There is a lot of information out there about the shield of Sir Gawain. Most of the sites I found say virtually the same, and mostly, it's adjacent to what we talked about in class. Go figure. Dr. H. can get a few things right every once in a while.
 |
| Yeah, it's not red, but it's closer than some. |
In lines 619-65 of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the author puts a lot of thought into the shield that Sir Gawain carries. Red or "gules" decorates the background and symbolizes valor and courage. Up holding virtues, the pentangle represents more meaning in the shield than any other symbol. Five prestigious points equate to his "faultless" five senses and five fingers. (Though, the rest of us have ten fingers, Sir Gawain must be superior with only his five.) The five points also correspond to Christ's death on the cross with the five puncture wounds he received, reminding us of the divine and linking Sir Gawain to the Messiah. Representing Mary, mother of Jesus, the five points expresses the five joys she found in her Son. "These were the annunciation to Mary that she was to bear the Son of God, Christ's Nativity, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven, and the 'Assumption' or bodily taking up of Mary into heaven to join Him" (footnote 7, 1657). Chivalry (at the time) is defined with five virtues also embodying the five points: "Beneficence boundless and brotherly love/And pure mind and manners, that none might impeach,/And compassion most precious" (652-4).
The ring surrounding the pentangle likely signifies the binding oath between a man and a woman, reminding him of his oath as a knight to uphold the honor of that position and the expectation of faithfulness to his lord and master.
No comments:
Post a Comment