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10 - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Limits of Chivalry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 September 2012

Laura Ashe
Affiliation:
Worcester College, Oxford
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Summary

According to the chronicler, the middle of the fourtheenth century saw the king of England seek to recreate the Arthurian court:

De gentillesse de cœur il [Edward III] s'avisa qu'il feroit refaire et rediffier le chastel de Windesore, que le roy Artus avoit fait faire, et où fut establye premierement la Table Ronde à l'occasion des prœux chevaliers qui estoient adoncq, et qu'il feroit et establiroit une pareille à celle Table Ronde pour plus essauchier l'onnour de ses chevaliers, qui si bien l'avoient servi qu'il les tenoit pour prœux, et tant que on ne trouvast les semblablez en quelque royaume, et luy sembloit qu'il ne les pouoit trop honnourer, tant les amoit. Si fist crier par tout son royaume feste generale et court plainiere pour ordonner celle Table Ronde, et manda par tous pays dames et damoiselles, chevaliers et escuiers, et que chascun, sans point d'excusation, y venist pour faire celle grande feste à Windesore, à Penthecouste l'an de grace mil CCC XLIIII.

[In the nobility of his heart he resolved that he would rebuild the castle of Windsor, which Arthur first constructed and where the Round Table was first established, on account of the prowess of the knights who were there then, [and that he would establish an equal to this Round Table in order to increase the honour of his knights,] who had served him so well that he held them so worthy and noble that their peers would not be found in any kingdom: and it seemed to him that he could not honour them too much, so much did he love them.

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Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication year: 2010

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