Sir Gawain

The Turke and Sir Gawain

• attestation: Sir Gawain rebuked his kinsman Kay for his rude answer, suggesting it would bring no honour to strike a man who might lack his wits. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > Opening Challenge)

  "Then spake Sir Gawaine, that worthy knight, Saith, "Cozen Kay, thou speakest not right - Lewd is thy answere! "What and that man want of his witt? Then litle worshipp were to thee pitt If thou shold him forefore.""

• relationship: Sir Kay is described as Sir Gawain's kinsman ("Cozen Kay"), indicating a family connection between the two knights. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > Opening Challenge)

  ""Cozen Kay, thou speakest not right - Lewd is thy answere!"

• attestation: Gawain entered a sworn agreement with the Turke to trade blows; Gawain struck first, but the Turke's return blow was postponed. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > Opening Challenge)

  "[At this point about half a page of the story is missing; Gawain enters into a sworn agreement to trade blows, apparently without weapons. He strikes his blow, but the return blow by the Turk is postponed.]"

• attribution: Sir Gawain is identified as a 'worthy knight,' an epithet reflecting his high reputation at Arthur's court. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > Opening Challenge)

  "Then spake Sir Gawaine, that worthy knight,"

• attestation: Gawain pledged his truth to accompany the Turke, vowing never to flee from any adventure, jousting, or tournament for as long as he lived. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Bargain Renewed)

  "Then said Gawaine, "My truth I plight, I dare goe with thee full right, And never from thee flye; I will never flee from noe adventure, Justing, nor noe other turnament, Whilest I may live on lee.""

• attestation: Gawain declared he had never before experienced such terrible weather in any place he had been. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Bargain Renewed)

  "Then spake Sir Gawaine and sighed sore: "Such wether saw I never afore In noe stead there I have beene stood.""

• attestation: Gawain grew severely hungry after two days riding northward, having great need of food and drink — a vulnerability testing his endurance. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Bargain Renewed)

  "They rode northwards two dayes and more. By then Sir Gawaine hungred sore; Of meate and drinke he had great need."

• attestation: Gawain and the Turke arrived at a castle; Gawain dismounted from his steed since the Turke had no horse. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Strange Castle)

  "To the Castle they then yode. Sir Gawaine light beside his steed, For horsse the Turke had none."

• attestation: The Turke forbade Gawain from eating the feast already laid out; Gawain marvelled at both the abundance of food and the absence of any people — man, maid, woman, or child. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Strange Castle)

  "Sir Gawaine wold have fallen to that fare, The Turke bad him leave for care; Then waxt he unfaine. Gawaine said, "Man, I marvell have That thou may none of these vittells spare, And here is soe great plentye. Yett have I more mervaile, by my fay, That I see neither man nor maid, Woman nor child soe free."

• attestation: After eating and drinking ale and wine, Gawain pledged obedience to the Turke and asked to receive his return buffet so he could depart. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Strange Castle)

  "He dranke ale, and after wine. He saith, "I will be att thy bidding baine Without bost or threat. But one thing I wold thee pray: Give me my buffett and let me goe my way. I wold not longer be hereatt.""

• attestation: Gawain left his steed behind and sailed across the sea with the Turke in a boat, arriving within an hour without harm. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Isle of Man)

  "Sir Gawaine left behind his steed, He might noe other doe. The Turke said to Sir Gawaine, "He shal be here when thou comes againe - I plight my troth to thee - Within an hower, as men tell me." They were sailed over the sea:"

• attestation: Gawain refused to sit down to dine in the King's hall, declaring that a knight-errant should not sit until he has seen adventures. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Tennis Match and the Hearth)

  "Sir Gawaine answered at that word, Saith, "Nay, that may not be,

"I trow not a venturous knight shall Sitt downe in a kings hall Adventures or you see.""

• attestation: There were seventeen giants, all bold of blood, who intended to strike out Gawain's brains; the brass tennis ball was sized for a giant's hand and no man in England could carry it. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Tennis Match and the Hearth)

  "There were seventeen giants bold of blood, And all thought Gawaine but litle good. When they thought with him to play. All the giants thoughten then To have strucke out Sir Gawaines braine. Help him God that best may! The ball of brasse was made for the giants hand; There was noe man in all England Were able to carry it . . ."

• attestation: Gawain was more afraid than he had ever been, and prayed to God silently; he asked his boy (the Turke) to lift the chimney if he could. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Tennis Match and the Hearth)

  "Sir Gawaine was never soe adread Sith he was man on midle earth, And cryd on God in his thought. Gawaine unto his boy can say "Lift this chimney - if you may - That is soe worthily wrought.""

• attestation: A giant boasted of having slain mighty warriors and threatened to slay Gawain as well, saying he had killed all the flower of chivalry and that none who belonged to King Arthur had ever returned to tell the tale. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Lead and the Beheading)

  ""I have slaine them thorrow my mastery, And now, Gawaine, I will slay thee, And then I have slaine all the flower. There went never none againe no tale to tell, Nor more shalt thou, thoe thou be fell, Nor none that longeth to King Arthur.""

• attestation: Gawain demanded the King of Man submit to Christian law, warning that his reign was at an end. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Lead and the Beheading)

  "Then Sir Gawaine unto the King can say, "Without thou wilt agree unto our law, Eatein is all thy bread.""

• attestation: Gawain initially refused to behead the Turke, saying he would not have him slain for all the gold in the world. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Lead and the Beheading)

  ""That I forefend!" said Sir Gawaine, "For I wold not have thee slaine For all the gold soe red.""

• attestation: Gawain struck off the Turke's head with the steel sword; when the blood fell into the basin, the Turke stood up transformed into a stalwart knight and sang Te Deum Laudamus, praising Jesus. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Lead and the Beheading)

  "He drew forth the brand of steele That in battell bite wold weele, And there stroke of his head. And when the blood in the bason light, He stood up a stalwortht Knight That day, I undertake, And song "'Te Deum Laudamus' - Worshipp be to our Lord Jesus That saved us from all wracke!"

• attestation: The transformed knight blessed Gawain and declared that Gawain had well repaid all the service the Turke had done for him. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > The Lead and the Beheading)

  ""A! Sir Gawaine! Blessed thou be! For all the service I have don thee, Thou hast well quitt it me.""

• attestation: They had rescued seventeen ladies who had been left in great danger on the Isle of Man. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > Return to Arthur's Court)

  ""Thus we have brought seventeen ladys cleere That there were left in great danger, And we have brought them out.""

• attestation: The husbands were sent for; each took his own wife, and they bowed low and thanked the two knights and the King, pledging service throughout England. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > Return to Arthur's Court)

  "Then sent they for theire husbands swithe, And every one tooke his oune wife, And lowlye can they lowte, And thanked the two knights and the King, And said they wold be at theire bidding In all England about."

• attestation: Gawain refused the kingship of Man, declaring he never intended to be a king in his life, and asked that Sir Gromer receive the crown since he had won it. (The Turke and Sir Gawain > Return to Arthur's Court)

  "Sir Gawaine kneeld downe by, And said "Lord, nay, not I; Give it him, for he it wan.

"For I never purposed to be noe King, Never in all my livinge, Whilest I am a living man." He said, "Sir Gromer, take it thee, For Gawaine will never King bee For no craft that I can.""