why is the knight green in sir gawain
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Given the varied and even contradictory interpretations of the color green, its precise meaning in the poem remains ambiguous. In English folklore and literature, green was traditionally used to symbolise nature and its associated attributes: fertility and rebirth. Stories of the medieval period also used it to allude to love and the base desires of man.[33][34] Because of its connection with faeries and spirits in early English folklore, green also signified witchcraft, devilry and evil. It can also represent decay and toxicity.[35] When combined with gold, as with the Green Knight and the girdle, green was often seen as representing youth's passing.[36] In Celtic mythology, green was associated with misfortune and death, and therefore avoided in clothing.[37] The green girdle, originally worn for protection, became a symbol of shame and cowardice; it is finally adopted as a symbol of honour by the knights of Camelot, signifying a transformation from good to evil and back again; this displays both the spoiling and regenerative connotations of the color green.[37]