Which medieval poem did J.R.R. Tolkien translate and lecture on in a 1920s Oxford course?

J.R.R. Tolkien translated and lectured on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight during his Oxford teaching career.

The Middle English poem tells of Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur’s court, who accepts a supernatural beheading challenge from the Green Knight. The story combines courtly ideals, Christian themes, tests of honesty, and older legendary material. Tolkien’s linguistic expertise made the poem an important part of his academic work.

Tolkien prepared a translation into modern English with E.V. Gordon, a fellow scholar. Their edition, published in 1925, presented the poem alongside Tolkien and Gordon’s scholarly notes. Tolkien later produced a verse translation, published posthumously in 1975 together with his translation of Pearl.

The poem is often grouped with Pearl and other works from the same manuscript, but Sir Gawain is a distinct narrative. Tolkien’s interest in its language, imagery, and moral complexity also reflects the medieval sources that shaped his imaginative writing.