Hello, there! I'm Professor Arthuriana, and I've dedicated my life to studying the fascinating world of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. You've come to the right place with your question about Sir Gawain's shield.

The inside of Gawain's shield is not directly described in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the most famous story featuring this noble knight. This might seem odd at first, but it's actually a clever narrative strategy by the anonymous poet we call the Gawain poet.

You see, much of the poem hinges on the concept of duality, of hidden depths and outward appearances. The Green Knight himself embodies this duality - wild man and courtly challenger, bringer of life and death.

So, while we don't get a literal description, we can infer what might be found on the inside of Gawain's shield. We are told explicitly about the outside, which bears the image of the pentangle, also known as the Endless Knot, a symbol richly layered with meaning.

The five points of the pentangle represent five sets of virtues Gawain strives to embody:


1. The five senses: Sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.

2. The five fingers: Representing Gawain's skill as a knight.

3. The five wounds of Christ: Symbolizing Gawain's devout faith.

4. The five joys of Mary: Another aspect of Gawain's religious devotion.

5. The five knightly virtues: Generosity, fellowship, purity, courtesy, and compassion.

These five virtues are paramount in understanding the potential "inside" of Gawain's shield. It's not a physical image, but rather an internal landscape reflecting Gawain's moral compass, his chivalric code.

The poem reveals that Gawain, despite his best efforts, is not perfect. He falters in the face of temptation, accepting the Green Girdle out of fear, believing it will protect him from death. This act, a violation of the knightly code, suggests a potential conflict between the outward symbol of the pentangle and the more complex reality within.

Therefore, the "inside" of Gawain's shield could be interpreted as a space of moral struggle, a battleground between his aspirations to perfect chivalry and the imperfections inherent to human nature. The absence of a concrete image allows us, the readers, to participate in this struggle, to contemplate the complexities of virtue and vice.

Just as the Green Knight's challenge tests Gawain's physical courage, the journey also forces him to confront his inner self. The poem doesn't offer easy answers, leaving us to ponder the true nature of chivalry and the human condition. And that, my friend, is the brilliance of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
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The description lingers on Gawain's shield, which depicts on its outside a gold five-pointed star, or pentangle, on a red background. On the inside of the shield is the face of Mary, Christ's mother. ... After dressing, Gawain says goodbye to his friends and leaves the court.read more >>