Gawain

A Casebook

Keith Busby, Raymond H. Thompson, Keith Busby, Raymond H. Thompson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2005
• eBook ISBN: 9781136783517
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Medieval & Early Modern Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

Gawain: A Casebook is a collection of 12-15 classic and original essays on the hero of Arthurian legend that investigates the figure of Gawain as he appears in major medieval traditions, as well as modern literature and film. As with other volumes in the Arthurian Characters and Themes series, this casebook includes an extended introduction examining the character's evolution from the earliest tales to his most recent appearances in popular culture, as well as an extensive annotated bibliography. Students, scholars, and anyone interested in medieval legend will find a wealth of insight into the mystery of this most poignant and perplexing of Arthurian heroes.

1
Gawain: His Reputation, His Courtesy, and His Appearance in Chaucer's Squire's Tale

B. J. WHITING

I. Introduction

Although no warrior of Arthur’s host is more deserving of a full-length portrait than is Gawain, the present paper does no more than touch on certain facets of the subject. The writer’s original and innocent intention was to make a brief comment on the opening of Chaucer’s Squire’s Tale, a passage in which Gawain’s courtesy is thrown into bold relief. Gradually, however, it became evident that the concept of courtesy in Gawain called for more thorough documentation than it had hitherto received, and, closely connected with this, that a concise survey of Gawain’s reputation from Wace to Mr. T.H. White might well be attempted. Neither of these efforts breaks virgin ground, as any student of the literature of Arthurian romance knows perhaps too well, but the present accounts are, for better or worse, more comprehensive, if not more conclusive, than any earlier work.¹ For evidence as to Gawain’s courtesy virtually the entire body of French and English poems² dealing with Arthur and his knights has been drawn upon,³ and the prose romances have been sampled liberally, although it must be confessed that only those passages in the Vulgate versions were read, which, according to Sommer’s index, treated of Gawain. Many of these works, of course, throw light on Gawain’s general reputation and, in addition, representative modern writers, creative and critical, from Malory on have been examined. Gawain’s reputation can hardly be kept completely separate from his courtesy, a fact especially true with regard to his love affairs; in consequence some of his amours appear in one section and some in the other.

II. Bibliographies

In the bibliographical lists, the documents are arranged alphabetically under the short titles by which they will be cited.

(A) Works Before Malory

Abenteuer Gawains: Die Abenteuer Gawains, Ywains, and Le Morholts mit den Drei Jungfrauen, aus der Trilogie (Demanda) des Pseudo-Robert de Borron—Die Fortsetzung des Huth-Merlin, ed. H. Oskar Sommer, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für Romanische Philologie, XLVII (1913).

Arthur: Arthur, ed. F.J. Furnivall (Early English Text Society II, London, 1864).

Arthour and Merlin: Arthour and Merlin, ed. Eugen Kölbing (Altenglische Bibliothek, IV, Leipzig, 1890).

Atre: L’Atre Périlleux, ed. Brian Woledge (Les Classiques français du Moyen Age, Paris, 1936).

Avowynge: The Avowynge of King Arther, Sir Gawan, Sir Kaye, and Sir Bawdewyn of Bretan, ed. John Robson, Three Early English Metrical Romances (Camden Society, London, 1842), pp. 57–93.

Awntyrs: The Awntyrs off Arthure at the Terne Wathelyne, ed. F.J. Amours, Scottish Alliterative Poems (Scottish Text Society, Edinburgh, 1892–97), pp. 117–171.

Béroul: Le Roman de Tristan par Béroul, ed. Ernest Muret (Société des Anciens Textes Français, Paris, 1903).

Carle: Carle off Carlile, ed. John W. Hales and F.J. Furnivall, Bishop Percy’s Folio Manuscript (3 vols., London, 1867–68) III, 275–294.

Charette: Chrétien de Troies, Chevalier de la Charrete, ed. Wendelin Foerster, Christian von Troyes’s Sämtliche Erhaltene Werke (IV, Halle, 1899).

Claris: Li Romans de Claris et Laris, ed. Johann Alton (Bibliothek des Litterarischen Vereins in Stuttgart, CLXIX, Tübingen, 1844).

Cligés: Chrétien de Troies, Cligés, ed. Foerster, Werke (I, Halle, 1884).

Deus Espees: Li Chevaliers as Deus Espees, ed. Wendelin Foerster (Halle, 1877).

Durmart: Li Romans de Durmart le Galois, ed. Edmund Stengel (Bibliothek des Litterarischen Vereins in Stuttgart, CXVI, Tübingen, 1873).

Enfances: “Les Enfances Gauvain,” ed. P. Meyer, Romania, XXXIX (1910), 1–32.

Epée: Le Chevalier à l’Epée, ed. Edward C. Armstrong (Baltimore, 1900).

Erec: Chrétien de Troies, Erec et Enide, ed. Foerster, Werke (III, Halle, 1890).

Escanor: Der Roman von Escanor von Gerard von Amiens (Girard d’Amiens), ed. H. Michelant (Bibliothek des Litterarischen Vereins in Stuttgart, CLXXVIII, Tübingen, 1886).

Fergus: Fergus, Roman von Guillaume Le Clerc, ed. Ernst Martin (Halle, 1872).

Floriant: Floriant et Florete, ed. Francisque-Michel (Roxburghe Club, Edinburgh, 1873).

Folie Tristan: Les Deux Poèmes de la Folie Tristan, ed. Joseph Bédier (Société des Anciens Textes Français, Paris, 1907).

Gawain: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, ed. J.R.R. Tolkien and E.V. Gordon (Oxford, 1936).

Gerbert: Gerbert de Montreuil, La Continuation de Perceval, ed. Mary Williams (Les Classiques français du Moyen Age, 2 vols., Paris, 1922–25).

Gliglois: Gliglois, ed. Charles H. Livingston (Harvard Studies in Romance Languages, VIII, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1932).

Golagros: Golagros and Gawane, ed. F.J. Amours, Scottish Alliterative Poems, pp. 1–46.

Graal: Chrétien de Troies, Li Contes del Graal, ed. Gottfried Baist and Alfons Hilka, Werke (V, Halle, 1932).

Grene Knight: The Grene Knight, ed. Hales and Furnivall, Bishop Percy’s Folio Manuscript II, 56–77.

Hunbaut: Hunbaut, ed. Jakob Stürzinger and Hermann Breuer (Gesellschaft für Romanische Lit-eratur, 35, Dresden, 1914).

Jaufré: Jaufré, ed. Clovis Brunel (Société des Anciens Textes Français, Paris, 1943).

Lancelot: Lancelot of the Laik, ed. Margaret M. Gray (Scottish Text Society, Edinburgh, 1912).

Langtoft: The Chronicle of Pierre de Langtoft, ed. Thomas Wright (Rolls Series, 2 vols., London, 1866–68).

Lanval: Marie de France, Lanval, ed. Karl Warnke, Die Lais der Marie de France (Bibliotheca Normannica III, 3rd ed., Halle, 1925), pp. 86–112.

Lawman: La

amon’s Brut, ed. Sir Frederic Madden (3 vols., London, 1847).

Le Bel Inconnu: Renaut de Beaujeu, Le Bel Inconnu, ed. G. Perrie Williams (Les Classiques français du Moyen Age, Paris, 1929).

Le Morte Arthur: Le Morte Arthur, ed. J.D. Bruce (Early English Text Society, Extra Series, LXXXVIII, London, 1903).

Libeaus: Libeaus Desconus, ed. Max Kaluza (Altenglische Bibliothek, V, Leipzig, 1890).

Lovelich: Henry Lovelich, Merlin, ed. Ernest A. Kock (Early English Text Society, 3 vols., London, 1904–1932).

Manessier: Manessier, Li Contes del Graal (Third Continuation), ed. Ch. Potvin, Perceval le Gallois ou le Conte du Graal (6 vols., Mons, 1866–71) V, 150, l. 34934-VI, 155, 1. 45379.

Manning: The Story of England by Robert Manning of Brunne, ed. F.J. Furnivall (Rolls Series, 2 vols., London, 1887).

Mantel: Le Conte du Mantel, ed. F.-A. Wulff, Romania, XIV (1885), 343–380.

Marriage: The Marriage of Sir Gawaine, in Sources and Analogues of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, ed. W.F. Bryan and Germaine Dempster (Chicago, 1941), pp. 235–241.

Méliador: Jean Froissart, Méliador, ed. Auguste Longnon (Société des Anciens Textes Français, 3 vols., Paris, 1895–1899).

Meraugis: Raoul de Houdenc, Meraugis de Portlesguez, ed. Mathias Friedwagner, Sämtliche Werke (I, Halle, 1897).

Morte Arthure: Morte Arthure, ed. E. Björkman (Heidelberg, 1915).

Mule: Païn de Maisières, La Damoisele à la Mule (or La Mule sanz Frain), ed. Boleslas Orlowski (Paris, 1911).

Perlesvaus: Le Haut Livre du Graal: Perlesvaus, ed. W.A. Nitze and T.A. Jenkins (2 vols., Chicago, 1932–1937).

Pseudo-Wauchier: “Pseudo-Wauchier,” Li Contes del Graal (First Continuation), ed. Potvin, III, 47, l. 10601-IV, 59, l. 21916.

Raguidel: Raoul de Houdenc, La Vengeance Raguidel, ed. M. Friedwagner, Sämtliche Werke (II, Halle, 1909).

Rigomer: Les Mervelles de Rigomer, par Jehan, ed. Wendelin Foerster and Hermann Breuer (Gesellschaft für Romanische Literatur, 19, 39, 2 vols., Dresden, 1908–1915).

Robert: The Metrical Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester, ed. W.A. Wright (Rolls Series, 2 vols., London, 1887).

Sir Launfal: Thomas Chestre, Sir Launfal, in Middle English Metrical Romances, ed. Walter H. French and Charles B. Hale (New York, 1930), pp. 345–380.

Sir Perceval: Sir Perceval of Gales, ed. J. Campion and F. Holthausen (Heidelberg, 1913).

Sir Tristrem: Sir Tristrem, ed. George P. McNeill (Scottish Text Society, Edinburgh, 1885–1886).

Suite du Merlin: Merlin (Huth MS.), ed. Gaston Paris and Jacob Ulrich (Société des Anciens Textes Français, 2 vols., Paris, 1886). The “Suite du Merlin” extends from I, 147 to the end.

Syre Gawene: Syre Gawene and the Carle of Carelyle, ed. Sir Frederic Madden in Syr Gawayne (Bannatyne Club, LXI, London, 1839), pp. 187–206.

Thomas: Le Roman de Tristan, par Thomas, ed. Joseph Bédier (Société des Anciens Textes Français, 2 vols., Paris, 1902–1905).

Tristan: Eilert Löseth, Le Roman en Prose de Tristan, le Roman de Palamède et la Compilation de Rusticien de Pise, Analyse critique d’après les Manuscripts de Paris (Bibliothèque de l’Ecole des Hautes Etudes, Paris, 1891).

Tyolet: Tyolet, ed. Gaston Paris, Romania, VIII (1879), 40–50.

Vu l g a t e: The Vulgate Version of the Arthurian Romances, ed. H. Oskar Sommer (8 vols., Washington, D.C., 1909–1916). The Vu l g a te contains the following books: Lestoire del Saint Graal (I); Lestoire de Merlin (II); Le Livre de Lancelot del Lac (III, IV, V); Les Aventures ou la Queste del Saint Graal (VI); La Mort Le Roi Artus (VI); Le Livre D’Artus (VII).

Wa c e: Le Roman de Brut de Wace, ed. Ivor Arnold (Société des Anciens Textes Français, 2 vols., Paris, 1938–1940).

Wauchier: Wauchier de Denain, Li Contes del Graal (Second Continuation), ed. Potvin, IV, 59, l. 21917-V, 150, l. 34933.

Weddynge: The Weddynge of Sir Gawen and Dam...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Series Editor's Preface
• Introduction
• Select Bibliography
• 1 Gawain: His Reputation, His Courtesy, and His Appearance in Chaucer's Squire's Tale
• 2 Gwalchmei m. Gwyar
• 3 The Character of Gauvain in the Romances of Chrétien de Troyes
• 4 Gauvain and Fin' Amors in the Poems of Chrétien de Troyes
• 5 Arthurian Adventure or Quixotic "Struggle for Life"? A Reading of Some Gauvain Romances in the First Half of the Thirteenth Century
• 6 Diverging Traditions of Gauvain in Some of the Later Old French Verse Romances
• 7 The Formation of a Gauvain Cycle in Chantilly Manuscript 472
• 8 The Character of Gauvain in the Thirteenth-Century Prose Romances
• 9 The Character of Gauvain in the Prose Tristan
• 10 Gawain Against Arthur: The Impact of a Mythological Pattern upon Arthurian Tradition in Accounts of the Birth of Gawain
• 11 Crisis and Triumph in the World of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry: Gawan in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival
• 12 Gauvain as Lover in the Middle Dutch Verse Romance Walewein
• 13 The Transformation of the Figure of Gauvain in Italy
• 14 Middle English Arthurian Romance: The Repetition and Reputation of Gawain
• 15 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: The Poet's Treatment of the Hero and His Adventure
• 16 Gawain and Heroic Knighthood in Malory
• 17 Gawain in Post-Medieval English Literature
• 18 Sir Gawaine at Liberty Castle: Thomas Berger's Comic Didacticism in Arthur Rex: A Legendary Novel
• 19 Sir Gawain in Films
• About the Contributors
• Proper Name Index