I've read several variations on the Gawain and the Green Knight legend over the years. I've seen a few movie versions, too, although none I would call memorable. Or, you know, good. But the root of the story, which has fascinated the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien, is certainly an unforgettable side quest within the greater Arthurian saga. The Arthur tales have long been a passion of mine and, while I don't read as much Arthurian lore as I used to, I still maintain a fairly large collection that includes some books I've never opened. As time permits, I like to pull them out, and this time I chose Vera Chapman's decade's-old novelization of the familiar story, titled simply The Green Knight.

In this version, the protagonist Gawain is not the famous knight of the Round Table. Rather, he is that knight's nephew, son of Gawain's younger brother Gareth. The story is told primarily through two points of view, young Gawain's and Vivian's; the latter is the 15-year-old great-niece of Morgan le Fay. She is the granddaughter of Vivian, aka Nimue, who was the youngest daughter of Ygraine (sister of Morgan and Morgause), and she was raised in a convent until Morgan came, took her to the castle of Sir Bertalik and began teaching her the ways of the sorceress. Vivian, although intrigued by the power, sees her aunt as evil and quietly strives to learn white magic to counter Morgan's black.

Gawain, meanwhile, has come to Camelot, where he is being raised to knighthood on Christmas Day. After being humiliated at his first joust by the secret machinations of his uncle Mordred, Gawain is passing an uncomfortable feast at the Round Table when the terrifying Green Knight arrives.

Only Arthur himself is brave enough to accept the monster's challenge to trade blows with a massive axe. But, before the bloody exchange can take place, young Gawain stands and asks for the honor of accepting the dare. As Even the most casual reader of Arthur's stories knows, Gawain easily beheads the monster, who then reattaches his head and tells Gawain to meet him at the Green Chapel in one year to receive his blow.

The year passes, and fate brings Gawain and Vivian together, even as Morgan's evil plot unfolds. Before it all comes to an end, the great Merlin himself must get involved in the story. The final section is told through the perspective of Melior, Merlin's apprentice, and has a major impact on the course of Arthurian lore.

Vera Chapman is an interesting person, with interesting interests. She's known as as Belladonna Took in the Tolkien Society, which she founded in Britain in 1969, and was the Pendragon of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids from 1964 to 1991. She was one of the first women to matriculate as a full member of Oxford University, and she published her first novel -- this one, in fact -- in 1975, at age 77. She continued writing, publishing nine novels by the time she died in 1996.

The Green Knight is certainly not the best Arthurian novel I've read, but it's a very good one, and I was thoroughly absorbed while reading it. I am motivated to look for copies of her two sequels, King Arthur's Daughter and The King's Damosel, the latter of which was the basis for the animated movie Quest for Camelot (which I've never seen).