Robin Hood's city. Robin Hood
The troops of King Richard of England are on the verge of setting off on another Crusade. But in order for the kingdom to remain secure, it is necessary to leave a replacement on the throne so that the appointed person manages affairs and protects the people from all sorts of problems from enemies. King Richard leaves a young prince named John on the throne. But he approaches government orders in a very unique way, literally only after feeling the power.
Being a very harsh tyrant, instead of protecting the people of England, he only begins to bring troubles and disappointments to civilians. King Richard is already in France at this point, but thanks to Lady Marian he still learns about the harsh reality. She writes a letter for her lover, who is the Duke of Huntingdon. It is he who accompanies King Richard on his military campaign. Even though Huntingdon has been very busy, he still returns to his native land to make things right. But at home, he, along with all those who arrived, is the enemy of the new king. The story of the legendary Robin Hood begins with this.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Legends that have survived to this day say that once upon a time the brave King of England, Richard, went on a Crusade to distant lands. His people remembered him as a good ruler. But leaving his kingdom, he was replaced by Prince Jonathan, who easily seized the throne. Unlike Richard, John was a real challenge for ordinary people, because he was driven only by greed and the desire for easy money. That is why he began collecting money from the ordinary population of the kingdom. One of the ruined people was Señor Robin of Locksley.
He fled to Sherwood Forest. It was there that he proclaimed himself Robin Hood, and also gathered a whole group of volunteers. The task of this company was to declare war on all the people of the new king. First they had to defeat Guy of Gisborne, as well as the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham. But even on the love front, Robin Hood will have a hard time winning the affections of the beautiful Marianne.
The Robber and the Queen (1946)
The legendary hero Robin Hood called all his brave fighters to Sherwood Forest. He had to comb all the expanses of this wonderful place to bring everyone together. The resistance leader explains to the free shooters that England and its freedom in Once again in great danger.
An insidious tyrant wants to gain the throne immediately after the sudden death of King John. This time, William of Wembrud, better known as Lord Regen, claims the throne. It was he who once created the royal council. His tasks included the goal of abolishing the ill-fated Liberty Charter, once invented by Robin Hood and his faithful assistants. Robert, the young son of Robin Hood, now leads the forest brotherhood of archers to give the enemy a proper rebuff.
Robin Hood's Revenge (1950)
1214 Great England During this period I experienced a lot of negative things. The ruler's brother came to the throne - new king John the First. Direct relative of Richard, the good ruler. John has one favorite hobby - jousting. And this time Baldrick, who is the absolute champion, and the Earl of Huntington - Robin, the offspring of the legendary Robin Hood from Sherwood Forest, are fighting.
John wishes the quick death of the son of the one who once managed to avoid royal taxes. But having persuaded Baldrick to commit a crime, he still does not know what awaits him. Robin inherited his father's courage, so he copes with his enemy. The king is very angry, so he sends his troops to Huntington to collect all the debts from the past few years.
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
The good-natured King Richard once again sets out on a dangerous Crusade. To ensure that the kingdom is not left without a leader, he sends his brother to the throne. Now Prince John is the rightful king of these lands. But unlike his good brother Richard, John immediately establishes very harsh laws.
Now all residents, including the absolute poor, must pay a large tax. But most people don't have any money at all. Fortunately, there are heroes who are ready to resist the new order. Robin Fitsus, the brave son of a huntsman in the kingdom, secretly gathers archers and brave fighters in Sherwood Forest. Calling himself Robin Hood, he goes to help all people in need.
Ivanhoe (1952)
Wilfred is a legendary knight of Saxony. In 1190, he secretly returned from the Third Crusade. While in England, he needs to collect gold in order to try to ransom the captive king. Richard - the Lionheart is in captivity of the enemy - the Austrian troops. Ivanhoe suddenly learns about the affairs of brother Richard.
John, who came to power due to this situation, makes many wrong decisions. He wants to overthrow the previous government. But to avoid this, Ivanhoe takes part in a knightly battle. If he wins, then there will be enough money to return England to its former king.
The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954)
On the threshold of 1194, the English kingdom was going through difficult times. King Richard was captured while on the Third Crusade. All this time, his brother, Prince John, ruled the state. But now that Richard the Lionheart has returned to his palace, John is secretly organizing a plot. He doesn't want to lose the power to which he is so accustomed. Even despite his blood relationship with Richard, he organizes the murder of the real king. But Richard's faithful henchmen find out about this and, while gaining time, try to ask for help from the brave forest warrior - Robin Hood, who saved the situation more than once.
Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)
There are many legends about the legendary fighter for justice of the people of England - the brave and courageous Robin Hood. being a noble robber, he often saved ordinary people from arbitrariness and injustice. As the leader of the resistance against the new orders of the greedy king, he went ahead and always achieved his goals.
So this time he faces the arrogant sheriff of Nottingham. Robin Hood will not give the corrupt policeman the opportunity to seize the family mansion from the heirs of the famous Lord Borty, a hero who bravely died in the fighting of the Third Crusade under the leadership of King Richard the First, better known as the Lionheart.
The Legend of Robin Hood (1970)
In order to return their king, England had to collect a serious ransom. Thanks to his henchmen, this was still possible to bring to life. King Richard was held captive after a clash with Austrian forces. But the brother of King Lionheart, John, the young prince, who inherited the throne at this difficult moment for England, wants to take the entire collected ransom for himself.
Having felt the taste of power, the prince does not want to give it back, but wants to manage the whole era himself. But these plans are not destined to come true when a legendary gang of forest robbers, led by the legendary Robin Rood himself, the king of Sherwood Forest, enters the path of confrontation.
Robin Hood's Arrows (1975)
Medieval English folk tales were full of ballads about the legendary forest robber - Robin Hood. It was he who rushed to help those in need and always punished those guilty of injustice. Acting together with his gang, he could face any enemies. For Robin Hood and the forest archers, it did not matter who was in front of them - a priest or a feudal lord. If this person brought only troubles and problems for peaceful townspeople, then the gang severely punished the culprit. When they encountered arbitrariness against ordinary people, you can be sure that the villain will be punished.
Robin and Marian (1976)
King Richard died suddenly. Now Robin Hood and his best friend little John have returned from the Crusades. Upon arrival in England, in the local Sherwood, Robin immediately runs into his long-time lover Marian. But old enemies have not left these places either, for example, the corrupt local sheriff. On this basis, former enmity arises again. But for Robin, who is no longer so young, he has one desire - to live peacefully with his beloved in the forests. However, the new king gives the order to destroy all forest rebels.
The Artist from Sherwood Forest (1980)
Soviet television performance.
Robin Hood is back on the warpath. But this time not only old heroes await him, but also completely new faces. The sheriff's daughter, with whom Robin had fought for so long, entered his heart. Maria has incredible beauty. Even though the forest archer has a beautiful lover, Marian, he could not resist Maria's charm. Being between two fires, Robin will have to face the next outbursts of injustice. But thanks to his loyal friends, he will again fight back against those who decide to commit injustice.
Ivanhoe (1982)
Ivanhoe is an Englishman, a legendary knight who, due to the tricks of his enemies, loses his name. He is deprived of everything, even his inheritance and possessions. He no longer has the opportunity to be with his beloved. The only thing he has is his honor, which he will never give up. Now the enemies will have to pay for all the suffering. Now, wielding his sword, and also enlisting the support of his loyal friends in the person of the robber Robin Hood, together with the mighty Black Knight, he will give a proper rebuff to all the villains who caused him such pain. Their enemy Briand De Boisguilbert, along with his henchmen, does not yet know what awaits him.
The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe (1982)
One of the most legendary stories about the adventures of the valiant knight Ivanhoe. A brave warrior returns from a long Crusade. Now he wants to return his good name, merits, inheritance, and also achieve the favor of his beautiful beloved. Ivanhoe appears in royal England precisely at the moment when a real war for the throne is unfolding. Prince John, having sensed power, does not want to return it to the hands of his brother, King Richard the Lionheart.
Robin Hood (1991)
Not all soldiers managed to return from the bloody Crusade to Austria. Robin is trying to avoid death while imprisoned by traitors, so he uses the help of prisoners. One of them is a Muslim student, but religious enemies have already united in order to get out of difficult situation. The English throne has already been seized. An impostor has sat on the throne, pursuing only selfish goals. Fellow believers remained loyal to the new king, who decided to use power only for his own personal good.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Few returned from the Crusade. Robin of Loxley, in order to avoid death in captivity among the infidels, had to use the help of one of the Muslim prisoners: religious enemies were united by a common misfortune. But the biggest threats await the hero from his fellow believers: the English throne has been captured by an impostor! Only a green forest, only friends who have lost everything and are ready for anything, only faith in their own rightness will help Robin survive the unequal struggle. And his enemies will be forced to shudder from the ominous whistle of well-aimed arrows flying from nowhere.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
The film is a parody of Robin Hood.
Robin Hood, along with a group of his friends - forest archers, tear off everything, even their tights, in order to once again confront the next villain. Prince John ascended to the throne of the kingdom completely illegally. He framed his own brother Richard, whom the townspeople loved so much. Now Robin needs to help King Lionheart regain power, and also pick up the key to the heart of his beloved, named Marian. But he still doesn’t even suspect that the keys need to be found for this beauty’s chastity belt.
Robin Hood's Daughter: Princess of Thieves (2001)
Robin Hood serves the British throne faithfully and nobly. He already had a daughter, who, fortunately or unfortunately, took after her father. Young Gwyn doesn't want to stay at home all the time. Before her father even noticed, she learned archery. Also unknown to his dad, Gwyn is very confident in the saddle and rides. Very soon the acquired skills will come in handy. Richard the Lionheart dies suddenly, and he comes to the throne brother- Prince John. By his decree, Robin Hood should be hidden in prison, and the heir to the throne, Philip, should be killed. But Gwin, having learned about this, is already rushing to help his father.
Sherwood Forest (2009)
Robin Hood is a legendary fighter for justice. Thanks to his activities, many people were saved from injustice. The leader of an entire army of Sherwood Forest robbers understands that the number of his followers is only growing every day. Twenty years ago, it was in these forests that his father was killed. Now difficult times are coming when the treacherous Sheriff of Nottingham is on the trail of Robin Hood with the goal of destroying him and all his henchmen. For this difficult task, the sheriff uses a mysterious monster who takes the form of a girl at night.
Robin Hood (2010)
He is the one who was an ordinary archer in the army of the good King Richard. He is the legendary Robin Hood, who again went on the warpath in order to take revenge on the Norman invaders. After the death of his king Lionheart, Robin, together with like-minded people, intends to put an end to injustice in his native lands and put an end to the endless victims. He is ruled by the desire for revenge, justice, as well as the irresistible strength that is given to him by the faith in him of ordinary people who are faced with inhumane injustice at the hands of the new king who has ascended the throne.
Robin Hood: The Haunting of Sherwood (2012)
A legendary archer, king of thieves and forest hero named Robin Hood sells his soul. The witch was not honest with him, and he dies in another battle. Robin Hood's faithful friend Little John and his beloved Marian are saddened by such grief, but do not intend to put up with it. Having once again entered into a deal with dark forces, with the help of an enchanted potion they are trying to revive the dead warrior. But what returns to them is not exactly the Robin they knew, and as a result they get a living dead man.
Robin Hood: The Beginning (2018)
Robin Hood returns to once again humiliate villains and help those in need. There are many legends about this hero, the threat of injustice, but now we will talk about his origin. Why did he become a hero and what motivated him at the time of creating the most famous gang of forest robbers. What had to be lost in order to gain the strength to resist such strong enemies. Being an ordinary person, faced with the tyranny and arrogance of the new king, he had the fortitude that made it possible to give a significant resistance. His imitators swarmed Sherwood Forest, creating even more headaches for Prince John, who had come to the throne illegitimately.
Who really was Robin Hood?
A romantic hero who robbed the rich to help the poor, or a bloodthirsty bandit who was idealized by subsequent generations? What is the true face of the daring daredevil named Robin Hood?
In the historical chronicles of six hundred years ago, it is possible to find only a brief mention of the rascal of the same name, who hunted in the forests of Central England.
However, it is unlikely that the petty villain would have received the attention of chroniclers if his actions did not stand out in any way from other events of those troubled times. And yet, when wars, plague and famine were commonplace, the historiography of that time devotes several lines to it. Popular rumor took care of the rest.
Through the depths of time, numerous legends about the romantic robber have reached our days, whose name is now, oddly enough, more widely known than during his lifetime. This name is Robin Hood.
Truth and fiction
March 1988 - Nottingham City Council, in east-central Britain, releases a report on the city's most famous citizen. Because over the years the council has received thousands of inquiries about Robin Hood and his gallant squad, the council decided to make a definite statement on this matter.
Despite the fact that the legends about Robin Hood have centuries-old history, members of the city council took it upon themselves to question the authenticity of the legend of the elusive Robin and find out who Robin Hood was.
After a thorough study of Nottingham's distant past, researchers came to the conclusion that the brave hero, who robbed the rich to help the poor, did not even know Maid Marian - according to legend, Robin Hood's lover. Monk Tuk, as they believe, is completely fictitious person. Little John was an angry and grumpy man, who had nothing in common with the carefree character from folklore. This is the interpretation of the research results.
Having debunked the legend, the council members hoped to gain fame as pioneers. However, they were only the latest in a long line of skeptics. Because when studying the story of Robin Hood, it is almost impossible to separate fact from fiction. And before them, many undertook to explore this exciting story, but this did not dim the image of Robin at all.
So, who is Robin Hood, where is the truth and where is the fiction about a man whose exploits still excite readers, cinema and television viewers to this day? Some are inclined to accept on faith what serious researchers have revealed: Robin robbed people on the Great North Road near Barnsdale in South Yorkshire and was engaged in looting with his gang of criminals in Sherwood Forest, 30 miles from Nottingham. Others are more attracted by the romantic version of the legend that this handsome hero actually robbed, but only the rich, in order to give the stolen goods to the poor.
Facts in history
The first reports that Robin Hood ruled the forests and heaths of England date back to 1261. However, he was first mentioned in written sources only a hundred years later. This was done by the Scottish historian Fordun, who died in 1386.
The following information about Robin Hood in the chronicles dates back to the 16th century.
According to the chronicler John Stow, he was a robber during the reign of Richard I. He was the leader of a gang that included hundreds of brave outcasts. They were all excellent archers. Although they traded in robbery, Robin Hood “did not allow oppression or other violence against women. He did not touch the poor, giving them everything that he took from the saints and noble rich people.”
We will look at this story from the most benevolent positions. Let's start with the fact that the fact of the existence of Robin Hood has documentary evidence. He lived in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The documents record that the legendary robber was born in 1290 and was named Robert Hood. Old registers give three spellings of the surname: God, Goad and Goode. But no one disputes the origin of Robin: he was the servant of Earl Warren.
How did a peasant son end up on the path of a robber?
1322 - Robin went into the service of a new master, Sir Thomas, Earl of Lancaster. When the count led a rebellion against King Edward II, Robin, like the count's other servants, had no choice but to obey his master and take up arms. However, the uprising was crushed, Lancaster was captured and beheaded for treason. His possessions were confiscated by the king, and the count's people who took part in the rebellion were declared outlaws.
Robin found the perfect refuge in the deep Sherwood Forest, in Yorkshire.
Sherwood Forest covered an area of 25 square miles and was adjacent to Yorkshire. The Great Northern Road, built by the Romans, passed through Sherwood and Barnsdale Woods and was a busy road. This attracted the attention of outcast robbers.
This is how the legend of Robin Hood, a man in green clothes, the color of the forest, appeared.
New stories
Legends about Robin abound in many funny stories about his brave adventures and tricks. One of them tells how the arrogant and narrow-minded Bishop of Hertsford, on his way to York, met Robin and his people who were roasting venison obtained from the royal hunting forests.
Mistaking Robin's men for simple peasants, the bishop ordered the capture of those who killed the deer. The robbers calmly refused: the deer could no longer be resurrected, and everyone was terribly hungry. Then, at a sign from the bishop, those around the fire were surrounded by his servants. The robbers, laughing, began to beg to spare them, but the bishop was adamant. Robin eventually got tired of the bickering. He gave the signal, and the rest of the gang arrived from the forest. The stunned bishop was taken prisoner and began to demand a ransom.
Wanting to teach his hapless hostage a lesson, Robin forced him to dance a jig around a huge oak tree. To this day, that place in the forest is called “the bishop’s oak.”
They also say that once Robin, accompanied by his best friend Little John, paid a visit to the Whitby monastery. The abbot asked them to show off their vaunted skill in archery. It was necessary to shoot from the monastery roof. Robin and Little John gladly granted his request. They did not disgrace their glory.
Passed from mouth to mouth, one of the most beloved stories about how Robin met Edward II has been preserved in people's memory. According to legend: the king, concerned that the number of his deer was melting before his eyes, disappearing into the insatiable wombs of the robber people, wanted to clear his forest of poachers once and for all.
The king and his knights, dressed as monks, headed to Sherwood Forest, knowing that Robin Hood and his gang were lying in wait for unlucky travelers there. And they were right. The robbers stopped them and demanded money.
The disguised king declared that he had only 40 pounds (a rather insignificant amount for that time). Robin took 20 pounds for his men and returned the rest to the king.
Then Edward told the leader that he was being summoned to Nottingham to meet with the king. Robin and his men fell to their knees and swore their love and devotion to Edward, then invited the "monks" to dine with them - to taste the king's own venison!
In the end, Edward realized that Robin was simply mocking him. Then he revealed himself to the robbers and forgave them on the condition that they all come to the court for service as soon as he calls them.
This story, of course, seems implausible, created by the imagination of Robin Hood admirers. But, after all, maybe not everything in it is fiction.
The fact is that this incident is described in “The Little Feat of Robin Hood,” published in 1459. It is known for certain that the king visited Nottingham in 1332. We also know that a few months after this, the name Robin Hood was mentioned in reports of Edward's yard.
However, he soon suddenly disappeared from the royal court, only to reappear in the forest and in popular rumor.
So, let's continue the story about the brave adventures of Robin Hood. He appeared at St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where a monk recognized the robber and informed the sheriff. Robin was captured only after he single-handedly killed 12 soldiers with his sword. Even while in captivity, the fearless leader had no doubt that his loyal friends would not leave him. Shortly before Robin was due to stand trial, Little John launched a daring attack and returned the bandit brethren to their leader. For complete justice, the robbers tracked down and killed the monk who betrayed Robin.
Forest Brotherhood
It is impossible to talk about Robin Hood without paying tribute to his merry band and his legendary friend Maid Marian.
Robin's closest assistant was Little John, supposedly not a cheerful fellow at all, but a sullen and very vulnerable guy. Most likely, he was called the Kid as a joke, since he was quite tall. This was discovered when his grave in Heathersage was opened in 1784 and the bones of a rather tall man were found.
As for Brother Tuck, opinions differ about him. Some believe that this legendary character combines the features of two fat monks, others believe that he really was such a cheerful person who loved to have fun and dance in the company of forest brothers. Perhaps it was Robert Stafford, a priest from Sussex (early 15th century), who sometimes, under the pseudonym of Brother Tuck, participated in the adventures of a merry gang.
Maid Marian as a character also fits well with the theory that Robin came from folk tales about traditional May holiday festivities and games. Marian could simply be a girl chosen for her beauty as “Queen of the May.”
Contradictory image
The legendary adventures of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest supposedly ended in 1346. It is believed that he died in Kirkless Monastery after a serious illness. The abbess treated Robin with copious amounts of bloodletting, as a result of which, weakened and bleeding, he never recovered from his illness.
This is the romantic image of Robin Hood, a daredevil and benefactor. But the Anglo-Saxons have a strange tendency to denigrate their idols, and Robin suffered more than anyone else from this.
Director of the Nottanham Lore of Robin Hood exhibition, Graham Black, said: “We are close to knowing the true identity of Robin Hood.”
According to Black, real story Robina dates back to 1261, when William, son of Robert Smith, was outlawed in Berkshire. The law clerk who wrote the decree named him William Robinhood.
Other court documents survive that mention people named Robinhood, most of them criminals. Therefore, researchers believe that if Robin Hood really existed, then he most likely acted before that time.
The most likely candidate for this dubious role, according to Graham Black, is Robert God, a resident of the archbishopric of York, who escaped justice in 1225. Two years later he is mentioned in written documents as Hobhod.
Where does the romantic version of the legend come from?
According to some versions, Robin was a nobleman. But this is a clear invention of the playwright, who in 1597 wanted to attract the nobility to his theater. Previously, Robin was considered a vassal of the lord.
The fame of Robin Hood as the greatest archer comes from wandering storytellers who passed on from mouth to mouth ballads about the legendary robber, recorded in the second half of the 15th century.
As for Maid Marian, they believe that she was a beauty under the care of the treacherous Prince John. She first met Robin when she was ambushed by his men. However, scientists do not agree with this version, claiming that Marian appeared in a French poem of the 13th century as a shepherdess with her shepherd Robin. Only 200 years after the appearance of this poem did it finally become part of the legend of Robin Hood. And Marian gained her reputation as an immaculate virgin much later under the influence of chaste Victorian morality.
According to legend, Brother Tuk was a merry glutton who amused the robbers with his funny antics and jokes. The monk was unsurpassed in stick fights. In fact, it turns out that Brother Tuck also existed. This name was given to the priest of the Lindfield parish from Sussex, in reality a murderer and robber, when in 1417 a royal decree was issued for his arrest, the priest went on the run.
James Holt, professor of medieval history at Cambridge University and author of Robin Hood, wrote: “Written evidence suggests that Brother Tuck organized his band of bandits two hundred miles from Sherwood Forest, centuries after Robin Hood. In fact, Brother Tuck was quite far from harmless gaiety, for he ravaged and burned the hearths of his enemies.”
Little John, Robin's right-hand man, was capable of brutal murder. It was he who killed the monk suspected of betraying Robin, then beheaded the monk’s young servant, a witness to the murder.
But Little John did a lot of brave things. One of them, which has already been mentioned, is the rescue of Robin Hood from a well-fortified prison guarded by the guards of the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham.
Regarding Robin Hood, Professor Holt wrote: “He was absolutely not what he was described as. He wore a cap like a monk's hood. There is absolutely no evidence that he robbed the rich in order to give money to the poor. The legend acquired these fabrications 200 or more years after his death. And during his lifetime he was known as a notorious looter.”
And yet, following the legends of hoary antiquity, we prefer to see in Robin Hood a defender of the oppressed and powerless, a brave and cheerful chieftain, every now and then wiping the nose of those in power.
And we want to believe that, ending life path, full of various exploits, our hero, on the verge of death, blew the horn with his last strength, as if sending news of himself to the future, and we still hear the echoes of this signal in our hearts.
“He hadn’t yet shaved his beard, but he was already a shooter...”
Once upon a time, in good old England, in the green Sherwood Forest, there lived noble robber named Robin Hood... This, or something like this, begins each of the stories about Robin Hood. And every year these stories become more and more numerous, they are invented and told by everyone who is not too lazy. The English bards with their simple ballads were replaced first by novelists led by Walter Scott and Alexandre Dumas, and then, with the development of technology, by screenwriters of films, television series and cartoons. And what is characteristic: each of these storytellers invariably came up with their own Robin Hood, who cannot be confused with the others. As a result of such collective creativity, the legend of Robin acquired new details and became incredibly complex and confusing, even contradictory.
Historians could not help but be interested in the personality of Robin Hood. With the words “now we will definitely find out who this Robin Hood was,” they put forward several mutually exclusive versions about the true Robin. The Sherwood Bandit has finally become a character about whom everyone can think whatever they want. And then there are the creators computer games made their contribution. Moreover, they thought not so much about following the letter of the legend (in one version or another), but about game balance, fun and other things that had nothing to do with Robin Hood himself. As a result, several more new Robins were born.
Now the legend of Robin Hood is a legend without a hero. That is, everyone, of course, knows who Robin Hood is, but everyone has at least a little bit of their own Robin. This, perhaps, is what makes his image so attractive, because the absence of a clear canon opens up enormous possibilities for the imagination. The legend of Robin is never boring because it changes all the time.
But behind the beautiful legend, most likely, there was quite a real man. Researchers have not yet come to a final conclusion about whether the legendary robber actually existed. But there is a lot of indirect evidence confirming that there is a fair amount of truth in the legend of Robin Hood.
Place and time of action
This is what the legendary Bishop's Oak looks like now.
All versions of the legend agree on one thing: the gang Robin Hood acted in Sherwood forest, located on the county border Nottinghamshire And Yorkshire. Yorkshiremen, by the way, still consider Robin Hood their fellow countryman and are offended by the residents Nottingham who appropriated the great robber to themselves.
The name Sherwood comes from "shire wood", which means "county forest". In the Middle Ages, Sherwood Forest covered an area of about 25 square miles and was a nature reserve in which only the king could hunt. Of course local residents They didn’t care about prohibitions and regularly supplemented their meager diet with fresh venison from Sherwood. The authorities, in turn, brutally punished the caught poachers.
Through Sherwood and its neighboring Barnsdale passed through the forest Great Northern Highway, laid by the Romans and connecting the capital of northern England York with the southern counties. This was one of the most important roads in the country, and traffic along it was always very busy. It is not surprising that the road was literally swarming with robbers. In general, highway robbery was one of the business cards England, the authorities were able to finally cope with it only at the beginning of the 19th century.
Sherwood Forest still exists today. It is a small nature reserve, measuring just 4 square kilometres, in the northern part of the sprawling city of Nottingham. Every summer it hosts the Robin Hood Festival. The main attraction of modern Sherwood is an ancient oak tree, around which the bishop caught by Robin is believed to have danced a jig. That's what the oak is called - Episcopal.
Monument to Robin Hood in Nottingham.
This is interesting: The Bishop Oak may be up to a thousand years old. Its branches are so large and heavy that even in the 19th century. I had to install special supports for them. A project is currently underway to grow Bishop Oak clones in major cities around the world.
To what time can the events described in the legend be attributed? There is no clear answer to this question. The first written mention of the legend of Robin dates back to the end of the 14th century. Thus, there was no way he could live beyond that time.
IN folk ballads oh they mention Robin Hood archery competition, which began to be carried out in England only in the 13th century. In addition, in one of the ballads there is a king named Edward. Three kings of this name reigned in England from 1272 to 1377. So, if we rely on the text of the ballads, Robin Hood lived at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries.
However, evidence has survived that dates the activities of Robin Hood to an earlier period. In 1261, a certain William Smith was outlawed. In the text of the corresponding decree, Smith was named Robinhood. That is, even then the name Robin Hood was a household name. Historians of the XV-XVI centuries. claimed that Robin lived either in the 13th century, or even earlier, at the end of the 12th century, during the time of the king Richard I the Lionheart. WITH light hand Walter Scott's version, according to which Robin was a contemporary of Richard I and his younger brother John, became the most popular.
Hero Candidates
What's in a name?
It will die like a sad noise
Waves splashing onto the distant shore,
Like the sound of the night in a deep forest.
It's on the memorial sheet
Will leave a dead trail like
Tombstone inscription pattern
In an unknown language.
A. Pushkin
You can tell a lot about Robin Hood: he robbed the rich, helped the poor, mocked the priests and the sheriff, shot with a bow without missing... But there is only one clue that allows you to find the real Robin among many "outlaw"(outlawed robbers) who hunted in Sherwood Forest in the 12th - 14th centuries. This clue is his name.
"Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown". Robin Hood shoots money from people passing through Sherwood.
By the way, it leads to certain suspicions. It has long been noticed that the name Robin Hood (Robin the Hood) strongly resembles Robin Goodfellow(Robin the Good Guy, aka Puck). This was the name of the mischievous forest spirit from pagan legends, the leader of the gang fairy-tale creatures. This is not the only circumstance that connects the legend of the Sherwood robber with pre-Christian tradition. For example, in one of the ballads about Robin it is stated that there are not twelve in the year (as in church calendar), and thirteen months. The holiday dedicated to Robin Hood also had a clearly pagan character. for a long time celebrated by English peasants. So the legend of Robin Hood may well be a later version of a pagan legend, and one of the candidates for the legendary robbers is not a real person, but an ancient forest deity.
However, this version is not particularly popular; fortunately, in ancient documents there were plenty of references to robbers whose name was Robin or even Robin Hood. Among the many versions, three seem the most plausible.
According to the first of them, Robert Goad, aka Hood or Hod, was born in 1290 in Yorkshire. He was a servant of the Earl of Warren and lived with his wife Matilda in the village of Wakefield. In 1322 Robert entered the service of Sir Thomas, Earl of Lancaster. Soon the count led a revolt against the king Edward II, was defeated and executed, and all participants in the mutiny, including, possibly, Robert Goad, were declared outlaws.
No documents have survived indicating that the former servant of the Earl of Lancaster was engaged in robbery in Sherwood Forest. However, it is known that in 1323 Edward II visited Nottingham, and the following year a man named Robert Goad appeared among his servants, perhaps the same one who had recently participated in the rebellion. This fact goes very well with one of the ballads. It tells how King Edward visited the bandit camp at Sherwood, was warmly received by them, granted amnesty to Robin and his friends, and then accepted them into his service. This Robin Hood died in 1346.
Second candidate for Sherwood legend, Robin God of Witherby, nicknamed Brownie, lived in early XIII V. In 1226, he fled from justice, and all his property, worth a total of 32 shillings and 6 pence, was seized by the sheriff of York. Soon this sheriff moved to the neighboring city of Nottingham. There he announced a reward for the "outlaw and villain" Robin of Witherby. As a result of “operational search activities,” Robin was caught and hanged.
However, the third version is the most popular. According to her, the true Robin Hood was someone Robert Fitz-Wuth, Earl of Huntington. He was born somewhere around 1160 and died on November 18, 1247. This Robin Hood could not see King Edward, but he speaks in his favor the only direct evidence. The point is that next to Kirklei Monastery in Yorkshire, which in all legends is called the place of death of the legendary robber, has been preserved Robin Hood's grave. A barely visible epitaph remains on the tombstone. Here is its text, recorded in 1702 by Thomas Gale: “Here, under this small stone, lies Robert, the true Earl of Huntington. There was no archer more skillful than him. And people called him Robin Hood. England will never see exiles like him and his people again.".
Robin Hood dies surrounded by his closest friends. The noble robber bequeathed to bury himself where the last arrow he fired would fall.
This is interesting: The current owner of the estate, on the territory of which Robert Fitz-Ut is buried, cannot stand the legend of the Sherwood robber and is constantly fighting with admirers of Robin Hood. Every time someone tries to look at the Earl of Huntington's grave, the owner of the estate calls the police. Local kids call him nothing more than “Sheriff of Nottingham” and regularly shoot at his house with homemade bows.
However, there are great doubts that under this stone really lies the same Robin Hood. Now the text of the epitaph can no longer be read in full, and Thomas Gale could well have made a mistake when he rewrote it. Author of two books about Robin Hood Richard Rutherford-Moore, although he believes in the authenticity of the robber’s grave, claims that he was reburied, and his old grave was in a completely different place.
Robert Fitz-Ut was deprived of his inheritance, and in 1219 his younger brother John became the next Earl of Huntington. Perhaps this was a consequence of Count Robert's dissolute character. The modern Earls of Huntington claim to be related to Robin Hood, although in reality they have nothing to do with Robert Fitz-Wuth. The line of Yorkshire Huntingtons died out long ago, and since then the title has changed hands several times.
It is also possible that all three were the prototypes of Robin Hood from folk ballads, and different plots of the legends go back to the activities of different robbers.
Attention is a myth: Robin Hood is often called Robin of Loxley or simply Loxley. Three villages with this name lay claim to being the birthplace of the legendary robber. However, none of the possible prototypes of Robin Hood had anything to do with any of these villages.
Merry fellows from the green forest
Let there be no stake and no yard,
But they don't pay taxes to the king
Knife and ax workers -
Romantics from the high road.
Yu. Entin, “Romantics from the High Road”
Robin's first meeting with Little John almost ended in self-harm.
“Don’t have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends,” says the Russian folk proverb. Robin Hood, according to legend, had well over a hundred friends. His gang alone included 140 outlawed yeomen. These people were called Merry Men, which is usually translated into Russian as "funny boys" or "funny men". But the word merry also has another meaning: “a follower and associate of a person declared outlaw.”
“Merry guys” usually act in stories about Robin as a kind of extras, but some of them are not only named, but also have the same coloring as the leader.
Little John was right hand Robin Hood. He is mentioned already in the earliest ballads, where he is portrayed as a very intelligent and talented person. Later ballads say that John was a real giant, and received the nickname Baby from his friends as a joke. He joined the gang of “merry guys” after defeating Robin Hood in a stick fight. Later, Little John saved Robin more than once and was the only person present at his death. John was a rather cruel man: he once personally killed the monk who betrayed Robin to the sheriff. Another story tells how John entered the sheriff's service, calling himself Reynold Greenleaf (and setting up a trap for the sheriff).
As with Robin Hood, there is some evidence that suggests Little John actually existed. His grave can still be seen in the village of Heathersage in Derbyshire. When this burial was opened in 1784, the skeleton of a very tall man was indeed found in it. Because this grave belonged to the Naylor family, Little John is also sometimes called John Naylor.
Along with Little John, the earliest ballads also mention Will Scarlet, or Scatlock, And Mach, the miller's son.
Little John's grave.
Will Scarlet is one of the youngest members of Robin Hood's gang. He was quick-tempered, hot-tempered, and loved to show off in beautiful clothes. He received the nickname Scarlet (i.e. “dressed in red”) because he often wore clothes made of red silk. Will fought with swords better than all the other “fun guys.” One of the ballads states that real name Scarlet Gamwell and that he was Robin Hood's nephew. Robin accepted Will into his squad after he killed a man and fled from justice in the forest. Scarlet is believed to have been buried in the churchyard at Blidworth, near Nottingham.
Much, the miller's son, is usually depicted as almost a boy, although in early ballads this name is borne by an adult and experienced person. Forest robbers saved him from hanging, to which he was sentenced for poaching. In most stories, Much turns out to be something like a “son of the regiment” with “cheerful guys”. Sometimes he is called not Mach, but Mage.
Will Stutley appears in two later ballads. He is sometimes confused with Will Scarlet. When Little John joined the "merry fellows", it was Stutley who acted as his " godfather” and called him “Baby”. One day, Stutley spied on the sheriff and was caught by the guards. But the “funny guys” did not abandon their friend in trouble and rescued him from the sheriff’s dungeons.
Monk Tuk was a kind of chaplain in a detachment of forest robbers. However, he became famous not for his piety, but for his drunkenness, gluttony and ability to fight with sticks. He was expelled from the monastery for disobedience and lack of respect for his superiors. Usually Tuk is portrayed as a bald and fat jovial fellow, although sometimes he demonstrates remarkable physical strength.
Robin crosses the river, sitting on Friar Tuck's back.
Tuka is usually called friar, that is, a member of a mendicant monastic order. Such orders appeared in England after the death of Richard the Lionheart. So, if Robin Hood lived during Richard's time, there could not have been a Friar in his squad.
The prototype of Monk Thuc is usually called a certain Robert Stafford, who lived at the beginning of the 15th century. This Sussex monk was indeed known as Tuck. He was the leader of a gang of forest bandits operating 200 miles from Sherwood, and later stories about his adventures became part of the legend of Robin Hood. According to another version, Monk Tuk is collective image, who combined the features of several monks who lived in Sherwood Forest.
Alan-a-Dale was a traveling minstrel. His beloved was to be given in marriage to an old knight. But the “cheerful guys” disrupted this wedding, after which one of the forest robbers, either Little John or Friar Tuck, disguised himself as a bishop and married Alan to his beloved. Alan-a-Dale appeared quite late in the Robin legends, but became quite popular character. It was Alan-a-Dale who inspired the authors of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons to create the Bard class. The village of Dale Abbey, halfway between Nottingham and Derby, lays claim to being Alan's birthplace.
Arthur Bland, like Little John, joined the gang after defeating Robin Hood in a duel. He is sometimes called Little John's cousin.
This young man in red is the wandering minstrel Alan-a-Dale.
ABOUT David from Doncaster very little is known. This “brave young man” persistently advised Robin Hood not to go to the archery competition organized by the sheriff. David felt it was a trap, and in the end he was right.
The “cheerful guys” had many friends and protectors. For example, in some versions of the legend, the king himself is on their side. The poor people adored Robin because he protected them from the arbitrariness of the authorities and helped them in difficult times. Knight Richard Lee once saved the “cheerful guys” from the sheriff, hiding them in his castle. Shortly before this, Robin helped Sir Richard pay off his debt to the abbot and regain his lands.
A special place in the stories about Robin Hood is occupied by his beloved, Maid Marian. Her character varies greatly from story to story. Sometimes she is portrayed as a commoner, sometimes as a noble lady, even a princess. In one version of the legend, Robin and Marian, after a long separation, do not recognize each other and begin to fight with swords.
In fact none of the Robin Hood ballads contain a character named Marian. They also say nothing about whether Robin had a lover. However, a character named Marian has no less long history than Robin Hood himself.
Maid Marian was originally one of the central figures at traditional May games. Sometimes she was also called May Queen. Since these games have always been closely associated with the forest and archery, they soon began to be called Happy Robin Hood. And Marian turned into the bride of the Sherwood robber. According to another version, the name Marian came into legend from a French pastoral play. Robin and Marian first connected in the 16th century. and since then they have walked hand in hand across the pages of books and cinema screens.
Task Force from Nottingham
Our role is honorable and enviable.
The king cannot live without guards.
When we walk, the earth trembles all around.
We are always close, next to the king.
Yu. Entin, “Royal Guard”
Since the good guys in the legends of Robin Hood are all robbers, poachers and their accomplices, the guardians of law and order inevitably find themselves in the role of villains.
Most main enemy Robin Hood - Sheriff of Nottingham. He commands all sorts of guards and foresters, and is supported by the church and the feudal nobility. He has the law and chests full of gold on his side. But he can’t do anything about the brave Robin, who has not only the ability to shoot accurately with a bow, but also an extraordinary mind and the support of broad masses...
"Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood". The final showdown between Robin and the sheriff.
Sheriff in medieval England he was an official responsible for fighting crime, in fact, the head of the criminal police. This position appeared before the Norman conquest of 1066. However, it was only under the Normans that England was divided into districts, each of which had its own sheriff. These districts did not always coincide with counties. For example, the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire also had jurisdiction over the neighboring county of Derbyshire.
The sheriff is the protagonist of all the ballads about Robin Hood, but in none of them is he named. Its possible prototypes usually include William de Wendenal, Roger de Lacy And William de Bruer. In any case, there is no doubt about the reality of the existence of the Nottingham Sheriff.
In the early ballads, the sheriff was the enemy of the "merry fellows" simply because he was the sheriff and was obliged to fight bandits and poachers. However, in later legends he turns into an inveterate scoundrel. He mercilessly oppresses the poor, illegally seizes other people's lands, imposes exorbitant taxes, and generally abuses his official position in every possible way. In some stories, he also harasses Lady Marian and tries to take the throne of England.
This is interesting: Several years ago, Nottingham City Council decided to remove Robin Hood from the city coat of arms. The only one who voted against this decision was Derek Cresswell, who at that time held the post of Sheriff of Nottingham. Mr. Cresswell, explaining his position, said that rumors of his feud with Robin Hood were greatly exaggerated.
In most stories, the sheriff is not particularly brave. He usually sits in his castle and thinks over new plans to capture Robin Hood. His subordinates usually do all the dirty work for him.
Another enemy of Robin behaves completely differently - Sir Guy Gisborne. It's skillful and brave warrior, excellent at fighting with swords and good at shooting with a bow. One of the ballads tells how Gisborne went into the forest to kill Robin and receive a reward from the sheriff for this. As a result, Sir Guy himself fell at the hands of Robin Hood. Gisborne is usually called a noble knight, although in some stories he turns out to be a cruel and bloodthirsty killer, an outlaw. Sometimes he also becomes the suitor or even the groom of Maid Marian. His appearance is quite unusual - instead of a cloak, he wears horse skin. Gisborne is a fictional character. Perhaps he was once the hero of a separate legend, which later merged with the legend of Robin.
Forest bandits greet King Richard the Lionheart.
Prince John, the future King John the Landless, fell into the legend of Robin Hood through the efforts of Walter Scott. In the novel “Ivanhoe,” Robin Hood helps King Richard, who returned to England after the crusade and captivity, to regain his throne, usurped by him. younger brother John. Later, this plot was repeated many times (with minor variations) in numerous books, films and computer games.
John indeed took the throne of England during his brother’s absence and was in no hurry to ransom Richard from captivity. He even sent a letter to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, who was holding Richard captive, in which he asked to keep the legitimate English king away from England. Some historians argue that John tried to protect his country from the not very wise reign of Richard. However, he himself did not shine with talents at all. His own reign, which began after Richard's death in 1199, was one complete disaster. John miserably lost the war with France and was forced to cede Normandy to her. Having quarreled with the Pope, he brought excommunication on England. As a result, he brought his country to complete ruin and forced his subjects to take up arms. The rebels gained the upper hand and forced John to sign the famous Magna Carta which underlies modern English democracy.
As for the simple henchmen of the sheriff and other enemies of Robin Hood, they are for the most part nameless. Sometimes, however, in the text of ballads there are names of individual guards and foresters, inserted there, presumably, for greater persuasiveness.
The Dark Side of Robin Hood
I'm the terrible Robin Bad.
I hurt people.
I hate poor people
Widows, orphans and old people.
O. Arch, "Robin Bad"
Recently, several attempts have been made in England to debunk a beautiful legend about Robin Hood.
Nottingham City Council, which had long been very concerned that their dynamic city was associated throughout the world exclusively with the highwayman, contributed to this endeavor. In 1988, the city made an official announcement declaring Marian, Friar Took, Alan-a-Dale and Will Scarlet fictional characters. Little John was recognized historical figure, however, from a noble robber he turned into an evil grumbler and a bloodthirsty killer. Robin Hood received less from the current authorities of Nottingham than his associates, but the integrity of his reputation was also subject to great doubt.
The “Jolly Fellows” treat themselves to ale after a successful operation to rob the rich of excess cash.
A book by a Cambridge University professor caused a lot of noise James Holt"Legends of Robin Hood. Between truth and error." Holt writes about Robin: “He was completely different from the way he was portrayed in folk songs, tales, and later in books and films. There is absolutely no evidence that he robbed the rich to give money to the poor. The legend acquired these fabrications two hundred years or more after his death. And during his lifetime he was known as a notorious looter, a sadistic killer, who abused defenseless victims and a molester. In a word, if he lived now, Robin Hood would not have avoided life imprisonment in prison...” The historian did not feel sorry for the monk Tuk, who, in his words, “was very far from harmless gaiety, since he plundered and burned the houses of his enemies... robbed passers-by to the last, and, unable to tame his greed, caught up with those who had already been robbed and brutally killed them... personally raped women and children, and then chopped them with axes like cattle...".
However, a professor of English literature from Cardiff University outdid everyone Stephen Knight. This pundit bluntly stated that both Robin Hood and his “Merry Men” were in fact... gay. To prove his point, Knight refers to passages from ballads that seem ambiguous to him. He also points out that the original ballads say nothing about Robin's lover, but all too often mention his close friends like Little John or Will Scarlet. Knight's point of view is shared by a professor at Cambridge University Barry Dobson, who believes that "the relationship between Robin Hood and Little John was very controversial." This opinion is also shared by all kinds of fighters for the rights of sexual minorities. One of them, someone Peter Tatchell, demands that the version of the Sherwood robber's unconventional sexual orientation be taught in school.
The desire to deprive Robin Hood of his romantic aura and turn him into a banal robber and murderer is so great that there are already calls to demolish the statue of the noble robber in Nottingham and erect a monument in honor of the Sheriff of Nottingham in its place.
However, for a huge number of people around the world, Robin Hood remains a favorite hero and role model. After all, the Sherwood robber personifies such positive traits, such as the desire for justice, devotion to friends and the desire to help those in trouble.
Robin Hood in fiction
Hair stuck to our sweaty foreheads,
And it sucked sweetly in the pit of my stomach from the phrases,
And the smell of struggle turned our heads,
Flying towards us from yellowed pages.
V. Vysotsky, “Ballad of Struggle.”
"Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood". Robin, Marian, Little John, Stutley, Scarlet and Took with trophies in the background.
Many people have addressed the theme of the adventures of Robin Hood English writers, for example, poets Robert Keats And Alfred Tennyson. Tennyson wrote the play “The Foresters, or Robin Hood and Maid Marian.” In 1819 saw the light famous novel Walter Scott"Ivanhoe." In this novel, Robin Hood is the leader of a detachment of Saxons fighting against the Norman knights who oppress them. We can say that the modern image of Robin Hood owes its appearance to Walter Scott. He did not ignore the noble robber and Alexandr Duma, who wrote the adventure novels "Robin Hood - King of Robbers" and "Robin Hood in Exile."
During the Victorian era, the legend of Robin Hood was adapted for children. In 1883, a collection considered to be a classic was published Howard Pyle"The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood." It collected and literary processed all the stories about Robin Hood that existed at that time, with the exception of those that mentioned Marian (after all, the collection was intended mainly for children, and the requirements of Victorian morality were extremely strict). Pyle idealized medieval England. In Sherwood Forest from his book there is never winter, and there is no end to the fun. Pyle's Robin Hood appears as a kind of ideal philanthropist and altruist. Pyle's collection was revised in 1956. Roger Green. His book differs from Pyle's work only in that Lady Marian is present in it.
"Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood". A mountain of corpses in the central square of Nottingham.
The twentieth century gave the world a huge number of new, sometimes completely original stories about Robin. Terence White made Robin the hero of his book The Sword in the Stone, which tells the story of the childhood of King Arthur. Michael Cadnam wrote two novels based on the legends of Robin Hood: “The Forbidden Forest” and “In the Dark Wood.” Main character the first book is Little John, and the second is none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham himself. In the novel Teresa Tomlinson Lady Marian comes to the fore, turning uncouth highwaymen into legendary fighters for justice. In the novel Gary Blackwood"The Lion and the Unicorn" tells the story of how the treacherous Alan-a-Dale takes Robin's lover away from him. In the duology Godwin Park"Sherwood" takes place during the time of King William the Red, and in the trilogy Stephen Lawhead- in Wales. In the novel Robina McKinley"Outlaw from Sherwood" Robin Hood does not know how to shoot a bow at all, but he more than compensates for this deficiency due to his intelligence. From the pen Jennifer Roberson a love-adventure duology about Robin and Marienne was released. In the book Clayton Emery The story is told from the perspective of the animals and fairy-tale creatures that inhabit Sherwood Forest. Among the huge number of books for children, one can highlight the cycle Nancy Springer, dedicated to adventure Robin Hood's young daughter. American writer Esther Friesner made Robin the hero of the science fiction novel Sherwood's Game. In this book, talented programmer Carl Sherwood creates a virtual world for a game about Robin Hood. Suddenly, this world escapes the control of its creator, and Robin Hood and other characters in the game begin to live an independent life. In the story Adam Stemple the action also takes place in virtual reality: the spirit of Robin Hood, who has taken possession of the computer, is engaged in the redistribution of the world's wealth through the Internet.
"Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown". Sherwood Forest from a bird's eye view.
Russian writers did not stand aside either. The ballads about Robin were translated into Russian Nikolay Gumilyov And Marina Tsvetaeva. Moreover, Tsvetaeva’s translation came out very freely. Robin Hood, according to the poetess, did not live in the vicinity of Nottingham, but somewhere in Scotland. Mikhail Gershenzon made a classic Russian-language retelling of the legends of Robin. If in Soviet times Robin Hood was the hero of mainly children's books, but recently domestic science fiction writers have taken him seriously. In "The Sword and the Rainbow" Elena Khaetskaya Robin Hood is a minor but very colorful character. Anna Ovchinnikova offered a very unusual version of the adventures of the Sherwood Outlaws. The main character of her book “Robin Hood's Friend and Lieutenant” is our contemporary and compatriot Ivan Menshov, who moved through time and space and became Little John. Robin's gang, according to Ovchinnikova, numbered only ten people, Monk Tuck was a vagrant, and one of the negative characters in the book bears the last name Huntington.
Many writers, although they did not write directly about Robin Hood, put some of his traits into their characters. For example, the forest robber John Vengeance for All from Black Arrow is very reminiscent of Robin Hood. Robert Louis Stevenson.
The Screen Life of Robin Hood
A character like Robin Hood simply could not help but end up on the silver screen. The legend about him has everything you need to create a spectacular film, doomed to box office success: medieval romance, beautiful forest landscapes, a love story, the struggle between good and evil, humor, brawls using all types of bladed weapons...
This movie poster features Errol Flynn as Robin Hood.
The first film about Robin was made back in 1908. However, the first truly successful film adaptation of the legend was made only fourteen years later. In the 1922 film, the role of Robin Hood was played by Douglas Fairbanks, one of the main stars of the silent film era. And in 1938 the film was released "The Adventures of Robin Hood", starring the inimitable Errol Flynn. This picture had a huge influence not only on all subsequent hollywood movies about the Sherwood robber, but also about all films of the same genre.
The classic legend, according to which Robin was killed by an insidious nun, received a completely unexpected interpretation in the film "Robin and Marian"(1976). Old and gray Robin Hood (Sean Connery) returns to Sherwood Forest after a very long absence. And he discovers that his beloved Marian (Audrey Hepburn) has long gone to the monastery and even managed to become abbess. Marian, forced to choose between her monastic vows and her love for Robin, ends up killing her lover and then committing suicide.
In 1991, Sean Connery again starred in the film about Robin Hood. But this time he plays not Robin, but King Richard. The role of Robin Loxley in the Hollywood blockbuster "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" went to Kevin Costner. The filmmakers said a new word in “Robinhood studies” by introducing a black Saracen into the Robin Hood gang.
In 1993, a brilliant comedy appeared "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" parodying films with Eroll Flynn and Kevin Costner.
Soviet filmmakers went their own way. If in Western films the Robin Hoods are all knights and nobles, then our Soviet Robin Hood is a bearded peasant played by Boris Khmelnitsky. Films by Sergei Tarasov "Robin Hood's Arrows"(1975) and "The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe"(1983) were remembered by many thanks to the wonderful songs of Vladimir Vysotsky.
Of course, there was a place for Robin in cartoons. Who hasn't played the role of Robin Hood or his friends! And Bugs Bunny the rabbit, and Daffy the duck, and even the Pink Panther...
"Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown". Whack-Whack-Whack! Take away what's ready...
In 1967, during the period of enormous popularity of science fiction films and TV series, a multi-part cartoon was shot "Rocket Robin Hood". The action of this series takes place in 3000. Robin and his gang of “fun astronauts” live on the Sherwood asteroid and fight against the evil sheriff... In general, everything is the same as in the 13th century, only the surroundings have changed.
Finally, in 1973, the Walt Disney Company took up the matter. In their cartoon, all the characters are humanoid animals. Robin and Marian became foxes, Little John, naturally, became a bear, the sheriff became a wolf, Took became a badger, and Alan-a-Dale became a rooster. The cartoon couldn't do without Robin either. "Shrek" He is, however, an episodic hero and, moreover, not very positive.
Robin Hood has appeared on television more than once. The most famous of the Robin television series was called "Robin of Sherwood" and ran on British television from 1984 to 1986. Unlike the vast majority of books and films about Robin, this series was made in the fantasy genre. The main villain in Robin of Sherwood is the powerful sorcerer Baron de Balham. And the main ones goodies two at once: after the death of the peasant Robin Loxley, his work is continued by Count Robert Huntington. By the way, both really wear hoods, and not green caps with a feather. The music for the series was written by the famous Irish band Clannad.
The creators of the science fiction series also paid tribute to the legend of Robin Hood "Star Trek: The Next Generation". In one of the episodes, the crew of the starship Enterprise has to temporarily transform into the characters of the legend and feel like real forest robbers.
Robin Hood in computer games
You can become Good, neighbor,
Or maybe I will be it,
That's why for hundreds of years
No death to Robin Hood!
Evgeniy Agranovich, “Brave Robin Hood”
"Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown". The Sheriff of Nottingham listens to the complaint of a merchant who was robbed by the "jolly fellows."
Computer games have opened up new opportunities for fans of the Robin Hood legend. If, when reading a book or watching a film, a person passively perceives ready-made information, then in a computer game he can actively influence the development of the plot. In other words, computer games allow the player to feel for some time in the shoes of a Sherwood outlaw.
The first Robin video game came out in 1985. It was an action movie called "Super Robin Hood". The same year the game appeared "Robin of the Wood". IN classic game "Defender of the Crown"(1986) Robin is one of the player's allies in the fight to unite the occupied civil war England. However, you cannot play directly as Robin in this game.
In the wake of the popularity of the film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", several games were released at once. « The Adventures of Robin Hood"- role-playing game with action elements. The player controls the brave Robin, who does all sorts of things heroic deeds, thereby increasing its popularity among the local population. On a quest "Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood" a lot depends on the size of Robin's gang and how well the player commands it. The plot of the game is non-linear. The matter could end in either a gallows or a wedding.
"Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood". Drummers made in Sherwood Forest.
In strategy "Age of Empires II" There are such heroes as Robin Hood, Took and the Sheriff of Nottingham. It also contains the Sherwood Forest and Heroes of Sherwood cards. In many role playing games you can find characters that closely resemble Robin, although they go by a different name. IN "Medieval II: Total War" Robin is gone. But by playing as England and building a foresters guild, you can gain access to a fighter called the Sherwood Archer. You can play as Robin, although not right away, in the game Shrek SuperSlam.
In 2003, a remake of the game "Defender of the Crown" was made. In a new game called "Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown", the player no longer controls one of the English barons, but Robin Hood himself. And he will have to fight against the Sheriff of Nottingham.
As in the original game, the action takes place on a map divided into several counties. Only this is not a map of England, but of the immediate surroundings of Nottingham or some other city. As a result, the “counties” have names that are quite strange for counties: Forest, Paths, Bridge, Mills, Tract. The player has many options. He can command armies in battle, storm castles, fight in tournaments, raid the sheriff's treasury and shoot enemies passing through Sherwood Forest with a bow. But it all looks quite monotonous and gets boring very quickly. It's much more fun to rescue beautiful ladies from captivity. By the end of the game, Robin has collected a whole collection of noble maidens. And where is Lady Marian looking? During a break between fights, you can chat with one of the “funny guys” or read stories about Robin’s exploits.
"Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood". Robin Hood and Little John came to visit Prince John.
A game "Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood"(2002) from Spellbound Studios was released in a series of tactical games, which also includes Desperados and Chicago 1930. The player controls the actions of Robin Hood and other “merry guys”. In order to win the game, you need to successfully complete several missions, the complexity of which is constantly increasing. In addition to the missions that are required to be completed, there are several missions that you can skip by bribing the enemy army or choosing another task.
From one to five characters are sent to each task. This could be Robin himself or his friends. Robin starts out alone, but is gradually joined by Will Stutley, Scarlet, Took, Little John and Lady Marian. In addition to these characters, whose death means the end of the game, there are many ordinary gang members who can be used as cannon fodder or free labor. A forest robber who has not gone on a mission can produce all sorts of useful things or improve his combat skills. Each character has unique skills. For example, Robin and John can knock out an enemy without killing him, Scarlet shoots accurately with a slingshot, Stutly pretends to be a beggar, and Took ties up prisoners and can solder guards.
"Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown". Robin Hood and Will Scarlet.
The plot of the game is quite simple: you need to put an end to the evil machinations of the sheriff and Prince John. There are two types of tasks: in the forest and in the city. Both here and there you can plunder the loot with all your might, replenishing your treasury. The amount of money, however, does not in any way affect the success of the game. The fact is that the gang is growing due to volunteers coming to Sherwood after each mission. Their number directly depends on the percentage spared enemies. So being too bloodthirsty in this game is not recommended. If you regularly complete missions without a single corpse, then at the end of the game there will be a crowd roaming Sherwood that far exceeds your manpower needs.
The undoubted success of the game developers is fencing with the mouse. All fights are very intense and exciting. True, sometimes it is more difficult to win a one-on-one battle than to cope with a squad of a dozen guards. The enemy behaves quite adequately: archers do not bother and shoot from cover, men-at-arms use shields to protect themselves from arrows, and mounted knights prefer to attack with acceleration. If the guards find themselves in the minority, they scatter in different directions and raise the alarm.
Not all game situations, however, look realistic. But that’s why it’s a game, to differ from reality.
The legend of Robin Hood was, without a doubt, excellent material for creating computer games. But its potential has not yet been fully realized. Let's hope that in the future we will see many new wonderful games about the noble robber from Sherwood Forest.
As they said in the famous French comedy, “Even if Fantômas does not exist, invent him.” It is still not known for certain whether there was a prototype for the most famous criminal in France, created on the pages of writers Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Alain.
But this is not about him, but about the fact that people at all times believed that evil must be fought by a daredevil who is not afraid to challenge harsh reality and protect the poor and disadvantaged. Sometimes such heroes really existed, and sometimes someone, fearing to be caught, performed feats of arms against the state under the guise of someone else, invented to avert suspicion. Probably one of the most big mysteries is located in the UK. And her name is Robin Hood.
Robin Hood is one of the greatest legends of this country. A fallen noble who was aided by a gang of outlaws who lived in Sherwood Forest and robbed the rich to give to the poor, while challenging a corrupt sheriff and a king who many believed had no right to rule England. But what do we know about him? And does it even exist? Let's try to figure it out.
His legend has been alive for centuries because he is a timeless symbol of a noble, selfless man who brought his own concept of justice to the people. IN in this case Robin Hood represents the elimination of the imbalance between the haves and the have-nots (note that Nottingham only benefited from this - thousands of tourists come to this city every year to touch the legend).
Criminal or savior?
The legend of Robin Hood dates back to medieval times, with the oldest references not found in historical chronicles, but simply as remarks and notes in various writings. From the early 13th century, several English judges throughout the country referred to the names "Robinhood", "Robehod" or "Rabunhod" in their written records. In this case, most likely, there is a generalized name for all fugitives and criminals. However, the first mention of the supposed historical Robin Hood can be found in a chronicle written around 1420. There is also the first mention of "Lytil John", who became known to everyone as Robin Hood's assistant - Little John.
An earlier (but therefore not entirely accurate) mention is found in the work of the Scottish chronicler John Fordun, written between 1377 and 1384. The source mentions the year 1266 - the year before, a conflict occurred between King Henry II and the aristocrat Simon de Montfort, as a result of which the latter wanted to overthrow the king. That's when it arose famous killer Robert Hood, as well as Little John, along with his accomplices from among the disinherited (for various reasons).
Over time, many ballads and stories have appeared about the character of Robin Hood, but none of them give a single description of the man, what he actually did. Some of these ballads link Robin to the historical figure Robert Hood of Wakefield, who, like the Sherwood hero, may have been an agent of King Edward II after the Lancastrian Rebellion of 1322. Other stories say that Robin Hood was actually Robin of Loxley, a nobleman from Yorkshire who lost all his lands and wealth as a result of the intrigues of the local authorities. However, the question is still open - when (at least theoretically) did Robin Hood exist? Under which king did he live and “work”?
The 16th century was marked by the fact that the legend of Robin Hood received a historical setting - the end of the 12th century, namely the 1190s, when the king went to fight in crusades. The stories grew with new details, for example, the short-sighted and pathetic new King John, who ruled England while Richard was away, and the evil Sheriff of Nottingham appears. The Victorian era even made Robin a national figure, a Saxon leading his fellows against the Norman invaders.
Why Nottingham?
To this day, Nottingham - and Sherwood Forest in particular - is the spiritual home of Robin Hood, but there is no real reason for this; although many ballads composed over the centuries make reference to Nottingham and Sherwood. However, we do not know the real reasons. But here interesting detail- There are two Loxleys in England - northwest of the city of Sheffield there is a small village called Loxley, which has long been associated with the legends of Robin Hood and the Robin Hood Hotel, built in 1799, as an attempt to exploit this fame.
There is also another Loxley in Warwickshire, near Stratford-upon-Avon, and here some historians have traced Robin Hood to the ancestor of one of the Norman invaders who came with William the Conqueror and settled there.
However, Nottingham will always be Robin Hood territory, and the city attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world every year, keen to see, among other things, the famous 1000-year-old large oak tree called Robin Hood's home in Sherwood Forest.
Now, after so many centuries, it is difficult to say whether Robin Hood really existed, or was it a play of the imagination of a people oppressed by power who wanted to believe in a miracle? A combination of various traditions, historical characters and romantic ideals, they came together in one picture called Robin Hood, the noble robber. And you can end with a quote from the same famous French comedy: “I would like him to really exist, and for you to meet him.
-Me too. Do you think I'm afraid of him? I admire this man."
Since childhood, Robin Hood has been and remains a hero for many (eng. Robin Hood (and not “good” - “good”; “hood” - “hood”, it means “to hide (cover with a hood)”), “robin" can be translated as “robin”) - the noble leader of forest bandits from medieval English folk ballads, according to them Robin Hood acted with his gang in Sherwood Forest near Nottingham - robbed the rich, giving the spoils to the poor.
The legend about the noble robber has lived for more than six centuries, but the identity of the prototype of these ballads and legends has not been established.
In William Langland's edition of Plowman Pierce (1377), there is a reference to "poems about Robin Hood". Langland's contemporary Geoffrey Chaucer in Troilus and Criseyde mentions "the hazel thicket where merry Robin walked." Moreover, Gamelin's Tale, which was included by Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales, also features a robber hero.
Several real historical figures have been identified, which could serve as a prototype for the legendary Robin. In the census registers for 1228 and 1230 the name of Robert Hood, nicknamed Brownie, is listed as a fugitive from justice. Around the same time, a popular movement arose under the leadership of Sir Robert Thwing - the rebels raided monasteries, and the looted grain was distributed to the poor. However, the name Robert Hood was quite common, so scientists are more inclined to believe that the prototype of Robin Hood was a certain Robert Fitzug, a contender for the title of Earl of Huntingdon, who was born around 1160 and died in 1247. Some reference books even list these years as the dates of Robin Hood's life, although written sources from the time contain no mention of a rebellious aristocrat named Robert Fitzug.
Who was the king in the time of Robin Hood? The dating of historical events is further complicated by the fact that different versions of the legend mention different English monarchs. One of the first historians to study this problem, Sir Walter Bower, believed that Robin Hood was a participant in the 1265 rebellion against King Henry III, which was led by the royal relative Simon de Montfort. After Montfort's defeat, many of the rebels did not disarm and continued to live like the ballad hero Robin Hood. “At this time,” Bower wrote, “the famous robber Robin Hood ... began to enjoy great influence among those who had been disinherited and outlawed for participating in the rebellion.” The main contradiction to Bower's hypothesis is that the longbow mentioned in the ballads of Robin Hood had not yet been invented at the time of de Montfort's rebellion.
A document from 1322 mentions "Robin Hood's Stone" in Yorkshire. It follows from this that the ballads, and perhaps the owner himself, legendary name were already well known by this time. Those inclined to look for traces of the original Robin Hood in the 1320s usually suggest Robert Hood, a tenant from Wakefield who took part in the rebellion led by the Earl of Lancaster in 1322, for the role of the noble brigand. In support of the hypothesis, information is provided that the following year King Edward II visited Nottingham and took into his service as a valet a certain Robert Hood, who was paid a salary for the next 12 months.
If we take the mention of King Edward II as a starting point, it turns out that the robber hero performed his exploits in the first quarter of the 14th century. However, according to other versions, he appears on historical scene as a brave warrior of King Richard I the Lionheart, whose reign occurred in the last decade of the 12th century - it is this version in the artistic presentation of Walter Scott that is currently most popular. Since Walter Scott used Robin Hood as the basis for one of the characters in Ivanhoe in 1819, the noble robber has remained a popular character in children's books, films and television.
One of the most complete collections of English ballads, published by Francis Child in the 19th century, contains 40 works about Robin Hood, while in the 14th century there were only four:
In the first novella Robin lends money and his faithful squire Little John to an impoverished knight to take revenge on the greedy abbot.
In the second- by cunning he forces the hated sheriff from Nottingham to dine with him on venison, which the robbers obtained in the patrimony of the law enforcement officer - Sherwood Forest.
In the third— Robin recognizes the disguised King Edward, who comes to Nottingham incognito to investigate violations of the law by local rulers, and enters his service.
artist Daniel Content Published by Rand McNally & Co ~ 1928
artist Frank Godwin (1889 ~ 1959) Published by Garden City Publiching Co ~ 1932
In the fourth- the final part of the ballad, published in 1495, tells the story of Robin’s return to robbery and the betrayal of the abbess of Kirkley Abbey, who brings him to death with bloodletting when he comes to her monastery for treatment.
artist N. C. Wyeth Published by David McKay ~ 1917
In the early ballads there is no mention of the maiden Marianne, Robin's lover. She first appears in later versions of the legend, which arose at the end of the 15th century.
artist Frank Godwin (1889 ~ 1959) Published by Garden City Publiching Co ~ 1932:
artist Lucy Fitch Perkins Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company ~ 1923
The giant, nicknamed Little John, is present in the band of robbers already in the original versions of the legend,
artist Lucy Fitch Perkins Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company ~ 1923
artist Lucy Fitch Perkins Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company ~ 1923
And Brother Tak (a wandering monk, a cheerful fat man) appears in a much later version. And Robin himself, from a yeoman (a free peasant), eventually turned into a noble exile.
artist Lucy Fitch Perkins Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company ~ 1923
There is also a known association of Robin Hood with Robin Goodfellow, or Puck, a forest spirit in the folklore of the Frisians, Saxons and Scandinavians.
artist Lucy Fitch Perkins Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company ~ 1923
Now most researchers agree that Robin Hood is “a pure creation of a folk muse.” And, according to M. Gorky, “...the poetic feeling of the people made a hero out of a simple, perhaps robber, almost equal to a saint” (preface to the collection “The Ballads of Robin Hood”, Pg. 1919, p. 12).
artist Frank Godwin (1889 ~ 1959) Published by Garden City Publiching Co ~ 1932
THE BALLAD OF ROBIN HOOD
(translated by I. Ivanovsky)
We will talk about a brave guy,
His name was Robin Hood.
No wonder the memory of a daredevil
People take care of it.
artist N. C. Wyeth Published by David McKay ~ 1917
He still didn't shave his beard,
And there was already a shooter,
And the heaviest bearded man
I couldn't compete with him.
But his house was burned by his enemies,
And Robin Hood disappeared -
With a band of valiant shooters
Went to Sherwood Forest.
artist N. C. Wyeth Published by David McKay ~ 1917
artist Frank Godwin (1889 ~ 1959) Published by Garden City Publiching Co ~ 1932
Anyone shot without missing a beat,
Jokingly wielded a sword;
Two to attack six
They didn't care.
artist Lucy Fitch Perkins Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company ~ 1923
There was a blacksmith, Little John -
Big guy of big guys,
Three healthy guys
He carried it on himself!
