Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Sources and Analogues

This anthology of medieval writing provides a context for a deeper understanding of the Gawain-poet's originality and skill. The intertextuality of this brilliant poem can be more fully understood through Elisabeth Brewer's presentation of modern English versions of themes familiar from Gawain and the Green Knight -beheading, seduction and othertraditional material - from a range of medieval writings. Her book is a delightful and unusual small anthology of medieval literature; but its greatest success lies in providing a context for a fuller understanding of Sir Gawain, through its presentation of extracts and poems (including translation from Celtic and French originals) illustrating the tradition in which the Gawain-poet wrote, underscoring his own great achievement. It is both anintroduction to the poem and a useful tool for critical comparison. First published in 1975 as From Cuchulainn to Gawain.ELISABETH BREWERlectured in English at Homerton College, Cambridge.