Nowel nayted onewe

60. Wyle Nw Ȝer watz so ȝep þat hit watz nwe cummen,

61. Þat day doubble on þe dece watz þe douþ serued.

62. Fro þe kyng watz cummen wiþ knyȝtes into þe halle,

63. Þe chauntre of þe chapel cheued to an ende,

64. Loude crye watz þer kest of clerkez and oþer,

65. Nowel nayted onewe, neuened ful ofte;

66. And syþen riche forþ runnen to reche hondeselle,

67. Ȝeȝed ȝeres-ȝiftes on hiȝ, ȝelde hem bi hond,

68. Debated busyly aboute þo giftes;

69. Ladies laȝed ful loude, þoȝ þay lost haden,

70. And he þat wan watz not wroþe, þat may ȝe wel trawe.

71. Alle þis mirþe þay maden to þe mete tyme;

This is the New Year’s day passage from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It features a mass, and then knights and others entering the hall, and there’s an exchange of gifts, including hondeselle, which most editors suggest refers to the “Christmas boxes” from lords and knights to their subordinates, and then the ȝeres-ȝiftes, the gifts exchanged between equals. There appears to be some sort of a guessing game, along the lines of “handy-dandy, prickly-prandy” involved, wherein the ladies attempt to guess the nature of the gifts, and pay a forfeit in the form of a kiss, given the “Ladies laȝed ful loude, þoȝ þay lost haden, / And he þat wan watz not wroþe, þat may ȝe wel trawe ” reference.

Happy New Year, one and all; may 2011 be full of warmth and goodness and safety for you and yours.