The character of Gawain in English literature
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There are thus three basic areas of investigation: Celtic tales and traditions, culminating in the work of Geoffrey of Monmouth; medieval metrical and prose romances, both French and English; and English prose and poetry since Malory. The first area is largely the province of the specialists in folk-lore and mythology. And they themselves will be the first to admit that a great deal of nonsense has been written and published about the origins of mythical and folk heroes. Their work is full of conjecture, hypothesis, and analog, for their materials are, by their nature, dim and vague, compact with looming shapes and half-hidden meanings. In Chapter Two, I propose to cut a crude trail through their enchanted woods, but without stopping to admire the flowers. The third chapter will examine the origins of Gawain in Welsh and Irish stories and indicate the sources available to Geoffrey of Monmouth. In the second area, from Geoffrey to Malory, a close study will bo made of all available material that can give a clue to Gawain's character at each step of its development. The English romances in particular and Malory's Morte Darthur will be discussed in Chapters Four and Five. The third area, from Malory to the present, is for the most part virgin territory. In Chapter Six I will trace the development of the character of Gawain from the fifteenth to the twentieth century with particular emphasis on Tennyson and Robinson. The chronological organization has been chosen because the first necessity in the study of an essentially now field is a review of the materials available, and a mapping of the ground, its resources and limitations. Further, the nature of the problem itself demands a temporal approach to display the various stages of the development of ths characters. Two important areas for further Investigation have, of necessity, been treated only cursorily here as they lie somewhat outside the scope of this paper. There is a need for studies of Gawiin in French literature and in early Celtic sources. Additional light may be thrown upon the development of the character by these investigations, particularly the former.
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