Briefly about the article: It is probably not easy to find a person who has never heard of Robin Hood, the legendary noble robber who robbed the greedy rich and distributed money to the poor. His name has long become a household name, they composed songs about him, wrote books, made films. In his image and likeness, the characters of numerous fantasy heroes are constructed, possessing a bow, a quiver, a brave heart and good soul.

Arrows of Robin Hood

"Noble robber": reality or myth?

It's about a brave guy.

His name was Robin Hood.

No wonder the memory of a daredevil

The people are protected.

"Ballads of Robin Hood" (Translated by I. Ivanovsky)

It is probably not easy to find a person who has never heard of Robin Hood, the legendary noble robber who robbed the greedy rich and distributed money to the poor. His name has long become a household name, they composed songs about him, wrote books, made films. In his image and likeness, the characters of numerous fantasy heroes are constructed, possessing a bow, a quiver, a brave heart and a good soul.

But who is this hero? And did he really exist?

I. Legend: Nice Guy Robin Hood

The story of Robin Hood has come down to us in the form of medieval folk ballads, and his image was not tied to any particular era. Sometimes he is called a contemporary of Richard the Lionheart (1189-1199), sometimes - Kings Edward II or Edward III (1307-1377).

Not far from the city of Nottingham, there is a huge Sherwood Forest, through which the Great North Road, laid by the Romans, passes - one of the main transport arteries of Northern England. It was Sherwood that became the main home of the valiant Robin Hood and his gang.

"A nice guy walks through the forest country - Robin Hood!"

The origin of Robin is unclear - he is considered the adopted son of a miller, or a villan (dependent peasant), or a yeoman (free farmer). When the enemies burned down his house, an excellent archer Robin gathered a "brigade" and went to the robbers.

What kind of enemies ravaged the village of Robin? Some researchers believe that the memory of the conquest of England by the Normans in the 11th century was reflected in the ballads. The conquerors brutally oppressed the local population - the Anglo-Saxons, treating them with frank contempt. Suffice it to say that for more than a century, none of the English kings of the Norman and Angevin dynasties knew a word from the language of the people they ruled (the first was Richard the Lionheart).

It happened that the Anglo-Saxons, who did not want to submit to the conquerors, went into the forests and created something like partisan detachments - perhaps Robin Hood was the leader of just such a squad.

"In the past, servants and serfs, now - free shooters"

Under the command of the dashing ataman there was a whole hundred of young men dressed in green cloaks. The detachment included quite colorful figures. For example, Robin's deputy, a hefty thug Baby John (well, these guys had a poor sense of humor!), Whom the ataman defeated in the famous stick fight at the river ford. Or fat monk Tuk, not a fool to drink, eat and fight. There were also Will Stutley-Scarlett, the minstrel Alan-o-Dale and other very curious characters.

Well done Robin lived in Sherwood not only by robbery, but also by hunting, which in itself was a criminal act. The fact is that according to the law, forest game, especially deer, belonged to the king, and specially appointed foresters guarded the game from the encroachments of the "arrogant mob". The poacher was punished depending on the category of game - for every little thing they could cut off his hand, for a deer - hang. It is not for nothing that in many ballads it is the royal foresters who act as opponents of Robin Hood.

But Robin's main enemy is the Sheriff of Nottingham. A sheriff in medieval England is akin to a governor. This official, personally appointed by the king, exercised all administrative, police, judicial and military power in the county. He also collected taxes, which opened wide scope for abuse. Sometimes people sent from the "center" became sheriffs, sometimes - local feudal lords (as a rule, not too big and noble). In general, the sheriff of the county is a natural opponent for both peasants and aristocracy. But "good Robin" mocked the hated sheriff full program.

So, once the sheriff ordered the three sons of an old widow to be hanged because they shot a deer in the royal forest. Robin Hood disguised himself as a beggar and hurried to Nottingham. When the poor poachers were about to be pulled up, Robin, who obviously had a weakness for theatrical effects, blew his horn - his guys immediately rushed out of the forest and recaptured the condemned.

In the ballad "Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow," the sheriff complains to the king that he cannot catch the damned robber. The king advises to resort to cunning, and the sheriff, having played with his chicken brains, announces an archery contest, the winner of which will get an arrow of solid gold. The robbers, having bought into this simple bait, go together to Nottingham, however, on the advice of Little John, they change their green cloaks to colorful ones. Naturally, the sheriff does not recognize them (the poor fellow probably suffered from night blindness ...). In the end, Robin Hood won the contest, received the golden arrow, and returned safely to the forest.

"I love you," exclaimed Robin Hood,

Tough things!

That's just bad that sheriff

Doesn't know where the arrow is."

And, having written a message telling the sheriff who won the prize, he shoots an arrow with a letter right into the officer's window.

The sheriff was in a terrible rage

From a cheeky letter

And then he wondered

That didn't go crazy.

With great gusto, the ballads narrate how Robin shakes out the purse of fat abbots and monks (considering that the church was then the largest landowner and tore three skins from the peasants, such popular love for the "Christ's bride" is easy to explain).

For example, one ballad explains why the huge oak in Sherwood is called Bishop's. One day, a certain bishop came across Robin and his friends in the woods, who were roasting venison. Through thoughtlessness, the prelate mistook them for ordinary serfs and ordered his guards to seize the poachers. The robbers began to pretend to beg for mercy, but the bishop was inexorable. Finally, Robin got tired of the game, he gave a signal, and the rest of the gang arrived from the forest. The bishop was taken hostage and demanded a large ransom, and the fun-loving Robin Hood made the bishop dance a jig around a large oak tree.

Literature could not pass by such fertile material. The legends of Robin Hood were collected and published as early as 1485.

In the future, the personality of the noble robber was addressed famous writers like Walter Scott and Alexandre Dumas. Howard Pyle's collection "The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood", which was first published in 1883, is considered canonical. Pyle collected and literary processed all the classic ballads and legends about Robin and his fellows (although, yielding to the requirements of Victorian morality, he threw out any mention of the maiden Marion). Pyle envisioned Sherwood Forest as a charmingly utopian world where it's always summer, the fun is overflowing, and dashing brawls are replaced by no less cool parties, on which good old ale flows like a river. Despite the rather archaic language, Howard Pyle's book is still considered the main English language. artwork about Robin Hood, on which almost all contemporary writers and filmmakers.

A modernized version of Pyle's stories was presented by a well-known popularizer ancient legends Roger Lancelyn Green in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956). Green, leaving all the main storylines and Pyle's characters, introduced into the book the line of Robin's lover, the brave Marion (well, times have changed a lot in a century).

In general, there are countless historical adventure, love or children's novels about Robin. Moreover, stories about him are twisted this way and that.

So, for example, Michael Cadnam in "Forbidden Forest" (2002) made Little John the main character, and in "In a Dark Wood" (1997) he generally showed events from the point of view of Geoffrey, Sheriff of Nottingham. Gary Blackwood in "The Lion and the Unicorn" talks about Alan-o-Dale taking poor Robin's girlfriend. Teresa Tomlinson in the trilogy "The Forestwife" narrates in a feminist way about Lady Marion, without beneficial influence which Robin and his lads would have remained uncouth gangsters. Famous fantasy master Jennifer Roberson wrote a romantic dilogy about the love and adventures of two noble hearts - Sir Robert Loxley and Lady Marianne: "Lady of the Forest" (1992) and "Lady of Sherwood" (1999). Another "star" of fantasy Park Godwin in the dilogy "Sherwood" transfers the confrontation between Robin and the sheriff during the time of William the Red, the second of the Norman kings. Nancy Springer in the children's cycle "Rowan Hood" tells the story of the young daughter of a robber.

Jane Yolen's collection "Sherwood" includes 9 stories - from Yolen's own story about the magical circumstances of Robin's birth to Adam Stempl's story, in which the spirit of Robin Hood takes possession of a computer and redistributes the world's wealth via the Internet.

13 stories "The Fantastic Adventures of Robin Hood", compiled by Martin Greenberg, are written in the fantasy genre. You can also recall some works where Robin Hood is an episodic, but very entertaining character: "Silver Whirl" by John Myers Myers, "The Last Unicorn" by Peter Beagle or "Sword and Rainbow" by Elena Khaetskaya.

"Here the one who loses everything will be protected and saved"

Although the nobility got a lot from Robin, sometimes the robber also helped the nobles who were in trouble.

So, one knight had to mortgage his estate to the local abbot. When the time came to pay the debt, the knight went to the abbey to ask for a reprieve. While driving through Sherwood, he collided with Robin Hood. Seeing that the knight had nothing and after listening to his sad story, Robin gave him money to buy back the lands, and the rest of the free shooters showered the noble hick with gifts.

On another occasion, Robin helped a poor squire whose young bride they wanted to pass off as an old and rich lord.

One of the ballads tells about the marriage of Robin Hood himself. He fell in love with the noble girl Marion and, posing as an earl, achieved her location. Then he returned to Sherwood, and the saddened Marion, dressed in a man's dress, went to look for him. They met on a forest road, but Robin mistook the girl for a rich traveler and decided to rob. Marion also did not recognize her betrothed in the robber and a fight broke out between them (just some kind of Indian movie!). The lively girl defended herself so famously that the admiring Robin Hood offered her to make peace and be good comrades. Soon the misunderstanding was cleared up, and Robin and Marion lived happily in the green forest.

There is a legend about the meeting of the great robber with the king. True, it is not clear which of the kings is meant. It is sometimes claimed that the free shooters met with Richard the Lionheart, who was returning incognito from the Crusade (have you all read the Ivanhoe novel?). Some are of the opinion that the king whom Robin met was Edward II, disguised as a monk and personally coming to Sherwood to look at the reason for the sharply reduced amount of game in the royal lands. And although the king had a hard time from the shooters who love a simple joke, he, fascinated by Robin, forgives the forest "brotherhood" all sins and even accepts them into his service.

Death of Robin Hood

Every adventure comes to an end. Once Robin Hood felt that his hands were weakened and the arrows were flying past the target. He decides that he is ill, and goes to the Kirklei Monastery, whose inhabitants were famous for the art of "opening blood", which in the Middle Ages was considered the best remedy for all diseases.

The nuns, either by oversight or by malicious intent, released so much blood from Robin's veins that he was near death. With the last of his strength, Robin blew his horn, and Little John rushed to the call. With the help of his lieutenant, Robin returns to the forest, says goodbye to his comrades, draws his faithful bow for the last time and shoots an arrow, bequeathing to bury himself where it falls. Thus ended the life of Robin Hood.

This is how Robin Hood died.

II. Story: "The truth is out there"?

The name of Robin Hood has already become a household name in the Middle Ages. Thus, the Parliamentary Report for 1437 contains a petition for the arrest of a certain Piers Vanables of Derbyshire, who is engaged in robbery, hiding in the forest, "like Robin Hood and his gang." But the debate about the true identity of Robin has not subsided so far, because in stories about him it is extremely difficult to separate truth from fiction.

"The firemen are looking for, the police are looking for..."

The director of the museum in Nottingham, Graham Black, believes that the written history of Robin Hood began in 1261, when William, son of Robert Smith, was outlawed in Berkshire, and the clerk who wrote the decree named him William Robinhood. Therefore, if Robin Hood really existed, then he most likely acted before that time. The most likely candidate for this role, according to G. Black, is Robert Goad, a resident of York, who was a fugitive from justice in 1225-1227.

There is a mention of Robin Hood (Robyne Hude) and Little John (litill Iohne) in the "Scottish Chronicles" by Andrew de Winton in 1420. The historian relates their deeds to 1283-1285. Another chronicler, John Major, who published the "History of Great Britain" in 1521, tied the activities of Robin Hood to 1193-1194.

In the 16th century, the historian John Stowe also wrote about Robin Hood as a robber during the reign of Richard I. He allegedly led a gang that included a hundred brave outcasts. Although they traded in robbery, yet Robin Hood "did not allow harassment or other violence against women. He did not touch the poor, giving them everything that he took away from saints and noble gentlemen."

A modern scientist, a professor at Cambridge University, James Holt, writes about Robin like this: “He was completely different from what he is described ... There is absolutely no evidence that he robbed the rich to give money to the poor. The legend acquired these fabrications two hundred or more years after his death. And during his lifetime he was known as a notorious scoundrel. "

As for the maiden Marion, it was originally believed that she was a certain Marianne Fitz-Walter, a wealthy orphan. She supposedly first met Robin when she was ambushed by his gang. But most scholars believe that Marion fell into the legends of the robber ... from the 14th century French pastoral poem about the shepherdess Marianne and the shepherd Robin. And the reputation of the immaculate virgin Marion earned much later under the influence of chaste English morality.

In 1784, the alleged grave of Little John was opened at Hathersage, where they found the bones of a very tall man. It is stated that the real John was supposedly a brutal killer. It was he who once killed the monk who betrayed Robin, at the same time slaughtering the young novice, an accidental witness to the atrocity. But John did a lot bold deeds like rescuing Robin Hood from a heavily fortified prison in Nottingham.

Regarding the personality of the merry monk Tuk, the opinions of scientists again sharply diverge. Some say that this image combines two people, others are sure of the reality of a cheerful reveler. It is believed that Robert Stafford, a priest of the Lindfield parish in Sussex, who lived in the 15th century and was suspected of robberies and murders, was his prototype. When the order for his arrest was issued, he escaped and, under the name of Took, organized a gang operating two hundred miles from Sherwood. Professor Holt claims that the real Brother Took, a notorious thug, was far from harmless gaiety.

"Gay boy, gay boy..."

However, there are worse versions. Not so long ago, Professor English Literature Cardiff University's Stephen Knight discovered that Robin Hood was actually... gay. According to Knight, the few surviving manuscripts from the 14th century provide direct evidence of Robin's real tastes.

After all, no maiden Marion, the beloved hero, existed, but quite often Little John and Will Scarlett, too "close" friends of the noble robber, are mentioned. In those days, gays were persecuted, so the authors of the manuscripts, they say, could not lay it all out.

Nevertheless, according to Knight, the references to the "green forest", "arrows and swords", symbolizing puberty, clearly allude to the essence laid between the lines of the ballads. As for the tales of the "exploits" of Robin Hood, then all this is an invention of the authors of the 16th century, who worked for the needs of the heterosexual public, the professor claims. And Robin Hood gained fame not by waving a stupid sword, but by neglecting conventions, for which he was outlawed by the church and the authorities.

Well, who has what hurts ... It remains to wait for the next study to appear, which will state that Robin Hood is a one-legged black woman who suffered from Parkinson's disease and fought in Sherwood Forest for equal rights for sexual minorities. Indeed, in our politically correct age, idiocy has long been a sign of good taste.

"Mask, I Know You"

Like many heroes of folk tales, Robin Hood has not only historical, but also mythological roots. Sometimes the nickname of the robber is associated with the character of British folklore Robin Goodfellow (i.e. Robin Good fellow). That was the name of the mischievous forest spirit, the leader of either elves or leprechauns, who wore green clothes.

In England, for a long time there was a May holiday dedicated to Robin Hood, when the peasants went to the forest to collect fresh green branches. This custom indicates that popular consciousness Robin Hood teamed up with a pagan forest deity.

In addition, Hood means "hood" in English, and Robin was often said to have worn a large monk's hood. Maybe the famous hero is a collective image? And the hood is a kind of symbol of depersonalization, because anyone can hide under it just like Zorro under a mask.

III. Versions: "Gulchatay, open your face"

There are so many versions about the origin of Robin Hood that their head is spinning. Let's try to evaluate the main ones.

Version one. Loxley - villain or bastard?

Loxley's name often appears in the Robin Hood legends. Some researchers claim that he was the villain of the Earl of Warren. Others believe that Robin is the illegitimate son of a certain knight, the owner of the village of Loxley, given to the miller's family for education.

But what village in question? There are three of them in England - Loxley in Warwickshire and Yorkshire, as well as Locksley near Sheffield. And all three claim to be the "birthplace of Robin Hood"! The main thing - there is no confirmation historical existence of Robin of Loxley. All written references to him date back to the late Middle Ages and are borrowed from ballads and legends.

Version two. Is Robert Goad the victim of a political misunderstanding?

The Edward II version of Robin Hode, whose story is told in the poem "A Gest of Robyn Hode" (published circa 1510), has quite a few supporters.

A certain Robert Goad, also known as Hood or Hod, was born about 1290. Robert Hod and his wife Matilda are mentioned in the court records of Wakefield (Yorkshire) for 1316 and 1317. In 1322, Robert became the servant of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, who soon rebelled against the king. The uprising was crushed, Lancaster was executed, his possessions were confiscated, and all participants in the rebellion were outlawed. And Robin allegedly took refuge in the dense Sherwood Forest.

Interestingly, there is a document that says that a man named Robert Goad from March 24 to November 22, 1324, served as a valet or doorman at the court of Edward II. The fact is that the king visited Nottingham in 1323, where the repentant Robin could well, having received an amnesty, enter the royal service (it is not for nothing that legends are so persistently broadcasting about this). It is believed that this Robin fell seriously ill and died in the Kirkley monastery around 1346.

All this, of course, is good, but ... There is no evidence contemporary to Robert Goud, the servant of the Earl of Lancaster, which would connect him and the famous robber Robin Hood. For the first time they were united only after a century and a half.

Version three. Robert Goad - bandit and robber?

There is a court document in the London Public Archives dated 1226. It says that a man named Robert Hod of Weatherby fled from the king's justice. The document also states that the Sheriff of York took possession of the fugitive's movable property worth 32 shillings 6d, but the money never made it to the treasury. A little later, the sheriff of York took the same position in Nottingham and in 1227 put Robert of Witherby on the wanted list, calling him "a criminal and villain of our land." As a result, Robert Goad was captured and hanged.

Who was Robert of Witherby? Robbed by a greedy poor sheriff who was forced to become a bandit in order not to die of hunger? Or a vile robber and murderer? Although little is known about this Robin, he seemed to be the most serious contender for the role of Robin Hood, but ... There is another character whose existence upsets all calculations.

Kevin Reynolds' 90s blockbuster "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" is actually a remake of Curtitz's film. Yes, and the popular comedy Mel Brooks "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" parodies primarily the tape with Flynn. In total, more than 20 films were shot, including the Disney animation of 1973, and the Soviet film "Robin Hood's Arrows" with an excellent soundtrack by Vladimir Vysotsky.

Version four. Robert Huntington - a dissolute lord or a rebel?

Most serious modern researchers believe that the person who can be called Robin Hood with a significant degree of probability lived during the time of Richard I, John I and Henry III (late XII - mid-XIII centuries). He was outside the law for a long time and became so famous that his name became a household name and was used in relation to other famous robbers, whose deeds were then summed up.

Robin Hood's grave?

In all legends, the death of Robin Hood is associated with a specific place - Kirklees Priory in Yorkshire. The most interesting thing is that Robin's grave has survived to this day...

In the monastery cemetery there is a gravestone with a half-erased epitaph in Old English. The first drawing of the grave was made in 1665 and published in 1786, with the date of death recorded between 1224-1247.

Since the full text of the epitaph has not survived to this day, one has to be content with the decoding made by the dean of York, Thomas Gale, around 1702: “Here, under this small stone, lies Robert, the true Earl of Huntington. There was no archer more skillful than him. law. England will never see another like him."

So, has the mystery of Robin Hood been revealed? Not everything is so simple, because the inscription can be interpreted in two ways. Was the late Robin Hood himself or was he simply compared to the famous robber?

The "Huntington" version has many opponents, but none of them deny the authenticity of the stone and the inscription on it. They dispute either the interpretation of the epitaph, or its adequacy to real events. Be that as it may, the epitaph on the Kirkley tombstone - the only real evidence from time immemorial, directly identifying a very specific person with a legendary folk hero. On the side of the rest of the "applicants" - only guesses and circumstantial evidence, often frankly far-fetched.

But who is this "true Earl of Huntington"?

royal kinsmen

Of course, computer games are also dedicated to Robin.

Let's make a reservation right away - the modern Earls of Huntington have nothing to do with Robin Hood, although they claim some kind of relationship. The fact is that titles changed hands so often that there were practically no blood descendants of the so-called historical nobility in England. In general, there were several Huntingtons among aristocratic families - from Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Cambridgeshire and Worcestershire. "Our" Huntingtons are most likely Yorkshire.

Their ancestor was the Norman Gilbert de Gaunt, who arrived in England with William the Conqueror and later received the title of Earl of Lindsay. His great granddaughter Adeline married Henry Canmore, Earl of Northumberland and Huntington, grandson of King David I of Scotland. Their fifth child, David, Earl of Lennox, became the second Earl of Huntington, marking the beginning of the "Scottish" branch of this family. He married Matilda, the daughter of one of the largest Welsh feudal lords, the Earl of Chester. And this noble couple had seven children, the eldest of whom was named Robert ...

"His Name Was Robert"

There is very little reliable information about his life. Full name- Robert Fitz-Uth (Robert Fitzooth / Filii Ooth, which could transform into "Robin Hood"), was born no earlier than 1180 and no later than 1207. Although he was the eldest son, after the death of his father in 1219, his younger brother John became the next earl. This fact, according to the supporters of the "Huntington" version, is an indirect proof of their correctness. Indeed, in order to deprive the rightful heir of the rights to the title, very good reasons were needed - the simple desire of the family was not enough, a special decree of the king was required. Maybe the reason is that Robert became the chieftain of the robbers?

It is curious that a number of folk legends claim that Robin Hood received the title of 1st Earl of Huntington from the king for some merit. And although this is not true, the appearance of such rumors certainly had some basis.

The "Scottish" branch of the Yorkshire Huntingtons died out at the end of the 13th century. And the basic information about Robert is taken from the Scottish royal archive, because the Huntingtons are closely related to the Scots. For example, Robert's younger sisters married prominent members of the Scottish aristocracy: Margaret married John Balliol, and Isabella married Robert the Bruce. About a century passed, and the descendants of both sisters took the royal throne. national hero Scotland's Robert the Bruce - a distant relative of Robin Hood?

Where did Loxley, for example, come from? It may very well be that the bards who composed ballads about the "good Robin" adjusted to the tastes of their main audience - ordinary people who were more interested in listening to stories about the exploits of a hero "socially close" to them than some kind of count's son.

Hero for all time

In 1988, the authorities of Nottingham decided to conduct their own study of the personality of the great countryman. A number of scientists involved in this project came to the conclusion that the brave hero was nowhere near as romantic as in the legends. That no maiden Marion existed. That Friar Took, Will Scarlett, and Alan-o-Dale were fictitious individuals, and Little John was an evil degenerate and bloody murderer.

Well, maybe it is so... But many peoples have heroes whom those in power declared criminals - Klaus Stertebeker, Fra Diavolo, Kartush, Janoshik, Stepan Razin... And although in reality they were thugs, swindlers, adventurers, people composed legends about them, sang songs, wrote books. And their memory lives on to this day.

The name of the desperate guy from "good old England" Robin Hood is in our hearts. And it doesn't matter who he really was and whether he was at all - for us he is one of the "eternal" heroes of mankind, the protector of the oppressed and disenfranchised, the brave leader of the cheerful daredevils who do not give up strong of the world this.

All who are driven, restless,

They run into this free forest,

Because the owner is here -

Good boy Robin Hood!

(V. Vysotsky)

Rescuing Lady Marion Liford from him, Robin gathers a gang of outcasts - the former soldier Will Scarlett, the healthy shepherd Baby John, the cheerful monk Took, the simple-hearted son of the miller Mach and the former servant of Balem Saracen Nazir. Thus begins the adventures of the "Magnificent Seven" from Sherwood Forest. In two dozen episodes, they will face numerous battles for justice under the auspices of the pagan forest spirit Ern.

Their constant opponents are the greedy Sheriff of Nottingham Robert de Reno and his right hand, cruel Sir Guy of Gisburne. The series is a curious mixture of pseudo-realistic details of the life of 13th century England and various magic. This "collective hodgepodge" is accompanied by a bewitching, stylized medieval music of the Irish band Clanned. At the end of the second block, Robin Hood dies saving his friends from the sheriff's soldiers.

In the third block, Ern again calls on a person who must resist Evil. It turns out to be the Earl's son Robert Huntington (Jason Connery). True, in this part of the series, magic is episodic, and the plot loses its mystical halo, becoming purely adventure and acquiring the features of a "soap opera" (for example, new robin Goode and Guy of Gisburne turn out to be stepbrothers!).

Sergey Lvov

He spent his life in the forest. Barons, bishops and abbots feared him. He was loved by peasants and artisans, widows and the poor. (From old chronicles.)

This is what is said about his death. One day, a glorious archer felt: there was not enough strength in his hands to pull the bowstring, and it was difficult for his legs to follow the usual forest path. And then he realized: old age approached ...
He went to the monastery, the abbess of which was known as a skilled healer, and asked to be treated. The nun pretended to be delighted with his arrival, affably escorted the stranger to a distant cell, carefully laid him on the bed, opened a vein on a powerful arm with a sharp knife (bloodletting was then considered a good remedy from many ailments). And, saying that she would return immediately, she left.
Time passed slowly. The blood flowed faster. But the nun did not return. Night has come. Dawn followed the night, and then the shooter realized that he had become a victim of betrayal. Above the head of his bed was a window into the forest. But the bleeding man already lacked the strength to reach the window. There was barely enough breath in his chest to blast his curved hunting horn for the last time. Weak, trembling sound, horns sounded over the forest. A faithful friend heard the call signal. Anxious, he rushed to help.
Late! No one could have saved the shooter. So the enemies that long years they did not know how to defeat Robin Gul either in a hot battle or in a stubborn duel, they exhausted him with black betrayal.
An ancient historian names the year and day when this happened: November 18, 1247.
Several centuries have passed. Wars have begun and ended. The shortest lasted a few days, the longest - a hundred years. Devastating epidemics swept through the cities and villages of England. Revolts broke out. Kings changed on the throne. People were born and died, generations succeeded generations.
However, a turbulent series of events, as they liked to say in old books, could not erase the name of Robin Hood from the memory of the British.
One day, it was about two hundred and fifty years ago, a heavy carriage drove slowly into a small town near London. The carriage was elegant, magnificent: only the most important people kingdoms traveled in such. Indeed, an important gentleman was sitting in the carriage: the Bishop of London himself! He came to the town to read a sermon to the townspeople. While the carriage was driving from the city gates to the church square, the bishop managed to notice that the town seemed to have died out. The bishop was not surprised by this. This means that the rumor of his arrival preceded the carriage, and the townspeople hurried to the church: they do not often see and hear his Eminence. And he habitually imagined how he would get out of the carriage, how he would slowly climb the steps of the church through the respectfully parting crowd... But the church square was empty. There was a heavy padlock on the church doors.
For a long time the bishop stood in the empty square, turning purple with anger and trying to maintain a dignified appearance befitting his rank and solemn robes, which was not at all easy before the locked door.
Finally, a passer-by, hurrying by no means to the church, threw out to the bishop on the way:
- Sir, you are waiting in vain, we are celebrating Robin Hood today, the whole city is in the forest, and there will be no one in the church.
What happens next is told in different ways. Some say that the bishop got into the carriage and returned to London, uttering in his mind such words as bishops usually do not utter. Others claim that he went to the city meadow, where the townspeople, dressed in green caftans, depicted scenes from the life of Robin Hood, and joined the audience.
What was this life? Why is her memory preserved for centuries? Why could a whole city remember Robin Hood for many hours in a row and think only about him?
What do you know about Robin Hood, except for those pages of Walter Scott's novel "Ivanhoe", where he is bred under the name of the brave yeoman, the free peasant Loxley?
Robin Hood has two biographies. One is very short. Scientists have collected it bit by bit in ancient chronicles. From this biography, we can learn that Robin Hood was ruined by wealthy enemies and fled from them into Sherwood Forest, a deaf and thick bowl that stretched for many tens of miles. He was joined by fugitives like him. He united them under his command into a formidable detachment of "forest brothers" and soon became the real ruler of Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood and his shooters, numbering more than a hundred, hunted forbidden royal game, feuded with rich monasteries, robbed passing Norman knights, and helped the persecuted and the poor.
For the capture of Robin Hood, the authorities announced a reward many times. But not a single peasant, whose hut he entered, not a single one of the "forest brothers" was tempted by these promises.
Here is everything or almost everything that is known to historians about Robin Hood.
The second biography of Robin Hood is much more detailed. From it you can find out how he first encountered the royal foresters and how this meeting ended; how he met a fugitive monk - Brother Took - and Little John, who became his assistants, and how Robin Hood won archery competitions, how he was at enmity with the sheriff of Nottingham, who oppressed the peasants, how he refused to serve King Richard the Lionheart.
Where is all this and much more about Robin Hood recorded? Not in historical writings, but in folk songs- ballads, as literary historians call them.
They were composed throughout England for many centuries. The author of these songs was the people, and the performers were wandering singers. The songs about Robin Hood were overgrown with various details, several small songs merged into one, or one big one fell apart into several small ones ... The singers who sang these ballads, if they knew how to write, wrote down the words of the song and gave them to those who wished to write them off for a fee. And when the first printing houses appeared in England, songs about Robin Hood began to be printed. At first, these were separate sheets with prints of songs. They were eagerly bought up by residents of cities and villages, who once a year, in the summer, celebrated Robin Hood Day.
It was in these songs that the second biography of Robin Hood gradually developed. In him, he is what the people imagined him to be. If the old Latin chronicle claims that Robin Hood was a nobleman, then the folk song decisively calls him the son of a peasant. Simple people In England, the legendary biography of Robin Hood began to be considered his real biography. For many decades and even centuries, everything that was told about Robin Hood in songs was believed by the British as an indisputable historical fact.
There is interesting evidence for this. One of the oldest ballads tells how Robin Hood, at the age of fifteen, went to the city of Nottingham to compete in archery. Halfway through, he was stopped by the royal foresters and began to mock him. "Does this boy, who can barely bend his own bow, dare to appear before the king in a contest!" they exclaimed. Robin Hood made a bet with them that he would hit the target a hundred feet, and he won the bet. But the royal foresters not only did not pay him the winnings, but threatened that they would beat him if he dared to appear at the competitions.
Then Robin Hood, as the ballad reports with delight, shot all the scoffers with his bow. The people did not like the royal foresters, who did not allow the poor to either collect brushwood in the forest, let alone hunt forest game or fish in forest streams and rivers. Not loving the royal foresters, folk singers sang this ballad with delight.
And in April 1796, that is, five centuries after Robin Hood lived, a message appeared in one of the English magazines. Here it is: "While a few days ago, workers were digging in a garden in Coxlane, near Nottingham, they came across six human skeletons, which lay close to each other, neat side by side. It is believed that this is part of the fifteen foresters who were killed in his time by Robin Hood.
One can imagine how the publisher of the magazine asked the author of the note: "Are you sure that these are the same skeletons?". And the author replied, as journalists of all times answer: “Well, let’s put in the word “suppose” for caution. But it never occurred to either the author or the publisher to doubt that Robin Hood really fought with the royal foresters on the way to the glorious city of Nottingham: after all, this is sung in ballads!
Why Robin Hood is my favorite character folk songs? To answer this question, you will probably have to remind you of what you learned in history lessons: in 1066, England was captured by the Normans, led by William the Conqueror. From the indigenous population of England - the Saxons - they took away land, houses and property, imposed their laws on them with fire and sword. An ancient historian calls Robin Hood one of those who were deprived of the land.
The enmity between the old and new rulers persisted two centuries later. Do you remember what place the feud between the Saxon and Norman nobles occupies in Walter Scott's book "Ivanhoe"? However, the Saxon nobles soon reconciled with the conquerors. But the songs about Robin Hood were not forgotten. They were sung in detachments of peasants who rebelled under the leadership of Watt Tyler. The people felt in their hearts: the struggle of Robin Hood, glorified in songs, is not only the struggle of the Saxons against the Normans, but in general the struggle of the people against the oppressors.
I leaf through an old book that contains one after the other ballads about Robin Hood. Here is a ballad about how Robin Hood fought his other worst enemy - the knight Guy Guysbourne, and how, having defeated him and disguised himself in his attire - and you need to know that Guy Guysbourne always wore dressed horseskin over his armor - he again outwitted the Sheriff of Nottingham. Here is the ballad "Robin Hood and the Bishop", which tells how Robin Hood took out his anger against the church on the bishop. Here is a ballad about how Robin Hood saved the three sons of a poor widow - and in each of these ballads he is always the same: brave in battle, loyal in friendship, a joker, a merry fellow, a mocker, a folk hero who does not grow old.
I have told you about Robin Hood, how he was portrayed in folk ballads, and now you can see for yourself how Walter Scott changed this image when he brought him to Ivanhoe.
Walter Scott's yeoman Loxley, the name under which Robin God is bred in the novel, becomes Richard's faithful assistant. Robin Hood, as his people sang, refused to serve King Richard the Lionheart.
The people remember Robin Hood exactly as he is sung in old folk songs. And this is the immortality of Robin Hood.

Drawings by P. Bunin.

English legends about Robin Hood have come down to our time in the form of ballads, poems, songs, which were performed to music and dances. They originated in the 13th century, when the Normans conquered England and oppressed the local population. It is believed that Robin Hood had a prototype - the owner of the land, whose property was taken away. He was forced to go to the forests, where many robbers were hiding in those days. Robin was distinguished from everyone by his ability to shoot accurately from a bow and nobility, he defended the weak and the oppressed. It is no coincidence that he was more often called not a robber, but a people's avenger.

In medieval England, there were harsh laws that gave the king the right to single-handedly dispose of all his lands, lands and subjects. All living creatures in the forests belonged to the king. No one had the right to hunt in the royal lands. Seen in the hunt threatened with the death penalty, which was often carried out on the spot. Sometimes the so-called poachers were brought into towns and executed publicly in the marketplace.

Robin Hood and his Free Riflemen hid in the famous Sherwood Woods. They robbed on the roads and hunted. They were hunted down by armed foresters, the royal guards were chasing, but they could not catch the lucky Robin. Most often, the guards turned out to be fooled, which gave the people a reason to compose mocking jokes, poems, songs.

One day, the foresters caught two sons of a widow in the forest, who shot a deer. They were brought to Nottingham. The sheriff ordered them both to be hanged in the market square with a crowd of people. This was reported to Robin Hood. He decided to save the young men, disguised himself as a beggar and came to the market square. But as soon as the sheriff and his wards brought the brothers to the gallows, Robin Hood pulled out his horn and blew. Immediately, his arrows, dressed in green cloaks, who were waiting for this signal, galloped to the square. They freed the guys and laughed at the sheriff.

All failures were reported to the king, who was eager to catch the hated Robin Hood. The king advised the sheriff, who arrived from Nottingham, to lure the robber out of the forest by cunning, seize him and bring him to be executed.

The sheriff announced a tournament-competition of archers. The winner was rewarded with a golden arrow. He expected that the free shooters would want to take part in the competition and arrive, as always, in green cloaks. But one of Robin Hood's associates, nicknamed Little John, advised changing green raincoats to colorful ones. Dressing succeeded. The sheriff and his wards did not recognize free shooters in the crowd. Robin Hood became the winner of the tournament, he received a golden arrow and, together with his comrades, returned safely to the forest.

From there, they sent a scathing letter to the sheriff, in which they named the winner of the tournament. This letter they attached to the arrow. Robin Hood fired, the arrow flew through the woods and hit the sheriff's open window.

More than once, Robin Hood made fun of the sheriff: he robbed him, and deceived him, and always taught - do not oppress the poor.

Once Robin Hood was resting under a tree. A cheerful guy walked past him, singing a song. After a while, the guy was returning the same way and was very sad. Robin Hood asked him why he was so sad, and he said that he was going to marry, but the lord forcibly took his bride from the village and wants to make her his wife. Robin Hood immediately called his free shooters, they jumped on horses and rushed to the village. They were in time - the lord and the girl were already in the church. Robin Hood drove the old lord away, and the guy and his bride immediately got engaged.

Soon Robin Hood decided to marry himself. He chose a noble girl for himself, introduced himself as a count. The girl fell in love with him, but he had to return to his Sherwood Forest. The saddened girl changed clothes and went to look for him. Robin Hood also changed clothes and went out onto the road. He met a richly dressed girl and mistook her for a merchant. The girl didn't recognize him either. They took up arms, but the mistake was soon found out. They got engaged in the forest.

Years passed, and Robin Hood felt that his hand was weakened, the arrow flew past the target. He knew that his hour had come. He was sent to convalesce in a convent. But there they let him bleed, and he weakened even more. In the end, he was brought back to the forest. There he fired his arrow for the last time and ordered his comrades to bury him in the place where the arrow fell.

The historical prototype of Robin Hood

For 600 years now, scientists have been puzzling over where the world-famous hero of ballads, the leader of the forest robbers Robin Hood, came from, or rather, who he was copied from, and whether he really existed. At least the four most common versions equally prove the existence of Robin, but only argue about the prototypes. So, for example, Robert Goad (aka Good or Hod), born in 1290, lived during the reign of the English King Edward II. In 1322, Robert became a servant of the Earl of Lancaster. The count raised a rebellion against the king and was executed, his possessions were transferred to the state treasury, and the participants in the uprising were outlawed. And then Robert hid in Sherwood Forest, organizing a criminal group with a mission to extort money from the rich - nobles and royal saints. Also in one historical document it is said that this same Robert from March 24 to November 22, 1324 worked as a porter at the court of Edward II - so he had a chance to repent, receive forgiveness and enter the royal service. But by the time this could be done, Robert Goad was already seriously ill, and in 1346 he died in the Kirkley monastery from blood loss.

Another legend, somewhat similar in chronology of events, says that Robert Goad lived in Witherby and fled from the king's justice - this fact is stated in a court document dated 1226, found in the London Public Archives. The document also states that the Sheriff of York took possession of the property of the escaped "Robin Hood", but did not transfer the money to the treasury, and a year later put him on the wanted list, calling him "a criminal and villain of our land." A little later, the robber was found and executed.

In another common version of the mysterious Robin Hood, it is emphasized that he was from the class of yeomen (free artisan) from the village of Loxley, obsessed with a thirst for justice and prone to various outstanding games. A bunch of alternative versions, which says that Robin was allegedly the eldest son of the Earl of Huntington, refutes the fact that bards would rather compose ballads and sing not the earl's son, but a peasant who is socially close to them and helps the poor.

And, finally, according to the fourth modern version, it is believed that Robin Hood lived during the time of Richard I, John I and Henry III, i.e. at the end of the XII - the middle of the XIII centuries. Since the hero was outside the law for a long time and became very famous for his exploits, soon every fifth robber began to be called "Robin Hood". The cases of all Robin Hoods were summed up, from which ballads and legends were formed.

Majority historical sources are divided into two directions, in which it is possible to establish at least the era of Robin Hood. Some believe that Robin appeared under King Edward II or Edward III (1307-1377), others tend to believe that he was a contemporary of Richard the Lionheart (1189-1199). One thing remains clear: Robin Hood is a collective image, tailored from ballads and legends of different times and different generations.

Hero of medieval England

Not far from the city of Nottingham was Sherwood Forest. The Great North Road, laid by the Romans, passed through it - one of the main roads of Northern England. In the 11th century, after the conquest of England by the Normans, the new rulers severely oppressed the Anglo-Saxons and treated them with undisguised contempt. Suffice it to say that the kings of the Norman and Angevin dynasties ruling the country did not know a word from the language of the native inhabitants of England.

The Anglo-Saxons, of course, rebelled - many of them went into the forests, creating gangs there for self-defense. Robin Hood became the leader of one of these gangs. His gang consisted of hundreds of valiant free shooters - fighters for the idea. Some have become as immortal figures in folklore as Robin Hood himself. For example, the deputy chieftain, a healthy thug nicknamed Little John, whom Robin defeated in the famous stick fight at the river ford. And also the obese monk Tuk is a big fan of drinking, eating and fighting. And other very colorful characters - such as Will Stutley-Scarlett, the minstrel Alan-o-Dale, Robin Hood's beloved Marion. They all wore green cloaks and were excellent archers, "good guys" who fought for economic justice by taking money from monks and landowners and giving it to the needy.

To live in the forest, you need to eat something, which means hunting. In medieval England, such activity was considered criminal along with robbery, to the point that a poacher who shot a deer condemned himself to public hanging. Smaller game was punished in proportion to its size - for example, for a rabbit, they could simply chop off their hand. All game living in the forest belonged only to the king, no one had the right to hunt there without permission. The king's lands were guarded by specially appointed foresters, calling the robbers "arrogant mob", and tried to catch poachers at any opportunity.

One day, the Bishop decided to take a walk around Sherwood and stumbled upon Robin's gang in the forest, where they were carelessly roasting venison. The bishop did not immediately realize that before him were the famous robbers whom the sheriff had been looking for for so long, and ordered his guards to seize the poachers. Fans of fun from the heart, Robin and his friends, began to act out of themselves as simple lackeys, begging for mercy. When Robin got tired of the game, he gave a sign, and the rest of the gang rushed to their aid. The bishop was taken hostage and forced to dance a jig around a large oak tree. Since then, this oak has been called "Bishop's", and many ballads talk about the royal foresters as the eternal enemies of Robin Hood.

However, the foresters did not have the power that the Sheriff of Nottingham had, because. in medieval England, the sheriff was a very significant figure, akin to the governor. Appointed personally by the king, the sheriff exercised all military, police, administrative and judicial power in the county. He also collected taxes, some of which he arbitrarily took for himself. The king, of course, did not know about this, but the peasants and the aristocracy perceived him as their natural enemy. Not to mention the criminals from the Robin Hood squad, who mocked the official as best they could.

Once, the sheriff ordered the three sons of an old widow to be hanged because they shot a deer in the royal forest. This incident gave Robin another reason to have fun. Dressed in the clothes of a simple artisan, he hurried to Nottingham - to the square where the poachers were to be executed. Literally a second before the execution, Robin blew his horn, to the call of which all his friends immediately jumped, repelling the prisoners.

The sheriff could not do anything with the "damned robber." Once he even complained to the king, blaming his impotence. The king gave him wise advice - to resort to trickery, for which the sheriff came up with an "insidious" event. He announced an archery contest in which the winner receives an arrow of solid gold. Oddly enough, Robin bought into the simple trick and was about to leave for Nottingham when Little John advised him to change his green cloak for a multi-colored one. The sheriff did not recognize Robin, who arrived in such an outfit, allowing the robber to safely win the competition and hide in the forest along with a golden bow.

Very often in the ballads it is told how Robin and the gang shook the money out of fat abbots and monks. This was done for a reason, because the church was then the largest landowner and tore three skins from the peasants.

And yet, why is it said that Robin was a nice guy? He did not have a fierce hatred for the nobles and even helped them if they were in trouble. For example, one knight had to mortgage his estate to the local abbot, and when the time came to pay the debt, he went to the abbey to ask for a respite. Meeting on the road through Sherwood with Robin, who was about to rob him, the knight told a sad story about his situation. Robin Hood, mistaking him for a noble man, gave him money to pay off the debt, and the rest of the gang showered him with gifts on top.

Even in ballads there was the concept of a boomerang - good from fate for the good done to someone. One day, on a forest road, Robin Hood met the king, who, according to legend, "was returning incognito from the Crusade." Either in a fight with the king, or in a conversation with him, Robin managed to charm the monarch so much that he, having drunk enough from the gang, forgave them all their sins and accepted them into his service.

The Love and Death of Robin Hood

In every story there should be a place for love, even if it is a legend about a robber and a scoundrel. Initially, the slogan of Robin Hood and his associates was not "rob and kill everyone", but only evil and wealthy citizens who made capital through theft. This did not concern women - they were in no way abused or humiliated by the gang. Once, during the next "raid", Robin met Marion - a noble and immaculate girl - and immediately fell in love with her. For a long time posing as a count, Robin Hood sought her location. Their feelings were mutual, but soon the hero had to return to Sherwood to his friends. Saddened by separation, Marion changed into a man's dress and went to look for her lover. By chance, the couple met on a forest road, where Robin mistook her for a rich traveler in the dark and decided to rob her. Marion also did not recognize her betrothed in the robber and began to famously defend herself. Robin Hood was pleasantly surprised by such an active attack and offered to make peace. Soon the misunderstanding was cleared up, and they lived happily in the forest.

The exploits of Robin Hood and his robbers continued to shock the kingdom for some time, but after a few years, as the ballads say, the energetic and cheerful hero felt unwell. He was no longer able to fight, his hands were weakened. Since at that time there was no medicine yet, he decided to seek help from the Kirklei Monastery, whose inhabitants were famous for the art of “opening blood”. In the Middle Ages, it was considered almost the only and best remedy for any serious illness.

The nuns, either from malicious intent and conspiracy, or from ordinary indiscretion, released so much blood from Robin's veins that he was barely alive. Finally realizing that he was finished, Robin blew his horn, and Little John rushed after him. By using true friend the heroes return to the forest, Robin Hood pulls the string for the last time and shoots a golden arrow, bequeathing to bury himself where it falls. So, according to legend, with dignity and humility, Robin passed away into another world.

After the completion of the story of Robin Hood in England, there was a May holiday in his honor for a long time, when the peasants went to the forest to collect fresh green branches. This custom testifies that in the popular mind Robin Hood united with the pagan forest deity.