Robin Hood (c1160-1247) ********************** Robin Hood is an archetypal figure of English folklore, whose story originates from medieval times, but who remains significant in popular culture where he is known for "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor" and fighting against injustice and tyranny. His band includes a "three score" group of fellow outlawed yeomen - called his "Merry Men." The origin of the legend is claimed by some to have stemmed from actual outlaws, or from tales of outlaws, such as Hereward the Wake, Eustace the Monk, Fulk FitzWarin, and William Wallace. There are a numerous theories that attempt to clearly identify a historical Robin Hood, but for several reasons (such as the popularity of the name in the Middle Ages), no one is ever likely to come up with any evidence that suggests he is not just a legend - and the 20th century Hollywood film producers are clouding the issue by creating new characters and storylines to put into the old legend. Fact or Fiction? **************** According to Dr. William Stukeley, Robin Hood lived for about 87 years. He was born in the year 1160, in Loxley and died in the year 1247, and was actually Robert fitz Ooth, Earl of Huntingdon. So, legend has it that Robin Hood was an outlaw living in Sherwood Forest with his 'band of Merry Men', but did he really exist? The first known literary reference to Robin Hood and his men was in 1377 and the Sloane manuscripts in the British Museum have an account of Robin's life which states that he was born around 1160 in Lockersley in Yorkshire; however, no such place exists in either Yorkshire or Nottinghamshire, but there is a Loxley in Staffordshire.... Robin was depicted as a man from the North, with traditional haunts as an outlaw in Sherwood Forest and a coastal refuge at Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire; one well known story that places Robin Hood in Whitby, Yorkshire, is about him and Little John having a friendly archery contest; both men were skilled at archery and from the roof of the Monastery they both shot an arrow; the arrows fell at Whitby Lathes, more than a mile away; afterwards the fields where the arrows landed were known as Robin Hood's Close and Little John's Close. Robin Hood became a popular folk hero because of his generosity to the poor and the down trodden peasants and his hatred of the Sheriff and his verderers, who enforced the oppressive forest laws; the poor and the down trodden peasants consequently made him their champion; most chroniclers date his exploits as taking place during the reign of King Richard I, the Lionheart. All versions of the Robin Hood story give the same account of his death; as he grew older and became ill, he went with Little John to Kirklees Priory near Huddersfield, to be treated by his aunt, the Prioress, but a certain Sir Roger de Doncaster persuaded her to murder her nephew and the Prioress slowly bled Robin to death; with the last of his strength he blew his horn and Little John came to his aid, but too late. Little John placed Robin's bow in his hand and carried him to a window from where Robin managed to loose one arrow and Robin asked Little John to bury him wherever the arrow landed, which he duly did; a mound in Kirklees Park, within bow shot of the house, can still be seen and is said to be his last resting place; Little John's grave can be seen in Hathersage churchyard in Derbyshire. What of the Maid Marion? Not much of Robin's career is known, but nowhere in the chronicles is Maid Marion mentioned, so we must assume she was 'added' to the stories at a later date. Robin Hood's name doesn't appear in history until the middle ages and then only in a ballad; whether or not he was a real person is left to conjecture; he may have been a fictional character or any one of several real people; Robin of Locksley the earl of Huntingdon was mentioned as a candidate in a 17th century poem by Thomas Gale, the Dean of York, and many now believe that Robin of Locksley was the real Robin Hood, despite there being no actual evidence to the fact; Thomas Gale claimed to have found a poetic epitaph with the date of Robin's death given as the 24th December 1247, although the language in which it is written is not in the Middle English of the time, suggesting that it may have been a forgery... Hear underneath dis laitl stean Laz robert earl of Huntingtun Ne'er arcir ver as hie sa geud An pipl kauld im robin heud Sick utlawz as he an iz men Vil england nivr si agen Obiit 24 kal: Dekembris, 1247. One of the earliest references to Robin Hood in English literature, exists on five and half pages within a volume of documents in the British Library dating back to circa 1600 known as 'The Sloane Manuscript' or 'The Sloane Life'; however, for those searching for clues to the existence of an historical Robin Hood it is a disappointment. It is written in a small, crude hand, and is nothing more than a compilation of pieces taken from popular ballads, folk plays and traditions about the outlaw, showing that material even by that time was limited; it appears to be a copy of an older document, constructed before Robin's gentrification by the later Elizabethan playwrights. The first recorded mention of Robin Hood is in 'A Gest of Robyn Hode', also known as 'A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode'; it is a ballad, one of the oldest surviving tales of Robin Hood; it is believed to have been written circa 1450 and printed around 1492; it is a lengthy tale, written in Middle English, consisting of eight fyttes; it is the tale of 'The Good Outlaw', in which the hero of the story is an outlaw who commits actual crimes, but is still supported by the people; the hero challenges a corrupt system, which has committed wrongs against him, his family and his friends; he is depicted as showing loyalty, courage and cleverness... 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. etc. etc. for many more stanzas, too many to copy here. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Gest_of_Robyn_Hode Hereward the Wake and Robin Hood ******************************** Hereward the Wake was seen as an English hero and as a symbol of resistance to oppression. It is therefore not surprising that some of the legends about Hereward the Wake were later incorporated into the legends about Robin Hood. Some more Candidates ******************** In all the wealth of painstaking historical research, medieval detective work and, of course, the more speculative notions of well meaning enthusiasts, there is still no definitive answer to the question: who was Robin Hood? Robert fitz Ooth - Earl of Huntingdon ************************************* Born 1160 - Died 1247 In 1746, Dr. William Stukeley put forward the theory that the true identity of Robin Hood was Robert fitz Odo (or Fitzooth). According to Stukeley, he was born at Loxley and lived for 87 years. Robert fitz ooth was outlawed in the 12th. Century with his lands being transferred to Ranulf, Earl of Chester, the name associated with Robin Hood in the "Vision of Piers the Plowman" ie "I do not know my paternoster prefectly as the priest sings it, but I know the rhymes of Robin Hood and Randolph, earl of Chester." This theory has come in for strong criticism by Professor J.C. Holt who believes that Stukeley confused the whole family pedigree to fit his theory and arrived at a wholly ficticious and fanciful account of this particular claim to the identity of Robin Hood. However, this did not prevent another researcher called Jim Lees following up Stukeley's claims and providing a new candidate for Robin's identity (below). Robert de Kyme ************** Born c1210 - Died c1285 The eldest son of William de Kyme, Robert de Kyme was of Saxon blood. He was outlawed in 1226 for robbery and disturbing the King's peace and pardoned in 1227. According to Nottingham author Jim Lees, events in de Kyme's life bear a resemblance to events in the "Little Geste" ballad including his return to the forest as an outlaw following his pardon. According to Lees, Robert de Kyme had claim to the pretended earldom of Huntingdon through ownership of land. Lees gives credit to Stukeley for being on the right trail to the identity of Robin Hood but claims to have uncovered new evidence for the family pedigrees which points conclusively in Lees's opinion to the de Kyme connection rather than that of fitz Ooth. Robin Hood of the Wakefield Rolls ********************************* Born 1290 - Died 1347 In 1852, Joseph Hunter's examination of historical documents led to the postulation that Robin Hood was actually Robert Hood who appeared in the Wakefield Court Rolls in 1316 and 1317. According to this theory, Robert Hood became an outlaw not through theft but through his support for Thomas, Earl of Lancaster who rebelled against King Edward 11 at the battle of Boroughbridge in 1322. Robert Hood was born at Loxley near Sheffield and, at the age of fifteen, killed his stepfather with a scythe during an argument. He fled to Barnsdale and then on to Wakefield where he appears in court roll entries for a string of minor offences. In 1317, the Earl of Lancaster began to form his own army gathered from tenants of the Manor of Wakefield to fight King Edward and his favoured nobles. In 1322, the army attacked Royalist forces at Boroughbridge and was defeated and consequently executed. All men loyal to Lancaster were stripped of their lands and possessions and those not present were declared to be outlaws. Thus were Robert Hood and a gathering of poverty stricken fellow men reduced to seeking subsistence and survival in nearby Barnsdale Forest. Sir Robert Foliot and descendents ********************************* Born 1110 - died 1165 In a fascinating recent book, local author Tony Molyneux-Smith put forward a new theory about the origins of the Robin Hood legend. This new approach placed the outlaw firmly back in Nottinghamshire but broke with tradition regarding his true identity. Molyneux-Smith's conclusion is that Robin Hood was a pseudonym used by succeding generations of a family named Foliot who held the Lordship of a place called Wellow through to the late 14th. Century. The author believes that Wellow's proximity to Sherwood Forest, together with a range of historical and geographical clues provides ample evidence for his theory. Here, it is postulated that the Foliot family used the name of Robin Hood to hide their true identities as protection against the lawless society in which they lived. These clues, together with the family's strong belief in chivalry and fair play convinced the author that Wellow and the Foliot family held the key to uncovering the truth behind the Robin Hood legend. Robert Hod - Hobbehod ********************* Birth and death unknown In 1936, L.V.D. Owen put forward another candidate for the identity of Robin Hood. This theory is based on records of the York assizes which, in 1226, included 32 shillings and 6 pence for the chattels of Robert Hod fugitive. The account occurred again the following year in which the name now appeared as "Hobbehod". Through notes in the margin it can be deduced that this Robert Hod was a tenant of the archbishopric. Whilst there is no other evidence for this Robin Hood candidate, he was clearly an outlaw who had fled the juristriction of the court and remains the earliest reference discovered to date who might just be the man who sparked the legend we know and love today.