Chivalric Code In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Chivalric Code in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Darla Hale

Chivalric Code in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Life during fourteenth century England was woven with traditions and rituals. Court life was extravagant and plentiful. A man’s honor and virtue were among the most significant aspects of his life. Although there was not a precise list of codes, which composed chivalric code, many lists coincide and provide a good idea of what was considered important during those times.
Chivalric code was indwelled in knights. This code was composed of virtues that the knightly position must possess to prevent bringing shame on the knight or the court he defended. One list of codes is as follows:
To fear God and maintain His Church;
For example, his mail tunic protected the body just as he should defend the church, the helmet covering his head symbolized how he should guard the church, the lance struck fear into men which represented his power to keep the enemies away from the church (Phillips, 2008).
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem thought to be written in the fourteenth century. This theory is based on “the terminology used for the practice of hunting, descriptions of the layout of the typical fourteenth century English castle, and references to the routines of the servants of a castle household” (Puchner, et.al., 2012, p. 725). The use of King Arthur’s character and his Knights of the Round Table are additional indicators of the fourteenth century time frame.
Very little is known about the author including his name. A great deal of speculation has been made based on his style of writing. Three other poems, Cleanness, also known as Purity, Patience, and Pearl, were found in a single surviving manuscript and appear to be written by the same author in the same penmanship. Information in the other three poems also led historians to deem the poems from the fourteenth
One would have to complete an in depth study to find all the direct and indirect references to chivalry. Never refuse a challenge from an equal was addressed when the Green Knight appeared at King Arthur’s court. “So at Christmas in this court I lay down a challenge” (Puchner et.al., 2012, p. 733). Gawain accepts the challenge in place of King Arthur, also displaying chivalry as it is described to serve the liege lord. There are frequent references to fear God and maintain his church including “Yet for all that metal he still made it to mass, honored the Almighty before the high altar” (Puchner et.al., 2012, p. 379). Also when he was making his perilous venture in pursuit of the Green Knight the author states “Then at the time of tiding he prayed to highest heaven. Let Mother Mary guide him towards some house or haven” (Puchner et.al., 2012, p. 743). Respecting women was a very important code for knights. Reference of respect is made when Gawain happened upon shelter and met the ladies of the castle. He saluted the elder woman with a long bow and then kissed the younger respectfully and spoke to them with courtesy. In addition, after the queen of the court visited Gawain’s bedroom the second time, she made outward glances and smiles in a public forum toward Gawain, which he described would anger a man. Due to respect towards women, Gawain did not address her behavior as indicated by Puchner (2012), “but his