he was a good outlawe,
And dyde pore men moch god.
From a 14th Century Ballad
“…puts a brilliant spin on the traditional tales of Robin Hood and Maid Marian.”
School Library Journal on The Youngest Templar: Trail of Fate
As we head to the end of summer, it is time to let the Outlaw of Sherwood sleep for a while. And I thought it fitting to discuss many of the legends surrounding Robin Hood’s demise, for the tales of his death are as many and varied as those recounting his exploits.
Robin Hood’s death either occurred at the hands of Guy of Gisbourne, whom the Shire Reeve of Nottingham employed as a bounty hunter, or at the hands of agents of the King, or by the Shire Reeve himself. One very common legend has Robin going to visit his cousin at a Priory to be ‘bled’ a common practice in the Middle Ages. He traveled there only with Little John and the Priory allowed to much bled to be let and Hood could not recover. John sought vengeance on the Prioress but Robin refused his request before he died because he had never harmed a woman.
Whatever and whoever the real Robin Hood was or when he lived and died can probably never be known. But it is doubtful any character in our culture has given us as much fodder for stories and legends as the Outlaw of Sherwood. And as stated here before, Hood, real or imagined lived on through the Middle Ages in stories, poems and ballads. In fact a ballad called “Robin Hood’s Lament” (Lament being a Middle Ages word for ‘death’) became so popular with English Armies that it become a ‘password’ when the Army was deployed in France. Sentries standing guard duty would order strangers approach camps to sing a few lines of the ballad in order to insure they were not French spies. Robin Hood protected and served his countrymen, long after he was gone.
Don’t forget to visit the blog starting in mid-September for the return of “Templar Tuesdays” where, with the cooperation of www.templarhistory.com I talk about the history myth and legend of the Knights Templar. To read the previous Templar Tuesday Posts click here.
Also, don’t forget to read Paul Boehmer’s interview from last week. Paul is the voice actor who created The Youngest Templar Audios, and has also starred on various versions of the Star Trek televisions shows. So, you know, Geek Alert!
I haven’t met Paul in person yet, but we have corresponded by email. And the great thing about it for me is I feel like I’ve made a new friend. (We’ve talked about San Diego Comic Con a bit. He’s never been and I’ve told him he needs to go!) Reading his interview is a fascinating insight into how an actor prepares for a role. Having seen some his work on the screen and hearing him perform on the audios, I’ve grown doubly impressed, hearing him speak of the diligence and effort required of a performer for each type of role. As you might imagine, with writing, rewrites, edits, copy edits, galley readings and what not, by the time 
I have had the good fortune of attending many Trek Cons. It is a lot of fun. I love Trekkies as I have been a fan of the show since I was a little boy. (I still have my Kirk and Spock action figures) (
I’ll be speaking on a panel on Sunday from 12 noon to 12:50 in room 24 ABC of the San Diego Convention Center. The panel will include a host of Young Adult authors including Christopher Pike and Kathy Reichs, creator of the television show BONES, who is writing her first YA novel. It should be a lively discussion, so if you’re going to the convention, be sure to come by. Also, all of us will be signing books after the panel in Autograph area AA. Hope to see you there.
As I’ve mentioned before, the DC Comics hero Green Arrow, is a modern day version of the Robin Hood legend. Interestingly enough, GA was created by the immortal Jack Kirby to compete with Batman. In the earliest incarnations, GA had an “Arrow Cave,” drove “The Arrow Car,” had a young sidekick named “Speedy,” and instead of a utility belt had a quiver full of ‘trick arrows’ like the ‘handcuff arrow’ and the ‘boxing glove arrow.’ (The boxing glove arrow was always a personal favorite and brought many a criminal to their knees!) Oliver Queen was also a multi-billionaire, like Bruce Wayne, and took up the mantle of Green Arrow to fight crime with his exceptional archery skills.
Also, out on the racks this month is a retelling of Robin Hood in comic form. Robin Hood comes from Antarctica Press and tells the story of the Outlaw of Sherwood in verse. The art is quite nice and the story is the traditional one we’re all familiar with. However the verse is a little clunky at times. But still, if you are a teacher or a librarian looking for a way to hook a reluctant reader and get them interested in the mythology of Robin Hood, either one of these books would be an excellent place to start.
When it comes to action heroes on the big and small screens, probably no other figure has been portrayed as often as Robin Hood. From early silent films to this year’s Russell Crowe extravaganza, the Outlaw of Sherwood has captured the imagination of storytellers for centuries.
I’d like to know what your favorite theatrical version of Robin Hood is? Do you have a hankering for The Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner as Hood? (Please say no). Or is Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn more your style? Have you seen the BBC version of Robin Hood?
Most historians believe the longbow was developed in Wales around the time of the Norman invasion. Of course, bows had been used for hunting and warfare for centuries by then, but in Wales, a special new kind of weapon developed. Fashioned from the wood of the yew tree, these were remarkable weapons and trees were cut and the wood cured for 2-4 years before a bowyer would fashion it into a bow stave. Yew wood was used because the interior wood, or heart wood, was strong, while the outer wood was tensile and strong. The bowstrings where made of linen, hemp or what Americans would call rawhide and the English might call ‘hoppus’ at the time. The bow staves were anywhere from 4′ to 6′ feet long. Hence the name ‘Longbow.’
Have you visited your local cinema yet to see the new Russell Crowe starring, Ridley Scott directed Robin Hood? What did you think? As someone who has researched this time period and the individuals involved, the film doesn’t do a bad job with the history. With the exception of King Philip’s desire to invade England, which is kind of the whole third act. As far as we know, it never happened. Nor did Philip send mercenaries to England to attack the baronies and turn the baron’s against King John. Old John did a good enough job of that on his own.
The film opens with the siege of Chalus. Richard the Lionheart is on his way home from the Crusades and has nearly bankrupted England. He is forced to try to seize this castle so that he can pay and feed his army. It does a pretty good job of depicting siege warfare and it gets it right when Richard is killed by a crossbow bolt after riding too close to the castle.
There is a 
The Earldom was associated with the peerage of the King of Scotland and was passed from fathers to sons, to grandsons to nephews and fought over, ceased to exist, recreated and stamped out again. It’s quite possible that during the reign of Richard the Lionheart the disputed Earldom was claimed by Robert, who fell into disfavor with the King and his shire reeves and ministers. What makes it even more difficult, as if the English records keepers of the time wanted to torment modern historians, ‘Robin Hood’ became a common alias used by Shire Reeves and Bailiffs when they arrested someone who’s name was unknown and used as a place holder until their identity could be confirmed. Medieval records are rife with ‘Robin Hoods’ being arrested all over England.
It might be impossible to overemphasize how ingrained in medieval English society the Robin Hood legend became during the high Middle Ages. Despite the confusion over his true identity, it could be argued that “Robin Hood” in all his many incarnations became the first ‘action hero’ of our culture. And because printed material was rare in the 12th and 13th century, the oral tradition of storytelling took up the exploits of everyone’s favorite outlaw and sent it across the English countryside like wildfire.
Medieval maps are dotted with references to “Robin Hood’s Well” “Robin Hood’s Glen” “Robin’s Wood” and many other references to the brave outlaw. In later years, communities and villages celebrated “Robin Hood’s Day” with plays, feasts, wrestling matches and other festivities. In all the dramatic interpretations of the time, whether staged plays in London, or comical farces on the village green, Robin easily bests the Sheriff, Guy of Gisborne (the evil Bounty Hunter) and whatever other nefarious men attempt to best him.
The Merry Men who followed Robin Hood in legend, song and stories are nearly always portrayed as a happy group of outlaws who reign havoc on the Sheriff and rich nobles of Sherwood and coming to Robin’s aid when he has gotten to smart for his own good and been captured.
Most of the Robin Hood tales, regardless of the origin, include mention of the prominent ‘Merry Men’ most notably Little John, Will Scarlet, Allan Aydale (with dozens of different spellings of his last name) Much The Miller’s Son and of course Friar Tuck. But while the tales tell of Robin and his men as happy outlaws enjoying their fame as cunning foils for the Sheriff and the King. But in reality the term “Merry” in the Middle Ages referred to a group of men who were followers of a knight or outlaw. Only in recent usage has it come to mean happy or celebratory.