The Holy Grail

After all this time, I am the person who finds the Holy Grail! Of all the places to be, who would have thought it would have been found under an old fur coat in a little shop? Go figure that a Knight of King Arthur's court finally shows up to claim the darn thing! I was hoping to keep it up on my mantle place. But, in keep with the old traditions, I knew that I couldn't just give Galaad the most sacred treasure ... he had to prove that he was worthy! I figured doing some housework would do the boy some good. Goodness knows that men do not like to help around the house, so only a true gentleman would agree to help an old lady.

Now you may ask, why didn't I accept the apple? Well, my health was fine, I already was young, and I don't want immortal life with our my late husband Henry. I liked my life the way it was, and have no desire to go back and relive it or watch everyone around me die while I live forever. I have done everything that I already wanted, so why would I want to prolong the next great adventure - death? You may think that I am foolish, but I am an old lady and that is my desire. If you can't get old and act foolish, then what's the point?

You may not agree with my choices, but I think I did fine. Now, what am I to do with this Lamp and the Genie? hmmm ......

Gaiman's Delightful Story!

Alas! I believe I have finally met my match! Seldom have I read works of superior quality, and yet, I was captivated by Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry". It was well-written, possessing all the essential elements of a modern short-story, and oh! I am ever fascinated by Mr. Gaiman's voice and ability to take Arthurian Legend and mold it into something so compelling...so beautiful! Truly I tell you, I am envious. I dread what images this man could conjure forth.... While it would be entirely impossible to replace the honeysuckle and the hazel wood, it is probable that a man of such talent could rival my lai concerning Tristan and Isolde. May such a day never dawn!

Despite the beauty inherent in his tale, there are weaknesses in Gaiman's work. First, Marie (the shopkeeper) should have been more likeable. I do not believe that a girl like the one presented to us is WORTHY of such a fine knight as Galaad. She should have been nicer to Mrs. Whitaker. She should have been more receptive to tales of the Grail. Perhaps with such minor changes, I might be able to see her as deserving of the ending that she received. A second weakness in Gaimain's armor is the simple fact that Mrs. Whitaker SHOULD have taken the apple. What use is the Philosopher's Stone and the Phoenix's Egg without it? Perhaps if Gaimain had developed Mrs. Whitaker's attachment to her deceased husband more I would have been more apt to believe the tale's later developments. What else--besides love and devotion to her deceased husband--could hold Mrs. Whitaker back from taking the apple? I can think of none, and as a writer devoted to portraying the many faces of love, I would know.

Altogether, Gaiman did a commendable job. I thoroughly enjoyed his work. I may need to keep an eye on this young man....

Why doth all hate me?

For most of these entries I have complained tirelessly about my impossible love for Queen Guinevere, but this time I have a bone to pick that is entirely different. Why are people always using me and plotting against me. What have I ever done to them? I know that being Arthur's most trusted knight puts me in a coveted position, but what have I ever done to wrong another living soul (besides that whole sleep with the Queen bit)? I have been so blinded by my love for the Queen that I have not seen the growing treachery and malice that consumes more and more men at this court every day. At least some knights at Carlilse such as Sir Gawain and Sir Bors have remained faithful to me and remember the services I have performed for them. Although looking back on it I must admit it was rather foolhardy of me not to heed Sir Bors warning that night to not visit my Queen. But I had to go to her because I love her more than my heart can bear, oh and there I go again talking about her all the time. She hath bewitched me from the moment our eyes first met. But why could not the late Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred be more like the band of knights who when I asked them said, " We will do as ye will do." Mordred and Agravain were too selfish and disrespectful of the king, just as my men are too trusting of me. It is too bad those two evil plotters could not have been more like my trustworthy purehearted knights.

To Be Caught

A Love Affair!!! So this is what is to bring down the great Arthur. Well it is shameful. How easy it must be to blame Mordrid and the others for such a terrible fate. Do we forget that it was not Mordrid having an affair behind the kings back, It was The Queen! She let loose her bodily controls and cavorted around with Lancelot. How could two such seemingly good people go so far from their paths. Arthur is the king, he is their lord, and deserves the utmost respect and loyalty. Lancelot killed another knight of the Round Table! Uther would be appalled at such unruly and degenerate behavior In the ranks surrounding the King. Even had Arthur not been a king and only low ranking royalty or even peasant he deserves the love and loyalty of his wife. A wife should adore her husband and be repulsed by any advances from someone other than her husband. I fear that King Arthur's choice in a Queen was a poor choice and unfortunately both he and his kingdom had to pay for it. I weep for such a sorrowful tale on behalf of Arthur and i condemn the actions of Lancelot and Guenevere, No matter how good they were otherwise.

*Jaw Drop*

Wow .. what an ending to a long, drawn out affair. So Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere have finally been found out by the court of King Arthur. After all this time, it is only now that King Arthur is aware of his wife's affair with his most trusted knight. I find it unusual that King Arthur is only aware of this fact AFTER being told by Moldred ... the man responsible for the untimely end of Britian's Golden Age.

I find it highly ironice that there is a mention of Tristan and King Mark. The paralles between the two men are striking!

It is unfortuante that it was Sir Gawain who fought against Sir Lancelot. Lancelot's skill in fighting is pretty much unfathomable. But once again, it is easy to see why Sir Lancelot is such an honorable man, even though he did sleep with his leige's wife. Once Gawain is hurt, Lancelot refuses to fight him. It is hard to be disappointed by Lancelot's actions - while you want to hate him for his affair with the Queen, he proves to be an honorable fighter.

What a grand sight it must have been!!

Oh you should have seen their faces! Knight after Knight stunned at the sight they had seen. For me Sir Bertilak disguised in this phantasm of fear to burst into their yule tide feast and challenge their valor in such a way. Its true my Green Knight guise was quite a brash touch to add, but if the Round Table wished to be praised by the world it is a test they must pass. At first no one stepped forward to accept my challenge then as Arthur was about to accept the courageous Sir Gawain intervened. I could not have planned it any better. As he wound up for his mighty hack I could not help but wonder in my mind how these knights would react to the surprise I had in store for them. Their jaws dropped when my dacapitated body calmly walked over and retrieved my severed head. What a sight it must have been for them, for me to be holding my own head after it had been cut clean off by Sir Gawain. The mood of terror in that room is unmatched for sure. Now I can only wait for Sir Gawain to show at my chapel in one year from now. What a quest he shall have in deed. As for me I will retire to my kingdom and enjoy some exhilirating hunts of dread dogs and wild boars alike.

Sorrow for the loss of King Arthur...

"Sigh". It's with a heavy heart that I recollect and reminisce King Arthur and the days we spent together. Now that he has taken his final breathe I find myself wishing I had been a better wife and Queen. Sooner should I have tried to send a messenger to find King Arthur and bring him back. Being taken by Mordred was horrific. I am thankful that my King vanquished him before he died. I will lament and morn the loss of our King. I will honor his memory anyway I can. So many great knights were lost in the battle to regain our kingdom, their fight was not in vain. Despite the rumor I am not having Mordred's child. I refuse to bear his child. I cannot believe Sir Gawain and my King have passed. The world is dimmer without their light to guide it. The grief this kingdom feels is immense. Mordred will pay for his treachery in the next life. Let us thank God for saving our kingdom and keeping our King and brave knights in Heaven. We shall rebuild our kingdom. It will always live on in our hearts. Do not forget King Arthur and the Knights we have lost.

Arthur's death

The news of Arthur's death is very sad. To think that such a great king could be torn down by the traitorous ilk that is Mordred. I know that other kings have done the same to gain women and realms but none have dared challenge the greatest king we have known. The traitor's evil is even more pronounced by the fact that our king was off fighting battles for our own benefit. It is slim consolation that Mordred's life was ended by our king in that same battle. Now we are like weeds floating in the sea of uncertainty. Who knows what king will try to abuse us now.

The Lord Arthur

Alas, I am distraught at how the great King Artur is portrayed in The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell. The lord Arthur is not the spineless coward that this story depicts. Arthur is a man of great honor and bravery. The Arthur that I know would have killed that man on the spot for daring to try to attack a king without honor. I am greatly offended by this. I will continue to sing the praises of the lord Arthur and may I spite those who cowards who dare mock the great king.

Alas, my demise...

Ah, the last adventure of my lord, King Arthur. My last tale as well…But what a glorious fight it was. I was more like my self than in any other tale. Yes, I was known for my courteousness in my adulthood, but in my youth I was more driven by my desire to fight. And it was this desire that led me into battle against that horrendous traitor Mordred! I admit I may have been a bit blinded, but there was honor in my actions. We were outnumbered- But my knights were brave! They defeated many enemies on that battle field before they fell. And I feel that I preformed admirably as well! I may have been defeated and slain, but before I drew my last breath I fought that fiend Mordred and wounded him! I am proud that I met my demise on the battle field. It is the best death a knight could wish for.

I am saddened that I caused so much heartache for my lord, King Arthur. I admit I was pleased when I read how much he was stricken by my death, but was proud when he moved on and channeled that grief into the desire to fight. He fought to avenge me, and he succeeded in killing Mordred where I failed. He killed the man that killed me and I could rest. Of course there is no rest forever as I’m writing this from beyond the grave I suppose. Ha ha. I was surprised Mordred was regretful at killing me, but what’s done is done…

The chilvalrous Gawain

Gawain, the most chilvarious and kind-hearted of any of King Arthur's knights. He does anything for his King, even marry a hideous hag. Why that's why I chose him to be the one to marry. I knew that he would be the only knight who would follow King Arthur's orders to the very last degree. To marry me, most knight would have shuddered and tried to convince me or King Arthur to change the rules of the favor. The virtuous Gawain was the only one with the key to rid me of my evil curse, and in an indirect way my brother, who hates me, actually helped me acquire Gawain. Sir Gromer had his lands taken away and given to Gawain, which made him challenge King Arthur to the question, "What do women want?". I knew the answer, as I was the one to know the answer in the first place. Gawain is the only man I know who has followed full-heartedly to the answer of that question. He gave me the choice to be my preference of beautiful during the day and ugly at night, or ugly during the day and beautiful during the night. Other men listen to me, such as when King Arthur granted my wish of being married in front of every resident at his castle. It was to show more of how Gawain is the best knight ever created over my wanting to expose the fact that I have an advantage over King Arthur. King Arthur is weak, needing help from everyone to solve his own problems. I already knew that King Arthur was going to ask Gawain for help, because Gawain always finishes what he starts. So therefore, it was perfect at this time to ask, or more yet demand that Gawain marry me. Arthur sacrificed his friend to a horrible hag to save his own life. That shows the true King Arthur's character. And the fact that Gawain sacrificed his life for his king shows his true character.

A Toast to Sir Gawain!

I would like to propose a toast to Sir Gawain, a man and knight who is well loved throughout the land for his generous and noble nature.



Sir Gawain well deserves the praise as a Knight of the Round Table. Sir Gawain is indeed a man blessed with loyalty and courage. He was willing to do anything to save the life of King Arthur, the most noble ruler in the land. He was even willing to wed a woman he did not love, a woman who was, by all accounts, a loathsome creature with unbearable looks. When King Arthur feared for his life, Sir Gawain was able to soothe his friend and ruler. And he unselfishly offered his own happiness and even his life, if necessary, to Arthur.



Dame Ragnell, despite the loathsome way she looked and acted to ensnare Gawain, made the right choice, for there is no other knight as great and honorable as Gawain, except maybe myself. But I am already wed to the fairest lady of the land, Isolde. And Gawain accepted his bride to be with more grace than many others did; indeed the ladies of the land all mourned the impending marriage, and even though many urged Dame Ragnell and Sir Gawain to wed in secret, Sir Gawainwas brave enough to face the public. And his bravery and strength were rewarded in the end, when the loathsome Dame Ragnell returned to her previous beautiful form.



And so, a toast, to Sir Gawain and his lovely bride, the Dame Ragnell. Long may your marriage and love last!

The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell

Never once have I herd of such a tale, for I am used to love being forbidden. The approval and worship of others has always come naturally to me - I have always kept the men swooning. I am glad to see that the Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell ended on a somewhat happy note. For Sir Gawain is a good man, a good knight too, and he deserves to be with such a beauty. But, to say that Dame Ragnell is the fairest in all the land is just preposterous! Obviously none of those critics have traveled to my kingdom.

Anyway, I do admire the skill and trickery that Dame Ragnell possess. She reminds me of myself in many ways. We both know our way around the weaker sex's minds. Although, she uses her feminine knowledge to her advantage and seeks out love, whereas love is just thrusted upon me. My life would be much simpler without a man, or love for that matter. I would never have to worry, or look over my shoulder for the Kings informants. But, I also see how I am lucky, most women go their whole lives searching for the type of love that found me. Women like Dame Ragnell. She found her love and gained her beauty all in the course of one day, I guess you could say she is the lucky one.

Brain power is much more useful then the power of ones muscles. Brian over brawn! Women are known for being more logical, because we know how to use our brains. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many times I have had to save my dear Tristan from "spilling the beans." Dame Ragnell also knows how to use her brain to her advantage. Without her explisit specifications on the terms of her deal with King Arthur, then she never would have broken her curse and found her love. For this I admire her greatly.

Glory to Gawain

My entire life I have devoted my loyalty to King Arthur and his Round Table. Never have I once questioned his authority. I have always been the first to support him in his quests without question or concern. I am his nephew and kin just as Gawain is, yet, no literature is focused upon my good deeds or battles. Gawain is praised as if he is the best knight in the land, and I am not even mentioned once in any of his tales. I am not trying to debase Gawain for his brave and chivalric actions with the Green Knight, but I am only asking to be recognized as a knight, who is also the nephew of Arthur, in the tale.

Yet, I must say that the court at Arthur's Round Table during the holiday festivities was absolutly splendid and entertaining. Never have I been to a more pleasant celebration than that of the good King Arthur's feasts. He tops all in every aspect of life, and can not be matched, even by that of my good cousin, Sir Gawain. I will come to Arthur's call until the end of my time, for I am truly devoted to him.

I have the power.

Dear Subjects,

I hope that realize the power that I know hold. Your precious King Arthur is not my sovereign and I am not his subject. He succumbs to my will as does everyone. This text does not assert me as an ethereal power, but if one reads carefully my assertion of power is quite present. I am so prophetic that I knew exactly how to manipulate not only the King and Queen, but all of their court including the noble Gawain. I knew their reactions and how to manipulate them. The text and the Green Knight assert that I arranged this entire event simply to kill or torture the Queen. I will say that this game or intrigue was designed and installed for my amusement, but it was not out of jealousy of the Queen. It was to show Arthur and his knights that although they think that they have the control and power in their land they indeed do not, but that I Morgan do. Unlike Arthur, I do not feel that I need to flaunt my power, and garner praise and admiration to feel my true strength. My knowledge of my own power and others fear and respect of it is enough for me which is why I am not that present in the text. I am not looking for the glory as much as I am the respect. It also amuses me that the text tries to diminish my true influence and only a clever or astute reader will realize that I orchestrated the entire plot. I do not appreciate the ugliness that is attributed to me though I realize it is the only way for men to try and distract from my prowess. I was considered quite beautiful in my day and am still not considered a hag even now. That description is just a poor attempt to make the plot focus on my supposed jealousy of the Queen's beauty which is scarcely the case. I just wanted Arthur to know that although he is King and has received much acclaim he is still nothing more than a subject to my will and whims. I can make him perform whenever i want and however I want. So dance Arthur dance.

Sincerely your ruler,
Morgan

The tale of my shame...

Oh, the shame I still feel when I think of this misadventure. I was apprehensive when I heard what tale this would tell, but overall I think it mostly flatters me, which is a surprise. I am glad the one who composed my tale and wrote it down was not overly disappointed in me and as a result did not put all my actions in a bad light. I was often described as a paragon, and when it was revealed I was not perfect it did not make me a horrible person for which I am grateful. I am sad to note that whoever wrote this is not known, I would like to thank them for describing me in a fair way even after I put a stain on my honor.

As for the tale itself and the action that shamed me- I will admit, I was afraid, and that fear made me accept the girdle that now represents my mistake. I accepted the Green Knight’s challenge to honor my uncle’s court, and so I cut off his head. I don’t know what I thought would be the result, but when his body kept moving and he picked up his head and gave me the specifications of our meeting place one year hence I was shocked. But I moved on and accepted it, but as the time grew closer and I prepared to leave to meet him my fears arose again. For though he could live without his head, I knew I could not. That long journey to find the green chapel was not pleasant, but I praised the saints when I found that castle in the woods. Little did I know at the time that it was the true home of my foe. Reading this tale in hindsight, I can see that when the lord of the castle made the bargain that we would each give the other what we gained that day that it was some kind of test or trap. His wife making advances towards me was not truly a surprise for many women have admired me, but when she gifted me with the girdle that would prevent any strike from injuring me I should have known it was too good to be true. I am glad that I did resist her advances, she was beautiful, but it would not have been virtuous; and I was even gladder when I realized that it was all a test. My fear of death- my love for my life, was more important to me than my honor at the time, but when that blow glanced my neck and my misdeed was said aloud, I swore it would no longer be so. I still have the scar on my neck, and I wear that green girdle as a reminder to never repeat that mistake or let my avarice overpower me.

Taking On The Unknown

For Sir Gawain when taking on a Green Knight not knowing where he's from. As he begs for a battle on a New Year night. This battle of Sir Gawain is only the first of his destiny with this Green Knight . The one stiff stroke is all he was looking for. 12 months from then he would have to meet him at his green chapel that know one knows where he is to be found. When Gawain took on the Green Knight and cut off his head to his astonishment he lived picking up his head and showing it right to Guinevere. Now he must meet him at his chapel knowing now this knight was to cut off his head. Gawain went with much courage to go for his honor of words. On his adventure he came two miles from this chapel where he felt his life would end,yet not knowing he came to the Green Knights land when his wife and Sir Gawain got acquainted with each other . This lady was very beautiful to Sir Gawain and to be her "Knight " he gave her kisses anytime she wanted. She also gave him a green belt that would save him. This belt would soon symbolize heroes honored at the Round Table. This was all a game for the Green Knight who set this all up for his amusement for his yuletide of the New Year and to find out if all was true of the fame of the Round Table.