A24's The Green Knight protagonist, Gawain, has a prominent role in Arthurian legend; here's his history explained. The Green Knight is getting rave reviews from critics, with particular praise being reserved for its stunning visuals, sweeping score and eerie sound design, and Dev Patel's fantastic performance as the film's protagonist. It was clearly a labor of love on the part of writer-director David Lowery and his team, and the results of that are clear.
The movie is based on the late 14th-century poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." It tells the tale of Gawain, a member of Arthur's court but young and unproven, and a epic quest that will test his character and decide once and for all whether or not he's worthy of becoming a true Knight of the Round Table. The Green Knight isn't a typical swords-and-shields King Arthur movie full of medieval battles. Instead, it's a slow burn, meditative tale of man vs. nature, but more importantly, man vs. himself.
Because of that, it could be a surprise for some moviegoers. Aside from Gawain himself, as well, the trailers don't ever make it clear that it's a story from Arthurian legend, and some audiences may be surprised to learn it is. For those who have never read the original poem or any stories about Camelot, their knowledge may only extend as far as the King Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot love triangle and the wizard Merlin. Despite not having as many stories told of him, however, Gawain is an important figure in the mythology.
Gawain Has Multiple Direct Ties To King Arthur In The Mythology
Gawain is connected to Arthur in a few ways. To start with, they're related by blood; Gawain is Arthur's nephew. As with all old legends, Gawain's story has changed and been retconned and modified over the centuries, but in the best-known tradition today, Gawain is the son of Arthur's half-sister, Morgause (the full sister of Morgan le Fay), and King Lot of Orkney. He also has four half-brothers (or younger brothers, depending on the telling): Agravain, Gareth, Gaheris, and the infamous Mordred.
Along with having a direct family connection to King Arthur, Gawain is also a Knight of the Round Table, and one of Camelot's most respected and renowned knights. In stories dating back to the Early Middle Ages, Gawain was depicted as Arthur's closest companion and most trusted knight. Even Gwalchmei, the precursor of Gawain from Welsh mythology, is painted as a trusted companion to Arthur, and he's often singled out as Arthur's "most courteous" knight, serving as the intermediary between new or unfamiliar knights and the rest of Arthur's court. In later medieval retellings, Gawain's popularity is somewhat usurped and he's slowly replaced by Lancelot as Arthur's right hand, and by Galahad as the most courteous of the Knights of the Round Table, but even so, he still remains an important part of Arthur's inner circle. In fact, some versions of the legends name Gawain as Arthur's rightful heir and the one meant to take the throne of Camelot after Arthur's passing.
Gawain's History And Mythology Explained
It's impossible to trace an exact line through Gawain's history thanks to all the retcons and revisions of his story, but there's a reason he's been depicted so often, not just in the original stories of King Arthur, but also in modern movie and TV adaptations. In the earliest versions of the stories, Gawain is a bastard but, through various events, ends up growing up in Rome with no knowledge of his noble lineage. He eventually learns who he is and returns to England where, in some versions, he ends up in the castle of his biological mother and in others, ends up forcing Arthur to acknowledge their blood relation. Later legends do away with his Rome upbringing entirely.
Geoffrey of Monmouth bridges this gap by mentioning that, as a child, Gawain had served Pope Sulpicius in Rome. But by the time the story begins, Gawain is an adult, one of Arthur's most fearsome warriors and strongest knights, and even seen as a potential heir to the throne. However, he is killed during a disastrous landing at sea, struck down by the forces of his traitorous brother, Mordred; other versions have Mordred striking the killing blow himself. Mordred, of course, later went on to infamously kill Arthur in order to take the throne.
One particularly important Sir Gawain's story outside of the Green Knight is his relationship with Lancelot. Originally, the two were close friends. Gawain learns that his brothers, Mordred and Agravain, are plotting to destroy Lancelot and Guinevere by exposing their affair to Arthur and the court. Gawain tries to stop them to no avail, and when Arthur orders his best knights to guard Guinevere's subsequent execution, Gawain refuses to participate. However, Lancelot returns to rescue Guinevere and a battle breaks out between Lancelot's men and Arthur's, and Gawain's brothers Gareth and Gaheris are killed by Lancelot's men. Other versions describe the mission Gawain refuses as one to capture Lancelot, who is Gawain's friend, or describe his sons being killed along with his brothers. In all versions, however, Gawain's love for Lancelot curdles to hatred and his rage is so great that he draws Arthur's forces of Britain and Lancelot's forces of France into war. But Gawain returns to his senses by the end, and, on his deathbed, sends a letter to Lancelot describing his sorrow, forgiving Lancelot and asking for forgiveness in return. When he dies, Lancelot weeps at Gawain's tomb for two full nights, refusing to leave the side of the man who had once been his best friend.
In the happiest versions of the King Arthur legends, however, Gawain does not die at all. Instead, when Arthur is gravely wounded by Mordred, it's Gawain who accompanies Arthur in a boat to the Isle of Avalon, where Morgan le Fay heals Arthur. Other versions have him living on the Isle of Avalon with Arthur and Morgan and still alive hundreds of years later.
How The Green Knight Changes Gawain From Arthurian Legend
In the legends, Gawain is the most courtly and courteous of Arthur's knights. He's a formidable warrior but compassionate, and fiercely loyal to his family, including his uncle, Arthur. He's known for his kindness toward the poor and unfortunate, his patience with young knights, and his chivalry toward maidens. Interestingly, there were also magical and pagan elements always associated with Gawain, such as superhuman strength connected to the lunar cycle, his knowledge of herbs and healing abilities, and his possession of several magical swords, and his incredibly close bond and uncanny ability to communicate with his mighty warhorse, Gringolet. In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," in some ways the most pagan of stories in Arthurian legend canon, Gawain is depicted as incredibly pure and chaste. He is tempted throughout and numerous attempts are made to seduce him, both mentally and physically, but Gawain withstands it.
The version of Gawain from The Green Knight is quite different from the Gawain in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," and even much of the mythology in general. The Gawain of David Lowery's film is far less chaste, enthusiastically engaging in carnal love rather than the idealistic courtly love of the poem. He's far rougher around the edges and more unwilling to keep his end of the bargain with the Green Knight than Gawain in the original epic, and he's far more of a flawed human than a heroic ideal. In its telling, The Green Knight offers one more story and one more new interpretation to add to the legend of Gawain.