Green only looks good on Christmas trees

Now that I have your attention, let us ponder the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It is such a multifaceted story, with many different meanings and subtexts. Some obvious, others hidden. On the surface, you could say it's a tale about being cautious and honest, but underneath, their are the subjects of temptation and adultery, insecurity, emasculation, feminine domination, and even "peer pressure".

Gawain is a young, experienced knight who is not very confident in himself compared to his brothers in the Round Table Knights, so he gets himself in over his head when he takes up the challenge of striking down this green fellow who challenges his king. He finds himself staring down his own death when he must meet the knight again to suffer the same blow he dealt. He takes refuge in the castle of a kindly lord who makes a deal with Gawain, he'll share any game he bags if Gawain trades him whatever he obtains by staying at his castle. With the lord's wife as his attendant, all Gawain gains is some flirty dialog and a few kisses here and there. Gawain gives these to the lord, much to the lord's guffaw, and all is well. But on the last day, the lady offer's Gawain a cloth from her clothing to protect him in his upcoming encounter, this, he keeps from the lord, breaking his promise. The green knight is revealed to be the kind lord and Gawain had failed his test of integrity. Gawain returns home with his tale and his supportive knightly kinsmen are there to hear it.

We could all do well to take a lesson from Gawain's trials. Treat everything in your life as a test of your merit. Every moral decision you make, no matter how small, has an affect on you in some way.