3) What Do Women Want? The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Hag Ragnell Told by Ralph Metzner

Part three of "The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Hag Ragnell." In returning to our story, the appearance of this witch and her speech that King Arthur was going to die if he did not listen to her made him very nervous. Knowing that ignoring her warning could cost him his life, King Arthur said to the witch, "Okay, lay it on me. Tell me what it is I need to know."

So the witch said, "Well there is a price you have to pay. And the price is that if I give you the answer, and it is the right answer to the riddle that the black knight has asked, then I want to have the hand of the most handsome and nobel knight in your court in marriage." King Arthur, knowing that the witch was referring to his nephew, Sir Gawain, said: "Forget it. I will never be able to talk him into it. I would not even try. You are so incredibly ugly that I could not do it. I could not bring myself to. Sir Gawain is my nephew and I love him. And that is the way it is." So the witch said, "Well, too bad. You are going to lose your head. Why don't you go to Sir Gawain and tell him that your life is in his hands, because it is!" So King Arthur said, "Well, you know, I really do not know, but I guess I have no choice. I will go and talk with Sir Gawain."

So King Arthur left the woods, went back to his castle and found Sir Gawain, and told him what the witch was demanding, and what the witch was saying. Telling Sir Gawain that I really do not expect you to do this. I mean you would not want to do this once you saw her, believe me. But Sir Gawain said, "Sir, it does not matter. I will marry her right away, no problem. I do not care what she looks like because this is my duty as a knight; this is what I should do. I should save your life, because you are the King. You are necessary for the survival of the kingdom. This is what I will do." King Arthur said, "Are you sure? I mean are you really sure this is what you want to do?" Sir Gawain said, "Yes, I will do it." So King Arthur feeling that he had no other choice went back to the woods where he met the witch and said: "Okay, Sir Gawain has agreed to marry you." And the witch said, "yes. And if it is not the right answer, then you will not need to worry about it anyway, because you will be dead."

So the witch told King Arthur the answer to the black knight's question, and sometime soon the day came to keep the appointment with Sir Gromer Somer Jewer. Keeping his word, King Arthur went into the woods where he had met the black knight, carrying the book of answers that Sir Gawain had collected for him. Arthur had the idea that he would try all of these answers first and only use the answer the witch had given him as the last resort.

There in the woods waiting for Arthur was the black knight. King Arthur presented himself and began to read the answers from the book. Such as, Women want wealth. Or women want love. Or women want romance. Or women want men to admire them. And many more answers like these. Sir Gromer Somer Jewer listened to these answers and said none of these are it. These are not it. You are going to bleed. (People were very blunt and to the point in those days, and he repeated himself). You are going to bleed! And soon! Unless you can come up with something better." Realizing he was in trouble, King Arthur said, "okay, here it is. The answer to your question is: What women want is to have their own way." Hearing this answer the black knight became enraged, saying "Dammit! I knew that old witch talked to you. I am going to get her, that old sister of mine! She must have told you" And the black knight went stomping off into the woods, because this was indeed the correct answer.

(To be continued in blog #4)