Back In Black

Essentially, Gowther is back again to slaying more people with his falchion at hand, but this time with good intentions. Gowther takes up arms with the Emperor’s army against a pompous Sultan and his Saracens while wearing black armor and riding a black horse. Thus, Gowther is literally back in black, as well as in red and white armor..

The struggle for forgiveness

Right up to the very end Gowther struggled with all of his sins he had committed at the beginning of the story even after he had repented and was forgiven. So was Gowther struggle with himself due to the sins that he had committed or because he himself could not forgive himself?

Too late buddy

My feelings when he went to the priest to repent for his sins.

Whose child are you?

Why did the King not notice sooner that this child was probably not his? As soon as this child was born and feeding, he was slaying those who had done no harm.  “Well before twelve months were gone. He’d slain nine nurse maids, one by one, Ladies highborn and free.” (ll 118-120). The child killed nine milk maids, and even raped a women and killed her husband. Why did it take all of that to think;  hmm I don’t think I am the dad. The child had to have looked very different from his father, not to mention the way he acted. How did it take fifteen years to start questioning this? If I was the King I would have started to question my wife when Gowther was at least ten years old.

Your Actions Have Consequences.

             In sir Gowther we see Gowther in the beginning as someone who was ruthless since birth. He would torture, murder and burn churches. He finds out that he is the spawn of a demon. As the story goes on we see him wanting to change and he goes to the pope to repent and he has to eat from the mouths of dogs and to remain silent until God has forgiven him. This is interesting because the penance that he receives seems almost weak. He can still harm people if he wanted to, he can still fight. 

             Sir Gowther ends up fighting in a war with an Emperor because the Emperor wouldn't let this Sultan marry his daughter who is unable to speak. Sir Gwother ends up getting hurt and this causes the daughter to become distressed and falls ill. Sir Gowther recovers and she wakes up with the ability to speak and told him that god has forgiven his sins so he can speak and eat without the dogs. This is extremely different from most of the stories we have read so far because the main character is going through a something that changes who he is at the end. Sir Gowther goes from being the worst human being and burning down churches raping someone to becoming saint-like by the end. He spend the rest of his life helping people that are in need. This is a complete 180 form who he was in the beginning.

A Path too Easy?

Should Sir Gowther have received the ending he did in this story? Should he have been able to repent for the rape and murder of his people and if so, was his journey to repent long or difficult enough to counteract his transgressions from the past?

“He’d spoil the hopes of a maid to wed, and rape a young wife in her bed, and slay her husband too, and over cliffs old monks he’d drive and hang up priests on hooks, alive, and others he merely slew. To burn up hermits he thought a game; he set a poor old widow aflame, and those who escaped were few.” (196-204)

A changed man

Sir Gowther was the devil's son who ended up doing terrible things because of his pedigree. For example, Sir Gowther had bitten off his mother's nipple and killed his wet-nurses as a young boy. It was not until he was older that an old man had finally told him all he doesn't do anything good; all he does is evil. The old man of the land states, "We think you're a close kin to the devil" (lines, 212). After this instance is when Sir Gowther gets reassurance from his mother that his father, is in fact, the devil. I think this is a big part of the story because Sir Gowther wants forgiveness from the Pope for his sins and wants to change his ways rather than continue on doing devilish things after he found out what was making him do them. After Sir Gowther makes a deal with the Pope, he follows the orders and takes the food from a hound's mouth without complaining. Towards the end of the story when Sir Gowther fights anonymously, I think this demonstrates the person he is trying to be. This is a lesson for real world situations because it shows how people can be forgiving towards the mistakes you've made. It also shows how you can try to change into a better person if you want too. In the end, Sir Gowther ends up doing things for God and only for good rather than doing the devil's work and creating chaos. This story can be related to people who have made terrible decisions in life and realize that that's is not the person they want to be remembered by; so they change, ask for forgiveness, and try to live a better, and healthier life.