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 Notes

3.—The knights rode gaily ahead. This episode, in practically identical form, is found as the introduction to the head-cutting challenge, of which in Wauchier’s compilation Carados is the hero. This double use of the same incident appears to me significant in face of the fact that the ‘Carados’ story is an inferior version of our ‘Syr Gawayne and the Grene Knyghte.’ It seems to me most probable that our poem represents an elaborated version of an adventure which originally formed part of the compilation utilised by Wauchier in his continuation of the ‘Perceval,’ and that the passage here given formed the introductory episode of the group.

5.—At Carnarvon, In some of the texts Carduel is substituted for Carnarvon.

5.—Galvoie, a land where many a man goeth astray. For the mysterious character attached to Galvoie (Galloway), and its connection with the Other-world, cf. ‘Legend of Sir Perceval,’ pp. 186–192.

7.—When Sir Gawain beheld this. There are two distinct versions of Arthur’s rebuke to his knights; the one given in the text is found in B.N. 12576 (the source of this translation), B.N. 1429, Edinburgh, and Montpellier. The other version, in which Arthur refuses to explain what he means, and locks himself in his ‘loge,’