Robin Hood: Evolution of a Legend

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Evolution of Robin Hood


What do you think of when you hear “Robin Hood”?


http://boldoutlaw.com/robbeg/robbeg3.html


I.  William Langland in The Vision of William Concerning Piers the Plowman, printed ca.1377.

“If I shulde deye bi this day-me liste nought to loke;

I can noughte perfitly my pater-noster- as the prest it syngeth,

But I can rymes of Robyn hood-and Randolf erle of Chestre,

Ac neither of owre lorde ne of owre lady-the leste that evere was made.”


II. From Robin Hood and the Monk ca.1450 edited by Stephen Knight and Thomas H. Ohlgren

http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/robin-hood-and-the-monk


Ye, on thyng greves me," seid Robyn,
"And does my hert mych woo:
That I may not no solem day
To mas nor matyns goo.
"Hit is a fourtnet and more," seid he,
"Syn I my Savyour see;
To day wil I to Notyngham," seid Robyn,
"With the myght of mylde Marye."

----

"He is trew to his maister," seid oure kyng;
"I sey, be swete Seynt John,
He lovys better Robyn Hode
Then he dose us ychon.

"Robyn Hode is ever bond to hym,
Bothe in strete and stalle;
Speke no more of this mater," seid oure kyng,
"But John has begyled us alle."

Thus endys the talkyng of the munke
And Robyn Hode I wysse;
God, that is ever a crowned kyng,
Bryng us alle to His blisse!


III. Written in Latin by a medieval monk around 1460, found and researched by Dr. Julian Luxford

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/archive/2009/title,31221,en.php


Luxford’s translation: 


 “Around this time, according to popular opinion, a certain outlaw named Robin Hood, with his accomplices, infested Sherwood and other law-abiding areas of England with continuous robberies.


IV. From A Gest of Robyn Hode, printed between 1492 and 1534, edited by Stephen Knight and Thomas H. Ohlgren http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/gest-of-robyn-hode


From The First Fytte
 Lythe and listin, gentilmen,
That be of frebore blode;
I shall you tel of a gode yeman,
His name was Robyn Hode.
 
Robyn was a prude outlaw,
Whyles he walked on grounde:
So curteyse an outlawe as he was one
Was nevere non founde.
 
Robyn stode in Bernesdale,
And lenyd hym to a tre,
And bi hym stode Litell Johnn,
A gode yeman was he.


From The Eight Fytte

Syr Roger of Donkestere,
By the pryoresse he lay,
And there they betrayed good Robyn Hode,
Through theyr false playe.
Cryst have mercy on his soule,
That dyded on the Rode!
For he was a good outlawe,
And dyde pore men moch god.

V. From Robin Hood and the Potter  ca. 1503 edited by Stephen Knight and Thomas H. Ohlgren 

http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/robin-hood-and-the-potter


In schomer, when the leves spryng,
The bloschoms on every bowe,
So merey doyt the berdys syng
Yn wodys merey now.


Herkens, god yemen,
Comley, corteys, and god,
On of the best that yever bare bowe,
Hes name was Roben Hode.


Roben Hood was the yemans name,
That was boyt corteys and fre;
For the loffe of owre ladey,
All wemen werschepyd he.


Bot as the god yeman stod on a day,
Among hes mery maney,
He was ware of a prowd potter,
Cam dryfyng owyr the leye.


VI. The Play of Robin Hood and the Sheriff, c. 1475 Fragment from Trinity College, Cambridge, MS. R. 2. 64 edited by Stephen Knight and Thomas H. Ohlgren 

http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/robyn-hod-and-the-shryff-off-notyngham


Outlaw #1
Welle mete, felowe myn.
What herest thou of gode Robyn?

Outlaw #2
Robyn Hode and his menye
With the Sheryffe takyn be.

Outlaw #1
Sette on foote with gode wyll,
And the Sheryffe wull we kyll.

Outlaw #2
Beholde wele Frere Tuke
Howe he dothe his bowe pluke.

[Friar Tuck is presumably attacking the Sheriff single-handedly.]
 

 Sheriff
Yeld yow, syrs, to the Sheryffe,
Or elles shall your bowes clyffe.

          [The three outlaws are captured, and taken to the prison gates.]


 Outlaw #1?
 Now we be bownden alle in same.
Frere Tuke, this is no game.
 
 Sheriff
Come thou forth, thou fals outlawe.
Thou shall be hangyde and y-drawe.

Outlaw #1?   
Nowe allas, what shall we doo?
We moste to the prysone goo.

Sheriff
Opyn the gatis faste anon,
And late theis thevys ynne gon.

VII. In Sherwood liude stout Robin Hood by Robert Jones, 1609

http://d.lib.rochester.edu/robin-hood/text/in-sherwood-liude-stout-robin-hood


In Sherwood liude stout Robin Hood    
An Archer great none greater.
His bow & shafts were sure & good,
   Yet Cupids were much beter
Robin could shoot at many a Hart and misse,
   Cupid at first could hit a hart of his,
Hey iolly Robin.
Hoe iolly Robin
Hey iolly Robin Hood.
Loue finds out me
As well as thee
To follow mee
To the green wood.

A noble thiefe was Robin Hoode,
   Wise was he could deceiue him,
Yet Marrian in his brauest mood,
   Could of his heart bereaue him,
No greater thiefe lies hidden vnder skies.
   Then beauty closely lodgde in womens eyes.
Hey iolly Robin.

An Out-law was this Robin Hood,
   His life free and vnruly,
Yet to faire Marrian bound he stood
   And loues debt payed her duely.
Whom curbe of stricktest law could not hold in,
   Loue with obeyednes and a winke could winne.
Hey iolly Robin.

Now wend we home stout Robin Hood
   Leaue we the woods behind vs,
Loue passions must not be withstood,
   Loue euery where will find vs,
I liude in field and towne, and so did he,
   I got me to the woods, loue followed me.
Hey iolly Robin.


VIII.From The Downfall of Robert, Earle of Huntington B  Anthony Munday, Edited by Stephen Knight, Thomas H. Ohlgren and Russell A. Peck Published 1601, performed by the Admiral's Men

http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/downfall-of-robert-earle-of-huntington


[Scene vii]

Robin

Here is no biding masters. Get yee in;
Take a short blessing at your mothers hands.
Much, beare them companie, make Matilda merry.
John and myselfe will followe presently.     [Exeunt Much, Scarlet, Scath.
John, on a sodaine thus I am resolv'd,
To keepe in Sherewodde, till the Kings returne,
And being outlawed, leade an outlawes life.
Seaven yeares these brethren, being yeomens sons,
Lived and scap't the malice of their foes.
How thinkest thou, Little John, of my intent?

Lit. John

I like your Honours purpose exceeding well.

Robin
Nay, no more honour, I pray thee Little John.
Henceforth I will be called Robin Hoode,
Matilda shall be my Maid Marian.
Come, John, friends all, for now beginnes the game,
And after our deserts, so growe our fame.     [Exeunt.]


Places for further Study

Web sites:


Robin Hood : The Facts and Fiction

http://www.robinhoodlegend.com/


Robin Hood -- Bold Outlaw of Barnsdale and Sherwood. 

http://www.boldoutlaw.com


The Robin Hood Project at the University of Rochester

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/rh/rhhome.stm


The Sherwood Forest Trust

http://sherwoodforest.org.uk/history/


The World Wide Robin Hood Society

http://www.robinhood.info/


Articles

Barnhouse, Rebecca (2003). Robin Hood Comes of Age. The Alan Review. 

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/v30n2/pdf/barnhouse.pdf


Ibeji, Mike (2011). Robin Hood and Historical Context. BBC History.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/robin_01.shtml


Mulligan, Kathleen Rose (2012). Shooting Arrows Through Myth and History: The Evolution of the Robin Hood Legend. Providence College. http://digitalcommons.providence.edu/history_students/2/


Toothman, Jessica (2009). Was there a real Robin Hood? How Stuff Works.

http://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/real-robin-hood3.htm


Audio

Bragg, Melvyn (2003) Robin Hood. In Our Time. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p005492h


Books

Baldwin, David (2010). Robin Hood: The English Outlaw Unmasked. Amberley Publishing.


Bradbury, Jim (2013). Robin Hood: The Real Story of the English Outlaw. Amberley Publishing.


Charles River Editors (2013) Robin Hood: The History and Folklore of the English Legend.


Holt, J.C.  (2011).  Robin Hood. Third Edition Thames & Hudson.


Knight, Stephan.  (1994). Robin Hood A Complete Study of The English Outlaw. Blackwell

Publisher.


Rennison, Nick (2012). Robin Hood: Myth, History & Culture. Oldcastle Books.


Sidwick, Frank (1912) Ballads of Robin Hood and other Outlaws


Popular Ballads of the Olden Times - Fourth Series. Project Gutenberg.

https://archive.org/details/balladsofrobinho28744gut

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