The Arthur the World Embraces

This Arthur is the one we know of from movies, tales, poems, and lore. He is entertaining and inspirational. The following are stories of this Arthur. There are many stories about King Arthur, for this class, we will look at one specific tale of Arthur and connect it with the Feudal Culture, it is called Sir Gawain and the Black Knight. Some have also called this Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The following tale of King Arthur helps show all facets of what chivalry was and how nobles were to behave. The common people hoped and wished for a king that treated the common people like humans. More times than not, common people were treated below household animals. King Arthur was the hope that a real king will follow. One day King Arthur was holding court when a woman came up and called for vengence against a knight. This was a very bold statement for various reasons. For one it was not a woman's place regardless of birthright to yell and demand anything, especially from the king. Secondly, she called for justice, from reviewing the notes from class or from this web site, justice was not always just. Lastly, her charges were against a knight which meant that he was of the noble class.

Usually a call from any woman would be ignored and laughed at, but King Arthur was different. Again, Arthur appreciated courage. Courage does not only happen on the field of battle. The woman was permitted to continue and explained that a knight in black armour came upon her husband's land, killed him, and demanded that she become his new bride. She refused and ran away. The Black Knight has claimed the land ever since. Women, children, and others that can not defend themselves was the right button to push if you wanted action from Arthur. Immediately he called for his armour, sword, and horse and set out for the woman's home.

Once there, Arthur called the Black Knight out to battle for the land. The Black Knight came out and taunted Arthur to come attack. Arthur charged across the land of the Black Knight, but he did not realize that the land was cursed. The deeper Arthur penitrated, the weaker he became until he lost all of his strength. A common man would have lost his courage along with his strength. On his hands and knees in front of the Black Knight was Arthur. Easily this man of evil could take off the head of one of the greatest warriors, but he didn't. This Black Knight was not stupid. Killing Arthur meant he would become a prisoner of this land because he could never leave it without being killed. The Black Knight decided to strike a deal with Arthur. Knowing the Arthur was a man of honor, the Black Knight gave Arthur a challenge in the form of a riddle. Arthur was to be given one full year to find the one correct answer to this question. If Arthur found the answer, the Black Knight would leave this land and swear allegence to Arthur. If Arthur can not find the correct answer, he would have to surrender the crown to the Black Knight. Arthur agrees.

The riddle was very simple, but yet so complex, "What is it that all women desire most?" This meant regardless of place in society, wealth, looks, intellegence, what did they want more than anything. Arthur asked all his ladies of the court, all the women of the castle and of camelot. But none of the answers were good enough. Arthur rode all around the country side, but still he could not find the correct answer to this question until one day in the forest. While traveling through the forest from another failed attempt, Arthur came upon a smell he never smelled before. It smelled like all rotting animals of the forest were placed in one giant pile. This smell came from an ugly, old woman. Arthur asked the woman the same question he has asked all before. This time between spells of vomitting, he heard something new. The woman told him that she would tell him the answer to this question if he would do something for her. Being the man of honor that he was Arthur again agreed. The woman said if she was to tell him the answer, she would want to come back to court and have a knight marry her. The trick was that the knight must do it through his own choice. Arthur was not allowed to pressure or order the knight to do this. It was a tall order, but Arthur agreed. The woman whispered the answer in Arthur's ear. Immediately, Arthur raced to the estate of the Black Knight and called for him.

The Black Knight told him that he only has one chance, is Arthur sure he doesn't wish to use to full year for research. Arthur knew he had the correct answer and gave it to the Black Knight. "The answer to your question Black Knight, what is it that all women desire most is....'Free will'." The Black Knight smiled and looked at Arthur in a triumphant way, "You received this answer from an old woman did you not?" "Yes, how did you know?" "She is my sister. You are correct. The woman may have her land back."

Arthur brought the good news back with him to Camelot, along with the old woman in tow. The knights and people that knew Arthur joked and fooled with Arthur when he brought the old woman. Arthur asked and asked again if anybody would be willing to marry this woman. There was one taker. Sir Gawain, nephew of King Arthur agreed to marry the woman. When asked why he would do this, he replied that his king needed someone to do a noble deed without asking. The day of the wedding was one of great splendor, and all the nobles came to see this train wreck. Since the day that Arthur came back only a select few had seen the old woman. Now came the part of the service when Sir Gawain may kiss his bride. Thickly veiled, everyone could hardly wait to see this happen. And then.... The ugly, old woman was no long there, instead was a stunning beautiful woman. A woman that could not be matched in beauty in all the kingdom. Shocked and confused Sir Gawain kissed his new wife and processed down the aisle where a carriage was waiting to take them to the banquet. As soon as the door shut, Sir Gawain had to ask what happened. His wife replied that when his brother was cursed with his black armour and heart she was cursed with the loss of her looks. The only way her spell could be broken was if she was married to someone out of free will. There was a down side however, she was only beautiful half the time. The other half of the day she went back to her previous self. She promised that she would never go out in public and embarrass him when she was ugly. Gawain told her that she is her wife. He could never be embarrassed of her. With that a magical spell twirled around his wife. She told him that the other half of the curse has now been lifted.

Seeing this with his own eyes once they reappeared at the banquet, the Black Knight's curse was fully lifted.