I find this story to have one of the most complicated characters in the form of the Green Knight in relation to his allegiances. In fact, he seems to tread the border between Christianity and Paganism. He is completely green and it seems to indicate his affiliation with nature and the link to pagan beliefs. He also holds a holly bob in his hand, a symbol of his devotion to nature. And yet intertwined in his hair is gold. This also is found inlaid in parts of the armor and axe. This gold seems to be connected to Christianity and nobility since so far everyone has been so adorned. Also the Green Knight is in fact a knight. The narrator and the reaction of the court seems to support this fact. He is treated as nobility and in relation to that as a Christian. And yet he is otherworldly, superhuman in physical terms and spiritually supernatural as he survives the beheading. I find his appearance during the Christmas celebrations to also be indicative of his challenge towards Christianity. It is after all among the greatest Christian holidays and he decides to challenge the court during it's celebration in an especially rude way.
Following his departure, I find the passing of the seasons to be caught up in this struggle. I find it interesting that nature's cycle during the year is described as transformation. The trouble is taken to personify the natural world as alive. And yet it also seems as though Christian beliefs applied to this transformation when "the cold cheer of Lent" leads into the year and "Michaelmas" leads to Gawain's exit from the court (502, 532). In fact, he even leaves on All Saint's Day, a celebration of the dead saints. The bookending of nature's yearly cycle by Christian holidays wraps up this weird intertwining of religions. I also find it ironic that All Saints Day is when Gawain sets off with little hope in his or anyones heart of returning. Mayhap he'll be celebrated in the next year?
I feel this battle of faiths to continue on Gawain's journey. Even before he set's off he his encased in armor beautiful and protective and affixed with the finest gold, as mentioned numerous times. The gold and emphasis on protection, knightly values and the shield with all its allusions to Christian faith appear to form almost a suit of God's armor. He ends the encasing with a prayer for safety and success which again reestablishes the connection of Gawain to God and even declares, "In destinies sad or merry, True men can but try," which seems to indicate that he leaves his fate in God's hands and that he will simply do his best (564-565).
The fight continues even on his travels as it seems all of nature conspires against him including all man of creatures from wolves and wild men to the cold itself. He fights on through wilderness that seems to have sprung up adversely following his departure from the safety of the Christian court. And yet it seems that Christianity does not abandon him in need as per his prayer a place for mass in the form of a castle is provided him, and yet I still question the validity of the castle as we head into Part 3. I think it will be interesting to see how the struggle between these to forces will play out, and I will be equally interested in the character of the Green Knight to see if he is truly as intertwined as I find him to be so far.
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I agree that there is a blurring of Christianity and pagan faiths in the depiction of the Green Knight/Lord Bertilak. Adding on to what Kelsey has said, Hatudesert also carries the Christian faith and actually, it is here that we see Gawain and the court attend mass habitually. Also, there is the list of animals hunted after and the wonderful portrayal of hunting a wild boar - a pagan symbol. Lord Bertilak uses many Christian phrases such as when he "commend(s) him to Christ" (line 1982). However, we reach the end of the story, and we find out the Green Knight/Lord Bertilak was under a spell by "Morgan the Goddess" (line 2451). Here, it sounds like the Green Knight/Lord Bertilak were under a pagan god. So, the ambiguity trails on to the end of the text and leaves one with the question: how do you uphold Christian values when you are a violent agent under a spell?
I completely agree, the Green Giant has proven to be one of the most complicated, multi faceted characters I have encountered in this class. Although the color green connects the Green Giant to Paganism, reinforcing his connection to nature, it also links him to Christianity. In Christianity green has a dual aspect, it not only speaks to immortality, and the growth of the ‘Holy Spirit’ in man, but it is also equated with Satin, and evil. In addition to this, green is simultaneously symbolic of rebirth (regeneration/resurrection), and with death. Moreover, the holly bob is both a Pagan and Christian symbol, despite the fact that its significance came first from Paganism. The Green Knight’s coloring, like so many of his other attributes seems invoke the religious contradictions within this character, and thus works to ‘other’ him.
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