The narrative Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is believed to be written in the late 1400s. However, not many facts are known about the poem’s date of creation. Also, there are still some controversies concerning the book’s origin.
Detailed answer:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem with an unknown author and the history of creation. Likely, it was composed around the 1400s. In the mid-seventeenth century, the original copy was discovered in Yorkshire. The owner of it turned out to be a local resident named Henry Saville of the Bank. Sometime later, Sir Robert Cotton decided to acquire the poem. Besides, Sir Cotton already owned the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Beowulf original copy.
At that moment, the book has been laying in an idle state for more than 200 years. It hasn’t been famous until Queen Victoria came to the throne. Accordingly, she attracted the attention of some most distinguished scholars and pundits of that time. The original copy of the book is a small, uninspiring item. It would fit in a medium-sized hand in case anybody wanted to hold or touch it.
Presently called Cotton Nero A.X, it is considered one of the most splendid writings of the Middle English verse. Also, it is generally believed to be one of the gems in the crown of English poetry. Despite its oldness, the manuscript is still in good condition due to proper care. Nowadays, the poem is preserved at the British Library. Here, it is highly secured and prevented from moistness and other ruining conditions.
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