THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAIN: NOTES
Abbreviations: P = Percy Folio Manuscript; M = Madden's edition; FH = Furnivall's and Hales' edition; C = Child's edition. See Select Bibliography for these editions.
29 beffall. M: befall; the stroke for the second f appears blurred.
32 Tearne Wadling. The Tarn Wathelene (a tarn is a small lake) is mentioned in Avowyng (lines 131, 338) and Awntyrs (line 2), and again in lines 51 and 84 of the present romance. Though Inglewood Forest, where this lake is located, is the setting of Ragnelle, the Tarn itself is not mentioned in that romance.
87 stronge. Though elsewhere rhymes are strained, this stanza seems clearly deficient.
116 Sir Steven. This is a knight otherwise unknown in Arthurian romance.
120 Sir Banier and Sir Bore. Madden suggests the first name is a misnomer for Beduer or Bedyvere (Bedevere), brother of Lucan the Butler and Arthur's constable, but perhaps this is Sir Ban (or Bayan), the father of Lancelot. The second is Bors de Gaynes, Lancelot's loyal companion.
121 Sir Garrett. This is Gareth, Gawain's brother and loyal supporter of Lancelot, by whom he is inadvertently killed in the rescue of Guenevere.
122 Sir Tristeram. A celebrated hero in many Arthurian tales, Sir Tristan is the son of Melyodas and nephew of King Mark of Cornwall.
143 slaine. FH: shaine, with the suggestion that the word may be a variant of shent, slaine, or shamed.
163 feires. The scribal forms are unclear; M, C read seires, and emend to feires, which I follow. FH give squires.
174 hencforth. M: henceforth.
175 ff. The plot of Marriage more closely resembles a traditional fairy tale in making the source of evil simply a wicked stepmother rather than the entanglements of an Arthurian court intrigue.
182 feeind. M reads the apparent extra minum as i, which seems right; FH, C: feend.
192 swore. M: sayes, without explanation, though swore seems clear in P.