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!

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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 Keeper of the Grail was published, I had probably read it fifty times. So I didn’t think there was anything new for me. Then I heard Paul’s performance and I realized there was a whole other level to the story. This is what talented actors do. They make us see something that might be or sound quite familiar in a brand new way.

Of course, I would encourage you to pick up a copy of The Youngest Templar audios, even if you’ve read the books I believe you’ll find yourself enjoying the story all over again and experiencing it in an entirely new way. And I HIGHLY encourage you to check out some of Paul’s work on Star Trek and the other performances he’s created both on television and film. For a list of his credits, click here.

Thanks for your many talents Paul, and for bringing Tristan, Robard and Maryam and even Angel, the little golden dog to life.

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1) As an actor, is the preparation you do for a recording different from what you do for a film role?

In some ways it is the same and in others it is very different. In both I read the entirety of the script I am given.  In both it is generally a last minute proposition. For a book it is common to have a week of prep time for a project before recording begins. For Film and TC it is generally a day or two before you begin shooting that you get a script and often it is only the pages that you will be shooting not an entire script.  The big difference for the two mediums is that for a film/TV role you are responsible for one character, for a book you are responsible for the entire cast of characters and the narrative.  It is a huge proposition.  I truly love recording books, especially series like Youngest Templar because I get really close to the characters and they become like friends.

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2) In the recording process, do you find yourself caught up in the story, or do you focus completely on the work.

I absolutely become involved in the story and sometimes find that (even though I have pre-read a book before I record) I am surprised at how things occur in the book as I record. There is something that happens when you speak the words out loud as opposed to reading them silently to yourself that generates emotion and attitude; that surprise in the moment, and often things happen that are unexpected and surprising during the recording of a work of fiction. That said, often times there is a director who is listening as I record who helps to keep the work in line with what an author intends. We, as recorder and director are absolutely committed to producing the best, most engaging and most honorable presentation of the Author’s work as possible.

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3) Can you give listeners an idea of the technical aspects of recording an audio book? How long does it take? Are there outtakes or bloopers?

A book the length of The Youngest Templar Series will take me about three days 6 to 8 hours a day to record. I will sit in a booth that is quite sound proof to give the listener the best quality of sound possible. The Director will sit in a room adjacent with a window and an intercom to allow for communication. There are lots of bloopers, When you sit and read a book it is very focused work and often your eyes will play tricks on you and you will read words that aren’t there or you will finish a line of text and the next two lines will begin with the same words and you might skip an entire line of text, but worry not faithful readers the director will step in, or I will realize mid sentence that I have clearly missed something and I will simply go back to where the error occurred and begin again. Then the editor takes over and removes all the bloopers and you get the finished product. There are also lots of “noises” that happen when you read a book… the reader takes in a lot of air to read and a lot of burping happens. Somewhere, out there, lurking in the dark, someone has a disc of burps that have been edited into Christmas Carols or something ridiculous like that!

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4) You’ve had roles on many of the various Star Trek television shows. Have had any close encounters with Trekkies?

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)  (Okay Paul, that seals it. Next year, I’ll expect to see you at San Diego Comic Con! MS) They are the best group of fans around.  I have been too many cons in the States and have appeared in Britain, Norway and Italy. The fans are so generous and kind and I always love to talk about the shows with them.  Some have even met me at theatres around the US where I have appeared to talk and to say hello and thank you for the work I have done. It is always fun to know that I have become part of a show that I have so enjoyed and that has been such a huge part of my life.

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5) If you had a vote, would you want the adventures of Tristan, Robard and Maryam to continue?

If I had a vote… I would say I would love to hear what happens with Tristan next. He has met such wonderful and interesting and frightening people in history that I want to see who he runs into next. I don’t want to spoil the finale for the readers/listeners but I will say I think it very emotional and so satisfying that I cannot wait to see what comes next.

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For further interviews with Paul Boehmer follow these links:

TREK’S J. PAUL BOEHMER: A Nazi Hologram Becomes a Singular Borg

Star Trek Interview with J. Paul Boehmer

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

I’m taking a break from our usual discussions of the Outlaw of Sherwood this week as I’m prepping to leave for San Diego Comic Con. Or as I like to refer to it: Heaven.

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.

Also, I’ll be tweeting live updates as I clue you all in on my Comic Con adventures. I’ll be looking for guys dressed as Black Jack Sparrow (more on that later) and in a never ending quest to add more items to my burgeoning Green Arrow collection. So follow me on Twitter at MSpradlinAuthor. I’ll be updating my celebrity stalker sightings and keeping you updated on any cool Green Arrow stuff I find. It’ll be fun! Follow me!

Can’t wait to get there, see you next week!

Your authorness

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

From a 14th Century English Ballad called The Noble Fisherman or Robin Hood’s Preferment

“…puts a brilliant spin on the traditional tales of Robin Hood and Maid Marian.”
School Library Journal on The Youngest Templar: Trail of Fate

It’s July and that means it’s almost time for San Diego Comic Con! (Please wait here for a minute, while I go breathe into a paper bag). Yes, it’s exciting! SDCC is an event I look forward too all year. And if you’re going to be near San Diego (and by near I mean within 600 nautical miles) you need to make it out to the show. If you have a ticket that is! And if you don’t well… I don’t think we can be friends anymore.

Just kidding. Of course San Diego Comic Con is not just about comics anymore. Far from it. It has become the premier celebration of American Popular Culture. You’ll find comic book artists, sure, but you’ll also see movie and television stars, people in funny costumes, writers, artists and tons of other creative people and t-shirts you can’t even get off of that thing they call ‘the internets’.

And while regular readers of this blog know I am a comic book geek, today I thought I’d discuss a couple of comic book interpretations of the Robin Hood legend.

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.

Perhaps to tie-in to the new movie this summer, DC comics has started a new Green Arrow storyline which takes numerous elements of the Robin Hood legend and spins it for a modern audience. Star City, Green Arrow’s home, been destroyed months ago, by Prometheus, and all of sudden a mythical, magical forest has grown up in the middle of what was once a ruined wasteland. Feeling guilty, alone and angry, GA takes to the forest like his idol Robin Hood, and protects the people who use it to survive in the new Star City. He robs from the rich (stealing the food intended for a high-society banquet and delivering it to the homeless) and gives to the poor. And at the end of the story, a prominent superhero shows up to check on GA and finds that in this mysterious Star City Forest he has lost his powers! What? Could more superheroes be on the way? Could GA soon have his own band of ‘Merry Men?’ I think so. Anyway, it’s a good story, so if you like Robin Hood and you’ve never checked out the Green Arrow, it’s a good place to start.

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.

After all, reading comics as a kid were a big part of developing my love of reading. One of my first introductions to the Robin Hood legend was through the Classics Illustrated version. I used to keep a dictionary handy, so I could look up all the big words used by “The Beast” in the X-Men comics. It’s true!

So if you are a teacher, educator or a concerned parent, I would love to know: have you ever tried using comics or graphic novels to get your son or daughter or student started on reading? If so, what are you success stories? If now, why not? I’d love to hear back from you!

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

‘Dost thou not mind, old woman,’ he said,
Since thou made me sup and dine?
By the truth of my body,’quoth bold Robin Hood,
‘You could tell it in no better time.’

‘Now Robin Hood is to Nottingham gone,
With a link a down and a day,
And a silly old palmer he did meet,
Was walking along the highway.

‘What news? what news, thou silly old man?
What news, I do thee pray?’—
Said he Three Squires in Nottingham Town,
Are condemned to die this day.

From a 14th Century Ballad of Robin Hood

“…puts a brilliant spin on the traditional tales of Robin Hood and Maid Marian.”
School Library Journal on The Youngest Templar: Trail of Fate

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?

Let me know what your personal favorites are. And if you’ve been to see the newest Robin Hood, what did you think? Where does it stack up against the others?

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

By chance he met two troublesome men,
Two troublesome men they chanced to be,
The one of them was bold Robin Hood,
And the other was little John so free.

From an English Ballad of the 1600’s

“…puts a brilliant spin on the traditional tales of Robin Hood and Maid Marian.”
School Library Journal on The Youngest Templar: Trail of Fate

It is interesting to think how often history and therefore course of the world turns on sometimes small things. One of those history changing inventions was the English Longbow. It could be argued that without it, England as we know it today might never have existed.

Robin Hood is said to have been the greatest archer in England in his day. Regardless if this is true or not, if the real figure that inspired the heroic Robin Hood really did live in the forest then he was no doubt familiar with the Longbow. Growing up in the forest, relying on its bounty for your livelihood, a bow would have been like another arm.

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.’

The Welsh were deadly with the weapon. So deadly in fact, that English Kings would forcefully conscript Welsh archers into their armies. When others saw its effectiveness in battle, its use spread across England. And while the movies have popularized the idea of Robin Hood and others making incredibly accurate shots from great distances, it is highly unlikely such shots ever occurred. The bow had an estimated range of up to three hundred yards, but was accurate from only about seventy-five yards out.

With heavier thicker arrowheads, called ‘bodkins’, archers could easily pierce the thin armor and chain mail worn by knights during the early Middle Ages. Even if the knight was only unhorsed by the arrow, a knight on foot is at a huge disadvantage. Most often archers flooded the skies with arrows to rain down on opposing armies. A skilled archer was expected to fire ten aimed arrows a minute, some became able to fire as many as twenty. During battle, archers usually removed their arrows from their wallets and stuck them in the ground to draw and shoot, making it a much easier and smoother process.

Using hundreds of archers to send a continuous rain of fire down on their enemies, allowed the English to become effective in Middle Ages warfare, especially when it came to settling their problems with the quarrelsome French. The French eschewed the use of the bow, considered warfare a test for knights and therefore the bow and arrow was a dishonorable method of fighting. For some of them, it might have been their last thought before they died.

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Crowe and Scott chose to put forth the story of Robin Hood as a commoner. In the movie he is Robin Longstride, an archer in King Richard’s army. There is a fairly interesting back-story to his character which is revealed in the film. Cate Blanchett is Marion (she has become the ‘go to’ actress for these types of ’strong historical women’). The costumes and settings are for the most part well done and accurate, (except for a really dopey scene where Robin and the ‘Merry Men’ plant seed corn by moonlight).

All in all I gave the movie a B. There are worse ways to spend your money, and this movie is far better entertainment than the Kevin Costner Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves debacle of the early nineties. And that’s kind of the point of a movie like this. As I’ve said many times before, Hollywood is not interested in history, only in entertainment. They are never going to let the facts get in the way of a good story and that’s how it should be.

Here is my ‘quick hits’ list of the history, the movie got right.

1. 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.
2. Eleanor of Aquitaine was the power beyond the throne while Richard was away. Richard was her favorite and she basically kept the kingdom together while he was away crusading.
3. There is a great scene where in the ‘never happened’ attack of Philip’s forces they are greeted by a raft of English arrows. It’s pretty funny that the French eschewed the use of archers during the Middle Ages. It cost them more than once. They consider it a ‘dishonorable’ weapon. At the Battle of Agincourt, the French threatened to cut off the first two fingers on both hands, of any archer they captured. (Thereby preventing them from drawing a bowstring) Of course they were soundly defeated and the English archers delighted in waving their still attached fingers at the French. This is one of the supposed origins of the “V is for Victory” which became common in later wars.
4. Prince John snivels. He’s very sniveling.
5. Prince John did not likely burn the ‘Magna Carta’ but he did go back on his word. The barons again had to come together to smack him around.

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Lies under this little stone.

No archer was like him so good;

His wildnesse named him Robbin Hood.

Full thirteene yeares, and something more,

These northerne parts he vexed sore.

Such out-lawes as he and his men

May England never know agen

Said to be the epitaph of a “Robin Hood” buried near Kirklees Priory at Yorkshire, England

“…puts a brilliant spin on the traditional tales of Robin Hood and Maid Marian.”
School Library Journal on The Youngest Templar: Trail of Fate

One of the most frequently mentioned possibilities by historians and researchers as ‘the real Robin Hood’ is Robert Earl of Huntington (in Middle Ages England, ‘Robert’ was synonymous with ‘Robin’ which only adds to the confusion). The title of Earl was also hereditary and passed down through generations, so it also difficult to determine which Earl of Huntington (also spelled ‘Huntingdon’) may have taken up arms against the King.

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.

Nevertheless, Robert Earl of Huntingdon became an early favorite of English Storytellers and Poets as the real Robin, quite likely the fact that the Earldom of Huntingdon was so often disputed, it made for good drama. The King stripping a noble of his land and title and forcing him to take to the woods and become an outlaw.

Makes for a good story, doesn’t it?

Here is a great website with lots of Robin Hood trivia and ‘facts’ (just beware on some of the ‘facts’ parts).

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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 12^th and 13^th 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.

By the 16^th century, when English history was beginning to be recorded in books, Robin Hood became the follower of every English, Welsh or Scottish Hero from William Wallace to Simon de Montfort. While each of these patriots would no doubt choose to align himself with someone as popular with the people, as the great Robin Hood, it’s highly unlikely Hood could, assuming one man stood as the hero, could be in so many places at once.

Besides, by then, Robin Hood had become the most common alias in England. Whenever freemen sought to oppose tyranny in any form, they simply repeated the phrase:

“I am Robin Hood!”

*Thanks to Stephen Dafoe for the photo of Robin Hood Road

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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.

By almost all accounts the Robin Hood legends include a group of followers, which varies in number from tale to tale. Some of the tales have Robin defending the poor and downtrodden of Sherwood with a small group of close associates. Others say Robin’s posse numbered in the hundreds.

While Robin Hood may have won the hearts and minds of the local populace, the citizens suffering under the oppressive rule of the crown, logic would seem to indicate a smaller group of bandits is the more likely truth. As large as Sherwood Forest is, it would be extremely difficult to hide and feed and equip a force of hundreds. Especially if you steal your supplies.

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.

Likely, the Merry Men weren’t all that merry. This was the Dark Ages after all, and men forced to the woods, to steal for their supper, were not likely to inspire happy feelings. If you were a traveler making your way through Sherwood Forest at the time, you were probably more than happy to not meet the “Merry Men” under any circumstances.

You can download a newly posted crossword puzzle for The Youngest Templar: Orphan of Destiny here!

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.