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Robin Hood

rocala

rocala

Well-Known Member
As a teen I read a book which included a chapter on Robin Hood. The authors theory was that part of the legend had it's origins in die hard elements of the old pre-christian religion. I cannot remember any other details.

I would love to read about this again. Does anybody know of any literature about this subject?
 
Riverwolf

Riverwolf

Amateur Rambler / Proud Ergi
Premium Member
Literature, no. I remember reading something about that on Wikipedia, though, but that was more talking about the sense of a mischevous woodland figure pre-dating Christianity. Robin Hood, the character as we know him today, was (as I understand it) formed largely as a response to the Norman invasion, perhaps drawing from these older folk-figures; think Puck, Herne, Hobgoblin, etc. (The 80s show Robin of Sherwood used this interpretation as its baseline).

Though that's an understanding based partially on a VERY biased source, that being ex-Python Terry Jones' series "Medieval Lives", and the rest on quick internet searches, so it could be completely wrong.

I recommend starting on Wikipedia, looking into these woodland figures and English folklore, for some starting frameworks, and bibliographies that should cite some sources of literature for you to find.
 
cocolia42

cocolia42

Active Member
rocala said:
As a teen I read a book which included a chapter on Robin Hood. The authors theory was that part of the legend had it's origins in die hard elements of the old pre-christian religion. I cannot remember any other details.

I would love to read about this again. Does anybody know of any literature about this subject?
Click to expand...
Maybe Dreaming the Dark by Starhawk? Or Meievalisms: Making the Past in the Present by Tison Pugh and Angela Jane Weisl?
 
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