The name of the Green Knight (line 2445):

Bernlak: Madden 1839, Morris 1864, both without comment.

Bercilak: Hulbert 1923, on the basis of the form Bertelak, from the English Prose Merlin, arguing that Bercilak was a scribal misreading of Bertilak.

Bercilak: Tolkien-Gordon 1925, note to line 2445, crediting Hulbert and adding a conjectural Celtic etymology, *Brittulakos, connected to ancient Gallic Brittula < *Britto 'a Briton', proposed by Förster 1924; also supported by Loomis 1924, deriving Bercilak from Irish bachlach (three syllables) 'churl'. Used in editions by Pons 1946, Jones 1960, Moorman 1977, Vantuono 1984, 1991; in translation by Borroff 1967; and in studies by Benson 1965, Burrow 1965, Johnson 1984, Blanch and Wasserman 1995.

Bertilak: Gollancz 1940, note to 2445, "on the evidence of the MS generally, the reading is in favor of 'ti' rather than 'ci'". So also Tolkien-Gordon-Davis 1967, Andrew-Waldron 1978, 1987, 1996, and most other editions. Adopted in translations by Harrison 1983, 1998 and Borroff 2001.


SGGK manuscript, line 2445