The Green Knight: Who Is Winifred, the Beheaded Ghost?

As the tale goes, Sir Gawain must journey from his home to the Green Chapel, the faraway place where the Green Knight set up the second half of their beheading game.

He carries himself to the bedroom and falls asleep, until Lady Winifred wakes him up, inquiring about his intrusion.

The cookie-cutter version of this film would have seen Gawain put his hand right through her ghostly visage, scream, and bolt out of there like a cartoon character.

She reveals that a local prince tried to rape her, then broke into her home in the middle of the night and beheaded her as she lay in her bed, later tossing her head into the water.

Then Lady Winifred’s uncle, Saint Beuno, emerged from the church and put her head back on her body, miraculously bringing her back to life.

“She was effectively a Welsh super saint whose cult extended beyond the Welsh border,” said Jane Cartwright, a professor at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David who is editing a translation of the saint’s life, in a 2016 interview with the BBC.

The site, which is still open to visitors from all over the world, was visited over the years by figures like King Richard I and King Henry V.

Though his exact route is unknown, many have attempted to retrace his steps over the years; as recently as 2016, a group of walkers, including one dressed up as King Henry V, walked the route to the well, making a day of it that included talks on St.

Lowery doesn’t dive into all that lore in The Green Knight, keeping his focus firmly on Sir Gawain.

Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers.

…Read the full story