Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight

The Middle English metrical romances constitute a fourth rich source of Arthurian story more or less compatible with Malory and the Vulgate. The most famous and almost certainly the best of these romances is, of course, Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight, pub­ lished in many, many editions, translations both verse and prose, and new versions over the last century or so. My favorite translation is that of John Gardner (in The Complete Works of the Gawaine-Poet: In a Modern English Version with a Critical Introduction by John Gardner, Woodcuts by Fritz Kredel. Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press, ©1965. Currently available in paperback). A number of other metrical romances are currently available in modern English prose translations in The Knightly Tales of Sir Gawain, with intro­ ductions and translations by Louis B. Hall (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, ©1976). This volume includes Sir Gawaine and the Carl of Carlisle, The Green Knight (an alternate version to the famous one mentioned above), The Adventures at Tarn Wadling, Gologros and Gawain, An Adventure of Sir Gawain; The Avowing of King Arthur, Sir Gawain, Sir Kay, and Baldwin of Britain; and The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell.