translated by Jessie L. Weston
1909 (reprinted 2003) • Dover Publications
53 pages / ISBN 0486431916 (paperback)
Medieval legend still wields power over the modern-day imagination. If this weren't the case, J. K. Rowling wouldn't be a successful author through her Harry Potter series and the John Boorman-directed film Excalibur would lack the cult following it nowadays enjoys. The sinister, enveloping mysticism and 'black and white' sense of value in medieval tales continue to fascinate us, especially through views of the world that seem untouched by materialism and political correctness. But are the original stories themselves read very much? In truth, they aren't, but for a tiny minority.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of few medieval romances that still boast a large readership, particularly amongst students, medieval enthusiasts, and lovers of ancient poetry. The story of Gawain's journey to uphold his pact with the greenly giant remains iconic of the period in both its medieval 'quest' and depiction of King Arthur and his court, who are a known entity in pop culture. Gawain is still attractive in its mystical atmosphere and unflinching sense of truth, which is very hard to come by in our age.As a purely literary work, the poem has its tense and touching moments, at least in the one manuscript by an unknown author that was brought down to us. This manuscript rests in the British Museum and is known as Cotton Nero A. X. - so named for a bookcase in the home of collector Sir Robert Cotton that housed a bust of the Roman dictator. The MS appears to be in Lancashire dialect and includes religious poems called Pearl, Purity, and Patience, all by the same writer. It is dated at the end of the fourteenth century but might have been copied from an earlier source.
The original MS is physically kept under lock and key while its obsolete form of English appears cryptic to us. How Gawain reaches the public is decided by scholars who choose a particular style and approach for translation. Translations of Gawain have been influenced by the critical positions of scholars and their familiarity with alternates of the myth from places such as Ireland and France. Decoding the story from an ancient dialect of English - one of many in an unstandardized era of language - has been vital in knocking down walls to understanding.
In the late 1890s, Jesse Laidlay Weston, one of the foremost medieval scholars of her era, wrote a translation of Gawain that kept popular readership in mind. Weston, who was living in Bournemouth, published Gawain in prose form while trying to maintain the original author's spirit of verse. Although Weston's unique approach has varying results, it does accomplish its main goal in bringing Gawain to everyone.
The original Gawain poem runs over 2,500 lines with stanzas of varying length. Each stanza does not use end-rhyme but alliteration until the five finishing lines, which rhyme in 'bob and wheel' manner. Aiming to translate for the general public, Weston converts the Gawain romance into a prose narrative that maintains a pseudo-antique style of language. Weston uses a different turn of phrase than the original text and omits small passages that she felt add nothing to the story's plotline. The latter includes castle architecture lacking in identification and the disembowelment of animals after a hunt.
Weston's unusual translation has its advantages. The retelling is easy to follow while keeping its overall spirit of medievalism. While the poem itself is uneven and often lacking in dramatic impact, Weston preserves moments when drama is brought off. She is one of the foremost interpreters of medieval texts, having been admired by intellectuals such as T. S. Eliot and Roger Sherman Loomis, and is more than up to the task of giving prose an ancient flavor.
It goes without saying, however, that the absence of Gawain in its original meter is disappointing. Many verse translations now exist, such as those by Burton Raffel and J. R. R. Tolkien, which confirm that Gawain is adaptable to modern English without undoing the beauty of its lines. Weston preserves the alliteration that is so frequent in Gawain's original form, but the 'bob and wheel' rhyming scheme has been completely removed. Perhaps Weston was trying too hard in supplying a medieval tale to the public, although she can't be faulted for it. The original text and alternate stories are easy to obtain if a reader becomes interested enough.
The last time I read a book of this type was a watered-down version of the Greek and Latin epics in high school. I absolutely hated that book and am amazed that I still want to read after setting eyes on it. Not so with this book; though unusual in its method, Weston's retelling is an easygoing story that leaves you wanting more, perhaps even the poem itself. It might just be the type of reaction that Weston was looking for.
Weston's translation, originally published in 1898, has been released as a low-priced softcover from Dover Publications, retaining all of its text from a 1909 revised printing by Charles Scribner's Sons. The new edition is 53 pages long, including Weston's 11 notes that explain ambiguities in the translation and original manuscript. It should be noted that chapter illustrations by M. M. Crawford were not retained from the Scribner's volume.
The Dover edition of Sir Gawain was first published in 2003 and is retailed at $3.95. It can be found on Dover racks at bookstores and in various spots on the Internet. While not suited to medievalists and those with experience in reading medieval texts, it is suggested for newcomers to the Round Table legends and general fantasy readers. The original text and similar translations are easily found at bookstores, libraries, and poetry web sites.
