Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Notes on Contributors
- Abbreviations and Editorial Note
- Introduction
- 1 The Fairies in the Fountain: Promiscuous Liaisons
- 2 Saracens and Other Saxons: Using, Misusing, and Confusing Names in Gui de Warewic and Guy of Warwick
- 3 The Exploitation of Ideas of Pilgrimage and Sainthood in Gui de Warewic
- 4 Chanson de geste as Romance in England
- 5 Patterns of Availability and Demand in Middle English Translations de romanz
- 6 Reading a Christian–Saracen Debate in Fifteenth-Century Middle English Charlemagne Romance: The Case of Turpines Story
- 7 Subtle Crafts: Magic and Exploitation in Medieval English Romance
- 8 Meeting Grounds: Gardens in Middle English Romance
- 9 ‘Als for the worthynes of þe romance’: Exploitation of Genre in the Buik of Kyng Alexander the Conquerour
- 10 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Limits of Chivalry
- Index of Manuscripts
- General Index
10 - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Limits of Chivalry
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 September 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Notes on Contributors
- Abbreviations and Editorial Note
- Introduction
- 1 The Fairies in the Fountain: Promiscuous Liaisons
- 2 Saracens and Other Saxons: Using, Misusing, and Confusing Names in Gui de Warewic and Guy of Warwick
- 3 The Exploitation of Ideas of Pilgrimage and Sainthood in Gui de Warewic
- 4 Chanson de geste as Romance in England
- 5 Patterns of Availability and Demand in Middle English Translations de romanz
- 6 Reading a Christian–Saracen Debate in Fifteenth-Century Middle English Charlemagne Romance: The Case of Turpines Story
- 7 Subtle Crafts: Magic and Exploitation in Medieval English Romance
- 8 Meeting Grounds: Gardens in Middle English Romance
- 9 ‘Als for the worthynes of þe romance’: Exploitation of Genre in the Buik of Kyng Alexander the Conquerour
- 10 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Limits of Chivalry
- Index of Manuscripts
- General Index
Summary
According to the chronicler, the middle of the fourtheenth century saw the king of England seek to recreate the Arthurian court:
De gentillesse de cœur il [Edward III] s'avisa qu'il feroit refaire et rediffier le chastel de Windesore, que le roy Artus avoit fait faire, et où fut establye premierement la Table Ronde à l'occasion des prœux chevaliers qui estoient adoncq, et qu'il feroit et establiroit une pareille à celle Table Ronde pour plus essauchier l'onnour de ses chevaliers, qui si bien l'avoient servi qu'il les tenoit pour prœux, et tant que on ne trouvast les semblablez en quelque royaume, et luy sembloit qu'il ne les pouoit trop honnourer, tant les amoit. Si fist crier par tout son royaume feste generale et court plainiere pour ordonner celle Table Ronde, et manda par tous pays dames et damoiselles, chevaliers et escuiers, et que chascun, sans point d'excusation, y venist pour faire celle grande feste à Windesore, à Penthecouste l'an de grace mil CCC XLIIII.
[In the nobility of his heart he resolved that he would rebuild the castle of Windsor, which Arthur first constructed and where the Round Table was first established, on account of the prowess of the knights who were there then, [and that he would establish an equal to this Round Table in order to increase the honour of his knights,] who had served him so well that he held them so worthy and noble that their peers would not be found in any kingdom: and it seemed to him that he could not honour them too much, so much did he love them.
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- Information
- The Exploitations of Medieval Romance , pp. 159 - 172Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2010