Robin Hood

[maggot]

Hello again.
Another thing with which I could use some help is connected with this scene from Costner's "Robin Hood" ,where a bunch of "Celts" pillages Robin's hideout. I know that those "Celts" are quite out of their times, because they look to me more like Germans form 7 centuries earlier. However I may be wrong, so if you watched the movie and can shortly point the historical mistakes concerning the "Celts" in the movie I would be grateful.

I think the origins of the Robin Hood myth are quite interesting. Who am I describing here?

He was an outlaw. He had his hideout in a great forest. He is always described as wearing a green outfit. He had a wife/lover named Marion. He fought tirelessly against the forces of a usurping King of England in the name of his true King. He was unmatched in his skill with weapons. He was a great hero of the common people though often hated by the nobles. One of his constant companions was a priest or monk.

How many of you have guessed the correct answer, which is...


Sir William Wallace!

[galadriel27]

Neil,

I joined scotland.com a few days ago and after reading many messages I got to the conclusion that you definitely one of the most learned and intelligent people over here.
I actually learnt a few things that I didn't know and I'm quite grateful!
May I ask you what you do for living? And where do you live at the moment?

Keep posting "culture".

Cheers
Galadriel

[Hirta]

Originally posted by Neil_Caple
I think the origins of the Robin Hood myth are quite interesting. Who am I describing here?

He was an outlaw. He had his hideout in a great forest. He is always described as wearing a green outfit. He had a wife/lover named Marion. He fought tirelessly against the forces of a usurping King of England in the name of his true King. He was unmatched in his skill with weapons. He was a great hero of the common people though often hated by the nobles. One of his constant companions was a priest or monk.

How many of you have guessed the correct answer, which is...


Sir William Wallace!

Neil, is this a serious suggestion? I've not heard this theory before.

[ANDY-J]

It is doubtful if Robin Hood was a real historical figure.In mediaeval times there were professional story tellers called bards or minstrels and they would have a vast repertoire of traditional folk tales which they had memorised.Through time these tales would be added to and embellished with the exploits of real heros such as Wallace so the Robin Hood tale is probably a patchwork of fiction and genuine history and could incorporate some of Wallace's exploits.One of the Robin Hood legends identifies him as the 'heir to the Earldom of Huntingdon'.The Earldom of Huntingdon was held by King David of Scotland and subsequently by the Bruces and the final Scot to hold the title 'heir to the earldom of Huntingdon' was Robert the Bruce.

[Steaphan]

Another man whose exploits may have been used to create the myth of Robin Hood (if he is indeed a myth) may well have been Rob Roy MacGregor. Rob Ruadh was well-known for his generosity and such to the common folk in the Highlands. According to oral tradition, he would often give the people some of the food, and money that he got from robbing officials and such like. There is one such story I read about his generosity to a woman in the Loch Lomond area.

Yes I am seriously suggesting that the Robin Hood myth borrows heavily from the exploits of Sir William Wallace. When I listed the similarities I forgot to mention the one about the local sheriff taking Marion captive in order to lure the fugitive into an ambush.

The problem I see with the Rob Roy theory is that Rob Roy lived in the 18th Century and I am pretty sure there were Robin Hood stories well before then.