What importance does Mary serve in the first two fitts and how is this influenced by her being a woman?
Medieval Feminism
ENGL 361 and WGST 322 | Spring 2020 | Dr. Myra Seaman
What importance does Mary serve in the first two fitts and how is this influenced by her being a woman?
Mary’s image can be seen along the inside of Gawain’s shield to remind him of his need for courage. In describing this, Mary is referred to only in terms of her motherhood. This can be seen as Mary is referenced in relation to the Lord’s conception and is even described as “our mother most mild” (p. 71). The fact that Gawain turns to her–a symbolic figure of motherhood–to remind him of his strength and courage suggests a level of respect for motherhood, especially in a religious context. Perhaps this can be in part attributed to the seasonal/holiday time of the story. Even so, it is worth noting that a trait which is reserved exclusively for females (motherhood) seems to be so revered by an upper class man. As such, this aspect of femininity is celebrated particularly for Mary’s association with strength, protection, and first and foremost faith.
The significance of Mary by Sir Gawain serves as a symbol of the guidance and support he needs on his journey alone to find the Green Knight. Gawain is spoken of so highly of by all who know him or have even heard of him and his honor as a knight, however, he is on a journey to face his fate alone. In his moments of loneliness and desperation, he calls upon Mary to guide him. “Then at that time of tiding, he prayed to highest heaven. Let Mother Mary guide him towards some house of haven” (p 71, line 735). As a maternal heavenly figure, it is not uncommon for knights to call upon Mary for guidance and support in times of hardship. In regard to her being a female, I believe it is common for men to turn to maternal figures when seeking guidance and support, especially Mary who is the mother of Jesus Christ.
Mary is a source of strength and resilience for knights. Gawain prays to her for guidance because she is seen as a holy figure that can support them. Her importance, though, lies in her being the mother of Jesus. The main thing the author refers to that gives Mary merit is that she’s a mother and while in the characters’ views it is very revered that she gave birth to Jesus, they don’t praise her for doing anything else. Becoming a mother was expected of women and even though the birth of Jesus was no normal birth, that’s all she is noted for here. They don’t even mention the great purity or devoutness of Mary which is why she was chosen to be the mother of Christ in the first place. She is only regarded for being his mother.
In many cases, Knights are fulfilling tasks to honor their women. I feel that in cases where a man does not have a woman to honor, perhaps Mary becomes their woman in need. They draw inspiration from her, a sense of belonging, and another reason for following through with tasks. I think her being a woman also gives men more courage because it sends the idea that there is a women in need of honoring- rather than completing a task just for the sake of completion. I find it interesting though that even though he was praying to Mary, once his prayers were answered, he thanked everyone except for her.
In the first two fitts of the story, Mary serves as a symbol of strength. Her image is engraved on the inside of Gawain’s shield and is there to be his protector, in a sense. Having this woman on the inside of his shield may serve as a remainder of what he is fighting for or help guide him in the right direction during his battles. Because of the fact that she is mother Mary, she may provide Gawain with the maternal figure that he needs to feel secure when he fights and to remind him of the things he learned from his own mother which may be helpful to him in his life now.
Mary is adorned on Gawain’s shield as he suits up to depart on his journey. Being that he is literally on his shield, Mary can be assumed to be a symbol of protection given the deeply religious context of the tale. Further, she can also be viewed as a symbol of strength due to her appearance on the armor. Further, her moniker as “Mother Mary” adds an element of maternal comfort for Gawain while he is embarking on this journey, having no idea where he is even going. Mary’s appearance is unsurprising given the religious context of this story, but her various meanings and interpretations are overall numerous and exciting.
Gawain prays for Mary’s guidance because she’s portrayed as someone who can support his journey and guide him through it. It’s not uncommon for knights to ask for the direction of a holy figure such as Mary to assist them through their course. I believe that the fact that Gawain turns to Mary to help him remember his bravery and strength is a sign that he respects women and motherhood. I also think this sheds light on the importance that women had brought strength, security/protection, and faith/religion during this time.
Mary is seen as a symbol of strength throughout the story. Gawain relies on Mary for help on his journey and she assists him by giving him directions. Gawain is thankful for Mary and she can be considered a shining light for Gawain. The importance of Mary is to show that women should and need to be seen as a symbol of strength and be respected in that way at all times.
On page 65 of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the text reads that “one thought pulled him through above all other things: // the fortitude he found in the five joys // which Mary had conceived in her son, our Savior” (646-648). In this way, Mary and her motherhood represent a kind of resilience in war and the courage to overcome any struggle Gawain might encounter. Just like Mary conceived or passed down these five joys to Jesus, she also passed this down to Gawain. Mary is given a powerful and respectable role in the text and is celebrated for her female identity.