J. R. R. Tolkien’s ‘Gawain’s leave-taking’: A composite translation of ‘Against my will I take my leave’ (Vernon MS 407v) and a door to further criticism

Abstract

This article analyzes the manner in which the publication of the deluxe slipcased edition of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo (2020) has helped to uncover some new evidence concerning Tolkien’s poem/translation ‘Gawain’s leave-taking’ (1925), and the possible early influence of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (late 14th c.) on the initial stages of Tolkien’s Legendarium, in particular on The lay of Leithian (1925–1931). The article reveals, for the first time, the source for Tolkien’s poem/translation, namely ‘Against my will I take my leave’ (Vernon MS 407 v) as edited in Carleton Brown’s Religious lyrics of the XIVth century (1924), and the importance of ascribing the work by Tolkien to the year 1925 or earlier. It is my hope that this contribution nudges other scholars to examine the evidence with care and to propose enlightening analyses, especially considering that the influence of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Tolkien’s early writing remains unexplored.