What women most desire

This story from the Arthurian legends answers a timeless question.

The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle

In haunted Inglewood Forest, where it is thought that the Otherworld is near at hand, King Arthur is hunting a deer. 

Separated from his companions, and without his usual armor and weaponry, he follows and kills the deer. Suddenly, from out of the forest, a fully armed knight appears. He is Sir Gromer Somer Joure, and brings a grievance: he claims that his lands have been seized from him by Sir Gawain, the King's nephew. 

Sir Gromer tells the King that in exactly a year's time, he must return, unarmed as he is this day, and bring the answer to a question that Sir Gromer will pose. If the answer is incorrect, he will be beheaded. 

The question is:
What is it that women most desire? 

The King returns to court and shares what has happened with Sir Gawain, who suggests that they ride through the countryside, asking this question to the people, and recording their responses. This they do separately, and then come back together, comparing the answers they've collected. 

There is no clear consensus on this question; the answers are so many, and so varied, that the King quickly begins to feel the futility of this effort, and determines instead to return to the forest alone, in hopes of gaining some insight.

Kelmscott Chaucer, 1896 illustration

This time, he happens to meet an ugly old hag, Dame Ragnelle. 
She claims to know his dilemma, and also to have the answer he needs to fulfill his obligation to Sir Gromer. She will reveal it to him, on one condition: that she will be wed to Sir Gawain. 


When Sir Gawain learns of this from the King, he immediately consents to the marriage, to save the life of his uncle. 

King Arthur returns to the forest for his meeting with Sir Gromer, but goes first to Dame Ragnelle. He informs her that Sir Gawain accepts her terms, and requests that she divulge the answer. 

Dame Ragnelle tells the King that what women most desire is sovereignty -- the right to make their own decisions. 

So the King wins the challenge with Sir Gromer, and his life is spared. The wedding of Sir Gawain to Dame Ragnelle goes forward. On the wedding knight, Sir Gawain decides to act gallantly, and, as if his bride were very desirable, go to her bed as a dutiful husband should. 

But when he enters her chamber, he finds instead a radiant young woman more beautiful than any he has ever seen. 

She explains that her ugly appearance was the result of a spell that could only be broken by marriage to a good Knight. Now, married to Sir Gawain, she has the liberty to be ugly only half the time, and beautiful half the time. She asks Sir Gawain whether he prefers that she be beautiful by day -- when others may see her - or by night, when only he will see her. 

But he does not decide. Instead, he gives her the choice - thus honoring her sovereignty. 

This destroys the curse permanently, and from that time forward, she is beautiful -- both day and night. 

So fellows, if you want a beautiful mate, 

don't put her in hobbles and bar the gate; 

don't make her a prisoner, nor a slave, 

for she will detest you beyond the grave.
Love can't be captured or forced by might. 

This is our tale, and to all,

a Good Knight!