the Gawain poet · late 14th century
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The whole chivalric code put on trial in one knight, one year, and one concealed green girdle — the flaw no oath can legislate away.
Begin readingenglish66 chapters · 19,949 words
Fitt I
14 chapters- Fitt I · 1Of the making of Britain
- Fitt I · 2How Arthur held high feast at Camelot
- Fitt I · 3New Year’s Day
- Fitt I · 4Of the noble knights there present
- Fitt I · 5The coming of the Green Knightstory
- Fitt I · 6The fashion of the knight
- Fitt I · 7Of the knight’s steed
- Fitt I · 8The arming of the knight
- Fitt I · 9Of the knight’s challengestory
- Fitt I · 10The silence of the knights
- Fitt I · 11How Sir Gawain dared the venture
- Fitt I · 12The making of the covenant
- Fitt I · 13The giving of the blowstory
- Fitt I · 14The marvel of the Green Knight
Fitt II
14 chapters- Fitt II · 1Opening
- Fitt II · 2The waning of the year
- Fitt II · 3Sir Gawain bethinks him of his covenant
- Fitt II · 4The arming of Sir Gawain
- Fitt II · 5Wherefore Sir Gawain bare the pentangle
- Fitt II · 6How Sir Gawain went forth
- Fitt II · 7Of Sir Gawain’s journey
- Fitt II · 8How Sir Gawain came to a fair castle on Christmas Eve
- Fitt II · 9How Sir Gawain was welcomed
- Fitt II · 10Sir Gawain tells his name
- Fitt II · 11The lady of the castle
- Fitt II · 12Of the Christmas feast
- Fitt II · 13How the feast came to an end but Gawain abode at the castle
- Fitt II · 14Sir Gawain makes a covenant with his host
Fitt III
19 chapters- Fitt III · 1The first day’s hunting
- Fitt III · 2How the lady of the castle came to Sir Gawain
- Fitt III · 3How the lady kissed Sir Gawain
- Fitt III · 4How the covenant was kept
- Fitt III · 5Of the second day’s hunting
- Fitt III · 6Of the lady and Sir Gawain
- Fitt III · 7How the lady strove to beguile Sir Gawain with words of love
- Fitt III · 8How the boar was slain
- Fitt III · 9The keeping of the covenant
- Fitt III · 10Of the third day’s hunting
- Fitt III · 11How the lady came for the third time to Sir Gawain
- Fitt III · 12The lady would fain have a parting gift from Gawain
- Fitt III · 13She would give him her ring
- Fitt III · 14Or her girdle
- Fitt III · 15The virtue of the girdlestory
- Fitt III · 16How Sir Gawain took the girdlestory
- Fitt III · 17The death of the fox
- Fitt III · 18How Sir Gawain kept not all the covenant
- Fitt III · 19How Sir Gawain took leave of his host
Fitt IV
19 chapters- Fitt IV · 1Opening
- Fitt IV · 2The robing of Sir Gawain
- Fitt IV · 3How Sir Gawain went forth from the castle
- Fitt IV · 4The squire’s warning
- Fitt IV · 5Of the knight of the Green Chapel
- Fitt IV · 6Sir Gawain is none dismayed
- Fitt IV · 7The finding of the chapel
- Fitt IV · 8The coming of the Green Knight
- Fitt IV · 9How Sir Gawain failed to stand the blow
- Fitt IV · 10Of the Green Knight’s reproachesstory
- Fitt IV · 11How the Green Knight dealt the blow
- Fitt IV · 12Of the three covenants
- Fitt IV · 13The shame of Sir Gawain
- Fitt IV · 14How Sir Gawain would keep the girdle
- Fitt IV · 15How the marvel was wrought
- Fitt IV · 16How Sir Gawain came again to Camelot
- Fitt IV · 17Sir Gawain makes confession of his fault
- Fitt IV · 18The knights wear the lace in honour of Gawainstory
- Fitt IV · 19The end of the tale