tent

While all of his men were armed left and right,

And after Queen Gaynore, glumly they went

While Galeron was feasted under her sight,

And horsemen grasped reins and bade their mounts wait

As lords at the lists reined in to alight –

All but the two strongest: in stirrups they stood.

And King Arthur’s throne

Was set high on the loam.

Gaynore let out a moan

For Gawaine the good.

 

Gawaine and Galeron spur on their steeds,

All glittering gold their armour and gear,

Led to the lists by two lords in bright weeds,

With men armed with maces to bring up the rear.

Each digs in his spurs, - his horse’s hide bleeds –

And out in the field, each has planted his spear.

Shafts of hard wood are splintered to bits,

For each joys in jousting, and neither knows fear.

Lance-shafts a-shiver, and shields in full sheen,

And with swords sharp and bright

With a mail-splitting smite,

They clash, knight-on-knight,

Gawaine clad in green.

 

Anonymous northern Middle English romance (15th century), paraphrased by Giles Watson. The last verse of this section does not appear in one of the manuscripts, and it is possible that it has been added by a later scribe. This part of the poem is, of course, much more typical of late mediaeval chivalric romances, and it is possible that there was also a change of author between the disappearance of the ghost of Gaynore’s mother and the arrival of Galeron at King Arthur’s court.

 

The picture shows a sculpture at Bishopstone Church, and a funerary brass at Ashbury Church, Oxfordshire.

Done