Gawayne and the Green Knight: A Fairy Tale

The poem follows a young Arthurian knight who accepts a mysterious Green Knight's beheading challenge, striking a single fatal blow and agreeing to receive a return stroke one year later. He then undertakes a perilous journey to locate the Green Chapel, finds refuge at a lord's castle, and is tested by the lord's hospitable bargain while the lady of the house attempts to seduce him. Gifts and hunting returns are faithfully exchanged, but the knight conceals a protective girdle given by the lady, violating the pact. At the appointed meeting the Green Knight reveals the trial's moral design; the knight endures a symbolic wound and returns chastened, confronting the limits of chivalry and honesty.