Robin Hood: The Evolution of a Legend

I suppose most of you are aware that today is Tuesday not Monday. Oops. The only excuse I have for not getting this post out on time is that these past few days have been one of those times where life just got in the way. I was going to get this post written and up yesterday when I got home from work – late, but still Monday – until I realized that I was so tired my brain was not functioning properly. So I made the decision to wait until I could write something decent and trust that you would forgive me for being a day late. You forgive me, right? *puts on irresistible “I’m sorry” face* Aw, thanks! You guys are the best! *hugs* Now that we got that out of the way, here is my post:

Two weeks ago I began a new series, this time looking at the legendary figure of Robin Hood. In that first post we explored whether or not the famous outlaw was based on a real person and, if so, who could he have been. This week we are going to look at the way his story has evolved over time to become the legend that we all know and love.

The Evolution of a Legend

Like any good myth or legend, the tale of Robin Hood has morphed over the centuries with each retelling. The Robin that we are familiar with today is not the Robin who was originally passed down through grand oral tradition. In the earliest ballads – such as “Robin Hood and the Monk”, “Robin Hood and the Potter”, “Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne”, and most notably “A Gest of Robin Hood” – there are very few similarities to the actual person of Robin Hood that we now know and love.

Robin was originally described as a yeoman. While there is some uncertainty as to what exactly this term meant for Robin since it was a word used for several different types of men, it is clear that he was not the noble he later becomes. This early version of Robin was also a lot more violent; it was nothing for him to kill those who got in his way or behead his enemies. He would even pick fights with his friends, which at this time included the familiar names of Little John, Will Scarlet, and Much the Miller’s Son.

Another interesting difference between this early Robin Hood and the one of today is that he was not the head of a great uprising and he did not steal from the rich to give to the poor. He mostly stole money from those he saw as corrupting the church. Robin was a devout Catholic in these early ballads and tended to target bishops, abbots, sheriffs, and other figures that he saw as corrupt. And while there are instances of Robin helping out the poor and being generous to those he comes across, overthrowing social order was in no way his original goal.

By the 15th Century, Robin Hood had become an integral part of the May Day celebrations, often being labeled as the King and being heavily featured in plays and processions. It is through these May Games that the characters of Friar Tuck and Maid Marian are believed to have been introduced. Tuck appears in a play called “Robin Hood and the Friar”, but Marian has a more interesting introduction to the legend. The character of Marian was orginially from a French pastoral play called Jeu de Robin et Marion, but this Robin was not Robin Hood. When her character became a part of the May Games where Robin Hood already had such a presence the two characters were gradually melded into the same story.

With the violence and less than honorable actions of the early Robin Hood it is unsurprising that he was not always looked upon favorably by all. As people sought to improve his reputation changes began to creep into the story. This is when he began to be known as a friend to the poor and as someone who spoke up for social injustice. By the 16th Century, Robin had been turned into a noble and found his permanent home in Sherwood during the time of Richard the Lionheart.

During the 17th and 18th centuries many new ballads were written about the outlaw and his Merry Men. Origin stories for the characters were created and a new character found his way into the canon: Alan a Dale. During this period the old stories were also modified and became more campy with Robin almost always being bested by the tradesman he is fighting and then asking that man to join his band of Merry Men.

It is always fascinating to look at the ways legends have changed over time. In the case of Robin Hood some of those changes have been quite drastic. The basic elements – his outlaw status and archery skills – were always there, but his character and moral code, parts of him which we now take for granted as basic canon, were not. I am sure as time goes on and there continues to be change in social and political practices, the story of Robin Hood will continue to change as well. He is a character that stands for justice against corruption, and as that ideal changes with the times, so to will its hero.

What parts of the Robin Hood legend were you familiar with? Did you know of his less than noble beginnings? What are your favorite pieces of the legend? Least favorite? Let me know in the comments.

For further reading, visit this website.

A New Take on a Timeless Legend

Today’s post is a going to be a repost of an old post, but considering the only people who read my blog when I originally wrote were my mom, my husband, and Martin Shone I figured most of you would be okay with this. This past Friday the fourth season premiere of one of my all time favorite television shows aired here in the US. If you have never watched Merlin I hope that this post convinces you to start.

A New Take on a Timeless Legend

One of the most iconic figures of myth, legend, and fantasy is that of King Arthur. His legendary story has been passed down through the ages with each retelling putting a unique spin on a standard element or adding something new completely. Like any good lover of the genre I devour anything I see that is to do with the Arthurian legend regardless of the medium. One of the more recent reworkings of this timeless legend that I have particularly fallen in love with is the BBC television series Merlin*.

I would imagine that it would be easy for true fans of King Arthur to take issue with this show for the many, many liberties it takes with what most would consider to be the most basic pieces of the cannon. In truth, the show changes pretty much everything other than the character’s names and fundamental personality traits. In this version Arthur is being raised by his father King Uther rather than Sir Ector, Merlin is the same age as Arthur rather than an old man, Guinevere is the maid of Uther’s ward rather than a princess, and Mordred is a druid boy rather than Arthur’s illegitimate child. But even with all of these – rather severe – alterations it holds true to the ideals of chivalry (honor, bravery, justice, courtly love) which reside at the heart of the legend.

The basic premise of the show is that Merlin (played by Colin Morgan) is sent to Camelot to work with the court physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson). Through a series of events that take place in the pilot episode King Uther (Anthony Head) assigns Merlin to be the personal manservant of Prince Arthur (Bradley James) which proves to be rather difficult as he must keep his magical abilities a secret since Uther has had all magic outlawed on penalty of death. The show follows the many trials Merlin and Arthur face on their separate yet intertwined journies to become the men they are destined to be. It is a simple concept that has certainly been done before, yet this show executes it brilliantly.

It has become a growing trend for television shows to blend of the serious and the comedic and Merlin is no exception. There is actually a surprising amount of comedy in the show and – what may be even more surprising – it works. Colin Morgan is an incredibly gifted actor who has excellent comedic timing which is essential for the witty and sarcastic Merlin. Between the bickering Arthur and Merlin constantly engage in and the ridiculous situations Merlin always seems to land himself in, every episode has at least one scene that elicits laughter from me, but every once in a while the show will devote an entire episode to a comedic plot. The episode that first comes to mind for me is Season 3′s “Goblin’s Gold”. In this episode Merlin unthinkingly releases a goblin who proceeds to possess Gaius and reek havoc upon the court. When the episode began I felt a pang of disappointment for what I felt sure would be a silly filler episode, but it did not take long for me to realize how wrong I was. From goblin!Gaius slapping the bald head of Uther to the flatulence of Guinevere and Morgana to a braying Arthur complete with donkey ears I could not stop laughing. Even thinking about that episode as I type this causes me to chuckle.

Even more than these moments of comedic excellence, however, Merlin excels with its dramatic and often epic plotlines. Again, Colin Morgan is a gifted actor who manages to portray a Merlin who is humble yet strong, compassionate yet just, naive yet wise. In this way as Merlin stumbles along his own road of growth he is still able to be a believable guide for Arthur who is frequently ignorant of the ways in which Merlin is shaping him. While there are many episodes that stand out to me (Season 1′s “The Poisoned Chalice”, Season 2′s “The Lady of the Lake”, Season 3′s “The Tears of Uther Pendragon Parts 1&2) none are greater than each season’s finale. Merlin excels at delivering suspenseful and emotionally moving season finales. Each season the finale ends up being my favorite episode of the season with each successive finale turning out more powerful than the last. Season 1 brings Merlin face to face with Nimueh as he battles to save the life of Arthur, Season 2 sends Merlin and Arthur on a hunt for the last living dragonlord who is the only person that can save Camelot from a dragon bent on revenge, and Season 3 sees Uther imprisoned while Arthur and Merlin are forced into hiding as they seek out a way to destroy the immortal army created by a witch to overthrow Camelot. Each of these episodes serve to punctuate the lessons that Merlin and Arthur have been learning throughout the season and each time I find myself cheering.

There is one other aspect of the show I feel I must mention before I bring this extensive exposition to a close, and that is the shows penchant for slipping in bits of the cannon in a sort of salute. I can’t begin to describe how giddy the fangirl in me gets every time this happens. The show has had cameos by Lancelot, Gawain, Percival, Taliesin, the Fisher King, and Nimueh (as previously mentioned) in addition to iconic images such as the hand of the Lady of the Lake emerging from the lake of Avalon with the sword of Excalibur. Whenever these moments happen I must admit they are usually accompanied by some squeeing and the occasional fist pump.

It is for all these reasons and that which is too intangible to put into words that I feel Merlin is a remarkable addition to the adaptations of the legendary King Arthur.

*In the US Merlin airs on SyFy.

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Like I mentioned at the beginning, the new season has just premiered here in the US and it was one hell of an episode! I am sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation of this week’s follow up.

Have you ever watched Merlin? What do you think of it? Is there another adaptation of the story of King Arthur that you have enjoyed? Let me know in the comments.

Robin Hood: The Man Beneath the Hood

As I mentioned before, my series looking at some of the characters from Harry Potter has concluded and today I am going to be starting a new series. I had an idea for what I wanted this next series to be about, but recent events have caused me to change my mind. In light of the fabulous recurve bow I received for Christmas and my newfound archery skills, I have decided to do a series on the most famous archer there is: Robin Hood.

The Man Beneath the Hood

I doubt there is anyone who has not heard the name Robin Hood and some version of his story. Over the centuries his story has morphed and grown with each retelling. Today, most of us know him as a noble turned outlaw who lived in the Sherwood forest where he and his merry men would steal from the rich to give to poor. But how much of the legend is true? Did Robin Hood really exist and if so who was he?

Historians and scholars have been seeking the answers to these questions for years and none have been able to come up with any definitive answers. One of the earliest written records of a candidate for the famous outlaw comes from the year 1225. In an assize from York there is an entry for a Robert Hod, fugitive who had chattels worth 32 shillings and 6 pence. This same entry is included later with the addition of the nickname “Hobbehod”. Other than the name and the fact that he was an outlaw, there is nothing to connect Robert to the Robin Hood of legend.

Most of the other records of men with names that could be considered a variation of Robin Hood have something else that seems to disqualify them. Many of them were not actual outlaws and others appeared at a time too late to be considered serious candidates. There is evidence that the name Robin Hood was symbolic of outlaws as early as 1261 when an outlaw by the name of William son of Robert le Fevere is referred to in an official document as William Robehod. There are even some who believe that the name was never anything more than a symbol that various outlaws wore as a mantle. If he was a real man, though, the account of William Robehod seems to support the idea that he was around during the time of King Richard and Prince John or an even earlier time in history.

I am certainly no historical scholar, but it seems to me that if Robin Hood was based on a real person it was probably a compilation of multiple people. Thankfully, the people who are actual historical scholars agree with me. Score one for me.

There was a man named Hereward the Wake who was an outlaw in the time of William the Conqueror and fought against the Normans. Two centuries later Eustace the Monk left the monastery and became an outlaw. He began his career in the forest, but later moved to the Channel where he led a fleet of pirates. Around the same time as Eustace one of the more interesting candidates came on the scene.

Fulk fitz Warrin was a baron from Shropshire who had been a childhood playmate of Prince John. Beginning in the year 1200 he spent three years living as an outlaw in the forest after which time he was pardoned. It seems, though, that Fulk enjoyed the life of rebellion. In the year 1215 he left the king’s peace and joined the rebellion of barons who supported the Magna Carta.

On the surface, these three men may seem to have very little to do with Robin Hood, but there are many parallels between some of the things they are reported to have done and the stories of Robin Hood. Things like adopting the same disguises as Robin, such as a potter, and rewarding those waylaid for displays of honesty can be attributed to these men. It is also speculated that the idea of the displaced noble could have stemmed from Fulk.

There are many other names throughout the centuries that have been claimed by some to be connected to legendary outlaw. Whether or not any of them are the actual inspiration for the legend is not yet known, but it is fascinating to look through the possible candidates. And who knows, maybe one day the crucial piece of evidence will be found that definitively ties one of these men, or someone we don’t even know about yet, to the outlaw of Sherwood forest.

What are your thoughts on the search for the real Robin Hood? Do you believe he was a real person or a compilation of people? Or do you think that he was never anything more than a symbol with no historical counterpart? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.