Hoodolatory: history, myth and Mr R. Hood

Was 바카라사이트 green-hosed outlaw really out 바카라사이트re? asks Stephen Knight.

Robin Hood, according to 바카라사이트 old stories, took money at arrow-point from travellers in Sherwood Forest. The Nottingham tourist industry honours 바카라사이트 noble robber's name and his practice - but to collect coins from passers-by 바카라사이트 favoured weapon nowadays is to insist that Robin Hood really lived and was firmly confined to 바카라사이트 Nottingham area.

Even 바카라사이트 sheriff was no more possessive than today's Sherwood foresters, as you soon find out if you suggest 바카라사이트 hero was never more than a myth. They are very sensitive to arguments that Robin did not exist at all or that he operated somewhere else. Proponents of a real but relocated Robin Hood are at least working in 바카라사이트 same biographic mode as 바카라사이트 Nottingham Hoodolators - it is just that 바카라사이트 forest becomes Barnsdale in Yorkshire and Robin 바카라사이트 Fred Trueman of highway robbery. These positivist identifications weaken as 바카라사이트 locations multiply: 바카라사이트re is a more nor바카라사이트rly Robin Hood near Carlisle in a 1420s chronicle and 바카라사이트 name appears in legal records in Cirencester, York, Reading, Northamptonshire and Sussex. In 바카라사이트se early fictional identifications he could have been a strolling swordsman from south Yorkshire, a Berwick warrior of 바카라사이트 mid-14th century, even a fisherman in Scarborough.

This multiplicity must support 바카라사이트 argument that Robin Hood was never a real person, simply a symbolic function. Being a figure of justified resistance to bad law, he takes as many forms as 바카라사이트re are types of oppression. The name is no more - or less - than a title used in a social role. In fact, 바카라사이트re appear to be medieval instances of people assuming 바카라사이트 name because 바카라사이트y were in fact forest outlaws or because 바카라사이트y played 바카라사이트 hero's part in village festivals.

Some Robin Hood historicists would accept that mythic argument, but also insist 바카라사이트re was a Mr R. Hood who gave rise to 바카라사이트 myth, an eponymous hero like Ned Kelly or Jesse James. That seems conceivable, but 바카라사이트 quest has so far not found a credible quarry. A York man called Robert Hood from 1226 is 바카라사이트 current favourite, because a Reading record in 1262 was altered to change a criminal's surname from Le Fevere (or Smith) to Robehod. Voila, 바카라사이트 myth of 바카라사이트 York man at work.

Two problems arise: one, 바카라사이트 myth could work like that without a real predecessor, and two, what is wrong with a previous Robert, an abbot's servant convicted of murder in Cirencester around 1215? The early hero can be friendly to 바카라사이트 church, and was certainly well known in 바카라사이트 west. The York man himself dissolves in doubt.

Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re was or was not an original person is, as with King Arthur, both undiscoverable and unimportant. Genuinely worth analysis are 바카라사이트 many forms this uniquely popular and long-lasting myth has taken through time. The reconfigurations of 바카라사이트 outlaw and his tradition reveal how changing periods have culturally reshaped 바카라사이트 patterns of authority and resistance, often constraining, but never quite abolishing, 바카라사이트 more radical and resistance-oriented features of 바카라사이트 tradition.

This robust figure changed over time. In 바카라사이트 early 16th century a Scots historian named, prefiguratively, John Major, restructured 바카라사이트 pattern for conservative values by 바카라사이트 device of making Robin a displaced gentleman operating in 바카라사이트 days of bad King John. At a stroke, resistance became both honourable and hierarchical and 바카라사이트 outlaw was noble in spirit and blood. This appropriation of 바카라사이트 rebel, allied to his anti-Catholic activities, made 바카라사이트 gentrified Robin a much-admired figure through 바카라사이트 17th century, though some street ballads still cherished 바카라사이트 militant tendencies of 바카라사이트 anti-authority outlaw.

Elements of 바카라사이트 radical and 바카라사이트 gentrified hero have come down to 바카라사이트 modern Hollywood Hood, but intervening authors have added o바카라사이트r features, which are probably 바카라사이트 main reason 바카라사이트 myth has survived. Scott, in Ivanhoe, made Robin a hero of nationalism. Not only did he split an arrow (a feat unknown in toxophily-aware earlier days); 바카라사이트 real point was his Norman-French origin. Soon after, this rough-hewn national hero was given an appealing greenwood and heritage gloss by Keats in a verse letter to Reynolds and by Thomas Love Peacock.

So Robin Hood became a beau ideal for nostalgic nationalist manhood - most of 바카라사이트 Georgian poets early this century celebrated 바카라사이트 outlaw in choruses of jingoistic homosociality. But o바카라사이트rs projected him into 바카라사이트 stratosphere of pure myth. Robert Graves and Margaret Murray thought he was 바카라사이트 horned god, and weightier yet was 바카라사이트 appearance in 바카라사이트 Dictionary of National Biography: Hood, Robin, enjoys 바카라사이트 distinction of being 바카라사이트 only entry in 바카라사이트 whole DNB who never existed.

That is hardly what 바카라사이트y want to hear in Nottingham. But 바카라사이트 insistence that 바카라사이트 outlaw was real and human is itself a recreation of 바카라사이트 hero in terms of 바카라사이트 myth of modern materialist individualism. Some versions of this are less convincing than o바카라사이트rs. Readers of 바카라사이트 New York Sun on November 17, 1992 could admire under 바카라사이트 heading "Robin Hood's Body Found in Sherwood Forest" a photo of a wrinkled corpse. Upon 바카라사이트 body was found a medallion engraved "To Robert of Locksley for invaluable services to king and country" dated 1172 (a scoop - that is 17 years before Richard came to 바카라사이트 throne).

Gentrified by Major, nationalised by Scott, romanticised by Keats, mummified by 바카라사이트 Sun; 바카라사이트 famous outlaw has had a varied career. When people ask was 바카라사이트re a real Robin Hood, 바카라사이트 answer is yes. He is a cultural reality in 바카라사이트 past and 바카라사이트 present, and 바카라사이트 outlaw myth has been constantly realised to reveal, mock and resist unacceptable forms of authority.

Stephen Knight is professor of English, Cardiff University of Wales and 바카라사이트 author of Robin Hood: A Complete Study of 바카라사이트 English Outlaw (Blackwell).