Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (ca. 1390)

Epic poem, Medieval literature

“…and through history more strangeness has happened here / than anywhere else I know of on Earth.” (v. 23-24)

The beauty of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is that although it is a 14th century epic poem, it still speaks of universal themes we face today.

The journey of the hero, Gawain, isn’t just an action-packed adventure: he deals with his own conscience first and foremost. He is loyal, but how to stay true when opposing forces are pulling him? He is brave, but is he ready to face certain death? He is chivalrous, but is he more a lover or a knight?

The Arthurian poem is composed in alliterative verse. Each line has an alliteration, a repeated sound that lends a certain music to the verse. This music is very well conveyed by Simon Armitage in his translation, which is presented alongside the original text in Middle English.

Having tried other versions while confronting them with the original, this one felt like a revelation: the text reads beautifully, while both meaning and sound are transported almost seamlessly to our Modern English. If you want to catch up on the poem before you watch the A24 film The Green Knight, I highly suggest getting this W. W. Norton edition; it’s clear while reading that it’s not any Middle English expert translating, but a poet.

However, if you want to read it online or on your e-reader, I've got you covered!

Read online and free download options

There are many online resources pertaining to Middle English literature, and specifically to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I've compiled a list of links with download options.

• Luminarium page for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight resources

• Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse: Middle English text

• Modern English verse translation by A.S. Kline, with download options

• Modern English prose translation by Jessie Weston, with footnotes

• Modern English prose translation by W. A. Neilson (downloadable pdf file)

• Modern English verse translation by J.R.R. Tolkien (downloadable pdf file)

• Digitised copy of the only surviving manuscript of the Gawain poem from the British Library

Have you read this? Are you looking forward to the new adaptation starring Dev Patel? I know I am!