Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 167 pages of information about Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight.

Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 167 pages of information about Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight.

65 Nowel nayted o-newe, neuened ful ofte. 
      Christmas celebrated anew, mentioned full often. 
      Sir F. Madden leaves the word nayted unexplained in his Glossary
      to “Syr Gawayne.”

124 syluener = sylueren, i.e. silver dishes.

139 lyndes = lendes, loins.

142 in his muckel, in his greatness.

184 Wat3 euesed al umbe-torne—? was trimmed, all cut evenly around;
      umbe-torne may be an error for vmbe-corue = cut round.

216 in gracios werkes.  Sir F. Madden reads gracons for gracios, and
      suggests Greek as the meaning of it.

244-5 As al were slypped vpon slepe so slaked hor lote3
              in hy3e. 
      As all were fallen asleep so ceased their words
              in haste (suddenly). 
      Sir F. Madden reads slaked horlote3, instead of slaked hor lote3,
      which, according to his glossary, signifies drunken vagabonds. 
      He evidently takes horlote3 to be another (and a very uncommon) form
      of harlote3 = harlots.  But harlot, or vagabond, would be a very
      inappropriate term to apply to the noble Knights of the Round Table. 
      Moreover, slaked never, I think, means drunken.  The general sense of
      the verb slake is to let loose, lessen, cease.  Cf. lines 411-2,
      where sloke, another form of slake, occurs with a similar meaning: 
                 —­ layt no fyrre;
                      bot slokes.
                 —­ seek no further,
                      but stop (cease). 
      Sir F. Madden suggests blows as the explanation of slokes.  It
      is, however, a verb in the imperative mood.

286 Brayn.  Maetzner suggests brayn-wod.

296 barlay = par loi.  This word is exceedingly common in the T. Book
      (see l. 3391). 
        I bid you now, barlay, with besines at all
        Þat ye set you most soverainly my suster to gete.—­T.B. l. 2780.

394 siker.  Sir F. Madden reads swer.

440 bluk.  Sir F. Madden suggests blunk (horse).  I am inclined to keep to
      the reading of the Ms., and explain bluk as = bulk = trunk.  Cf. the
      use of the word Blok in “Early English Alliterative Poems,”
      p. 100, l. 272.

558 derue doel, etc. = great grief.  Sir F. Madden reads derne, i.e. secret,
      instead of derue (= derf).  Cf. line 564.

577 knaged, fastened. 
        The braunches were borly, sum of bright gold,
        With leuys full luffly, light of the same;
        With burions aboue bright to beholde;
        And fruit on yt fourmyt of fairest of shap,
        Of mony kynd that was knyt, knagged aboue.—­T.B. l. 4973.

629 & ay quere hit is endele3, etc
        And everywhere it is endless, etc
      Sir F. Madden reads emdele3, i.e. with equal sides.

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Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.