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7 The First Adventure of Sir Gawain

Sir Gawain rode some distance and Gaheris, his brother, rode with him in the position of squire, to do him service. As they rode, they saw two knights on horseback fighting fiercely. Sir Gawain and his brother rode between them and asked them why they fought.

CIII.6

One of the knights said, “We fight for a simple reason: we are brothers, begotten of the same man and woman.”

“Alas!” said Sir Gawain.

“Sir,” said the elder brother, “a white hart came this way today with many hounds chasing him, and there was a white brachet following him. We understood that this was an adventure to mark the occasion of the high feast of Arthur. I would have gone after them to win worship for myself, but my younger brother here said he would go after the hart, because he is a bigger knight than I. For this reason, we fell into a quarrel, and so we thought to prove which of us is the bigger knight.”

“Truly, that is a simple quarrel,” said Gawain. “You should debate thus with uncouth men, not brother against brother. Therefore follow my advice, or else I shall fight you both: both of you yield to me and go to King Arthur and yield to his grace.”

“Sir knight,” said the brethren, “we have fought long and lost much blood through our willfulness, and thus we are loath to have ado with you.”

“Then do as I would have you do,” said Sir Gawain.

“We agree to fulfill your request. But by whom shall we say we have been sent?”

“You may say, ‘by the knight who follows the quest of the hart.’ Now what are your names?” said Gawain.

“Sir, my name is Sorluse of the Forest,” said the elder.

“And my name is,” said the younger, “Brian of the Forest.” So they departed and went to the king’s court, and Sir Gawain followed his quest.

As Gawain followed the hart by the cries of the hounds, he found himself before a great river, which the hart swam over. Sir Gawain made himself ready to follow, but a knight on the other side said, “Sir knight, do not come across the river after this hart unless you wish to joust with me.”

“I will not fail,” said Sir Gawain, “to follow the quest in which I am engaged.” So he made his horse swim over the river, and as soon as he reached the other side, he and the knight took up their glaives and ran at each other full hard. Gawain knocked him off his horse and then bade him yield himself.

“Nay,” said the knight, “not so! For though you have the better of me on horseback, I pray you, valiant knight, alight on foot so that we challenge one another with our swords.”

“What is your name?” said Gawain.

“Sir, my name is Alardyne of the Outer Isles.”

Then each positioned their shields and struck together, but Gawain smote him so hard through the helmet that his stroke went into the brain and the knight fell down dead.

“Ah,” said Gaheris, “what a mighty stroke for such a young knight!” Then Sir Gawain and Gaheris continued on after the white hart, and turned loose on the hart six greyhounds. So they chased the hart into a castle, and in the main hall of the castle they killed the hart.

CIII.7

Gawain and Gaheris followed after the hounds, and at that moment a knight came out of a chamber with his drawn sword in his hand and killed two of Gawain’s greyhounds in front of his own eyes. He then chased the remnant out of the castle with his sword.

When he returned, he said, “Ah, my white hart! I am sorry that you are dead, for my sovereign lady gave you to me; poorly have I looked after you! Your death will be dearly bought, I swear on my life.” Then he went into the chamber and armed himself, and came out fiercely. There he met with Sir Gawain, who said,

“Why have you killed my hounds? I would have preferred that you take your anger out on me rather than on a poor animal.”

“You speak the truth,” said the knight. “I have avenged myself on your hounds, and I will do the same to you, before you go.” Then Sir Gawain dismounted and raised his shield, and they struck together mightily. They cleaved their shields, damaged their helmets and broke their hauberks so that their blood swirled down around their feet.

Finally, Gawain struck so hard that the knight fell to the earth. Then the knight cried for mercy and yielded himself, beseeching Gawain that, as a gentle knight, he would save his life.

“You shall die,” said Sir Gawain, “for the killing of my hounds.”

“I will make amends,” said the knight. “I will do anything within my power.”

But Gawain would show no mercy, and unlaced the knight’s helmet to have struck off his head. At that moment his lady came out of a chamber and threw herself over him, and Gawain struck off her head by accident.

“Alas,” said Gaheris, “that is foully and shamefully done! You shall never be free of that shame. You should grant mercy to him who asks for mercy; a knight without mercy is without honor.”

Gawain was so seriously stunned at the death of this fair lady that he hardly knew what he was doing. He said to the knight, “Arise, and I will give you mercy.”

“Nay, nay,” said the knight, “I care nothing for mercy now, for you have slain with villainy my love, the lady I loved above all earthly things.”

“I deeply regret it,” said Sir Gawain, “for I meant that stroke for you. But now go to King Arthur, and tell him of this adventure, and how you were overcome by the knight who went in quest of the white hart.”

“I do not care,” said the knight, “whether I live or die.” But finally, for fear of death, he swore he would go to King Arthur. Gawain made him bear one of the dead greyhounds in front of him on his horse, and the other behind him.

“What is your name?” said Sir Gawain. “Tell me before we depart.”

“My name is,” said the knight, “Blamour of the Marsh.” So he departed toward Camelot.

Then Gawain went into the castle and was prepared to stay there the night, and would have unarmed himself.

CIII.8

“What are you doing?” said Gaheris. “Would you unarm in this land? You should realize that you have many other foes in this land.”

He had no sooner said these words than four well-armed knights came and attacked Sir Gawain, and said to him, “You newly-made knight, you have shamed your knighthood, for a knight without mercy is dishonorable. Also, you have slain a fair lady, which will be great shame to you until the end of the world. Doubt not that you shall need great mercy before you depart from us!” At that, one of them smote Sir Gawain with such a great stroke that he nearly fell to the earth. Gaheris then struck back, and they were soon assailed on all sides, such that the lives of Sir Gawain and Gaheris were in great jeopardy. A man with a bow, an archer, shot Gawain through the arm so that it pained him greatly.

Just as it seemed they would certainly be slain, four ladies came into the room and asked the knights to grant grace to Sir Gawain. And properly, at the request of these ladies, they granted Sir Gawain and Gaheris their lives, and forced them to yield as prisoners, for which Sir Gawain and Gaheris made great sorrow.

“Alas,” said Sir Gawain, “my arm pains me greatly; it is likely I will be maimed!” So he complained piteously.

Early in the morning one of the four ladies who had heard his complaint came to Gawain and said, “Sir knight, what cheer?”

“Not good.”

“Why so? It is your own fault,” said the lady, “for you have done something very terrible in the killing of this lady, which will be a great shame unto you. But are you not of King Arthur’s court?” said the lady.

“Yes, truly,” said Sir Gawain.

“What is your name?” said the lady. “You must tell me before you leave.”

“Fair lady, my name is Sir Gawain, the son of King Lot of Orkney, and my mother is King Arthur’s sister.”

“Then you are the king’s nephew,” said the lady. “Well,” said the lady, “for the love of King Arthur I shall speak on your behalf so that you may be allowed to return to the king.” She then departed and told the four knights how the prisoner was King Arthur’s nephew, named Gawain, son of King Lot of Orkney.

So they allowed him to depart, taking with him the hart’s head, since that had been his quest. They let him go on the condition that he promise to bear the dead lady with him, with her head hanging around his neck and the rest of her body lying in front of him across the horse’s mane. Gawain did as they commanded, and thus rode forth to Camelot.

As soon as he arrived, Merlin had King Arthur make Gawain swear to tell of his adventure: how he slew the lady, and how he would not grant mercy to the knight, which caused the death of the lady. The king and queen were greatly displeased with Sir Gawain on account of the death of the lady, and by ordinance of the queen Gawain was charged with a quest of ladies: he was ordered for the rest of his life to always side with ladies, and to fight on their behalf in any quarrel. He was also charged to be always courteous, and never refuse mercy to one who asked for it. Sir Gawain swore upon the four Gospels that he would never be against a lady or gentlewoman, unless he was fighting for one lady and his adversary was fighting for another.

Thus ends the adventure that Sir Gawain had on the occasion of Arthur’s marriage.