THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE

+The Text+ is from the early part of the Percy Folio, and the ballad is therefore deficient. Where gaps are marked in the text with a row of asterisks, about nine stanzas are lost in each case--half a page torn out by a seventeenth-century maidservant to light a fire! Luckily we can supply the story from other versions.

+The Story+, also given in _The Weddynge of Sr Gawen and Dame Ragnell_ (in the Rawlinson MS. c. 86 in the Bodleian Library), runs as follows:--

Shortly after Christmas, Arthur, riding by Tarn Wadling (still so called, but now pasture-land, in the forest of Inglewood), meets a bold baron, who challenges him to fight, unless he can win his ransom by returning on New Year's Day with an answer to the question, What does a woman most desire? Arthur relates the story to Gawaine, asks him and others for an answer to the riddle, and collects their suggestions in a book ('letters,' 24.1). On his way to keep his tryst with the baron, he meets an unspeakably ugly woman, who offers her assistance; if she will help him, Arthur says, she shall wed with Gawaine. She gives him the true answer, A woman will have her will. Arthur meets the baron, and after proffering the budget of answers, confronts him with the true answer. The baron exclaims against the ugly woman, whom he asserts to be his sister.

Arthur returns to his court, and tells his knights that a wife awaits one of them on the moor. Sir Lancelot, Sir Steven (who is not mentioned elsewhere in Arthurian tales), Sir Kay, Sir Bauier (probably Beduer or Bedivere), Sir Bore (Bors de Gauves), Sir Garrett (Gareth), and Sir Tristram ride forth to find her. At sight, Sir Kay, without overmuch chivalry, expresses his disgust, and the rest are unwilling to marry her. The king explains that he has promised to give her to Sir Gawaine, who, it seems, bows to Arthur's authority, and weds her. During the bridal night, she becomes a beautiful young woman. Further to test Gawaine, she gives him his choice: will he have her fair by day and foul by night, or foul by day and fair by night? Fair by night, says Gawaine.

And foul to be seen of all by day? she asks. Have your way, says Gawaine, and breaks the last thread of the spell, as she forthwith explains: her step-mother had bewitched both her, to haunt the moor in ugly shape, till some knight should grant her _all_ her will, and her brother, to challenge all comers to fight him or answer the riddle.

Similar tales, but with the important variation--undoubtedly indigenous in the story--that the man who saves his life by answering the riddle has himself to wed the ugly woman, are told by Gower (_Confessio Amantis_, Book I.) and Chaucer (_The Tale of the Wyf of Bathe_). The latter, which is also Arthurian in its setting, was made into a ballad in the _Crown Garland of Golden Roses_ (_circ._ 1600), compiled by Richard Johnson. A parallel is also to be found in an Icelandic saga.

THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE

1.

Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile, & seemely is to see, & there he hath with him Queene Genever, That bride soe bright of blee.

2.

And there he hath with [him] Queene Genever, That bride soe bright in bower, & all his barons about him stoode, That were both stiffe and stowre.

3.

The king kept a royall Christmasse, Of mirth and great honor, And when . . .

4.

'And bring me word what thing it is That a woman [will] most desire; This shalbe thy ransome, Arthur,' he sayes, 'For I'le haue noe other hier.'

5.

King Arthur then held vp his hand, According thene as was the law; He tooke his leaue of the baron there, & homward can he draw.

6.

And when he came to merry Carlile, To his chamber he is gone, & ther came to him his cozen Sir Gawaine As he did make his mone.

7.

And there came to him his cozen Sir Gawaine That was a curteous knight; 'Why sigh you soe sore, vnckle Arthur,' he said, 'Or who hath done thee vnright?'

8.

'O peace, O peace, thou gentle Gawaine, That faire may thee beffall!

For if thou knew my sighing soe deepe, Thou wold not meruaile att all;

9.

'Ffor when I came to Tearne Wadling, A bold barron there I fand, With a great club vpon his backe, Standing stiffe and strong;

10.

'And he asked me wether I wold fight, Or from him I shold begone, Or else I must him a ransome pay & soe depart him from.

11.

'To fight with him I saw noe cause, Methought it was not meet, For he was stiffe & strong with-all, His strokes were nothing sweete;

12.

'Therefor this is my ransome, Gawaine, I ought to him to pay: I must come againe, as I am sworne, Vpon the Newyeer's day.

13.

'And I must bring him word what thing it is ... ... ...

14.

Then King Arthur drest him for to ryde In one soe rich array Toward the fore-said Tearne Wadling, That he might keepe his day.

15.

And as he rode over a more, Hee see a lady where shee sate Betwixt an oke & a greene hollen; She was cladd in red scarlett.

16.

Then there as shold haue stood her mouth, Then there was sett her eye, The other was in her forhead fast The way that she might see.

17.

Her nose was crooked & turnd outward, Her mouth stood foule a-wry; A worse formed lady than shee was, Neuer man saw with his eye.

18.

To halch vpon him, King Arthur, This lady was full faine, But King Arthur had forgott his lesson, What he shold say againe.

19.

'What knight art thou,' the lady sayd, 'That will not speak to me?

Of me be thou nothing dismayd Tho' I be vgly to see;

20.

'For I haue halched you curteouslye, & you will not me againe; Yett I may happen, Sir Knight,' shee said, 'To ease thee of thy paine.'

21.

'Giue thou ease me, lady,' he said, 'Or helpe me any thing, Thou shalt have gentle Gawaine, my cozen, & marry him with a ring.'

22.

'Why, if I help thee not, thou noble King Arthur, Of thy owne heart's desiringe, Of gentle Gawaine . . .

23.

And when he came to the Tearne Wadling The baron there cold he finde, With a great weapon on his backe, Standing stiffe and stronge.