#horsegirl gawain

[grail-lifesupport]

is it just me or are people getting confused with the name gringolet and gingalain

[tiodolma]

Gawain: damn i want that horse. i really want that horse.

Also Gawain: gets the horse.

[taliesin-the-bored]

🧙, but also what's gringolet 👀

What's Merlin's deal, in your own words?

Merlin’s deal varies. He’s the result of mashing a few different characters into one, and he does a lot of dubious things in the texts which became most influential but does them on the side of the good guys so people want to like him and water him down into a less sinister figure. 

It’s the Historia Regum Britanniae which lays the groundwork for the character as we know him today. First a wunderkind, whose father is thought to have been an incubus, Merlin is nearly used as a human sacrifice as a child but talks his way out of it by explaining the real reason why King Vortigern’s tower keeps falling down. He’s later responsible for the construction of Stonehenge and for disguising Uther Pendragon as Gorlois so that Uther can sleep with Gorlois’ wife Igerna. She doesn’t know it’s Uther at the time, so Merlin is an accomplice to rape by deception. Later on, Merlin is the magical advisor to Uther’s son Arthur, and Arthur is considered a righteous king (even if he does some very dubious things from time to time). That puts Merlin on “the right side” most of the time going forward but also doesn’t make everything Merlin does morally justifiable. There are some texts where he’s downright antagonistic—the big example being Eachtra Mhelóra agus Orlando, where Arthur nearly has him burned at the stake for his crimes but Arthur’s daughter Melora says they should show him mercy—and some where he’s just very, very morally gray. There are exceptions. Myrddin Wyllt, the possibly-historical Welsh bard who appears in The Black Book of Carmarthen, is more sympathetic, almost Lancelotlike in personality: after inadvertently killing his own nephew in battle, he goes insane and wanders forlornly in the forest, talking to a piglet because his sister won’t forgive him. Then again, “didn’t want to kill a relative (but did anyway)” is a very low bar, and that’s not the Merlin iteration who’s in the public consciousness. 

The Merlin we see most in modern media is the archetypal wizard, the friendlier Gandalf figure who guides the righteous king, with his fouler deeds omitted or justified or glossed over, and that’s…fine. I guess. It takes away a lot of nuance, but if you want a wise, magical grandfather figure for your plucky young king, then Merlin is the closest option at hand and has a cultural resonance. I understand it, and I enjoy a good Merlin from time to time, but that’s not who he is, or at least not who he always is. I would appreciate more questionable Merlins—and they do exist. I would appreciate more meant-well-did-badly, non-Arthur-affiliated, bardic Myrddins, too. 

(P.S. At least in the BBoC translation I read, Myrddin himself says that he is “second only to Taliesin”. Mull on that a bit. Given Taliesin’s own questionable moments, I’m not sure whether it’s really a compliment or an insult).

What’s Gringolet?

Gringolet, my friend, is a horse. Not just any horse, however. Gringolet (also known as Ceincaled) is Gawain’s horse, and he is a force of nature, one of the Three Spirited Horses in the Triads. Gawain is a notorious horsegirl, so naturally he requires a horse as awesome and bloodthirsty as he is, and Gringolet is at least as well-regarded as his usual rider by members of the Arthuriana fandom (I’ve seen tier lists which ranked him higher than Gawain). In short, Gringolet is a phenomenon, and one I’m sure a Beri stan like yourself would appreciate, though I admit my enthusiasm for Gringolet is not as great as a lot of people’s because there are other awesome Arthurian horses (Guinevere’s gray palfrey who can go on water or land, Kay’s horse Gwineu Goddwf Hir, etc.) who remain overlooked while he hogs the limelight. That’s not Gringolet's fault, though. 

He also has his own Wikipedia page. Who among us can say that?

Thank you for the ask!

[butterflies-and-bumble-bees]

(tagged by @heavensmortuary )

Pick 4 characters from 4 pieces of media and let your followers pick which one matches your vibe. (Looks like it's Oops, All Games edition here, lol):

tagging @indianampasta, @hard-times-paramore, @butterflies-and-bumble-bees, @ato-takahashi

No pressure to reply, anyone is welcome to participate!

[imthemuthafuckingcricket]

The venn diagram of Alexander the Great, Caligula and Gawain owning this

[itonje]

i love it when gawaine starts talking to gringalet in like high engagement conversation like my lord that is an animal . that is a beast

[ladyminaofcamelot]

What your Gawain says about you

The honorable chivalrous Gawain: you think Gawain is the best knight in Arthur's court. SGatGK and The Wedding of Sir Gawain are your favorite Gawain texts, you're a romantic and have a beautifully rose colored view of the world, and good on you for it. You also may or may not harbor a dislike for Lancelot, and if you have read The Squire's Tales, Gerald Moris's Gawain will always be your favorite.

The sleeps with everyone Gawain: SGatGK and Wedding are also your favorite texts, but for different reasons. You think it was kinda funny when he promised to wing man for Pelleas and proceeded to sleep with the girl instead, and live for moments when people don't kill him because he's hot. Also you think he's hot yourself, hotter when he's covered in blood. Keep living your best life full of pinup fan art and sexy sword duels.

Murdery Gawain(affectionate): You also think Gawain is hotter covered in blood. The Dutch texts are your favorite, and you feel the same sense of pride when Gawain kills hundreds that a cat owner has when their cat brings them dead prey. He is a horrible, feral man, but he's YOUR feral man and you love him because nothing's better than a cute, charming criminal.

Murdery Gawain (derogatory): you think it's annoying that EVERY romance is taken over by this murder hobo. You are likely a fan of more minor characters, in part because you always stand up for the underdog and in part because your sense of justice and morality is so strong that watching even fictional people get away with things because of fame and fortune sets your teeth on edge. I understand your pain. I really do. And I am so sorry.

Gawain started Honorable but slowly spiraled into Violence as he tried to live up to an ideal he could never reach: you love tragedy. And angst. And trying to incorporate arthuriana into one comprehensive narrative. Gawain's last letter to Lancelot is your bread and butter and you have cried over it. You think Gawain is mostly responsible for the fall of Camelot but you don't care because he's trying so hard and is in so much pain and... You really just think he needs a break from the strive and complexities of life. Honestly, you probably need a break too. Make a cup of tea. Get a soft blanket. Just be quiet and loved for a little while, okay?

Horsegirl Gawain: let's be honest, you're not here for Gawain. You're here for Gringolet. Gawain is permitted to be a little violent because he is nice to Gringolet, and Gringolet is allowed to be as violent as he likes because he is a horse. You are obsessed with that one time he killed a dragon and probably don't always remember what text the scene is from because who cares what other adventures happen in the Roman Van Walewein when Gringolet is a dragon slayer. Your opinion is superior and I trust you.

Please add to this list. I am sure there are Gawains I forgot and I would love to see y'all's takes.

[povestotrischane]

gawaine is genre-savvy but the problem is that he thinks he's in one of those horsegirl movies and is waiting for the part where something goes horribly wrong and he's stuck without gringolet and needs to get to camelot in time to get help win the big race save the family farm prove himself and then he starts to give up trying to call for gringolet right when he shows up and they race there while generic country music plays in the background

[gringolet]

okay maybe gawains an unbearable asshole but hes FUNNY and my FIREND hes POLITE he found a magic banquet at a magic abandoned castle and he washed his hands before eating and cleaned up after then left. hes so so funny. what a guy. literally what a person. i adore him like i adore my stupid orange cat, but if that cat was an evil slut catboy horsegirl. god. god. gawain. no one is doing it like gawain

[slingerapen]

as a horsegirl I dont think gawain wears spurs