Gawain Creative (Romance) – The Medieval Kingfisher

CREATIVE PROJECT BY OSHEA REDDY (’24)

The Green Knight: The Limitations of Human Capacity
Sculpture
An Interpretation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Medieval Romance: Magic and the Supernatural (YHU2309)
2022

Artist’s Remarks

In ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,’ the Green Knight taunts the Arthurian court by using his grandeur to emphasize their shortcomings and haunts Sir Gawain, who comes to fear his mortality at the Green Knight’s hands. As I carried the Pearl poet’s Green Knight in my mind across the weeks, I realized that his existence is a direct challenge to the limitations of human capacity. I hoped to capture this aspect of the Green Knight’s existence in physical recreation. I have created a model out of crushed papers, fallen leaves, and green plastic bags in my creative interpretation. His armor is made of leaves painted over in green to cast them as “evergreen,” and as per the description in the text, the Green Knight remains shoeless. He is beheaded, holding his head – wrapped in green plastic – by his side. He has a red braid around his waist and decapitated head. My creative decisions in making this model (whom I affectionately call “man”) are products of much deliberation. As this essay proves, my decisions document the dilemmas I faced as I worked within my own human capacity limitations.

From the introduction of the Green Knight, he is set apart from the knights of the Arthurian court in how massive his stature is. The first descriptions of the Knight depict him as “a mountain of a man, immeasurably high, / a hulk of a human” (lines 137-138), placing him (literally) a head and shoulders above the other knights. To attempt to capture this “most massive man” (line 141), I set out to create a model as large and sturdy as I could make it. The model is big – I was indeed questioned by passersby, who noticed I was carrying a rather large (and green) model of a man back and forth from the Art Studio. However, I admit he is not as large as I would have liked him to be. Running into issues of storage, transportation, and resource shortages pointed me to the limitations of my own capacity. I also planned to make this model out of wood to give him the bulk and durability that his title as the “mightiest of mortals” (line 141) commands. However, a lack of resources and expertise led me to use crushed papers to construct the base – unfortunately, making my model extremely flimsy. Again, I faced limitations in what I was capable of creating. In this trial-and-error process, I realized that these were uniquely human problems that curtailed how large and sturdy I could make the model I created with my own hands. I doubt nature runs into such issues in creating features of the natural world. Thus, in this failed venture of recreating the physicality of the Green Knight, I paralleled the Arthurian knights in my realization that I could not recreate his build in the same way the knights could not match the Green Knight’s stature.

The otherworldliness of the Green Knight lies in the striking feature of his greenness. This sets him distinctly apart from the other knights as the green hue demarcates him as a being not of the human realm but instead of natural earthen powers beyond human imaginaries. I used leaves in my model of the Knight’s armor to embody his extraordinary abilities. These leaves browned over the time I created the model, presenting me with a dilemma. Browning is normal for leaves, but in my pursuit to recreate the Green Knight in all his glory, I was left unsure of what to do. Was I to leave the browning leaves and lose the unique greenness of the character I was trying to bring to life? Or was I to paint over the leaves in green to honor his greenness and compromise my desire to incorporate wholly natural elements into my model? Leaving the leaves untouched and unpainted betrays the “entirely emerald green” (line 150) depiction of the Green Knight, but it would represent the strength of nature over man’s will. Human desire has to adjust around the state of nature: I could not alter the state of the leaves naturally unless I were to obtain evergreen leaves (another limitation of my capacities). This particular scenario seemed to parallel the absolute power the Green Knight yields by being a representation of the natural forces of the earth – the “force of [his] fist would be a thunderbolt” (line 201). I, however, chose to paint over the leaves, believing that not recreating the green tint of the Green Knight would be a higher opportunity cost. This desire to stay true to the Green Knight’s tint allowed me to find an answer to the question the Pearl poet poses: “what did it mean that human could develop this hue?” (line 234). The greenness is such a marvelous characteristic that it indeed acts as a distinguisher from the other humans of the Arthurian court for the Green Knight to have developed it.

Unsettlingly, despite the features that make the Green Knight distinctly not human, his existence as the ‘knight’ who is ‘green’ portrays him as a human. This makes his existence paradoxical – he is a symbol of elemental forces, yet only ever referred to as a man or human. He might be a “mountain” but is still a “man”; a “hulk” but still a “human.” This paradox seems uncomfortable in that his supposed humanity exacerbates Gawain and the other Arthurian knights’ shortcomings in comparison to him. By being a human and still yielding such power in his immortality despite being beheaded, the limitations of the human condition are further exposed. I hoped to capture this disturbing dichotomy by using leaves to depict the “veritably verdant” (line 161) quality of the knight while using pieces of a green plastic bag as the model’s sleeves and pants. Plastic waste is a human creation that serves to destroy wildlife and natural habitats. Even placing the plastic beside the leaves seemed strange – I was juxtaposing an emblem of nature beside a token of the destruction that humanity is capable of. Meditating on this, I realized I wanted to nuance this dichotomy further. I took artistic liberty to include a braided red chain around the model’s waist to depict the holly sprig the Green Knight holds as a symbol of eternal life. The model is also headless – his head lies attached to his hand, wrapped in green plastic with the same red string tied around it. I particularly enjoyed the irony in this image: the plastic seems to be suffocating the knight’s head, mirroring dark and gruesome images of modern-day murders, in much the same manner that humanity is destroying the environment. The shoelessness of the model – the only depiction of vulnerability the Green Knight bears in the story – adds to the sense of hopelessness and fragility of the human condition. However, the red strings symbolize the eternal life of the Green Knight. Understanding his immortality against his portrayal as a human being allows for a deeper appreciation of his otherworldly powers far beyond human capacity. Creating these layers of paradoxes to emphasize the Green Knight’s powers above that of humanity proved to be a humbling parallel to Gawain’s fear in facing his mortality in his challenge with the Green Knight.

Ultimately, I believe this reflection has become a record of the questions I grappled with in trying to create this knight. There was a lot I wanted to do but could not end up doing, or I had to choose to do something over another. Mostly, it was out of my capacity to bring to life my ideas precisely as I envisioned them. At the end of this project, I now realize that this, in itself, is a lesson I’ve learned from the Green Knight. Embarking on this project led me to deep meditation on the limits of human capacity. In the same way that the Green Knight epitomized the shortcomings of Sir Gawain by constantly reminding him – taunting him even – of his mortality as a human, I now see that creating this model has taunted me with my own limitations as a human attempting to recreate the true essence of the mystical being of the natural world that is the Green Knight.

_REFERENCES

Armitage, Simon, trans. (2009) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. W.W. Norton & Company.

CREATIVE PROJECT BY ASHLEY TAN (’25)

The Green Knight
Textile Art (Embroidery)
An Interpretation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Medieval Romance: Magic and the Supernatural (YHU2309)
2022

Artist’s Remarks

“A text is a weave of knowing and not-knowing.”¹ As stated by critic Geraldine Heng with regards to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the narrative is full of unanswered questions. The Green Knight is a mysterious character both known and unknowable. His first appearance is a shock to Arthur’s court, and though we eventually glean some insight as to his origins, there still lurks questions, such as: why does Morgan le Fay hate Guinevere? How does Guinevere react? The binaries of knowing and not-knowing form a compelling narrative.

With the text described as a “weave,” I was inspired to embroider. In fact, various narratives refer to embroidery as a medium for communication. For instance, in the Middle English Breton Lai Emare, Emare’s luxuriously embroidered robe plays a central role in the narrative. The robe depicts different pairs of lovers. With its images of true loves, the robe becomes representative of a “gallery of ideals,” integral to the romance of the story.² Embroidery was a common pastime for women in the Medieval period, akin to a symbol of status. Embroidered items were often created with expensive materials like silk, silver or gold, and given as presents to promote the political interests of the family. A valuable gift, embroidery was a medium of communication, signalling friendly intentions and furthering alliances.³ In embroidery, various stitches are used; the split stitch was popular in Medieval England, and so I mainly used this stitch, as seen in the border and leaves.⁴

Regarding the Green Knight, what struck me was the ambiguity of what he represented. While at first an ominous appearance in Arthur’s court, by the end of the tale, we learn he is the friendly lord who welcomed Gawain into his court. In fact, the Green Knight possesses many paradoxical qualities, seen in lines 151-220, expounding his appearance in excruciating detail. He is green and supernaturally strong, yet appears human at the same time. He appears offering symbols of peace (the holly sprig) and of violence (the axe). He could be good or evil. As such, I decided to focus on embroidering just the Green Knight, although in the narrative, he enters Arthur’s court on his green horse. Moreover, I kept his face empty, in order to underscore the mystery of his identity—Arthur’s court knows nothing about the Green Knight’s origins when he first arrives.

The most striking aspect of the Green Knight is, as his name suggests, that he is entirely green. Specific shades of green are mentioned; he is the green of nature, be it “forest-green” or “grass-green” (lines 220 and 235). To highlight the greenness of the knight, I decided to use green cloth for the background, overtly highlighting the green-ness of the Green Knight and the overall piece. The only parts of the piece that are not green are the gold accents and the items he wields.

In this piece, I tried to depict the contrast between the humanity of the Green Knight and his supernatural appearance, where he appears like a force of nature. The Green Knight is directly associated with nature, his garments “embroidered as it was with butterflies and birds,” lending a sense of delicateness to the Green Knight, in line with his meticulously groomed appearance (line 166). To make these animals more obvious, I embroidered butterflies around the knight, as though following him—emphasising the idea that the Green Knight is aided by the power of nature, and is thus stronger than normal knights. I also used green felt for the armour, creating a texture that reminded me of moss, as though elements of nature are literally being used to protect him. On top of the mossy armour, I used embroidery thread to stitch leaves and vines, explicitly highlighting the Green Knight’s connection to nature. Similarly, the Green Knight’s cape has felt leaves attached on top, as though they are natural extensions of the cloak.

However, at the same time, the Green Knight is human. Though the characters do not know it yet at this juncture, the Green Knight is an alternate identity of Sir Bertilak. After all, the knight is dressed like a wealthy lord who is familiar with the clothes and customs of the time: “baubles and gems” are “arrayed so richly around his costume” (line 162). Interestingly, the word “costume” suggests that the ‘Green Knight’ is a mere illusion; underneath the clothes is a completely human being. To emphasise the human side of the Green Knight, green sequins were added to the cloak to represent the “baubles and gems.” Gold thread helps signify the status of the Green Knight: he appears in Arthur’s court as a grand figure dressed “richly” in human finery meant to impress. Furthermore, for the Green Knight’s hair, woolier thread is used to add more texture and make the hair appear more similar to human hair, despite being green.

Tellingly, the reactions of those at Arthur’s court emphasises the human-ness yet unnatural-ness of the Green Knight. The Green Knight is an oddity: although described as “weird” and “otherworldly,” characters note the Green Knight is still “flesh and bone,” ascribing human qualities to him (lines 196-198). This underscores the inability of the characters to categorise the Green Knight. Instead, the Green Knight appears to be symbolic of some connection between humanity and nature. He could even possibly represent a harbinger of death; after all, he looks so strong to the point that “it seemed no man there might / survive his violent blow” (lines 201-202). I tried to show the prowess of the Green Knight by making him appear imposing. His arms are outstretched, creating the impression of a large towering figure.

The Green Knight is also divine-like, aligning with the religious undertones of the narrative. Christ’s human yet divine nature is comparable to the Green Knight’s human yet supernatural nature. The Green Knight suddenly appears on New Year’s day, when Arthur is waiting for a marvellous story. Critics have pointed out it as though the Green Knight is playing out “an inversion of the Easter phase of Jesus’s ministry, a violent death and resurrection that threatens to bring death without hope of redemption or resurrection to Gawain.”¹As such, I took the liberty of adding a gold cross around the neck of the Green Knight, implying his connection to Christianity.

Finally, I depicted the items the Green Knight is holding, in order to present the dichotomy of violence and peace that he offers Arthur’s court. The text describes him as holding “in one hand a sprig of holly” (line 206). The holly symbolises the Green Knight’s peacefulness, as he explicitly states: “Be assured by this holly stem here in my hand / that I mean no menace” (lines 265-266). As one of the few non-green items the Green Knight carries, I wanted to emphasise it by using bright red; hence, I used red sequins for the berries. This helps draw one’s eye to the sprig of holly, signalling the Green Knight’s peaceful intentions.

However, in his other hand, the Green Knight holds “the mother of all axes,/ a cruel piece of kit” (lines 208-209). The menacing look of the axe is also seen through the line: “broad-edged blade brightly burnished” (line 212). Although the Green Knight tells Arthur’s court that if he wanted conflict, his “sword and spear would be here,” the axe still remains ominously visible, and later becomes the vital element to his proposed game (line 269).

_FOOTNOTES

¹Heng, Geraldine. “Feminine Knots and the Other Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” PMLA, vol. 106, no. 3, 1991, pp. 500–14, https://doi.org/10.2307/462782.

²Mortimer J. Donovan, “Middle English Emare and the Cloth Worthily Wrought,” in Larry D. Benson, ed., The Learned and the Lewed: Studies in Chaucer and Medieval Literature, Harvard English Studies 5 (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1974), p. 339.

³ Diener, Laura Michele. “Sealed with a Stitch: Embroidery and Gift-Giving among Anglo-Saxon Women.” Medieval Prosopography, vol. 29, 2014, pp. 1–22, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44946967.

⁴ See https://youtu.be/JgN7osGCf5g for a tutorial.

⁵ Besserman, Lawrence. “The Idea of the Green Knight.” ELH, vol. 53, no. 2, 1986, pp. 219–39, https://doi.org/10.2307/2873255.

_REFERENCES

Armitage, Simon. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2008.

Besserman, Lawrence. “The Idea of the Green Knight.” ELH, vol. 53, no. 2, 1986, pp. 219–39, https://doi.org/10.2307/2873255.

Diener, Laura Michele. “Sealed with a Stitch: Embroidery and Gift-Giving among Anglo-Saxon Women.” Medieval Prosopography, vol. 29, 2014, pp. 1–22, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44946967

Heng, Geraldine. “Feminine Knots and the Other Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” PMLA, vol. 106, no. 3, 1991, pp. 500–14, https://doi.org/10.2307/462782.

Mortimer J. Donovan, “Middle English Emare and the Cloth Worthily Wrought,” in Larry D. Benson, ed., The Learned and the Lewed: Studies in Chaucer and Medieval Literature, Harvard English Studies 5 (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1974), p. 339.