Robin Hood: A Historiography NICOiE CARTER In Warner Brothers Pictures’ 1938 film The Adventures ofRobin hood, Robin asks his peasant followers to swear an oath which encapsulates the values with which Robin I lood is associated today: Do you, the free men of Shenvood Forest. swear to despoil the rich only to give to the poor? To shelter the old and the helpless? To protect all women, rich or poor, Norman or Saxon? To fight for a free England. to protect her loyally until the return ofotir king and sovereign, Richard the Lionheart? And swear to fight to the death against our oppressors? This rousing speech is met w’ith a rcsotinding ehonis of Aye’s.’ The medieval Robin I lood, however, was far removed from modern moviemaking The oldest extant literary reference to Robin flood is found in Pie,s Ploti’rnan when the ignorant priest Sloth confesses. “I can noughte pcrfitlv my pater-noster as the prest it syngcd , / l3tit I can rvmes of Robyn I lood and Randolferle of Chestre.”’ Commonly dated to 1377, this reference stiggests that a strong oral tradition concerning Robin I load existed prior to that date, and that such a tradition was considered idle and foolish—a priest who should be able to recite prayers has instead spent time learning trivial rhymes. From 1377 on, references to Robin I lood proliferated. Robin I mod appeared in texts, proverbs,3 topographical references and general comments. By one count, Robin earned a6o mentions by i6oo. lie became the subject of annual plays and games held around Vhitstinday in late May or early June as a mock-king who presided over dances, sports. pageants. and processions? As a representative of outlaws, Robin I food was associated with criminal court eases. ibe ballads, well known by the early fifteenth century, infitienced the legal language of the time, as demonstrated by the phrase ‘Robin I lixic en flamesdale srodc’—a popular opening line—quoted in eotirt in I429. In 1439 a petition denouncing the misdeeds of the criminal Piers Vcnables, charged that he gathered arotmd him misdocrs ‘beyng of his clothinge, and in manere of insurection w’ente into the ‘odes in [the] country like it hadde be Robyn I lode and his mcyncc.7 Criminals also often assumed names associated w’ith the Robin I load legend: criminal records have turned up a Frere 1502.8 bk’ in 1417, a ‘Robyn I load’ in 1497, and a Grenclcff (an alias used by John) in The ballads that make up the Robin I lood tradition, as a whole, are not especially accomplished literary works. Penned in English rather than the Latin or Norman French of the elite, the ballads’chiefconcem consists of narrating an adventure, offering little character or relationship development. They do not fit into any clearly defined genre, alternately referred to as The Adventures of Robin Hood. Dir. Michael Curtiz. Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland. Wamer Brothers Pictures, 193$. 1 Douglas Gray, “The Robin Hood Poems” in Stephen Knight, ed, Anthology, 5. The two most oft-quoted proverbs arc ‘tales of Robin Hood are good for fools’ and ‘many a man speaks of Robin Hood that never bent [shot] his bow.’ Stephen Knight, “Splitting Time’s Arrow,” 124. So popular were these games in 1459 one bishop complained to parliament that when he came into one town to preach, he found the church empty. A local told him: ‘Syr thya is a busyc daye with us, we can not heare you, it is Robyn Hoodes day. The pariahe are gone abrode to gather for Robyn Hoode.’ Gray, “Robin Hood Poems,” $ Gray, “Robin Hood Poems,” 6 1 Gray, “Robin Hood Poems,” 7 Gray, “Robin Hood Poems,” 7 Ex PosT FACTO 190 Nicole Carter ‘rymes,’ ‘tales,’ ‘songs.’ ‘gests.’ or’fablesY I lowevcr, some may be considered drama, scich as Robin hood and the lilonk. while others remain closet to comedy, such as Robin hood and the Potte,: The earliest extant ballads include—A GesrofRobin Hode(often called simply the Gecr, Robin Hood and the Monk. Robin hood and the Potter, Robin hood and GuvoiGisborne, and Robin hood’s Death. These five receive the most historical concern because they come closest to representing the original version of the ballad. They also share several common elements. Robin is always called a yeoman, rather than a dispossessed nobleman—that version of the talc (the ‘gentrification’ of Robin) did not appear until the 159os. In fact, Robin I lood’s reason for being an outlaw remains unstated. Robin’s companions always include Little John, Much the Miller’s Son, and Will Scarlct.° Maid Marian and Friar Tuckwere later additions. The tales also always take place in summer. butwith two locations competing as Robin’s residence: Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire or Barnsdale in Yorkshire. The sheriff, however, is always the sheriff of Nottingham. Robin I lood historiography draws tipon analyses of various details and themes within these five ballads, making it useful to begin with a briefsynopsis ofeach. A GestofRobin Iloocf: In print around Ioo, the Gestis a long rambling narrative, likely compiled from several older oral and textual traditions, and contains inconsistencies in style, plot, character, and message.3 A long poem of 456 four-line stanzas, divided into eight cantos or ‘fi,ttcs,’ it is both the longest and the most frequently disetissed of the ballads: Fvne i. In the Barnsdale greenwood with his men, Robin will not dine tintil he has welcomed an unexpected guest to the feast. Little John. Much, and Will are sent otit to the road to capture such a ‘guest.’ ‘lucy soon encounter a buight who accepts their invitation to dine and enjoys feasting with Robin I lood. After dinner Robin suggests that the knight should pay for the meal. The knight pleads poverty and John verifies his lack of money through a search of his belongings. The knight explains: in order to pay bail for his son. who ha.s committed homicide. he had to mortgage his estate for 400 potinds to the abbot of St. Mary’s. York. The debt is now due and the knight doesn’t have the money to pay it. Robin decides to lend him the money, with the knight pledging repayment upon the name of the Virgin Mary. W’ith this advance and the provision ala suitable horse and attire, the knight is sent on his way, accompanied by Little John acting as his servant. Fytte 2. In York. the abbot, the sheriff, and the high justice of England (who has been retained under cloth and fee by the abbot) sit relishing the due date and greedily anticipating that the knight will not be able to fulfill his debt. The knight appears, poorly dressed, and begs each in mm to accept his service Robin Hood ‘ballads’ are not ballads in the modem sense in that they were intended to be recited rather than sung. Peter Coss, “Aspects of Cultural Diffusion in Medieval England: Robin Hood” in Stephen Knight, ed., Anthologj’, 333. ‘° Also spelled Scarlock or Scathelock. Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire arc bordering counties. 12 ‘ This following summary is derived from]. C. Holt Robin Hood, 17-22. Holt, Robin Hood, 22 and Gray “Robin Hood Poems,” 7. Ex PosT FACTO Robin Hood: A Historiography offriendship rather than money. Each refuses. i’hc knight then pays his debt much to the disappointment of the abbot. Fyttc 3. Little John takes part in an archery contest and the sheriff, impressed by John’s performance, invites him into his service. John, alias Reynold Greenlefe, accepts out of a determination to get revenge tipon the sheriff. While the sheriff is out hunting, John quarrels with the cook and when they get to fighting, the cook proves so hardy of an adversary that John asks him to join Robin’s band to which the cook agrees. ‘IThey steal the sheriffs valuables and lure him to Robin in the forest. The sheriff is capnired and, spending a night in the woods, is released after swearing on Robin’s sword never to harm Robin or do other than aid his men. Fytte . In the forest, John. Much and Will again lay in wait for a ‘dinner gucst.’Thev capture a monk by force after his escort flees. The monk turns out to be the high cellarer of Sc Mary’s and Robin decides he has been sent to repay the knight’s debt which was pledged in Mary’s name). The lying cellarer denies all knowledge of any debt and claims to be carrying only twenty marks. John searches his baggage and finds 8oo pounds which the outlaw’s take, receiving repayment twofold. The monk sent on his way. The knight realms to repay Robin’s loan but Robin instead gives him the extra oo pounds. F7uc 5. The sheriffholds an archery contest with a gold and silver arrow’ as a prize for the victor, Robin and his men take part and Robin wins. 1 ‘he sheriff betrays his word and raises the hue and cry against them. ‘l’he outlaws flee btit John is wounded in the knee, forcing them to take refuge in the castle of Sir Richard at the Lee, who is identified as the knight from the previous f,trcs. Fytte 6. The sheriff wages siege on Sir Richard’s castle. Unsuccessful, he goes off to I.ondon to appeal to the king. Robin and John. now recovered, return to the forest. iThe sheriff returns and takes revenge by capturing the knight. Robin receives word via the knight’s wife, pursues the sheriff to Nottingham.