Introduction
Sir Gawain and
the Green Knight opens in Camelot, in the fictional kingdom of Logres,
the poetical name for Britain used in much medieval Arthurian literature.
However, between Gawain’s departure from Camelot and his arrival at the castle
of Sir Bertilak, where he is lodged between Christmas and New Year’s while
awaiting his appointment with the Green Knight, the part of Gawain’s route
that takes him through North Wales and into England is described in what seem
to be realistic terms. Gawain passes Anglesey, the Holy Head, and the Wirral
in North Wales before approaching Bertilak's castle, named Hautdesert.
These place-names have led many scholars
to attempt to map Gawain's route from North Wales into England.
Why the poet would lead Gawain from the fictional Camelot into the very heart
of his own dialect area is of course a matter of conjecture. Perhaps he wished
to amuse his audience with references
to their home region (Twomey 2000), in which case Bertilak may have been based
on a local lord.
On July 27, 2002, four American medievalists visiting Wales for the 20th congress
of the International Arthurian Society--Michael Twomey, Joyce Coleman, Fiona
Tolhurst, and Jean Jost--set out from Bangor to see the sites in Wales and
England where Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (henceforth SGGK) is
set.
This is an account of our journey that day. Along
the way, there will be links to photographs of the sites we visited, and at
any time the reader may check the scholarly arguments about the various locations
by clicking on “Supporting Evidence and Bibliography.” To move to another
section, click on the title in the frame at the left, or use the “Forward”
and “Back” buttons at the end of each section.
“Travels With Sir Gawain” and “Supporting Evidence and Bibliography” are copyright
© Michael Twomey. Arrangements for visiting the site of Poulton Abbey were
made by Jean Jost. Photographs are copyright © Michael Twomey, Joyce Coleman,
and Fiona Tolhurst.
Michael Twomey
5 February 2004