A year passes apace, and proves ever
new:
First things and final conform but seldom.
(See Important Quotations Explained)
Summary
Part 2 begins with a brief summary
of the New Year’s feast in Part 1. The poet
calls the Green Knight’s game with Gawain King Arthur’s New Year’s
gift, since it provided him with the marvelous story he had waited
to hear. The poet describes in elaborate language the change of
seasons, from Christmas to the cold season of Lent with its ritual
fasting, to a green young spring and summer, then into harvest time,
and finally back to winter. In late autumn, on the Day of All Saints,
the knights of Camelot prepare to send a mournful Gawain off on
his quest for the Green Chapel.
Worried but resigned, Gawain calls for his armor, which
the poet describes in great detail. He devotes space to each and
every piece, down to the shimmering skirts on Gawain’s horse, Gringolet.
The description lingers on Gawain’s shield, which depicts on its
outside a gold five-pointed star, or pentangle, on a red background.
On the inside of the shield is the face of Mary, Christ’s mother.
Each of the five points of the pentangle, which is described as
an “endless knot” (630), represents a set
of Gawain’s virtues: his five senses; his five fingers; his fidelity,
founded on the five wounds of Christ; his force, founded on the
five joys of Mary; and the five knightly virtues.
After dressing, Gawain says goodbye to his friends and
leaves the court. Sparks fly from Gringolet’s hooves as they ride
off. He heads out into the wilderness, traveling through North Wales
and the west coast of England in his search for the mysterious Green
Chapel. He encounters various foes—wolves and dragons, bulls and
bears, boars and giants—but always prevails over his enemies. He
sleeps in his armor and has frequent nightmares. As the winter grows
colder, he nearly freezes to death.
Finally, on Christmas Eve, the desperate Gawain prays
to the Virgin Mary that he might find a place to attend Christmas
Mass. He repents his sins, crosses himself three times, and, when
he looks up, he sees a beautiful castle. Surrounded by a green park
and a moat, the castle shimmers in the distance through the trees,
and Gawain, full of thanks to God for saving him, approaches the
drawbridge. The castle is so white and its crowns and turrets so
tall and intricately carved that the whole building looks as if
it were cut out of paper. Gawain salutes, and a guardian allows
him to enter.
The porter welcomes Gawain warmly, inviting him in to
meet the courtiers and the lord of the castle. The host’s lords
and ladies repeatedly express their joy that Gawain (a minor celebrity
because he is Arthur’s nephew and a knight of the Round Table) can
show them the latest in knightly behavior and help them to become
more courtly themselves. Like Arthur’s followers, the courtiers
seem inexperienced and carefree. But Gawain’s host presents a much
more imposing figure than Arthur. The lord appears to be middle-aged, with
a thick, gray-black beard and solid, sturdy legs. Though the host’s
fiery face and stocky figure make him appear fierce, his speech reveals
him to be gracious and gentle.
The lord takes Gawain to a rich chamber, where he feeds
Gawain sumptuous food and wine, and introduces Gawain to two women. The
host’s wife is young, beautiful, and elegantly dressed, her firm neck
and bosom exposed. The other, an old woman, is wrinkled, stocky,
hairy, black-browed, and covered entirely in clothing. Only her
nose, eyes, and blistered lips are exposed by the fabric. After
the introductions, the lords and ladies play games and celebrate
late into the night, when Gawain retires for bed.
