rosie_rues (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rosie_rues) wrote2005-10-28 05:05 pm
rosie_rues) wrote2005-10-28 05:05 pm
Entry tags:
Arthurian echoes.
I'm amused to discover that wikipedia's article on Malory's Mort D'Arthur has a spoiler warning. ^_^
I'm slightly embarrassed I actually had to look at that. My Arthurian knowledge is slipping. I couldn't remember when Gawain's ghost entered the tradition. It is in Malory and I'm currently reminding myself why I don't often reread Malory, compared to the earlier romances. Everything from the death of Agravaine reduces me to tears.
I've just got to Gawain's death at Dover and it's heart-breaking. [Speech-marks and linebreaks are mine, added for the sake of clarity]:
So when this battle was done, King Arthur let bury his people that were dead. And then was noble Sir Gawaine found in a great boat, lying more than half dead. When Sir Arthur wist that Sir Gawaine was laid so low; he went unto him; and there the king made sorrow out of measure, and took Sir Gawaine in his arms, and thrice he there swooned.
And then when he awaked, he said: "Alas, Sir Gawaine, my sister's son, here now thou liest; the man in the world that I loved most; and now is my joy gone, for now, my nephew Sir Gawaine, I will discover
me unto your person: in Sir Launcelot and you I most had my joy, and mine affiance, and now have I lost my joy of you both; wherefore all mine earthly joy is gone from me."
"Mine uncle King Arthur," said Sir Gawaine, "wit you well my death-day is come, and all is through mine own hastiness and wilfulness; for I am smitten upon the old wound the which Sir Launcelot gave me, on the which I feel well I must die; and had Sir Launcelot been with you as he was, this unhappy war had never begun; and of all this am I causer, for Sir Launcelot and his blood, through their prowess, held all your cankered enemies in subjection and daunger. And now," said Sir Gawaine, "ye shall miss Sir Launcelot. But alas, I would not accord with him, and therefore," said Sir Gawaine, "I pray you, fair uncle, that I may have paper, pen, and ink, that I may write to Sir Launcelot a cedle with mine own hands."
And then when paper and ink was brought, then Gawaine was set up weakly by King Arthur, for he was shriven a little to-fore...
That last little detail set me off every time. Arthur and Gawain, in the aftermath of battle, with Gawain leaning on his king as he writes and begs Lancelot to return when it's already too late.
Yes, this is all background for my next![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
scarvesnhats story.
I'm slightly embarrassed I actually had to look at that. My Arthurian knowledge is slipping. I couldn't remember when Gawain's ghost entered the tradition. It is in Malory and I'm currently reminding myself why I don't often reread Malory, compared to the earlier romances. Everything from the death of Agravaine reduces me to tears.
I've just got to Gawain's death at Dover and it's heart-breaking. [Speech-marks and linebreaks are mine, added for the sake of clarity]:
So when this battle was done, King Arthur let bury his people that were dead. And then was noble Sir Gawaine found in a great boat, lying more than half dead. When Sir Arthur wist that Sir Gawaine was laid so low; he went unto him; and there the king made sorrow out of measure, and took Sir Gawaine in his arms, and thrice he there swooned.
And then when he awaked, he said: "Alas, Sir Gawaine, my sister's son, here now thou liest; the man in the world that I loved most; and now is my joy gone, for now, my nephew Sir Gawaine, I will discover
me unto your person: in Sir Launcelot and you I most had my joy, and mine affiance, and now have I lost my joy of you both; wherefore all mine earthly joy is gone from me."
"Mine uncle King Arthur," said Sir Gawaine, "wit you well my death-day is come, and all is through mine own hastiness and wilfulness; for I am smitten upon the old wound the which Sir Launcelot gave me, on the which I feel well I must die; and had Sir Launcelot been with you as he was, this unhappy war had never begun; and of all this am I causer, for Sir Launcelot and his blood, through their prowess, held all your cankered enemies in subjection and daunger. And now," said Sir Gawaine, "ye shall miss Sir Launcelot. But alas, I would not accord with him, and therefore," said Sir Gawaine, "I pray you, fair uncle, that I may have paper, pen, and ink, that I may write to Sir Launcelot a cedle with mine own hands."
And then when paper and ink was brought, then Gawaine was set up weakly by King Arthur, for he was shriven a little to-fore...
That last little detail set me off every time. Arthur and Gawain, in the aftermath of battle, with Gawain leaning on his king as he writes and begs Lancelot to return when it's already too late.
Yes, this is all background for my next
scarvesnhats story.
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(I am also breaking my arm patting myself on the back that I had the presence of mind to friend you.)
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Now I am feeling all tearful as well...
JKR has talked about Sirius' tremendous capacity for loyalty, hasn't she? Really interesting to consider alongside Gawain - those parallel tensions of loyalty pulling them in different directions: family/king; family/friends....
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Me, too. I'm going to have to run back to my parents for another book-raid soon. Malory has 'written with mine own hand, and so subscribed with part
of my heart's blood' I seem to remember that White does amazing things with the Gawain-thread as well but I'm relying on Project Gutenberg for texts at the moment and I don't have everything to hand. That final letter is amazing though - Gawain, vengeful, impulsive Gawain, forgives Lancelot for giving him the wound which eventually kills him.
*drags herself away from Malory*
I think what Gawain and Sirius have in common is loyalty without wisdom. Sirius going after Peter is the same kind of reaction as Gawain following Lancelot into France. Neither of them stop to think through the wider implications of what's going on.