why is the knight green in sir gawain
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Given the varied and even contradictory interpretations of the color green , its precise meaning in the poem remains ambiguous . In English folklore and literature , green was traditionally used to symbolise nature and its associated attributes : fertility and rebirth . Stories of the medieval period also used it to allude to love and the base desires of man . Because of its connection with faeries and spirits in early English folklore , green also signified witchcraft , devilry and evil . It can also represent decay and toxicity . When combined with gold , as with the Green Knight and the girdle , green was often seen as representing youth 's passing . In Celtic mythology , green was associated with misfortune and death , and therefore avoided in clothing . The green girdle , originally worn for protection , became a symbol of shame and cowardice ; it is finally adopted as a symbol of honour by the knights of Camelot , signifying a transformation from good to evil and back again ; this displays both the spoiling and regenerative connotations of the color green . 
Given the varied and even contradictory interpretations of the color green , its precise meaning in the poem remains ambiguous . In English folklore and literature , green was traditionally used to symbolise nature and its associated attributes : fertility and rebirth . Stories of the medieval period also used it to allude to love and the base desires of man . Because of its connection with faeries and spirits in early English folklore , green also signified witchcraft , devilry and evil . It can also represent decay and toxicity . When combined with gold , as with the Green Knight and the girdle , green was often seen as representing youth 's passing . In Celtic mythology , green was associated with misfortune and death , and therefore avoided in clothing . The green girdle , originally worn for protection , became a symbol of shame and cowardice ; it is finally adopted as a symbol of honour by the knights of Camelot , signifying a transformation from good to evil and back again ; this displays both the spoiling and regenerative connotations of the color green .
When combined with gold, as with the Green Knight and the girdle, green was often seen as representing youth's passing. The green girdle, originally worn for protection, became a symbol of shame and cowardice; it is finally adopted as a symbol of honor by the knights of Camelot, signifying a transformation from good to evil and back again; this displays both the spoiling and regenerative connotations of the color green.
When combined with gold , as with the Green Knight and the girdle , green was often seen as representing youth 's passing . The green girdle , originally worn for protection , became a symbol of shame and cowardice ; it is finally adopted as a symbol of honour by the knights of Camelot , signifying a transformation from good to evil and back again ; this displays both the spoiling and regenerative connotations of the color green .