title: Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight
author: Sugimoto, Etsu Inagaki
description: Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight: A Fairytale in Alliterative Verse is a heroic romance published anonymously in the 14th century by the “Gawayne Poet.” One of the best known Arthurian stories, Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight: A Fairytale in Alliterative Verse has been translated by the likes J.R.R. Tolkien and adapted four times for film. At a New Year’s Eve celebration in King Arthur’s court, a mysterious and looming figure cast entirely in green appears unexpectedly. With no intentions to fight, the stranger presents the following challenge: take his axe and strike him but submit to an equal blow in one year and a day, with the victor being awarded his giant axe as a reward. When it seems that the stranger has no takers, King Arthur steps forth—only to be stopped by his youngest knight and nephew who requests to take on the task himself. Taking the axe in his hand, Sir Gawayne moves to strike and in doing so begins a path of adventure and intrigue leading him to solve the mystery of the Green Knight. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight: A Fairytale in Alliterative is a classic of Middle English literature reimagined for the modern reader.