King of Man

The Turke and Sir Gawain

• attestation: The King of Man kept a company of giants, described as strong, stout, and ugly, the most fearsome such company anywhere in the world. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Isle of Man)

  ""With him he hath a hideous rout Of giants strong and stout And uglie to looke uppon. Whosoever had sought farr and neere As wide as the world were, Such a companye he cold find none."

• attestation: The King of Man mockingly asked Gawain how his uncle King Arthur and his company fared, establishing Arthur as Gawain's uncle. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Tennis Match and the Hearth)

  ""Sir Gawaine stiffe and stowre, How fareth thy unckle King Arthur, And all his company?"

• attestation: The King of Man threatened Bishop Bodwine, who preached about the Crown of Thorns and interfered with the King's goods. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Tennis Match and the Hearth)

  "And that Bishopp Sir Bodwine That will not let my goods alone, But spiteth them every day?

"He preached much of a Crowne of Thorne; He shall ban the time that he was borne And ever I catch him may."

• attestation: The King of Man expressed hostility toward the English clergy, angered more by the spiritual establishment than the temporal lords, and threatened to burn the clergy in fire. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Tennis Match and the Hearth)

  "I anger more att the spiritually In England, not att the temporaltie, They goe soe in theire array. "And I purpose in full great ire To brenn their clergy in a fire And punish them to my pay."

• attestation: The King ordered his brass tennis ball brought forth; with it came seventeen giants, all taller than Gawain by half. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Tennis Match and the Hearth)

  "The King said, "Gawaine, faire mot thee fall! Goe feitch me forth my tennisse ball, For play will I and see." They brought it out without doubt. With it came a hideous rout Of gyants great and plenty;"

• attestation: The King of Man declared there were three adventures in total to be faced, with the tennis match being the first. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Tennis Match and the Hearth)

  ""I told you, soe mote I the - With the three adventure, and then no more Befor me at this tide.""

• attestation: The second challenge involved a fireplace (chimney) in the King's hall, loaded with coals and expensive wood; a giant demonstrated by lifting the chimney with one hand and setting it down. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Tennis Match and the Hearth)

  "Then there stood amongst them all A chimney in the Kings hall With barres mickle of pride. There was laid on in that stond Coales and wood that cost a pound, That upon it did abide.

A giant bad Gawaine assay,"

• attestation: The King of Man spat on Gawain in defiance; the Turke then seized the King and threw him into the fire. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Lead and the Beheading)

  "The King spitt on Gawaine the knight. With that the Turke hent him upright And into the fyer him flang,"