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Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

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This image is cited from http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/gawain.htm





This image is the scene of the beheading contest between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This picture is of the Green Knight riding on the horse, who loses his head to Sir Gawain but retrieves it before riding off. Even though his head is severed, he talks to Sir Gawain with his wide-open eyes. The Green Knight tells Sir Gawain to come back and look for the Green Knight and the Green Chapel one year and a day later.

In King Arthur's court in Camelot, King Arthur, Sir Gawain, who is a nephew of King Arthur, and all the other knights and ladies are having New Year's feast, which has continued for 15 days. People are enjoying themselves with the jousting,  tournaments, and kissing games.

However, when they are having dinner at the Round Table, the feast is suddenly interrupted by a fearsome looking knight. He is all green with red eyes and long hair, a giant of a knight sitting upon a green horse, the Green Knight. King Arthur's court is interrupted by the challenge of the Green Knight, a challenge to behead him. The Green Knight behaves rudely, and yells, "Where is Arthur?" Although the knights under Arthur are supposed to protect their King, they are all too afraid of the Green Knight to answer the challenge. King Arthur is ashamed of having cowards for knights so he himself tries to take up the Green Knight's challenge. Then, Sir Gawain stops Arthur, and courteously asks for permission to take up the Green Knight's challenge instead. The Green Knight's challenge, the beheading contest, is to strike the other's head off with an axe.

After getting  permission from King Arthur, Sir Gawain receives an axe from him. As Sir Gawain tries to strike the Green Knight, the Green Knight shows off his neck, holding his hair up, taunting Sir Gawain. In front of King and other knights, Sir Gawain cuts the Green Knight's head off, which falls to the floor.









King Arthuris watching the fight between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Like every other King in the Middle Ages, he wears a golden crown on his head. His clothing looks much different than that which his knights wear (it looks like it is shining).




The Knights are too scared to take up the Green Knight's challenge. They are only watching the fight between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Even though they appear to be ready for combat with swords drawn, they are actually afraid of the Green Knight.




King Arthur's nephew, Sir Gawaincourageously takes up the Green Knight's challenge, which is the beheading contest. In this picture, Sir Gawain takes off the Green Knight's head. The clothing that he wears is a regular robe. Later in the story, he will receive golden armor.




The Axeis given by the Green Knight as reward for removing his head. This is one of the important symbols in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a symbol which represents success.




The Green Knightsuddenly shows up at the King Arthur's court with the challenge of a beheading contest. He is shown all in green (even his horse is all green). In this picture, the Green Knight's head is cut off by Sir Gawain, but still he talks while holding his head in his hand.





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