THE TOURNAMENT AT LOGRES; KING LOT AND HIS SONS; AND MORGAN AND GYOMAR: FOOTNOTES
1 jocounde, cheerful; for that, because.
4 agein, against.
6 asked, called for.
10 deyse, dais.
12 a forty, forty more.
13 acorded, agreed.
14 nede, errand.
17 lede, take.
18 douted of, feared for.
19 tentefly, intensely.
21 hardely, boldy.
22 no drede, nothing to fear.
24 lever I hadde, I would prefer.
25 counseiled, negotiated.
26 me acorde, concur; seth, since.
27 ordeyned, proposed.
27-28 appareile hym, arrange.
28 that1, so that; whider, where.
29 cleped, summoned.
30 hem ageins, to them.
31 yelde hir, returned to her; salew debonerly, greeting politely.
32 moste, must.
32-33 amonge hem purveyed, to them assigned.
36 but, besides.
37 somer ne male trussed, pack horse nor bags packed.
38 garison, safety.
39 yef myster, if need; behoveth, profits us; noon abidinge, no waiting.
40 somme, light.
43-44 thinke on, care for.
44 leven, remain.
46 paraventure, perhaps; bourde, game.
48 suffre hem to make no party, do not permit them any such activity; graunte, promise.
50 Saisnes, Saxons; Be, By.
53 departeden, separated.
54 abode, remained.
55 wardrope, small room.
56 wrought, worked; coyf, scarf.
58 brown of visage, dark-complexioned; sangwein colour, ruddy; nother, neither; to, too.
59 apert, lively; avenaunt, cheerful; streight, slender.
60 moste hotest, lustiest; luxuriouse, lecherous.
61 clergesse, scholar; cowde, knew.
62 and, then.
63 egramauncye, necromancy.
66 therto, also.
67 feirest heed, fairest heads; sholdres, shoulders.
67-68 at devise, to see.
68 tretable, gracious; debonair, courteous.
69 in hir right witte, i.e., when calm; and, but.
70 evell for to acorde, vile tempered.
73 wherfore, why.
74 theras, where.
75 salued, greeted.
78 crull, curly.
79 chere, demeanor; aresoned hir, spoke to her; beheilde, considered.
82 and that, so that; gan, began to.
83 aparceyved, saw.
85 bothe thei, both of them; begonne to chauffe, became excited; nature wolde, was natural.
86 pleyde the comen pley, i.e., made love.
87 yef, if.
88 noon it wiste, no one knew it; after, later.
89 departed, separated.
90 annoye, harm; blames, troubles; areised, caused.
92 be go, have gone.
93 so cleped so, so named.
95 corage, strength; ne, nor; no spore, any spur.
95-96 ne no skyn . . . swete, nor did he anywhere show sweat.
96 hem, i.e., Lot and his sons.
97 conysshaunce, heraldic emblems.
98 hoved and abode, stopped and waited; bad, told.
99 delyverly, swiftly.
100 gromes, grooms.
103 glenche, turn aside; noone, 3 p.m.
104-05 a softe paas, an easy pace.
106 ne sholde . . . coveite but, should desire nothing but.
107 perce hem thourghout, ride right through them.
109 hem ascride, shouted to them.
110 what, who.
112 Cesse, Stop.
113 kepe, guard; weyes, roads.
114-15 this pray, these livestock.
116 whan ye may, i.e., if you can.
117 her, their.
120 arblast, bow shot.
121 sore peyned, tried hard.
121-22 ascried hym, shouted at him.
122 Wy, Man (Wight).
123 gate, gained; sore, quickly.
125 yeve, i.e., trade.
126 walopinge, galloping.
130 swowne, a swoon.
133 entended, attended; nought elles, nothing else; wende, thought.
134 se fer, see far.
138 peyned hem sore hem for to sewe, taken great pains them to follow.
142 anoon, soon.
142-43 abode for nought, waited in vain.
144 wende, thought; that, so that.
145 ther, where.
147 who, whoever.
148 at sojourne, idle.
150 stronge stour, fierce battle; with that, when; ther, where.
151 gromes, grooms; of, off.
153 grete, large.
154 that2, who.
157 closed, enclosed.
158 environed, surrounded by; therto, near.
159 breres, briars; noon wolde have wende, no one would have thought.
161 her, their; posterne, back gate.
162 crie, shout.
163 what, who.
167 otes, oats; stuffed, supplied.
168 be the grounde, through the grounds.
169 vavasour, landholder.
173 foyson, quantity.
174 salt flessh, salted meat.
175 behilde, looked at.
176 merveiled, wondered; what, who.
180 as aboute soche, for such.
182 delitable, delightful.
184 briddes songen, birds sung.
185 high, loudly; wode ronge, woods rang; hem herkened, listened to them.
186 remembred hem on, thought about.
187 thinkinge on, listening to.
188 that, who; amourouse, in love; newe, newly.
191 stale, wait.
192 begonne, began.
195 yef, if.
197 wille, desires.
200 be, by.
201 nought, worth nothing; but yef, unless.
202 that, what.
203 lough, laughed.
205 by, be.
206-07 se that noon dide hem noon harme, see that no one harmed them.
208 seide, said; seith, says.
212 japed, joked.
214 yelde, yield.
215 evill besette, evilly received.
216 no mayme of hande ne foote, i.e., any physical harm.
217 lese all worship, i.e., be disgraced.
222 sette at a boton, set at the value of a button.
224 yelden into, go to; ther, where.
225 demene, believe.
226 myscheve, have trouble.
227 hym befill after, it befell him later; langwissid, suffered.
230 roynouse, ruinous (diseased).
231 seide hir soche vilonye, said such mean things; oo, one.
232 hooll, whole; but yef, unless; be tweyne of the, by one of the two.
233 terme of garison, condition of relief.
234 warisshed, accomplished.
237 fell, cruel; pryme, 9 a.m.
238 discounfited, defeated.
240 somers, pack horses.
245 evell suerté, certain misfortune.
246 happe wele, succeeds.
247 evell, badly.
249 talent, desire; rage within, flirt with; maydenes, maidens.
250 a traverse, a glance.
251 talent, desire.
252 Saisne, Saxon; ne hadde be, if not for.
253-54 may no more do therto, i.e., do not deny it.
254 myschef, danger.
255 pees, peace.
256 at soche pointe, i.e., so scared.
258 breche, breeches.
259 and for that, because.
260 recreaunt, coward; maltalent, malice.
262 distrif, strife.
263 do, done; somers, pack horses.
265 it abeyen, pay for it; tronchon, shaft.
268 lefte, remained; ne, nor; cowde, could.
270 what aray that was, i.e., what was going on.
273 felonye, wrong.
274 abye, pay; be ruled, be controlled.
275 of the newe, something new.
275-76 lette for yow to do ought, stop because you might do something.
278-79 Ne Gaheries . . . litill ne moche, i.e., Gaheris remained still.
281 it, i.e., this strife.
283 harlot, rascal; fell, mean.
285 astoned, stunned.
288 mysproude lurdeyn, prideful villain.
290 elther, older; sitteth me, is right for me.
293 fole, fool; meved, i.e., started.
294 evell happe, misfortune.
298 anoon right, right now.
299 but, unless; quyte, repay.
300 acolee, blow.
301 yef, if; owther, either.
302 owe, ought.
303 diffende, charge; dere, dearly.
304 have, hold; noon evell, no harm.
306 hevyeth, grieves.
307 medle yow, turn yourself; diffouled, injured; nought, no reason.
308 agein, against; deffence, command.
308-09 in dispite of, as an insult to.
309 wrathed, got angry; buffet, blow.
310 In dispite of, To shame.
312 litill, a little.
313 haste, have.
314 lurdeynes, felons.
315 talent, desire.
316 boyes, uncouth youths; fell, cruel; forswollen, enraged; Verilé, Truly.
319 reddure, punishment; harlottes, rascals; ribaudes, thieves.
322 Harlot, Villain.
328 wherefore, why.
335 we be, we are allied.
337 trewys, truce.
338 this, now; Yole, Yuletide.
339 suerly, safely.
343 clene quyte, entirely acquited; synnes, wrongs.
345 dide, offered; amonesté, amnesty.
348 myshapped, had misfortune.
349 trowe, believe; this peple, i.e., the Saxons.
351-52 nothinge do, not behaved.
352 yede upon, went against.
354 faile, a doubt.
356 leven, desert.
356-57 magré myn, against my wishes.
357 wende, intended.
357-58 to greve, injure.
358 anoyen, harm; made, made.
360 cas was befallen, adventure occurred.
361 seith, since; so, thus.
362 wolde, wished.
363 happed, acted; that, and.
372 lough, laughed.
373 avaunte ne noon other to manace, boast or anyone to threaten.
THE TOURNAMENT AT LOGRES; KING LOT AND HIS SONS; AND MORGAN AND GYOMAR: NOTES
[Fols. 172r (line 28)-199v (line 27)]
This section of the PM is unusually rich in characterization, offering glimpses into the individual personalities of Gawain's brothers, in particular Gaheris and Agravain, as well as a glimpse into the character of Arthur's half-sister Morgan le Fay. The brief episode involving Morgan not only reflects her intensely amorous nature, but it also establishes the fact that she can be powerfully vindictive. Indeed, this episode provides an explanation for the great antagonism that develops later between Morgan and Gonnore. The rancorous dispute that occurs in this section between Gawain's younger brothers serves to do two things -- it creates sharp distinctions amongst them, separating them into a highly virtuous pair (Gawain and Gaheris) and a much-less-virtuous pair (Agravain and Gueheret); and it also allows for the introduction of a discussion of proper attitudes and behavior towards women, as Agravain's extremely unchivalrous attitude is played off against Gaheris's more idealistic one. This section is notable, too, for containing the briefepisode in which Gawain wins the magnificent horse Gringolet away from one of his Saxon foes.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 483-503.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 504-06.
88 But after it knewe the Quene Gonnore. This later episode occurs in the Vulgate Lancelot (Sommer, vol. 4, p. 121). When Gonnore learns of the love affair between Morgan and Gyomar (who is Gonnore's cousin), the queen insists upon breaking it up and forcing the lovers to go their separate ways. As a result, Morgan develops an intense hatred for Gonnore. It should be noted that in Chrétien's Erec there is a reference to a man named Guingamar, who is said to be "the friend of Morgan le Fay." It seems probable the figures of Gyomar and Guingamar are closely related.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 509-10.
99 to lepe upon theire horses. That is, Gawain directs them to shift from their riding horses (their palfreys) to their warhorses. The grooms then take the palfreys into the forest for safekeeping.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 510-12.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 513-16.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 518-25.
After line 182. St. Bartholomew's Day. The Feast of St. Bartholomew (who was one of the twelve Disciples) is celebrated on August 24. In fact, though, the meeting with the barons actually takes place on the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which is September 8.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 528-35.
205-06 Gaheries hath seide beste. Gawain's judgment on the views of his three brothers establishes a basic tenet of the knightly code of conduct -- that a knight should never take a woman by force; for as Gawain says, "ther were no werse enmy than he" (lines 208-09). This provision of the Arthurian code of ethics is made very explicit in Malory's Morte D'Arthur: "Allwayes to do ladyes, damsels, and jantilwomen and wydowes [socour:] strengthe hem in hir ryghtes, and never to enforce them, uppon payne of dethe" (Vinaver, p. 75).
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 52835.
263 "Sir," quod Gaheries. Gaheris's remark is nothing more than a wisecrack in which he implies that Agravain is a know-it-all. As this scene makes clear, Gaheris has a talent for getting under Agravain's skin.
266-67 Gaheries remeved not but suffred. Gaheris stands stock still and suffers the blows that Agravain inflicts upon him; and he also refrains from retaliating -- noble behavior, to be sure, but undoubtely infuriating to his attacker.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 538-58.
328-29 Seint Marie Even. The Eve of the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, September 7.
350 knowe it verily that it cometh thourgh oure synnes. Beginning with Gildas in the sixth century, Arthurian writers frequently suggested that the Saxon invasion was visited upon Britain because of the sinful behavior of the British people, particularly their leaders. Here it is also suggested that if the barons had only accepted Arthur at the outset as God's duly appointed king, they would not have had such great difficulties dealing with the Saxons. Hence, they have brought their troubles upon themselves.