The Writing of Liminal Rites in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The Writing of Liminal Rites in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

ZHANG Zhengchun

Abstract: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight stands as one of the masterpieces of the “alliterative revival” in late 14th century English poetry. The poet inherits traditions of chivalric quests and moral testing in the Arthurian narratives and adopts the three-stage rites of passage pattern of separation, transition and incorporation to present the so-called perfect knight Gawain’s pre-liminal separating from the Round Table community, the liminal rites in the Bertilak’s castle and the post-liminal integration after the reconciliation with his humanity. The poet introduces the Green Knight as a liminal being with humanity, otherworldliness and monstrosity to be a critical foil for knighthood, the unwavering faith and moral ideals. It narrates the continuation of the Arthurian community within the British context to respond to the urgent call of the English national identity amid social and political upheaval in late 14th century. 

Key words: Medieval Literature; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; Liminality; Rites of Passage;Community; National Narrative

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