#also I'm utterly convinced that the knight percival meets at the beginning who thinks he's both stupid and delightful is lancelot

[djemsostylist]

My absolute favorite part of the de Troyes Grail story is when Percival is just like, sitting outside Camelot, staring at the snow because it reminds him of his girlfriend’s face and Sagramore thinks it’s weird, so he tries to fight him and Percival just like, lays him out and goes back to staring, so Sagramore goes into Camelot and is like “yo, there is a weirdo sitting outside and he won’t say his name” so naturally Kay, being an Asshole, goes out to beat him up and force him to come in, and Percival breaks his arm.  So then Kay goes back in to whine, and by this point Arthur is like, “okay wtf is going on” and then Gawain is like, “hey, why don’t I go out to talk to this guy” and Kay like, gets all sneery and is like “oh, what, so you can talk to him and be kind because you are just such a nice guy” and Gawain is like, “yes?” and Kay is like “I hope you get YOUR collarbone broken” and then Gawain goes out and is like, “hey man, are you okay, you look like your are going through something” and then Percival is like, “yeah, I miss my girlfriend and also these dudes keep coming out and trying to beat me up :(  “ and Gawain is like, “oh, no, that’s just Kay, he’s a dick” and then they go into the hall together and Gawain (who’s arm and collarbone are not broken) is like, “Here is the sad knight” and Arthur is like, “Oh, hey” and Kay just like, combusts.  It’s so great.  Kay cannot conceive of why people like Gawain just because he’s a nice person and isn’t just a constant asshat all of the time and every time Gawain beats him just by being a nice person and not an asshole, he gets sent into like, a rage.  

Also, de Troyes takes care to point out that Kay is Tall and Strong and Blond (with a braid!) and is basically the hottest dude at Arthur’s court (think Thor?) but because he is a Major Asshole at all times, he’s actually not the hottest (and I’m guessing the implication here is that Gawain is, both because Lancelot only exists in the Knight of the Cart and I’m convinced de Troyes hates him, and also because de Troyes really loves Gawain and so do all the ladies).  

#arthuriana #arthurian legend #chretien de troyes #gawain #i love how much of an asshole kay is in de troyes #he's literally just a dick all the time for no reason #and everyone is like 'oh kay you are a dick' #but that's just like how it is #and gawain is just nice #and slutty #those are the threads that remain #also I'm utterly convinced that the knight percival meets at the beginning who thinks he's both stupid and delightful is lancelot #like it makes sense #lancelot would meet a stupid kid in the woods #and take the time to explain what a shield and a lance are bc he's just so amused and charmed by this idiot #but we don't know #de troyes would probably argue with me about this since he hates lancelot #but it's my headcanon so you can't take it away