곧 자신의 일에 대한 결정을 남의 간섭없이 자신이 내리는 것이라고 하였다.
(What women really want is to be in charge of her own life)
What a woman desires above all else is the power of sovereignty,
the right to exercise her own free will.”
One day, King Arthur was out hunting a great white stage at the edge of the oak woods when he looked up and found himself confronted by a tall, powerful chieftain, swinging his sword and appearing as if he would cut down the king on the spot. This man was Sir Gromer, who declared that he was seeking revenge for the loss of some of his northern lands to Arthur. Since Arthur was unarmed, Sir Gromer showed the king mercy and gave him a chance to save his life.
Gromer issued a challenge: the king had one year to return unarmed to this spot with an answer to the question, What do women desire above all else? If Arthur answered the question correctly, his life would be spared: if not, he would lose his head. Arthur agreed, but he was very discouraged. This must be a trick question, he thought. He felt certain that no one knew the answer. Back at the castle Arthur told the entire story to his nephew Sir Gawain, who was known as the wisest, bravest, most compassionate and courteous of all the Knights of the Round Table. The young knight, in contrast to the king, was hopeful. He and Arthur had a year to search the kingdom, and he was certain they would find the right answer.
Almost a year passed, and Arthur and Gawain collected many answers, but not one had the ring of truth. The appointed day was almost upon them when one morning Arthur rode out alone through the purple heather and golden gorse, deep in thought about his predicament. At the edge of the oak woods, he was suddenly confronted by a large, grotesque woman who was covered with warts and almost as wide as she was tall.
Her eye met his fearlessly as she declared, “You are Arthur, the king, and in two days you must meet Sir Gromer with an answer to a question.
“Yes,” Arthur replied hesitantly, “But how do you know about this?”
“I am Lady Ragnell, and Sir Gromer is my stepbrother. You don’t have the right answer, do you?”
“I have many answers, and I don’t see how it concerns you,” Arthur retorted, gathering his reins to turn and ride home.
“You do not have the right answer,” said Ragnell with a confidence that filled Arthur with gloom. “I have the answer.”
Arthur turned and leaped off his horse. “Tell me the answer and I will give you a large bag of gold!”
“I have no use for gold,” Ragnell replied calmly.
“Nonsense, woman, you can buy anything you want with it! What do you want, then? Jewelry, land? Whatever you want, I will pay you- that is, if you have the right answer.
“I know the answer, I can promise you that,” responded Ragnell.
After a slight pause she added, “I demand in return that Sir Gawain become my husband.”
Arthur gasped. “Impossible!” he shouted. “You ask the impossible, woman. I cannot give you my nephew. He’s his own man, not mine to give!”
“I did not ask you to give me the knight Gawain. If Gawain agrees to marry me of his own free will, then I will give you the answer. Those are my terms.”
“Terms! What right do you have to give me terms? It’s impossible! I could never bring him such a proposal.”
Ragnell stared calmly at the king’s face and simply said, “If you should change your mind, I will be here tomorrow.” Then she disappeared into the woods.
Shaken from this strange encounter, Arthur road home at a slow pace, thinking to himself that he could never speak to Gawain of this matter. The loathsome woman! How dare she ask for the finest knight in marriage! But the afternoon air was soft, and the fateful meeting with Gromer weighed heavily on Arthur. When the king returned to the castle, he found himself telling his nephew about his adventure, concluding, “She knows the answer, I’m sure of it- but I didn’t intend to tell you any of this.”
Gawain smiled sweetly, not yet knowing Ragnell’s specific proposal. “But this is good news, Uncle. Why do you sound so discouraged?”
With his eyes averted, the king reported Ragnell’s demand, along with a detailed description of her grotesque face, warty skin, and bulging size.
“How fortunate that I can save your life!” replied Gawain immediately. Over his uncle’s protests Gawain stated, “It is my choice and my decision. I will return with you tomorrow and agree to the marriage, on the condition that her answer saves your life.” Early the next morning Gawain rode out with Arthur to meet the Lady Ragnell. Even seeing her face-to-face did not shake Gawain’s resolve. Her proposal was accepted, and Gawain bowed to her courteously. “If tomorrow your answer saves the king’s life, we shall be wed.”
On the fateful morning Gawain rode out part of the way with Arthur, who assured the knight that he would try all the other answers first.
The tall powerful chieftain was waiting for Arthur, his broadsword gleaming in the sun. As Arthur read out one answer after another, Gromer shouted, “No!No!No!” until at last he raised his sword high above his head. “Wait!” the kind cried. “I have one more answer. What a woman desires above all else is the power of sovereignty, the right to exercise her own free will.”
With a loud oath Gromer dropped his sword to his side. “You didn’t find that answer on your own! My cursed stepsister Ragnell gave it to you! I’ll cut off her head. I’ll run her through with my sword!” He turned and plunged back into the forest, a string of curses echoing after him.
Arthur returned to where Gawain waited with the Lady Ragnell. All three rode back to the castle in silence. Only Ragnell seemed in good spirits.
The news spread quickly through the castle that a bizarre wedding was to take place between an ugly hag and the magnificent Gawain. No one could imagine what had persuaded Gawain to marry this creature. Some thought she must possess great lands and estates. Others thought she must have some secret magic. Most were just stunned at the fate of poor Gawain.
King Arthur drew his nephew aside. “A postponement might be in order,” he said.
“I gave her my promise, Uncle. Would you have me break my word?” Gawain replied.
So the wedding took place in the abbey, and the strange wedding feast was held before the entire court. Throughout the long day and evening, Gawain remained pleasant and courteous. In no way did he show anything but kind attention to his bride.
At last the wedding couple retired to their chamber. “You have kept our promise well and faithfully,” Ragnell observed. “You’ve shown me neither pity nor revulsion. Come kiss me now that we are wedded.”
Gawain went to her at once and kissed her. When he stepped aside, before him stood a serene, beautiful woman with gray eyes and a smiling face. His scalp tingled with shock, and he jumped back. “What manner of sorcery is this?”
Ragnell replied, “Do you prefer me in this form?” as she turned slowly in a full circle.
“Yes, of course, but I don’t understand,” stammered Gawain, confused and frightened.
“My stepbrother Gromer has always hated me. He obtained a knowledge of sorcery from his mother and used it to change me into a monstrous hag. He commanded me to live in that shape until the finest knight in Britain willingly chose me as his bride.”
“But why did he hate you so cruelly?” asked Gawain.
With her lips curled in amusement, Ragnell stated, “he thought me bold and unwomanly because I refused his commands, for both property and my person.”
With great admiration Gawain said, “Then you have won the impossible condition, and his evil spell is broken!”
“Only in part, my dear Gawain.” Her eyes held his steadily. “You have a choice which way I will be. Would you have me in this, my own shape, at night in our chamber? Or would you have me grotesque in our chamber at night and my own shape by day in the castle? Fair by night, or fair by day- think carefully before you choose.”
Gawain knelt before his bride and responded at once. “It is a choice I cannot make. It concerns you, my dear Ragnell, and only you can choose. Whatever you choose, I will willingly abide by it.”
Ragnell released a long, deep breath. The radiance in her face overwhelmed him.
“You have answered well, dearest Gawain. Your answer has broken Gromer’s evil spell completely. The last condition he set was that, after the marriage, the greatest knight in Britain, my husband, must give me the power of sovereignty, the right to exercise my own free will. Only then would the wicked enchantment be broken forever.”
And so in wonder and joy began the marriage of Sir Gawain and the Lady Ragnell.
From Women and Desire -여자가 진정으로 원하는 것...
젊은 아더왕이 복병을 만나 이웃나라 왕에게 포로신세가 되었다.
이웃나라 왕은 아더왕을 죽이려 하였으나 아더왕의 혈기와 능력에 감복하여 아더왕을 살려 줄 하나의 제안을 한다.
그 제안이란, 그가 할 매우 어려운 질문에 대한 답을 아더왕이 한다면 아더왕을 살려 주기로 한 것이다.
이웃나라 왕은 질문에 대한 답을 찾을 기한으로 1년을 주었고 아더왕이 1년 안에 답을 찾아오지 못한 경우 처형하기로 하였다.
그 질문은 바로
"여자들이 정말로 원하는 것은 무엇인가? (What do women really want?)" 였다.
이러한 질문은 현명하다는 사람들도 당황시킬 정도의 어려운 질문인데...
하물며 젊은 아더왕은 어쩌랴.
아더왕 에게는 풀 수 없는 질문으로 보였다.
그러나 죽음보다는 나았기에 아더왕은 이웃 나라왕의 제안을 받아들여 1년 동안 그 질문에 대한 답을 찾기에 나선다.
아더왕은 자신의 왕국에 돌아와서 모든 백성들에게 묻기 시작했다.
공주들, 승려들, 현자들, 그리고 심지어 광대들에게까지 모두 물어보았다.
하지만 그 누구도 만족할 만한 답을 줄 수 있는 사람이 없었다.
아더왕의 신하들이 왕에게 말하기를 북쪽에 늙은 마녀가 한 명 사는데 아마 그 마녀는 답을 알 것이라고, 그 마녀를 데려오는 것이 어떠냐고 제안했다.
그러나 그 마녀는 말도 안 되는 엄청난 댓가를 요구하는 것으로 유명하였다.
1년이 지나 마지막 날이 돌아왔고 아더왕에게는 늙은 마녀에게 물어보는 것 이외에 선택의 여지가 없게 되었다.
늙은 마녀는 답을 안다고 선뜻 대답하였지만 엄청난 댓가를 요구하였다.
그 댓가란 아더왕이 거느린 원탁의 기사들 중 가장 용맹하고 용모가 수려한 거웨인과 결혼하는 것이었다.
아더왕은 충격에 휩싸였고 주저하기 시작했다.
늙은 마녀는 곱추였고 섬짓한 기운이 감돌기까지 하였다.
이빨은 하나밖에 없었고 하수구 찌꺼기 같은 냄새를 풍겼으며 항상 이상한 소리를 내고 다녔다.
아더왕은 이제까지 이렇게 더럽고 추잡한 생물은 본적이 없었고 이런 추한 마녀를 자기의 가장 충성스러운 신하인 거웨인에게 결혼하라고 명령할 수가 없었다.
그러나 거웨인은 자기가 충성을 바치는 아더왕의 목숨이 달려있는 만큼 주저 없이 그 마녀와 결혼을 하겠다고 자원했다.
결혼이 진행되었고 결국 마녀는 아더왕이 가진 질문에 대한 정답을 이야기하였다. 여자들이 정말로 원하는 것은 바로 자신의 삶을 자신이 주도하는 것,
곧 자신의 일에 대한 결정을 남의 간섭없이 자신이 내리는 것이라고 하였다.
(What women really want is to be in charge of her own life)
정답을 듣자 모든 사람은 손바닥을 치며 저 말이야말로 진실이고 질문에 대한 정답이라고 하며 아더왕이 이제 죽을 필요가 없음에 기뻐하였다.
아더왕은 이웃 나라왕에게 질문에 대한 답을 하였고 이웃 나라왕은 그것이야말로 진실이며 정답이라며 기뻐하면서 아더왕의 목숨을 보장해주었다.
하지만 목숨을 되찾은 아더왕에게는 근심이 남아있었다.
자신이 가장 총애하는 거웨인의 결혼에 대한 것이었다.
아더왕은 목숨을 되찾은 기쁨에 넘쳐있었지만 동시에 거웨인에 대한 일로 근심에 쌓여있었다.
그러나 거웨인은 대단한 사람이었다.
늙은 마녀는 결혼 하자마자 부터 최악의 매너와 태도로 거웨인을 비롯한 모든 사람을 대했다. 그러나 거웨인은 한치의 성냄이나 멸시 없이 오직 착하게 자신의 아내로서 마녀를 대했다.
첫 날 밤이 다가왔다.
거웨인은 자신의 인생에 있어서 최악의 경험이 될지도 모르는 첫날 밤을 앞에 두고 숙연히 침실에 들어갔다.
그러나 침실 안의 광경은 거웨인을 놀라게 하기에 충분하였다.
거웨인의 인생에서 본적 없는 최고의 미녀가 그를 기다리고 있었다.
놀란 거웨인이 미녀에게 어찌된 일이냐고 물었다.
미녀는 말했다.
자신이 추한 마녀임에도 거웨인은 항상 진실로 그녀를 대했고 아내로 인정하였으므로 그에 대한 감사로써 이제부터 삶의 반은 추한 마녀로, 나머지 반은 이 아름다운 미녀로서 있겠노라고 하였다.
그러면서 마녀는 거웨인에게 물었다.
낮에 추한 마녀로 있고 밤에 아름다운 미녀로 있을 것인가, 아니면 낮에 아름다운 미녀로 있고 밤에 추한 마녀로 있을 것인가, 거웨인에게 선택을 하라고 하였다.
거웨인은 이 진퇴양난의 딜레마에서 선택을 해야만 했다.
만일 낮에 아름다운 미녀로 있기를 바란다면 주위사람에게는 부러움을 사겠지만 밤에 둘만의 시간에 추한 마녀로 변한다면 어찌 살 것인가.
아니면 반대로 낮에 추한 마녀로 있어 주위사람의 비웃음을 사겠지만 밤에 둘만의 시간에 아름다운 미녀로 변해 살 것인가.
당신이라면 어떤 것을 선택하겠는가?
" 거웨인은 마녀에게 자신이 직접 선택하라고 말했다."
마녀는 이 말을 듣자마자 자신은반은 마녀 반은 미녀 할 것 없이 항상 아름다운 미녀로 있겠노라고 말했다.
이유는 거웨인이 마녀에게 직접 선택하라고 할만큼 마녀의 삶과 결정권, 그리고 그녀 자체를 존중해주었기 때문이라고 하였다.
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