I am listening to Ian Mackellen and Toby West sound Simon Armitage's
rendering of the Annonymous alliterative romance - Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight, the 14C text written in an alliterative revival style of the period.
It is the finest quality revisiting of the old-school I've heard since Derek
Hines' Gilgamesh myth and I suspect this classic tale expertly rendered
readably poetic in the contemporary vernacular will be a cross-over,
commericial smash and critical cause for his reputation to slide up the pole
of Anglo-Lingo in the HQ of reader's minds, and be matched as a contender
from officialdom - amongst the volunteer Laureates intriquing to get their
hands on Mandy's butt of sack - for the hot-seat in a flowery dell at the
oracle where state bards and professional bores competitively slug it for
the UK's chief crown of eloquence.
Of course other factions will be intriquing for a recognition of their gods.
JH Prynee, Bob Cobbing or Sebastian Barker to be dug up and their remains to
be posthumously knighted and interned at the abbey or engaged in continual
covert leaking of Viki Feaver's credentiuals for the post. There may even be
cranks and crackpots on the various campaigns mon compadres. Daftos
advocating Sir Kenn Dodd for Emperor at the Poetry Society or Ian MacMillan
for the chair at Harvard.
Hopefully, there will be somke others ruthlessley engaged with losing their
senses when self promoting in their quest to be cloaked with the mantle of
Ard Oollamh - in the White House Pub Limerick next October. Attempting to
invagle into the inner sanctum of the executive committee and influence
members on the selection panel of the inaugral All Ireland Live Literature
Championship - by grace and favour, brown envelopes, back-handers and bungs
in bog cubicles.
I certainly hope so, and if anyone out there wants to curry favour and
improve their standing with me in my official capacity of Chairman and
senior derelict on this panel, please get in touch by way of a cash bribe.
This is Annonymous/Armitage at the very end of the poem as Garwain explains
about the girdle of gold
"Through this I suffered a scar to my skin
for my loss of faith was physically defaced
what a coveting coward I became it seem.
I was tainted by untruth and this - it's token
I will drape across my breast till the day I die
for man's crimes can be covered but never
made clean.
Once entwined with sin man is twinned for all
time. So that slanting green stripe was adopted
as their sign. Each night who held it was honoured
forever.
An adventure which happened int the era of Arthur
and ever since Brutus gave birth to the British
once the siezure, assualt and slaughter at Troy had ceased
our coffers have been crammed with stories such as these.
~
Anyone who has seen the original must agree that he has done a beyond
brilliant job and has created a masterpiece methinks Mr Mallin - non?
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