Sir Gawain a nd the Green Knight Part One

Throughout the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight the pagan tradition and the Christian tradition are involved in an intricate dance. At times these tow forms of religion are polar opposites, only to be fused together in the protection of Arthur's most loyal knight.
The beginning of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight finds Arthur and his court celebrating Christmastide, one of the holiest holidays in the Christian religion, though it had some pagan roots, when they are interrupted by the Green Knight.
The Green Knight is a representative of the pagan with his green skin and unkempt appearance as a symbol of nature, the harvest. It is also possible that the Green Knight is a representative of the Celtic Wild man, a Carl, also known as a Blachlach. The Green Knight challenges Arthur's Court to the ancient beheading game, in which one knight strikes another knight's neck in the attempt to chop it off, and in return receives a similar blow. According to our book, "the earliest written occurrence of this motif (the beheading game) is in the Middle Irish tale of Bricrius' Feast."(160)
Gawain is representative of the Christian religion in that he "epitomizes . . . Arthurian chivalry and the reputation of the court rests on his shoulders." (160). He is loyal to his Lord and Saviour, his earthly lord, he is brave and noble; all those things a good christian knight should be.
In the beheading game, the Green Knight challenges Arthur's knights to take a chop at his head, with the provision that he be allowed to so the same by the end of the coming year. Gawain accepts the challenge, fully expecting the Green Knight to die, only to be shocked when the knight does not fall. The Green Knight's "pagan magic" has saved his life, now Gawain must put his faith in Christ to the test by the end of the new year.