Sunday, August 17, 2008

Robin Hood!

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/08/29/robin_hood_wideweb__470x313,0.jpg

You know I'm watching the Robin Hood series on Netflix? You know the ones from BBC?
To say that I'm enjoying them would be a lie, I'm absolutely loving them and I guess it helps that Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood) and Lucy Griffiths (Lady Marian) have me totally captivated.

Nicholas loves it too, the minute the theme song comes on he is running into my bedroom and crawling in bed with me to watch it. "I love his bow and arrow" he tells me. So do I babe, so do I!

But the questions have come up. I'm sick with a cold and so is Nicholas, so while cuddled in bed yesterday watching the Robin Hood Season 2 disc, he started asking me things like:

  • Is Robin Hood real?
  • Where did he come from?
  • Did he really exist?
  • How did he die?
  • IS he dead?

Things that I honestly have no answer to, I mean, as long as I can remember I've just known about Robin Hood, it's pretty much a world known thing right? Right??

So I figured, to find out if the Legend is true or just a myth, why not go on the internet and see what we can find? You with me? I'm sure you'll find it interesting and I'll even throw in a recipe for Snickerdoodles at the end of the post, just to sweeten your tooth *snicker*



What I've learned is that there has been speculation through the centuries as to who he was, but his identity remains unknown. No one could provide authentic records of his activities, but five of the oldest surviving poems or ballads as they are now called, tell us about the legend of this English outlaw.

Robin Hood has been associated with two different regions from a very early date; Barnsdale north of Doncaster in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. Though I always thought of him as being from Sherwood Forest.

Sherwood Forest was a royal forest, deep and inaccessible. It was frequented by hunters and poachers, and over the centuries, has been a hiding place for outlaws. Once a hunting ground for the kings and queens of England, 'Shire Wood' covered a large area of the county of Nottinghamshire, stretching twenty miles from Nottingham north to Worksop, and it was over eight miles wide. Today little remains of this once great forest, which has been ruined by exploitation of the area. There is a scattering of woodland and heathland, which is the last refuge for ancient and decaying oaks. The Major Oak near Edwinstowe attracts thousands of visitors each year.

This giant tree, with a waistline of 35 ft, a height of 52 feet and weighing an estimated 23 tons, has been here for about 800-1000 years. The exact age of this magnificent tree can only be estimated. Its huge size is a clue, and yet at the same time as some oaks grow faster than others, the enormous trunk conceals the real answer.

Legend has it that once upon a time Robin Hood hid from his enemies inside the hollow of the Major Oak

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2007/10/08/robin460.jpg

Robin's a reckless lad sometimes. He'll sneak into Nottingham once too often and get caught by the sheriff. Or he'll pick a fight with the wrong traveller. And when the going gets rough, Robin blows three great blasts on his horn. That's when his Merry Men appear.


Little John

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/images/ljgrave.jpg
Maid Marian (local legend has it that Robin and Marian were married in St. Mary's church in the village of Edwinstowe)

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/images/mmstm1.jpg

Friar Tuck - (It's said Tuck comes from Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire or Fountaindale in Nottinghamshire)

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/images/fountuc1.jpg

Will Scarlet - (Some legends say he was killed by the sheriff's men, here is the unmarked grave)

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/images/wsgrave.jpg
Much the Miller's Son

Alan a Dale


Now I absolutely LOVE Maid Marian or Lady Marian.

Click to view full size image



I went to Wikipedia to see what I could find and this is what it says:

Maid Marian (short for maiden) usually named Lady Marian Fitzwalter of Leaford (first mentioned c.1200-1400), is the female companion to the legendary figure Robin Hood. Stemming from another, older tradition, she became associated with Robin Hood only in the sixteenth century.

Even cloistered away in Nottingham, she acts as a spy, passing information to the rogues in Sherwood. The sheriff only suspects her ties to Robin Hood. And in a time when women were forced into unwanted marriages, Marian chose to love Robin.

****************************************

As you can see there is so much out there to read, I guess it all comes down to what you want to believe, did Robin Hood really exist or is it just a myth, a fairy tale passed down from generation to generation?

You decide!

I thought it would be fun to post some photos of places mentioned in the tv series.


Nottingham Castle

http://www.arrakeen.ch/europe/138%20%20gate%20to%20Nottingham%20castle.JPG

Locksley in Yorkshire
http://hartforth.com/images/YorkshireDalesRiver.jpg

Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest by Roger Grayson

The Third Crusade
http://z.about.com/d/atheism/1/0/l/J/RichardSaladin-l.jpg

And now I'm off to go lay down a bit, I have my little boy with me, so we'll probably pop in another Robin Hood disc, or just take a nap, who knows.

10 comments:

Mike Golch said...

Sandra, I hope you are feeling better. Hugs and God's blessings. Mike G.said that!(It's my A.A.thing)

Mari said...

Now you've got me thinking I was to see it too!
Hope you're feeling better!

Mozi Esme said...

Wow - that was interesting! Thanks for asking, Nicholas! Never thought about it before.

Can't wait til my baby starts asking the hard questions so I can have an excuse to learn lots of stuff . . .

Miss Notesy said...

That is very cool! Those pictures are breathtaking. I just asked Hubs the other day if Robin Hood was real or not. He thought fiction only.

Anonymous said...

Now that I see what Robin Hood LOOKS LIKE -- I'm definitely watching the BBC version! LOL!

Sherry

Michelle said...

Isn't it fascinating to see what Robin Hood Looks like.Can always rely on the BBC. Hugs.

Anonymous said...

Those who believe Robin Hood is of a Yorkshire persuasion believe they know where his grave is in a town near me. If I ever visit I'll take a photo for you! ;) They even reckon it's haunted... (I googled it) see here: http://robin-hoode.blogspot.com/

The grave says:
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.

This translates as:

Here underneath this little stone
Lies Robert, earl of Huntington.
Never was there archer as he so good
And people called him Robin Hood.
Such outlaws as he and his men
Will England never see again.
Died 24th kalendris, December 1247

I don't really know anything about Robin Hood though, this is just a local legend. They're not sure how authentic the grave stone is...I think it's more modern than the 13th c.

Enjoy your viewing.

Hugs n' love

Sarah x

Mamajil said...

My daughter Mollie and her friend Cody love this series!! This is one of their favorite things to watch!

Anonymous said...

hi sandra,

hope by now you really are feeling well!!


just having to do a project for my son on Robin Hood, and came across your site. Just wanted to say Fantastic!


I hope you do get to Edwinstowe some day, you seem to have fell in love with it, and of course Robin Hood.

Edwinstowe is a lovely place to live, as kids we use to run up to the Major Oak, and hide inside, today the Rangers will not let anyone near the tree.A good thing I suppose really.

In the past there was a guardian of the tree man with along beard, I have seen his photo on google images, but I remember another guardian,Tom Thompson, I knew his grand-daughter.They could tell you everything on Robin Hood.


The Church the Romantic couple got married in is St Mary's Church,this is where I got married too.

All this Fact or Fiction?
Well we live it from day to day, and love it.

I am glad you enjoy it and much as I do.

sharon

Anonymous said...

This was great help for my project thnx!