Page:Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Tolkien and Gordon - 1925.djvu/21

Rh dismounting, the Green Knight issued a challenge, that any of Arthur’s knights should strike him a blow with the huge axe which he carried, and receive from him a blow in return in a year’s time. The court was astounded and silent, and the Green Knight laughed aloud. In anger then Arthur seized the axe and was about to strike, when Gawain arose and asked that the adventure might be his. With a single stroke Gawain sent the green head rolling on the floor; but the knight lifted it up, and it opened its eyes and moved its lips, adjuring Gawain to meet the knight in a year’s time at the Green Chapel. With that the headless knight leaped on his horse and rushed out of the hall.

After the autumn court on All Saints’ Day, Gawain set out from Camelot to search for the Green Chapel. He rode north through Wales and over the Dee, and still his quest was not achieved. On Christmas Eve he came upon a castle in the midst of a wild forest, and there got lodging. The lord of the castle entertained him nobly. He was entertained also by the ladies of the castle, the lord’s fair wife, who was more beautiful than Guinevere, Gawain thought, and an ancient dame as hideous as the other was fair. Gawain stayed over St. John’s day (Dec. 27), and then would have departed to continue his quest, but the lord assured him that the Green Chapel was not two miles away, and bade him stay till New Year’s morning.

On each of the intervening three days the lord proposed a merry bargain, that they should exchange in the evening whatever fortune they achieved during the day. The lord went forth at daybreak to the chase, while Gawain lay late abed to rest. Now Gawain was visited secretly by the lady; who made offers of her love, but Gawain protested his unworthiness and evaded her offers without the discourtesy of a direct refusal. At each visit she kissed him three times, and the kisses he rendered faithfully to the lord, who each evening presented his kill to Gawain.

On the third day the lady offered him love-tokens. Her girdle of green silk, she said, had such virtue that none could be wounded who wore it. Gawain thought of the Green Knight’s axe, to be wielded on the morrow, and when she pressed the girdle on him he yielded, and promised to conceal it from her lord.

In the morning he rode over the hills to a wild valley where he found the Green Chapel—no ordinary chapel, but a hollow green mound. There came the Green Knight with an axe even bigger than before. Gawain made ready to take the blow, but