Information AboutRobin Hood |
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.]] Robin Hood is an outlaw in Archetypal English folk tales, who may be based on a true story. Many accounts of Robin Hood, though not the very earliest, bear a striking similarity to accounts of the life of Fulk FitzWarin, a Norman noble who was disinherited and became an Outlaw and an enemy of John Of England . In the oldest legends the outlaw's enemy is the sheriff due simply to his professionHolt, J. C. Robin Hood p 9 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6., but in later versions the sheriff is despotic and gravely abuses his position, appropriating land, levying excessive taxation, and persecuting the poor. In some tales the antagonist is Prince John, based on the historical John of England, who is seen as the unjust usurper of his pious brother Richard The Lionheart . In the oldest versions surviving, Robin Hood is a Yeoman , but in some later versions he is described as a nobleman, the earl of Loxley (or Locksley), who was unjustly deprived of his lands.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 7 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. In other stories, he has served in the Crusades , returning to England to find his lands pillaged by the dastardly sheriff. In some tales he is the champion of the people, fighting against corrupt officials and the oppressive order that protects them, while in others he is an arrogant and headstrong rebel, who delights in bloodshed, cruelly slaughtering and beheading his victims. In modern versions of the legend, he is famous for robbing the rich to provide for the poor and fighting against injustice and tyranny. His band consisted of "seven score" (140) group of fellow outlawed yeomen – called his "Merry Men". "Merry-man" has referred to the follower of an outlaw since at least 1386. See Online Etymology Dictionary Robin Hood and his band's tales are usually associated with the area Sherwood Forest and Nottinghamshire , though most historians point towards him having been a Yorkshire man Icons.org.uk Channel 4 - History - In the footsteps of Robin Hood RobinHoodYorkshire.co.uk BBC.co.uk . He has been the subject of numerous movies, books, comics and plays. EARLY REFERENCES The oldest references to Robin Hood are not historical records, or even ballads recounting his exploits, but hints and allusions found in various works. From 1227 onwards the names 'Robinhood', 'Robehod' or 'Hobbehod' occur in the rolls of several English justices. The majority of these references date from the late thirteenth century : between 1261 and 1300 there are at least eight references to 'Rabunhod' in various regions across England, from Berkshire in the south to York in the north.Holt, 1982 The term seems to be applied as a form of shorthand to any fugitive or outlaw. Even at this early stage, the name Robin Hood is used as that of an archetypal criminal. This usage continues throughout the medieval period. In a petition presented to Parliament in 1439, the name is again used to describe an itinerant felon. The petition cites one Piers Venables of Aston, Derbyshire , "who having no liflode, ne sufficeante of goodes, gadered and assembled unto him many misdoers, beynge of his clothynge, and, in manere of insurrection, wente into the wodes in that countrie, ''like as it hadde be Robyn Hude and his meyne.''"''Rot. Parl.'' v. 16. The name is still used to describe sedition and treachery in 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his associates are branded "Robin Hoods" by Robert Cecil . The first allusion to a literary tradition of Robin Hood tales occurs in William Langland 's '' Piers Plowman '' (c.1362–c.1386) in which Sloth, the lazy priest, confesses: "''I kan'' ''not parfitly'' [perfectly ''my Paternoster as the preest it singeth,/ But I kan rymes of Robyn Hood''". V.396 in Schmidt's ed. The first mention of a quasi-historical Robin Hood is given in Andrew Of Wyntoun 's ''Orygynale Chronicle'', written about 1420. The following lines occur with little contextualisation under the year 1283: ::''Lytil Jhon and Robyne Hude ::''Wayth-men ware commendyd gude ::''In Yngil-wode and Barnysdale ::''Thai oysyd all this tyme thare trawale. The next notice is a statement in the '' Scotichronicon '', composed by John Fordun between 1377 and 1384, and revised by his pupil Walter Bower in about 1440. Among Bower's many interpolations is a passage which directly refers to Robin. It is inserted after Fordun's account of the defeat of Simon De Montfort and the punishment of his adherents. Robin is in fact turned into a fighter for de Montfort's cause, one of his 'disinherited' followers:Dobson, R. B., and J. Taylor. ''Rymes of Robin Hood'' (London, 1976, p.5) Then {Link without Title} arose the famous murderer, Robert Hood, as well as Little John , together with their accomplices from among the disinherited, whom the foolish populace are so inordinately fond of celebrating both in tragedies and comedies, and about whom they are delighted to hear the jesters and minstrels sing above all other ballads. Despite Bower's reference to Robin as a 'murderer', his account is followed by a brief tale in which Robin becomes a symbol of piety, gaining a decisive victory after hearing the Mass . Another reference is provided by Thomas Gale , Dean of York,(c.1635–1702)''The Annotated Edition of the English Poets — Early Ballad s'' (London, 1856, p.70) but this comes nearly four hundred years after the events it describes: Hood's death is stated by Ritson to have taken place on the 18th Of November , 1247 , about the eighty-seventh year of his age; but according to the following inscription found among the papers of the Dean of York…the death occurred a month later. In this inscription, which bears evidence of high antiquity, Robin Hood is described as Earl of Huntington — his claim to which title has been as hotly contested as any disputed peerage upon record. ::''Hear undernead dis laitl stean ::''Lais Robert Earl of Huntingun ::''Near arcir der as hie sa geud ::''An pipl kauld im Robin Heud ::''Sic utlaws as hi an is men ::''Vil England nivr si agen. :::''Obiit 24 Kal Dekembris 1247 This inscription also appears on a grave in the grounds of . The monument can only be a 17th century forgery. Therefore Robin is largely fictional by this time. The Gale note is innaccurate. The medieval texts do not refer to him directly, but mediate their allusions through a body of accounts and reports: for Langland Robin exists principally in "rimes", for Bower "comedies and tragedies", while for Wyntoun he is "commendyd gude". Even in a legal context, where one would expect to find verifiable references to Robin, he is primarily a symbol, a generalised outlaw-figure rather than an individual. Consequently, in the medieval period itself, Robin Hood already belongs more to literature than to history. In fact, in an anonymous carol of c.1450, he is treated in precisely this manner — as a joke, a figure that the audience will instantly recognise as imaginary: "''He that made this songe full good,/ Came of the northe and the sothern blode,/ And somewhat kyne to Robyn Hode''". Wright , 1847: p.104 SOURCES On the other hand, even though clearly fictitious, the tales of Robin do not appear to have stemmed from mythology or folklore. While there are occasional efforts to trace the figure to fairies (such as Puck under the alias "Robin Goodfellow") or other mythological origins, good evidence for this has not been found, and when Robin Hood has been connected to such folklore, it is a later development.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 55 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6 While Robin Hood and his men often show improbable skill in archery, swordplay, and disguise, they are no more exaggerated than those characters in other ballads, such as '' Kinmont Willie '', which were based on historical events.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 57 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6 The origin of the legend appears to have stemmed from actual outlaws, or from tales of outlaws, such as Hereward The Wake , Eustace The Monk , and Fulk FitzWarin .Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 62 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6 There are many Robin Hood tales, featuring both historical and fictitious outlaws. Hereward appears in a ballad much like ''Robin Hood and the Potter'', and as the Hereward ballad is the older, it appears to be the source. The ballad '' Adam Bell , Clym of the Cloughe and Wyllyam of Cloudeslee'' runs parallel to ''Robin Hood and the Monk'', but it is not clear whether either one is the source for the other, or whether they merely show that such tales were told of outlaws.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 73 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6 Some early Robin Hood stories appear to be unique, such as the story where Robin gives a knight, generally called Richard At The Lee , money to pay off his mortgage to an abbot, but this may merely indicate that no parallels have survived.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 74-5 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6 BALLADS AND TALES The earliest surviving Robin Hood text is " Robin Hood And The Monk ". "Robin Hood and the Monk" This is preserved in Cambridge University manuscript Ff.5.48, which was written shortly after 1450. Introduction accompanying Knight and Ohlgren's 1997 ed. It contains many of the elements still associated with the legend, from the Nottingham setting to the bitter enmity between Robin and the local sheriff. Also in manuscript is '' rituals towards the end of the Middle Ages. as Robin Hood; the sword with which he is depicted was common in the oldest ballads.]] In many respects, the character of Robin in these first texts differs from his later incarnations. While in modern stories Robin Hood typically pursues justice, and the Merry Men are a proto-s rather than Quarterstaff s. The only character to use a quarterstaff in the early ballads is the potter, and Robin Hood does not take to a staff until the eighteenth century ''Robin Hood and Little John''.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 36 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. And rather than being deprived of his lands by the villainous Sheriff Of Nottingham , when an origin story for Robin appears, he takes to 'the greenwood' after killing royal foresters for mocking him (see '' Robin Hood's Progress To Nottingham ''). While he is sometimes described as a figure of peasant revolt, the details of his legends do not match this. He is not a peasant but an archer, and his tales make no mention of the complaints of the peasants, such as oppressive taxes.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 37-8 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. He appears not so much as a revolt against societal standards as an embodiment of them, being generous, pious, and courteous, opposed to stingy, worldly, and churlish foes. His tales glorified violence, but did so in a violent era.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 10 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. While he fights with royal officials, his loyalty to the king himself is strong.Allen W. Wright, " A Beginner's Guide to Robin Hood " .]] Although the term "Merry Men" belongs to a later period, the ballads do name several of Robin's companions.Jeffrey Richards, ''Swordsmen of the Screen: From Douglas Fairbanks to Michael York'', p 190, Routledge & Kegan Paul, Lond, Henly and Boston, 1988 These include also appeared in the legend at this point, as was another outlaw Richard the Divine who was hired by the sheriff to hunt Robin Hood, and who dies at Robin's hand.Holt, J. C. ''Robin Hood'' p 30-1 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. Printed versions of the Robin Hood ballads, generally based on the ''Gest'', appear in the early 16th century, shortly after the introduction of . In the early ballads, by contrast, he was a member of the Yeoman classes, a common freeholder possessing a small landed estate. Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 159 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. In the fifteenth century, Robin Hood became associated with , accuses men of acting riotously by coming to a fair as Robin Hood and his men; the accused defended themselves on the grounds that the practice was a long-standing custom to raise money for churches, and they had not acted riotously but peaceably.Holt, J. C. ''Robin Hood'' p 148-9 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. It is from this association that Robin's romantic attachment to '', his sweetheart is 'Clorinda the Queen of the Shepherdesses'.Holt, J. C. ''Robin Hood'' p 165 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. Clorinda survives in some later stories as an alias of Marian..Allen W. Wright, "A Beginner's Guide to Robin Hood" The first allusions to Robin Hood as stealing from the rich and giving to the poor appear in the 16th century. However, they still play a minor role in the legend; Robin still is prone to waylaying poor men, such as Tinkers and Beggars .Holt, J. C. ''Robin Hood'' p 184 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. In the 16th century, Robin Hood is given a specific historical setting. Up until this point there was little interest in exactly when Robin's adventures took place. The original ballads refer at various points to 'King Edward', without stipulating whether this is Edward I , Edward II , or Edward III .Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 37 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. Hood may thus have been active at any point between 1272 and 1377. However, during the 16th century the stories become fixed to the 1190s, the period in which King Richard was absent from his throne, fighting in the Crusade s.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 170 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. This date is first proposed by John Mair in his ''Historia Majoris Britanniæ'' (1512), and gains popular acceptance by the end of the century. Giving Robin an aristocratic Title and female love interest, and placing him in the historical context of the true king's absence, all represent moves to domesticate his legend and reconcile it to ruling powers. In this, his legend is similar to that of King Arthur , which morphed from a dangerous male-centered story to a more comfortable, chivalrous romance under the troubadours serving Eleanor Of Aquitaine . From the 16th century on, the legend of Robin Hood is often used to promote the hereditary Ruling Class , Romance , and religious Piety . The "criminal" element is retained to provide dramatic colour, rather than as a real challenge to convention.'' The Times '' ( London ), July 11 , 1999 The seventeenth century introduced the minstrel Alan-a-Dale . He first appeared in a seventeenth century Broadside Ballad , and unlike many of the characters thus associated, managed to adhere to the legend.Holt, J. C. ''Robin Hood'' p 165 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6 This is also the era in which the character of Robin became fixed as stealing from the rich to give to the poor.Holt, J. C. ''Robin Hood'' p 184 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6. In the eighteenth century, the stories become even more conservative, and develop a slightly more he is carrying. In '' Robin Hood's Golden Prize '', Robin disguises himself as a Friar and cheats two priests out of their cash. Even when Robin is defeated, he usually tricks his foe into letting him sound his horn, summoning the Merry Men to his aid. When his enemies do not fall for this ruse, he persuades them to drink with him instead. The continued popularity of the Robin Hood tales is attested by a number of literary references. In '' by Sir Arthur Sullivan in 1892. Later still, T. H. White featured Robin and his band in '' The Sword In The Stone '' — Anachronistically , since the novel's chief theme is the childhood of King Arthur .W.R. Irwin, ''The Game of the Impossible'', p 151, University of Illinois Press, Urbana Chicago London, 1976 The VictorianEgan, Pierce the Younger (1846). ''Robin Hood and Little John or The Merry Men of Sherwood Forest.'' Pub. George Peirce. London. era generated its own distinct versions of Robin Hood. The traditional tales were often adapted for children, most notably in 's participation in The Crusades is mentioned in passing, Robin takes no stand against Prince John , and plays no part in raising the ransom to free Richard. These developments are part of the 20th century Robin Hood myth. The idea of Robin Hood as a high-minded Saxon fighting Norman Lords also originates in the 19th century. The most notable contributions to this idea of Robin are Thierry's '''' (1825), and Sir Walter Scott 's '' Ivanhoe '' (1819). In this last work in particular, the modern Robin Hood — "King of Outlaws and prince of good fellows!" as Richard the Lionheart calls him — makes his début.Allen W. Wright, " Wolfshead through the Ages " The 20th century has grafted still further details on to the original legends. The movie '' The Adventures Of Robin Hood '' portrayed Robin as a hero on a national scale, leading the oppressed Saxons in revolt against their Norman overlords while Richard the Lion-Hearted fought in the Crusades; this movie established itself so definitively that many studios resorted to movies about his son (invented for that purpose) rather than compete with the image of this one.Allen W. Wright, " Wolfshead through the Ages " Since the 1980s, it has become commonplace to include a '' and 2006 BBC TV series '' Robin Hood '' each contain equivalents of Nasir, in the figures of Azeem and Djaq respectively. The Robin Hood legend has thus been subject to numerous shifts and mutations throughout its history. Robin himself has evolved from an obscure footpad to a national hero of epic proportions, who not only supports the poor by taking from the rich, but heroically defends the Throne Of England itself from unworthy and venal claimants. CONNECTIONS TO EXISTING LOCATIONS In modern versions of the legend, Robin Hood is said to have taken up residence in the verdant Sherwood Forest in the county of Nottinghamshire . For this reason the people of present-day Nottinghamshire have a special affinity with Robin Hood, often claiming him as the symbol of their county. For example, major road signs entering the shire depict Robin Hood with his Bow And Arrow , welcoming people to 'Robin Hood County.' BBC Radio Nottingham also uses the phrase 'Robin Hood County' on its regular programmes. Nottingham Forest F.C. are often thought to have their name derive from Sherwood Forest and the legend of Robin Hood, when in fact it comes from an area they played on called the Forest Recreation Ground . However, the Nottingham setting is a matter of some contention. While the Sheriff of Nottingham and the town itself appear in early ballads, and Sherwood is specifically mentioned in the early ballad ''Robin Hood and the Monk'', many of the original ballads (even those with Nottingham references) locate Robin in Barnsdale (the area between Pontefract and Doncaster ), some fifty miles north of Sherwood in the county of Yorkshire ; furthermore, the ballads placed in this area are far more geographically specific and accurate.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 83 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6 This is reinforced for some by the similarity of ''Locksley'' to the area of Loxley in Sheffield , where in nearby Tideswell , which was the "Kings Larder" in the Royal Forest Of The Peak , a record of Robert de Lockesly in court is found, perhaps in his Retirement years in 1245. Although it cannot be proven that this is the man himself, it is believed he had a brother called Thomas, which gives credence to the following reference: 24) No. 389, f0- 78. Ascension Day, 29 H. III., Nic Meverill, with John Kantia, on the one part, and Henry de Leke. Henry released to Nicholas and John 5 m. rent, which he received from Nicolas and John and Robert de Lockesly for his life from the lands of Gellery, in consideration of receiving from each of them 2M (2 marks). only, the said Henry to live at table with one of them and to receive 2M. annually from the other. T., Sampson de Leke, Magister Peter Meverill, Roger de Lockesly, John de Leke, Robert fil Umfred, Rico de Newland, Richard Meverill. (25) No. 402, p. 80 b. Thomas de Lockesly bound himself that he would not sell his lands at Leke, which Nicolas Meveril had rendered to him, under a penalty of L40. (40 pounds) A pound was 240 silver pence; a mark was 160 silver pence, ie. 13 shillings and fourpence. In Barnsdale Forest there is at least one Robin Hood's Well (by the side of the Great North Road ), one Little John's Well (near Hampole ) and a Robin Hood's stream (in Highfields Wood at Woodlands ). There is something of a modern movement amongst Yorkshire residents to reclaim the legend of Robin Hood, to the extent that South Yorkshire 's new airport, on the site of the redeveloped RAF Finningley airbase near Doncaster , has been given the name Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield . There has long been a Pub in the village of Hatfield Woodhouse , quite close to the airport, which is known as The Robin Hood and Little John. Centuries ago, a variant of 'as plain as the nose on your face' was 'Robin in Barnesdale stood.' There have been further claims made that he is from Swannington in Leicestershire . {Link without Title} , ''.]] This debate is hardly surprising, given the considerable value that the Robin Hood legend has for local . The Sheriff of Nottingham also had jurisdiction in Derbyshire that was known as the "Shire of the Deer", and this is where the Royal Forest Of The Peak is found, which roughly corresponds to today's Peak District National Park . The Royal Forest included Bakewell , Tideswell , Castleton , Ladybower and the Derwent Valley near Loxley. The Sheriff of Nottingham possessed property near Loxley, including Hazlebadge Hall , Peveril Castle and Haddon Hall . Mercia , to which Nottingham belonged, came to within three miles of Sheffield City Centre. The supposed grave of Little John can be found in Hathersage , also in the Peak District. Robin Hood himself is reputed to be buried in the grounds of Kirklees Priory between Brighouse and Mirfield in West Yorkshire . There is an elaborate grave there with the inscription referred to above. The story is that the Prioress was a relative of Robin's. Robin was ill and staying at the Priory where the Prioress was supposedly caring for him. However, she betrayed him, his health worsened, and he eventually died there. Before he died, he told Little John (or possibly another of his Merry Men) where to bury him. He shot an arrow from the Priory window, and where the arrow landed was to be the site of his grave. The actual grave is within sight of the ruins of the Priory, corresponding to the story. It is behind the Three Nuns Pub in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. The nuns supposedly cared for him when he was ill. The grave can be visited on occasional organised walks, organised by Calderdale Council Tourist Information office. Further indications of the legend's connection with West Yorkshire (and particularly Calderdale) are noted in the fact that there are pubs called the Robin Hood in both nearby Brighouse and at Cragg Vale ; higher up in the Pennines beyond Halifax , where Robin Hood Rocks can also be found. Robin Hood Hill is near Outwood , West Yorkshire, not far from Lofthouse . There is a Village in West Yorkshire called Robin Hood , on the A61 between Leeds and Wakefield and close to Rothwell and Lofthouse . With all these references to Robin Hood, it is not surprising that the people of both South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire lay some claim to Robin Hood, who, if he existed, could easily have roamed between Nottingham , Lincoln , Doncaster and right into West Yorkshire . In those days, Sherwood Forest and Barnsdale Forest were probably all one vast forest affording plenty of cover for a band of outlaws. LIST OF TRADITIONAL BALLADS Ballads are the oldest existing form of the Robin Hood legends, although none of them are recorded at the time of the first allusions to him, and many are much later. They evince many common features, often opening with praise of the greenwood and relying heavily on disguise as a Plot Device , but include a wide variation in tone and plot.Holt, J. C. Robin Hood p 34-5 (1982) Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6.
Some ballads, such as '' Erlinton '', feature Robin Hood in some variants, where the folk hero appears to be added to a ballad pre-existing him and in which he does not fit very well.Francis James Child, ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 1, p 178, Dover Publications, New York 1965 He was added to one variant of '' Rose Red And The White Lily '', apparently on no more connection than that one hero of the other variants is named "Brown Robin."Francis James Child, ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 2, p 416, Dover Publications, New York 1965 Francis James Child indeed retitled Child Ballad 102; though it was titled ''The Birth of Robin Hood'', its clear lack of connection with the Robin Hood cycle (and connection with other, unrelated ballads) led him to title it '' Willie And Earl Richard's Daughter '' in his collection.Francis James Child, ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 2, p 412, Dover Publications, New York 1965 POPULAR CULTURE See Also: Robin Hood in popular culture Songs, plays, games, and later novels, musicals, films, and TV series have developed Robin Hood and company according to the needs of their times, and the Myth has been subject to extensive ideological manipulation. ''Robin Hood'' has become shorthand for a good-hearted bandit who steals from the rich to give to the poor. It is also a proverbial expression for somebody who takes other people's giveaways and gives them to people he or she knows who could use them. This can be called "Robin Hood giving." Many countries and situations boast their own Robin Hood characters; the '''' page tracks them.
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