King Arthur is at Camelot during the Christmas season with his knights of the Round Table and his other lords and ladies. They feast merrily, sing carols, and dance. For New Year’s Day, they exchange gifts and sit down for a wonderful feast. Arthur customarily does not eat at such a feast until he has heard a tale of adventure or a knight’s challenge to battle. Gawain sits next to Guenevere, with other great knights around them at the high table. The first course of the feast is served with a fanfare of trumpets and drums, and everyone fills themselves with delicacies.
No sooner has the first course been served than a rider bursts into the hall. He is entirely green, as is his horse. The rider has thick green hair and a long beard. He wears no armor, and he carries only a sprig of holly and a great green ax. He rides straight up to the dais and demands to know who is the leader of the group. The guests are amazed at this sight, and none of the knights answers him; the poet excuses them by saying they were silent out of courtesy rather than fear.
