Robin Hood by John Matthews

Robin Hood by John Matthews
Buy Robin Hood by John Matthews at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: History
Reviewer: John Van der Kiste
Summary: Did Robin Hood really exist, or was he based on one or more people who lived in the thirteenth century? This fascinating book examines the issue of his identity, and explores in full the mythology of the famous figure and those associated with him. The author has done an excellent job in picking his way through so many threads on such a complex subject.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 336	Date: September 2016
Publisher: Amberley
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1445656014
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The Outlaw of Sherwood Forest has been part of national mythology ever since the twelfth century. Did Mr Hood really exist, or is he a figment of popular imagination who refuses to go quietly? If historians and researchers over the ages are to be believed, the truth seems to lie somewhere in between.

There will always be enough interest to sustain another variation on the theme in book form. With a lifetime's experience of researching British legends from the Arthurian era onwards and many books on the subject, Matthews is well qualified to offer one more volume to the shelf. He has not confined himself to the matter of Robin Hood's identity, but also explores in full the mythology of the famous figure and those associated with him.

Needless to say, the identity of the man himself is what seems to intrigue most people, and the first chapter is devoted to answering this question. Matthews is convinced that there was never a single person with the name, or any variants on it, but that he was a Green Man of the forest rather than a Saxon yeoman 'courteous and free', as has often been supposed – and maybe based on several different individuals. Several pages are given over to a few likely candidates, all men from the thirteenth century, and one a member of the nobility.

Yet successive chapters make it apparent that there is more to it than the single figure. There is a discussion on the origins of the Green Dancers, or the people of Faery, the elfin folk of Britain, most of whom dressed in green. An interesting superstition is attached herewith, this being the reason why people regard it as an unlucky colour. The people of Faery alone were allowed to wear it, and to copy them was to invite their anger. A particularly interesting aspect is centred on 'the Games of Summer', when a kind of divine madness took possession of the English during the Middle Ages and beyond. Kings and commoners alike took part in a variety of celebrations once the May blossom began to flower, signifying the dawning of Spring and the casting off of the shackles of Winter. From the 1500s until the end of the seventeenth century, these games were presided over by Robin Hood (who thus seems to have assumed the status of a generic Father Christmas figure, albeit from another season), and the May Day Games or Revels were sometimes known as Robin Hood's Games. Not surprisingly Robin was the May King, and Maid Marian the May Queen. All this leads in turn to the mysteries of the origins of the Morris Dance, the Furry or Floral Dance, and the Hobby Horse or 'Oss. And while there is no doubt about the location of Sherwood Forest, who were the Merry Men? The answers – or rather, answers – are also here.

The text is followed by several appendices. Most of these – over a hundred pages, comprising nearly a third of the book – are given over to various Robin Hood ballads. There is also a gazetteer of places associated with Robin and his Merry Men, from Somerset and Surrey in the south to Westmorland and Northumberland.

Before coming to this book, I had no idea of the intricacies behind the tales, and it proved something of a revelation. It might be argued that the author does occasionally repeat himself, and returns later on in the book to one of two theories already discussed. Yet this is perhaps inevitable when looking at a subject made up of so many threads, often loosely connected. It certainly makes for an intriguing, thought-provoking read.

For further reading about the rich tapestry of myths and legends, we also recommend Mythology: An Illustrated Journey Into Our Imagined Worlds by Christopher Dell, and for younger readers as well as adults, The Sword in the Stone by T H White, and Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Robin Hood by John Matthews at Amazon.com.

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