The Loathly Lady

by Rose Lewis

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The following material may not be appropriate for all ages and/or conservative workplaces.

If your child or boss is nearby, you might have some things to explain.

Text above illustrated panels that reads: “Our story begins just after King Arthur has opted to wander off from his hunting party in pursuit of a particularly graceful deer. Unbeknownst to His Majesty, he has stayed from the royal forests, where he may hunt freely, onto the lands of a knight rumored to have a swift and vengeful temper.” The illustrations panels show King Arthur preparing to shoot a deer with bow and arrow. A knight enters on horseback.
Illustrated panels with text depicting an exchange between King Arthur and a knight in the woods. The knight challenges King Arthur to answer a question or duel him. The question he asks is “What is it that women most desire?”
Illustrated panels with text depicting an exchange between King Arthur and a knight in the woods. The knight grants King Arthur one year to answer the question: “What is it that women most desire?”
Illustrated panels with text depicting King Arthur’s court. King Arthur and other court members sit around a dinning table at Camelot. King Arthur discusses his predicament with a member of the court. The member of the court suggests he delegate to younger member of the court.
Illustrated panels with text depicting King Arthur’s court. King Arthur and other court members sit around a dinning table at Camelot. King Arthur discusses his predicament with a member of the court. The member of the court suggests he delegate to younger member of the court.
Illustrated panels with text depicting an exchange between Gawain and a woman. The woman, who appears old and haggard, approaches Gawain and informs him that she knows what he is looking for.
Illustrated panels with text depicting an exchange between Gawain and a woman. The woman insists that she and Gawain will need to be married if she is to provide the answer he is looking for on behalf of King Arthur. Gawain agrees to marry her and asks her the answer to the question: “What is it that women most desire?” She responds “oh easy – to be able to make our own decisions.”
Illustrated panels with text depicting an exchange between Gawain and a woman. Gawain expresses confusion at the woman’s answer, stating that his mum makes her own decisions. The woman informs Gawain that his mother is a witch.
Illustrated panels with text depicting King Arthur’s court. Gawain, the woman, King Arthur and other members of the court meet with the knight. The knight asks King Arthur if he has the answer he seeks. King Arthur confirms.
Illustrated panels with text depicting King Arthur’s court. King Arthur provides the knight with the answer to his question. The woman confirms her deal with Gawain to marry.
Illustrated panels with text depicting Gawain’s wedding. Illustrations show the marriage and dinner. In a series of illustrations in the couple’s bed chamber, the woman asks Gawain how she likes married life so far. He expresses that he didn’t have a choice in the matter.
Illustrated panels with text depicting Gawain and the woman in their bed chamber. Gawain asks what they should do now.
Illustrated panels with text depicting Gawain and the woman in their bed chamber. Gawain expresses shock at his newly transformed bride. She appears younger and pretty. The woman explains that the knight is her cousin and she was under a curse to appear ugly in order to prevent her from producing a male heir. She explains that she can look “normal half the time if (she) got married.”
Illustrated panels with text depicting Gawain and the woman in their bed chamber. Gawain expresses confusion at his bride's statement. She explains she can look normal at night or during the day but not both. Gawain tells her it should be her choice. This act breaks the curse and she can now look normal all of the time.
Illustration of Gawain and bride appearing happy alongside text that reads: “The ‘loathly lady’ (or, in Welsh, ‘dynes gas’) was a popular folkloric format in medieval literature, possibly having its origins in Irish mythology, as in the tale of Niall of the Nine Hostages, in which the hero becomes High King of Ireland by embracing the unlovely dame. A version appears in the Mabinogion in the 12th or 13th Century as the story of Peredur, son of Efrawg. Geoffrey Chaucer adapted the story into The Wife of Bath’s Tale, setting the action at King Arthur’s Court with an anonymous young knight as its protagonist, which inspired the 15th Century poem ‘The Weddynge of Syr Gawen and Dame Ragnell’ upon which this comic is based. Some locations and supporting characters have been adjusted slightly from the original and the dialogue is all new, composed in reverential gratitude to P.G. Wodenhouse and T.H. White. I am also indbted to the work of C.W. Scott-Giles, Gitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary, for his diligent scholarship of Arthurian heraldry, extremely useful in designing Sir Gawain’s shield.