Robin Hood historical. Robin Hood - real person or myth? Did he exist
For almost 700 years there has been a legend telling about a noble robber. He robbed the rich, and distributed the goods taken from them to the poor. This man led a gang of “knife and ax workers” numbering more than a hundred people. Desperate people lived in Sherwood Forest (Nottinghamshire) and caused a lot of trouble to dishonest, greedy and greedy citizens.
Robin Hood was the name of the legendary hero who cared for the good of simple and honest people. So many ballads of praise have been written about him that you involuntarily begin to believe in the reality of this person. But did the noble robber live in reality or the legends about him - beautiful myth that has nothing to do with real life?
In the second half of the 15th century, an unknown author wrote 4 ballads dedicated to the brave leader of forest robbers. In the first ballad the story is about how Robin helps a poor knight ruined by a greedy abbot. The poor fellow is lent a large sum of money, and the noble leader of the robbers' faithful squire, Little Joe, is given to help. He was a huge fellow, endowed with immeasurable strength. Naturally, the knight takes revenge on the greedy abbot, and good triumphs.
Second ballad is dedicated to the conflict between the sheriff of Nottingham and the noble robber. "Romantics with high road"They organized a deer hunt in the sheriff's lands, and then, with the help of cunning, invited the most formidable law enforcement officer to the feast.
Third ballad tells about Robin's meeting with King Edward. He secretly comes to Nottingham to conduct an incognito investigation into violations of the law by local authorities. The defender of the poor and the threat of the rich enters the service of the king and swears allegiance to him.
Fourth ballad the saddest. It tells about the death of a noble robber. He again begins to engage in dangerous work, but catches a cold and goes to Kirkley Abbey to undergo treatment. However, the insidious abbess treats him with leeches. They suck blood, the noble robber weakens day by day and, in the end, dies.
This, in brief, is the essence of the legends about a courageous man who faithfully served ordinary people. A great many such ballads were written. Robin is presented as a proud and independent person who opposes the rich who oppress the people. At the same time, the noble robber was loyal to the king and revered the church. Next to him all the time was a cheerful and kind monk named Tak.
As for the origin of the glorious hero, some consider him a free peasant, others believe that he was a minor nobleman. The wife's name was Marian, however, she might not have been a wife, but simply a fighting friend.
Experts studied the census registers of England in the period from 1228 to 1230. In these lists, a man named Robin Hood was found, who was wanted for crimes. This time is notable for popular unrest. They were led by a certain Robert Thwing. Under his leadership, the rebels plundered monasteries, and the confiscated grain was distributed to poor peasants.
Some historians are inclined to believe that the legendary robber was Robert Fitzug. He was born around 1170 and died approximately in 1246. This man was the Earl of Huntington, who had lost all his wealth. In fact, he was a rebellious aristocrat, but for some reason he did not oppose the king, but only opposed the nobles.
This is how Robin Hood is portrayed in Hollywood
Who sat on the royal throne during the activities of the noble robber? If you rely on ballads and legends, you can find the names of several crowned heads. In particular, this is Henry III (1207-1272). During his reign, civil war broke out in 1261. The rebels were led by Count Simon de Montfort (1208-1265).
At first, the rebels were victorious with the establishment of the dictatorship of the rebel count, but then Henry III managed to regain power in 1265. However, some of the rebels did not bow their heads to the king. The nobles went into the forests and became robbers. Among them was our glorious hero. The king took everything from him, but could not take away his noble heart. Some researchers believe that that courageous nobleman from the 13th century became the hero of ballads and legends.
Robin Hood is also associated with Earl Thomas Plantagenet of Lancaster (1278-1322). He opposed King Edward II (1284-1327) and led the baronial opposition. The reason for the hostility was that the count was not appointed chief adviser at court. In 1322 a rebellion broke out. He was brutally suppressed, and Lancaster himself was beheaded.
The king pardoned some of the rebels. One of them was a man with a legendary name. He was taken into service at court and given the rank of valet. During the year this gentleman's salary was carefully paid. Then the newly appointed valet disappeared, and what happened to him next is unknown. It is quite possible that for a number of reasons he became a noble robber.
If we consider Edward II as the main royal figure, then we can assume that the “romantic and unmercenary from the high road” did good deeds in the period from 1320 to 1330. However famous writer and historian Walter Scott (1771-1832) portrayed the image of a noble robber in his novel Richard the Lionheart. This English king lived from 1157 to 1199. And this indicates an earlier period of the existence of Robin Hood, or more precisely at the end of the 12th century.
Nowadays, many researchers believe that a bright and mysterious personality is a composite image. That is, there was no specific person, but only a popular dream of a just and honest hero-robber. It's clean folk creation, born in the environment ordinary people. Since the image was unusually interesting and romantic, it became popular among poets and novelists. Creative people have turned it into a symbol of the eternal struggle between good and evil. That is why it remains not only popular, but also relevant for several centuries..
Most Famous Character medieval epic- noble robber Robin Hood. What is the legend about? This article provides a summary. Robin Hood, in addition, is a personality who has aroused the interest of historians and inspired prose writers and poets for several centuries. The article also contains works of art dedicated to the leader of the forest robbers.
Ballads of Robin Hood
A summary of the poetic work of Scottish folklorist Robert Burns can be summarized in a few sentences. The work of the eighteenth-century poet, which is based on a medieval legend, should be read in the original. Burns' legend is an example of poetic romanticism. The main role here is played not by the plot, but by the literary language. Nevertheless, we will present a brief summary.
Robin Hood lived against fate. He was called a thief only because he did not let others steal. He was a robber, but he did not harm a single poor person. Little John once started a conversation with Robin about his duties in the gang. He, of course, ordered the inexperienced robber to rob the moneybags.
It's time for lunch. However, the gang leader was not used to eating at his own expense. Therefore, he ordered John to go off to fulfill his noble robber duty.
The young member of the gang did everything as his mentor taught. However, the victim of the robbery turned out to be an impoverished knight, who had once taken a large loan from the abbot. Robin Hood helped the poor man, providing him with armor and everything else necessary to fulfill his knightly duty. The first song tells this story. The following chapters deal with other glorious exploits of Robin.
The most popular is the version of the writer and historian Walter Scott. Based on a medieval legend, the Scottish author created the novel Ivanhoe. The work is known all over the world. It has been filmed more than once. Therefore, it is more important to analyze the image of the famous robber in the interpretation of the Scottish author than to present a brief summary.
Robin Hood in the prose of Walter Scott
The novel depicts an era of conflict between the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons. According to Scott's version, Robin Hood lived in the second half of the twelfth century. According to critics, the best chapters of this adventure work are devoted to the struggle of people's liberators against the arbitrariness of power. Robin Hood's squad performs glorious feats in the novel. People's liberators storm the castle of Front de Boeuf. And the servants of the Norman feudal lord are unable to resist its onslaught.
The image of Robin Hood in Scott's work symbolizes not only justice, but also freedom, strength, and independence.
Based on the legends about the just robber, he wrote two novels. The French prose writer significantly changed the canonical history. What can you learn by reading the summary?
"Robin Hood - King of Thieves", like other classic works, is gripping prose. The novel in question also has an unexpected ending. How is Robin Hood depicted in the work of the French writer?
In the book, Robin is surrounded, as expected, by loyal friends. Among them is John Malyutka. But French writer paid attention not only to the exploits of the fearless robber. Robin Hood in Dumas's novel can also be called a lyrical hero. He flirts with women. But at the same time he remains faithful to his beloved.
In the novel about Robin Hood, the heroes are either positive or negative. This is due to the author's style and romantic stories born in medieval era. However, Dumas' version is an unfinished story. The continuation is set out in the book “Robin Hood in Exile.”
In Russian prose
Russian writers also dedicated works of art to the noble leader of the forest robbers. One of them is Mikhail Gershenzon (“Robin Hood”).
A summary of the story about the beloved hero of the English people in any version is a presentation of an ancient legend. Robin Hood is a character with fearlessness, nobility, and a keen sense of justice. The interpretation of this or that author differs in its system of images and interpretation of historical events. The image of the main character remains unchanged.
The story of Robin Hood was probably extremely close in spirit to Gershenzon. The writer died during the Great Patriotic War. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses, he died on the battlefield “a completely Robin Hood death.”
Robin Hood is a hero whose story will always inspire writers and filmmakers. It doesn't matter how true the stories in the books about him are. The important thing is that the hero's image represents an example of honor, courage and self-sacrifice.
“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 a 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 this 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 a very real person. 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 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.
Robin Hood is mentioned in folk ballads 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 months in a year (as in the church calendar), but thirteen months. The holiday dedicated to Robin Hood, which was celebrated by English peasants for a long time, also had a clearly pagan character. 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 at the beginning of the 13th century. 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 the right hand of 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 Scarlet's real name was Gamwell and that he was the nephew of Robin Hood. 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 Boys", it was Stutley who acted as his "godfather" and named him "Little". 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 Tuck is a collective image that combines 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, the character named Marian has as long a history as 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.
Robin Hood's greatest enemy is 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 the 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.
Sheriff - actor 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. This is a skilled and brave warrior, excellent at sword fighting and good archery. 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 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"
IN Lately In England, several attempts were made to debunk the beautiful legend of 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 as a historical figure, but 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 what he is portrayed in folk songs, legends, 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 spare the monk Tuka, 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, the professor outdid everyone English literature from Cardiff University 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 qualities 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 English writers, for example, poets, addressed the theme of the adventures of Robin Hood 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. It can be said that modern look Robin Hood owes his 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 dark forest». 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 the adventures of 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, then 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 Tuk was a vagrant, and one of negative characters books bears the surname 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.
Screen life 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 Locksley 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. Main villain in Robin of Sherwood - the powerful sorcerer Baron de Belham. 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 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 needs for labor force.
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.
Robin Hood owes his name not to the English word “good,” that is, “good,” as Russian readers usually believe. The most common belief is that he got his nickname from “hood,” that is, a hood or other headdress. Robin Hood - Robin in the hood.
A character from English folklore, a skilled archer and warrior from Sherwood Forest who robs the rich and distributes his loot to the poor. Interestingly, this trait was not part of the original ballad character and did not appear until the 19th century. It is unknown whether the legend of the noble robber had a real prototype or whether it was based only on medieval ballads and tales, but over the past centuries Robin Hood has become one of the most popular elements of English culture, and the story about him feels great in the age of cinema and television.
Robin Hood owes his name not to the English word “good,” that is, “good,” as Russian readers usually believe. The most common belief is that he got his nickname from “hood,” that is, a hood or other headdress. Robin Hood - Robin in the hood. Attempts to connect this name with a real person have led nowhere, in particular because Robert has been one of the most popular names in England over the past ten centuries, and Robin is perhaps the most popular diminutive version of it. . It is not surprising that in medieval records there were many people named Robert or Robin Hood, and some of them were indeed criminals - but not so famous or significant as to contribute to the birth of the legend.
Robin Hood is accompanied by a squad of loyal companions, all of whom live in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, where the action of the first Robin ballads and modern films and television films mainly takes place. In the earliest accounts he was a yeoman gone into the woods, a free peasant, but later he was often portrayed as an exiled aristocrat, unjustly deprived of his possessions due to the machinations of an unscrupulous sheriff. The Forest Archer is often called Robin of Loxley - he is believed to have been born in this village near Sheffield, but this version dates from the late 16th century, while there are more early versions places of his birth, for example, the village of Skellow in South Yorkshire (Skellow, South Yorkshire), which has been associated with the name of Robin Hood since 1422.
The first reference to the poems about Robin Hood dates from the end of the 14th century, but the ballads themselves were written down only in the 15th and 16th centuries, and already in them Robin Hood has all his main features - he comes from the common people, worships the Virgin Mary, enjoys increased attention from women, he is a skilled archer, cannot stand clergymen and is at enmity with the Sheriff of Nottingham. Little John, Will Scarlet and Much the Miller's Son have already appeared in Robin's squad, but there is still no mention of Maid Marian and the cheerful monk Friar Tuck Tuck - they will appear a little later. In popular culture, Robin Hood is considered a contemporary and supporter of King Richard the Lionheart, that is, he lives in England in the 12th century.
Interestingly, the first ballads give readers a few details to determine the time of action, such as King Edward, for example, but ballads, of course, cannot be considered reliable in such matters historical source. Moreover, there were several kings with this name - King Edward I ascended the throne in 1272, and Edward III died in 1377. Since the 16th century, Robin Hood "becomes" a nobleman, usually considered the Earl of Huntingdon, and this version is still very popular today.
In any case, Robin Hood is a model for any noble robber. He collects tribute from wealthy merchants, knights or high-ranking clerics who were not lucky enough to meet him in Sherwood Forest, offering them to dine on juicy venison, obtained, of course, by poaching. True, the payment for such a dinner is usually the “guest’s” wallet. There are exceptions to the rules - in one of the ballads, Robin Hood invites a knight to dinner, intending to rob him completely, but upon learning that the knight is about to lose his land, which the greedy abbot has his eye on, he gives him enough money to pay debt to the abbot.
Robin Hood is young, tall, handsome and very intelligent, despite his simple origins. He and his men usually dress in green, which helps them hide in the dense forests. He has a sharp tongue, loves to joke, and can be quick-tempered and quick to kill. It is very interesting that in the ballads Robin keeps his people in strict submission, and, recognizing his supremacy, they kneel before him as before their lord - in medieval legends there is no hint of modern ideals equality and fraternity. Historians argue that the legend of Robin Hood was cultivated mainly among the gentry, the minor nobility, and it would be a mistake to see him as the embodiment of a peasant revolt. He does not so much rebel against the social standards of the Middle Ages as he embodies them - generous, moderately pious and courtly, despising greedy, effeminate and discourteous enemies. Although there are more than a hundred people in his squad of "Merry Men", only four or five of them, Robin's closest friends and associates, are regularly described in ballads.
At the latest, by the beginning of the 15th century, Robin Hood had become associated with the May holidays, and around the same time, Robin Hood's romantic attachment to Maid Marian (or Marion), who eventually became his lifelong friend, appeared in the sources. Marian is also portrayed either as a commoner or as an heir to a noble family, and in modern culture it is believed that eventually Robin and Marian marry and leave the forest, returning to a rich and civilized life.
Victorian era created her own Robin Hood - it was during this period that he became a philanthropist who robs the rich to give gifts to the poor - and the 20th century brought its own changes: from book to book, from film to film, Robin Hood turned from a cheerful robber into an epic national hero a scale that not only cares for the weak, but also bravely defends the English throne from unworthy and corrupt lords.
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 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 test 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 experienced a lot of negative things during this period. 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 returned secretly 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 conspiracy. 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 tyranny 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 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. Brave warrior returns from a long Crusade. Now he wants his back good name, merits, inheritance, and also to 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 green Forest, only those who have lost everything, and friends who 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. True friend Robin Hood - 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.
