Ever since I was little, I have been fascinated by fairy tales. Not just your run-of-the-mill fairy tales, like Cinderella and The Three Little Pigs. I preferred something with a little more danger, a little more mystery, and a little more heroics. Robin Hood sat on my nightstand for months; the Pevensies held my attention for whole nights; Meg and Charles Wallace brought me along for the ride every single time. I read all these and more, but the only one that has stayed among my favorites for years centered around a King, his knights, a beautiful Queen, an oddly-shaped table, and a place called Camelot.
From a young age, I believed that all Knights followed the Code of Chivalry and Honor, and that this Code dictated their behavior at all times. The tales I loved best often applied this Code in regards to damsels, usually in distress. The dashing knight would swoop in upon the danger, vanquishing it without a second thought. The lady would probably faint into his arms, and upon awaking, pour out her thanks and beg to be his bride. But the knight's heart is elsewhere; his true love awaits back at the castle; he cannot abandon her now.
These stories and more shaped my hopeful view of my future husband; he would be chivalric, brave, kind, joyous, loyal, and completely devoted to the Lord. Now, at 8 years old, that doesn't seem like too large a request. But as I've grown, I've learned that finding the ideal spouse is not going to be easy. All my qualifications still hold today, but recently, I've added another one to them: acceptance. I want my own Someday Knight to accept and love me for who I am. I don't want him to see me for something I'm not, or draw conclusions about me, or to "love" me and then try to change me based on his own standards. This flips on to me too; I can't expect to fall in love with someone perfect. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and not every man is a knight in shining armor. But, by God's grace, if I do get married, I hope the man He has waiting for me is one I can love without wanting him to change, and that he can do the same for me.
Luther
15 years ago
I remember reading about one of Arthur's knights who married an ugly old woman because she had helped the King and Arthur had promised her one thing. The woman requested a husband, and Arthur requested if one of his knights would marry her. The knight said yes, and treated her as he would have treated a beautiful princess, remaining loyal to her. Because of this, she turned into a gorgeous woman (the Lady of the Lake's sister, by the way). The point of the story was the same thing you just said, about acceptance. I can't remember what this knight's name was, but he showed me what chivalry and honor really are.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this, Kyle. The knight's name was Gwalchmai, or, better known by the modern corruption, Gawain. Sir Gawain is my favorite of all the knights, and this is my favorite tale of his. This was the one tale I was thinking of when I did this blog, so, again, thank you.
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