Robin Hood's Era
Picture: Carol singing in Peak Cavern Castleton
TIME:
The earliest mention of Robin Hood is found in Piers Plowman written in 1377 by William Langland during Robin Hood's lifetime. It simply says "I don't know perfectly my "Our Father" as the priest sings it; I know rhymes of Robin Hood and Randolf Earl of Chester." This was followed c. 1410 by a note in Lincoln Cathedral Library that reads, “Robin Hood in Sherwood stood.” Ten years later the chronicler Andrew of Wyntoun wrote about Robin Hood and Little John being active in Barnsdale and Inglewood. A legal maxim from 1429 is “Robin Hood in Barnsdale stood.” The chronicler Walter Bower (c. 1440) relates a story set in Barnsdale, and the unknown chronicler of c. 1460 in the Luxford note has the Merry Men infesting Sherwood. The early ballads of Robin Hood are the Geste of Robin Hood, Robin Hood and the Monk, Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne, and Robin Hood and the Potter. They were published between the years c. 1450 and c. 1468, some fifty years after Robin’s death.
Professor Holt believes the “Geste of Robin Hood” was written circa 1450 and all the literature, the setting and the dates are in this later medieval period. He writes, “Major’s conception about a 13th century Robin Hood was not reinforced by argument, evidence or proof it was simply recycled through later versions of the tale and so became an integral part of the legend. Neither is this view supported by the earliest ballads, they name the reigning monarch as “Edward.” This accords with Professor Thomas Ohlgren who writes the Geste was “commissioned by one of the fifteenth-century guilds-possibly the Dyers Guild in the light of the numerous references to cloth and liveries-to commemorate Edward III not only as the protector of the English Channel but as the founder of seven of the twelve Great Livery Companies.”
(John Major, who was in France at the time may have been writing about King Richard II of England and King John of France. They were living the same time as Robin Hood.)
Barbara A. Buxton writes, “The legal and royal records for the reigns of Richard I and King John are more than adequate to detail Robin’s offences, but they do not. Neither is the name of the sheriff ever mentioned even though the names of sheriffs were recorded as far back as 1135. There were no friars in King John’s England, the first came to England in 1221.”
PLACE:
1) The Encyclopedia Britianica tells us that “the action took place not in Nottinghamshire but chiefly in South Yorkshire.”
2) The Sloane Manuscript in the British Museum, c. 1600 says "Robin Hood was borne at Lockesley in Yorkshire.
3) Sir Walter Scott places Robin Hood in Sheffield, Doncaster, Conisbourough Castle and Yorkshire generally.
4) After visiting Robert Armytrage III of Kirklees in January 1618, Roger Dodsworth while in Wakefield wrote, “Robin was born in the Bradfield Parish of Hallamshire; he wounded his stepfather to death at plough and fled into the woods where his mother sustained him until he was discovered. Then, he went to Clifton upon Calder where he met Little John who kept the kine. Little John is buried at Hathersage in Derbyshire where he has a fair tombstone with an inscription. Mr. Long*saith that Fabyan saith Little John was Earl Huntley’s son after which he joined with Much the Miller’s son.”
*The Long family, like Robert Fabyan were clothiers. Fabyan was “Master of Drapers,” historian and chronicler, in which position he was ideally placed to author the “Geste of Robin Hood” where cloth and clothing are recurring themes.
5) Joseph Hunter, the assistant Keeper of the Public Records and Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries wrote: “These open chases afforded fine opportunities for such marauders as Robin-Hood; who doubtless himself in proper person made some of his first essays in chasing the fallow deer in Fulwood and Riveling, lying so near Loxley, which beyond all competition has the fairest pretensions to be the birth-place of that noted outlaw; not sparing perchance the abbot’s herds.” (Fairest pretensions is an archaic term meaning a claim free of all obstacles).
6) John Harrison in his “Exact and Perfect Survey and View of the Manor of Sheffield and other Lands” in 1637 wrote, “Little Haggas Croft wherein is ye foundation of a house or cottage where Robin Hood was born; this piece is compassed about with Loxley Firth and contains two Roods and 13 square perches.”
NEXT Copyright © 2014, Graham Kirkby
TIME:
The earliest mention of Robin Hood is found in Piers Plowman written in 1377 by William Langland during Robin Hood's lifetime. It simply says "I don't know perfectly my "Our Father" as the priest sings it; I know rhymes of Robin Hood and Randolf Earl of Chester." This was followed c. 1410 by a note in Lincoln Cathedral Library that reads, “Robin Hood in Sherwood stood.” Ten years later the chronicler Andrew of Wyntoun wrote about Robin Hood and Little John being active in Barnsdale and Inglewood. A legal maxim from 1429 is “Robin Hood in Barnsdale stood.” The chronicler Walter Bower (c. 1440) relates a story set in Barnsdale, and the unknown chronicler of c. 1460 in the Luxford note has the Merry Men infesting Sherwood. The early ballads of Robin Hood are the Geste of Robin Hood, Robin Hood and the Monk, Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne, and Robin Hood and the Potter. They were published between the years c. 1450 and c. 1468, some fifty years after Robin’s death.
Professor Holt believes the “Geste of Robin Hood” was written circa 1450 and all the literature, the setting and the dates are in this later medieval period. He writes, “Major’s conception about a 13th century Robin Hood was not reinforced by argument, evidence or proof it was simply recycled through later versions of the tale and so became an integral part of the legend. Neither is this view supported by the earliest ballads, they name the reigning monarch as “Edward.” This accords with Professor Thomas Ohlgren who writes the Geste was “commissioned by one of the fifteenth-century guilds-possibly the Dyers Guild in the light of the numerous references to cloth and liveries-to commemorate Edward III not only as the protector of the English Channel but as the founder of seven of the twelve Great Livery Companies.”
(John Major, who was in France at the time may have been writing about King Richard II of England and King John of France. They were living the same time as Robin Hood.)
Barbara A. Buxton writes, “The legal and royal records for the reigns of Richard I and King John are more than adequate to detail Robin’s offences, but they do not. Neither is the name of the sheriff ever mentioned even though the names of sheriffs were recorded as far back as 1135. There were no friars in King John’s England, the first came to England in 1221.”
PLACE:
1) The Encyclopedia Britianica tells us that “the action took place not in Nottinghamshire but chiefly in South Yorkshire.”
2) The Sloane Manuscript in the British Museum, c. 1600 says "Robin Hood was borne at Lockesley in Yorkshire.
3) Sir Walter Scott places Robin Hood in Sheffield, Doncaster, Conisbourough Castle and Yorkshire generally.
4) After visiting Robert Armytrage III of Kirklees in January 1618, Roger Dodsworth while in Wakefield wrote, “Robin was born in the Bradfield Parish of Hallamshire; he wounded his stepfather to death at plough and fled into the woods where his mother sustained him until he was discovered. Then, he went to Clifton upon Calder where he met Little John who kept the kine. Little John is buried at Hathersage in Derbyshire where he has a fair tombstone with an inscription. Mr. Long*saith that Fabyan saith Little John was Earl Huntley’s son after which he joined with Much the Miller’s son.”
*The Long family, like Robert Fabyan were clothiers. Fabyan was “Master of Drapers,” historian and chronicler, in which position he was ideally placed to author the “Geste of Robin Hood” where cloth and clothing are recurring themes.
5) Joseph Hunter, the assistant Keeper of the Public Records and Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries wrote: “These open chases afforded fine opportunities for such marauders as Robin-Hood; who doubtless himself in proper person made some of his first essays in chasing the fallow deer in Fulwood and Riveling, lying so near Loxley, which beyond all competition has the fairest pretensions to be the birth-place of that noted outlaw; not sparing perchance the abbot’s herds.” (Fairest pretensions is an archaic term meaning a claim free of all obstacles).
6) John Harrison in his “Exact and Perfect Survey and View of the Manor of Sheffield and other Lands” in 1637 wrote, “Little Haggas Croft wherein is ye foundation of a house or cottage where Robin Hood was born; this piece is compassed about with Loxley Firth and contains two Roods and 13 square perches.”
NEXT Copyright © 2014, Graham Kirkby