Robin
Hood truly has existed?
With king Artù, Robin Hood is senz' other
more celebre between the English leggendari heroes
and, he watches case, he shares with he also the
founded doubt that many investigators manifest
on purpose of its real existence. The student
of folclore Lord Raglan considers it one ancient
celtica divinity, while Margaret Murray, in its
book “Il God of the streghe” it evidences
that its name could be “Robin from the cappuccio”,
one risen of raffigurazione of the devil (or the
cuckold God) in the course of the great magical
festivities pays some. In spite of these illazioni,
concrete tests exist also that Robin Hood corresponds
to a really existed personage, that one sung in
the popular danced ones: brave an independent
one that it hunted the red deers in the real estate
of the Forest of Sherwood and that it was in continuous
fight for a feudo with the sceriffo of Nottingham.
The first literary citation of Robin Hood we find
in the work of William Langland “Pietro
the aratore” to it;, datable around 1377.
Langland remembers the reproach of a priest who
accused it not to be able to hold to memory the
prayers, but same it specifies that in compensation
he remembered the strofe of Robin Hood and Randolf
conte of Chester. Therefore already to that time
the danced ones on Robin diffuse and were known.
In the 1510 Wynkin de Worde, one of the first
printers, printed an entitled book “A Lytell
Geste of Robyn Hood”, a work that for the
myth of Robin had the same importance of that
Malory dedicated to king Artù. Some century
passes here still and that Sir Walter Scott recalls
the myth of Robin Hood in its capolavoro Ivanhoe
(1847), where the leggendario hero also comes
introduced in the cloth of the outlaw that they
are given to the spot, remaining a suddito faithful
of king Riccardo Cuordileone. The participation
lacked only some student of the folclore that
pointed out as the name of Robin came sovente
associated to the popular festivities, like as
an example that one of the ceremony of the wood
horse that is kept to May to Padstow, in Cornovaglia,
with that suggesting that it was in Robin truth
of the Forest, than its name derived in truth
from the Nordic God Woden... But it is not ended.
In the book “Sword in the Stone”,
T.H.White author ago to become quite a contemporary
of Artù, which (admitted has existed) says
itself is died in the 540 d.C. But for all those
people who believe that a smoke without fire never
does not exist, Robin Hood was an outlaw in meat
and boneses that had made della impenetrable Forest
of Sherwood its dwelling and that nel short time
della its adventurous life had earned a great
popolarità, like Billy the Kid, becoming
the preferred subject for danced storys and. He
seems improper to place it to the time of Riccardo
Cuordileone (1157-99), giacché would have
been mentioned in manuscripts still previous to
already cited Peter the ploughman, come two centuries
after. In its Report of the Scozia, written around
1420, Andrew Wyntoun, speaks on purpose about
Robin Hood and Little John of the year 1283, one
given that, istinctively, it seems to us more
acceptable, that is to a century before Peter
the ploughman. Which was just the scene in which
it was usual to act? A meaningful reference we
can trace it in the name of a small village of
fishermen in the Yorkshire: Bay of Robin Hood,
not far away from Whitby, in whose vicinities,
can be admired two tumuli that the popular tradition
calls hillocks of Robin. An other callback is
in the fact that in medieval times the forest
of Barnsdale, always in the Yorkshire, was in
practical tutt' one with that one of Sherwood,
in the Nottinghamshire. In a history of its life,
going back to XVI the century, making part of
the group of the Sloane Manuscripts, is said been
born to Locksley, in the Yorkshire, around 1160.
In Report of the Scozia it is associated to "Barnysale",
probably Barnsdale. Insomma, nearly of sure was
a man of the Yorkshire. Posterior legends introduce
it instead like "Sir Robin di Locksley",
but also like conte of Huntingdon. To the contrary
of that he came told in more ancient history that
outlined it as a simple land owner - rising of
factor with the own earth - and was just this
quality that of it a hero made: not because she
was a nobleman, how much because, in its normality,
very he represented the people, ordinary people.
(a small land owner was hardly a step above a
popolano without possedimenti). But the more important
reference on purpose than a possible identification
of Robin Hood was gained towards the half of XIX
the century when the national Commission premail
to the appraisal of the historical papers taken
to pass to the long sieve migliaia and migliaia
of documents a history arc of beyond ight hundred
years. In the 1852 celebre studious of antiquity
Joseph Hunter it declared it are imbattuto in
the course of its searches in a personage who
could have identified itself with the authentic
Robin Hood. Its name was Robert, son of Adam Hood,
a guardacaccia to the service of conte de the
Warenne. (Robin was simply a diminutivo of Robert
and not, in that time, true and just a name).
It was been born around 1280. 25 January of the
1316 Robert Hood and its moglie Matilda they paid
the two scellini question of concession in order
to obtain in guard a small land plot of ground
of the immense property of "Bickhill (or
Bitch-hill) in the Wakefield. The earth piece
was hardly larger than a small garden: a hundred
of meters of length for approximately two hundred
of width, nothing more. In the actions lawyers
of the property of the county, to year 1357 one
is marked it on the place "magione a time
property of Robert Hode": to the age Robert
Hood it was already probably died. Hour, year
1316 falls almost to horse of the reign of second
Edoardo, the frivolous one, an assassinated dead
homosexual in the september of 1327, killed with
one incandescent spit that trapassò the
ventre. As soon as salted to the throne (1307)
Edoardo he had eliminated all the ministers and
the intentional judges from the elect father and
the lover Piers Gaveston duca of Cornovaglia between
the furious anger of all the noble ones, passes
but endured to the counterattack. Under the most
powerful and enterprising guide of than they,
Thomas, conte of Lancaster, the barons had tax
to the king a council composed from ventotto of
they (sayings "order it to you") and
to the end, in 1312, they were resolutions to
eliminate Piers Gaveston. The total disinterestedness
of Edoardo for the issues of the state, had while
put on the war foot the Scot - than the father
it had soggiogato with great hard work and hard
battles - always ready to rebel itself to the
weight of the English tyranny. Incapable to face
them, Edoardo came defeated to Bannockburn in
1314, exactly two years before that Robin Hood
obtained the concession of the land plot of ground
and put on house with the Wet moglie. It becomes
therefore comprehensible because when conte de
the Warenne, sped up from its king to collect
troops to line up against the rebellious Scot,
was shrewed that to the appeal Robin lacked, it
had made it to imprison. When but in 1317 it had
been indetta a second lever of military, the name
of Robin does not appear more in the directory
of the deserters, particular that it has pushed
modern historian J.W. Walker to imagine that in
this occasion had joined to the call enlisting
itself. Five years after it was touched to the
conte of Lancaster to take the crews against the
just sovereign one. Once again, the name of Robin
Hood does not appear between the fugitives and
is therefore probable it has newly answered to
the appeal. The forces of Lancaster came defeats
to Boroughbridge, the conte rebellious captured
and executed. The new trial of strength was been
born around two new favorites of Edoardo, the
Despenser, than at first the king it had been
forced to announce publicly on pressure of the
noble ones, but that after the Victoria on the
battlefield it had been able reintegrare in its
favors. Those who had in some supported way the
cause of Lancaster, had been declares outlaw to
you. Between many documents it examines, Walker
has found some to you in which composed house
from five rooms "to Bichill was attested
to the seizure of" one, Wakefield. For the
historian draft senz' other of the room of Robert
Hood, which from that moment in ahead it had been
forced to find shelter in the near forest of Barnsdale,
where a succeeding had been transformed in brigante
of. Hour, the reader must know that if the things
have gone truly therefore and if Robert Hood were
the leggendario Robin that had been given to the
spot living of hunting in the forest, he ran a
most serious risk. When Guglielmo the Conqueror
had carried the domination normanna on the English
ground, one of the first its initiatives had been
in fact that one to declare all the forests of
the country - it is worth to say in practical
at least a third party of all the territory -
property of the crown. Therefore, anyone had dared
to hunt also only a real red deer would have run
the serious risk to come skinned alive. Under
Guglielmo the Sassoni, in sudditanza, suffered
a lot, a po' as it happened for the people of
the nations occupied from the nazis during the
second world war. Two centuries and means after
the Normanni perfectly were integrated in the
British context much to consider by now English
to all the effects and to abandon the French language
for English. That in spite of the laws was still
strictest. Those relative ones to the bracconaggio
and the protection of the forests were a po' mitigated,
however one could be still lost hand or to have
labbra the cripples in order to have hunted a
red deer in the real estates. To times the pain
could also consist in a jail year, but only on
condition of assurances for a future behavior
integerrimo. Moreover, if the condemned could
not boast some "guarantor" could be
expelled, it is worth to say forced to always
leave the reign in order. The great battle of
Boroughbridge came fought 16 March 1322, in the
pressed ones of the Ure river in the Yorkshire.
Infantry and archers defeated the rebellious cavalry,
than overwhelmed from according to contingent
of armed with the king, it had been completely
disintegrated. Lancaster had fallen captive. In
the course of the interrogating ones it came outside
that between it allies to it to you had schierato
the eternal one avails again English, the old
enemy Robert Bruce. Lancaster, cousins of the
king, had been condemned a.morte and beheaded
and Robin Hood, to which it had been confiscated
every good, he had become an outlaw. But if Walker
does not mistake nell’ to identify Robert
Hood di Wakefield like Robin Hood, is from saying
that its furtiveness like bandit did not last
to along. In the spring of the successive year
the king was successful to advance towards the
north of England, being caught up the city of
York 1° the May. From the 16 to the 21 of
that same month, one had stopped to Rothwell,
between Wakefield and Leeds, having passed at
least three days to hunting to Plumpton Park in
the Forest of Knaresborough. This episode enters
to make part of the history of Robin Hood, in
how much tells that "being entered the king
in Plumpton Park, it saw that many of its red
deers not were more". When the king had intentional
to observe the herds of red deers, of it he had
not seen not even one that he carried a theater
box of corna important. To that, it says the legend,
it had exclaimed with anger, swearing on the Trinità:
"As I would want to be able to have in my
hands that rascal of Robin Hood!". Being
to the danced one, one of the guardacaccia present
had then suggested to the king of travestirsi
from Abbot and penetrating in the forest with
a group of squires with garments from friars.
The deceit had picked in the sign: Robin Hood
and its men were escapes uncovered and stopped
the processione, but they had recognized the king.
To this point, made acquaintance, the king had
found the outlaw therefore likeable to invite
it to go near of he in order becoming its valletto
of court. The travel of the king was continued
until the February of 1324, when it had made return
to Westminster. In the list of the court accounts
law of one spold relative to the month of you
open comprising them the salary of Robin and others
ventotto of its companions, even if a first payment
to Robin went back to the june of the previous
year. The story continues remembering like after
to have lived for some time to the court of the
king, Robin Hood had asked the permission for
reintegrato in its property of Barnsdale. In relative
annotations to the November of the 1324 it is
remembered that Robyn Hood, valletto of its maestà,
had been gratified of five scellini "in order
not to be more skillful to the job". In truth,
the history says that, received a temporary permission
of a single week, Robin Hood had gone to Barnsdale,
but did not have more made return to court. Indeed,
it had replaced with a band remaining to living
in the forest, where it was remained for others
ventidue years. If the history is that authentication,
Robert died sessantenne in 1346. The good fate
of the taken king to come less in coincidence
of the escape of Robin from the reggia. It recalls
the esiliati ones to you, between which the Despenser,
more young person had become l’amante, between
the misfortune of the Queen consorte, Isabella,
that it had already had sopportare Piers Gaveston.
The woman was one noble French, daughter of Filippo
the Beautiful one. To the age baron, Roger di
Mortimer, imprisoned in the Tower of London had
invaghita itself of losco and a young ambitious
in order is itself opposite to the return of the
members of the Despenser family. Isabella, become
loving, of it had planned the escape. Roger was
scappato to Paris and here Isabella had caught
up it, with the false scope to complete one diplomatic
mission. Re-united the forces, the two lovers
were disembarks to Orwell, in the Suffolk, with
an army of beyond shakes it men. When the king
had learned the news had scared itself and had
tried to escape, but intercepted it had been locked
up in the castle of Berkeley. To force, and under
the threat of the life, Edoardo it had been obliged
to abdicate, in order to leave the crown the son
quindicenne Edoardo III. The night of the 21 september
of the 1327 castle of Berkeley became theatre
of a brutal murder. The spodestato king Edoardo
had been found died in its deceased room "for
natural causes". On the body not there were
violence traces; but it is narrated that it was
all rattrappito from the signs of one terrible,
atrocious suffering. Being to a report, written
up a some thirty of years after the facts, it
seems that the sicari, enter to you in its cell
while it slept, had it legacy to a table. Therefore,
after avergli introduced a horn in the ano, it
they had sbudellato with one rovente spit. Mortimer
and Isabella were therefore to all the resisting
effects the new ones of England. They governed
for four years, until when that is Edoardo had
not applauded the redini of the power. Like first
action, imprisoned Mortimer in the castle of Nottingham,
it had made it to execute like traitor to Tyburn.
The loss of the lover had made to drive crazy
the mother for some time. Recovered, it was returned
to normality, living for others vent' years. E’
almost sure that the Robin Hood lived under the
reign of Edoardo II would not seem to have some
logon with the given leggendario omonimo to the
spot in the Forest of Sherwood, if, for more,
he is true that that comes brought back in the
book “Who' s Who in History” in which
from alive anchor around 1230 under Edoardo III,
citing the reference, in that same year, of the
sale (for 32 scellini and 6 pennies) of its assets
confiscated from the crown, carried out from the
sceriffo of the Yorkshire when Robin had chosen
the illegalità, even if same source mark
it that the personage of Robert Hood di Wakefield
is expecting to the equally credited role. A nozzle
goes broken in favor of a figure lived before,
for the fact that with more time to disposition
justifies better the consolidation than one legend,
all’epoca already much radicata in the folclore
popular and diffused in all England. But also
on the posterior hypothesis of the Robin Hood
di Wakefield, the convincing observations do not
lack. If Robin had become an outlaw in 1322, to
continuation of the action of rebellion of Lancaster,
he passed to the spot a year only, before "being
assumed" near the court of Edoardo. The history
of the forgiveness concessogli from its homosexual
king sure credible, is considered then that Robin
came promoted its valletto of room. Evidently,
Robin will have had very soon to render account
that its services went po' beyond those traditionally
understandings, even if, to the age, the favorite
was Hugh the Despenser (like has seen, then executed
in the 1326 from Mortimer and Isabella). Therefore
Robin was returned in the forest, transforming
itself in one living legend. We cannot know if
it were indeed the arcinemico of the sceriffo
of Nottingham - the equivalent of a head of the
county police - but we know of sure that the sceriffo,
having the task to maintain the legality in the
Nottinghamshire and the south of the Yorkshire,
to the outlaw could not esimersi the chase that
infested the real forests. An other report tells
as Robin Hood withdrew itself in the bay omonima,
preferring the escape in sea rather than the prison.
(Sure legends credit it adventures and gesta also
in far places, like the Cumberland). It is certain
that the tried ones you to remove it from the
country they were carries out to you, even if
is from saying that they were not never too much
insistent, inasmuch as all the people and the
peasants were visceral line up to you with he.
It had been a time, in fact, in which the forests
they were free territory and of all. Hour, to
think them property of the king, land of hunting
exclusive exclusive its and, when also wanting
of he could not that have taken advantage of a
minimal part, made to mount anger and rebellion.
But there was an other reason for which the authority
they concurred with Robin Hood and its band of
allegros outlaw to operate in enough free way.
When he had been to court had sure known the heir
to the throne, the boy who would have become Edoardo
III, and was normal school that a young person
infervorasse in the presence of a man who had
been a famous outlaw. Draft of a mere illazione,
that it would explain much but well as to Robin
Hood in last the ten years of life passed newly
to the spot was never granted to act if not indisturbato,
for less without enduring one pitiless persecution.
The authorities, in any case, had all the interest
to eliminate it. Being to one of the many legends
comprised in the Sloane Manuscript it is told
that, become ill, Robin had oed from one cousins,
the Priora di Kirkless, for sottoporsi to a salasso,
to the age the only remedy known like universal
panacea for every badly. This, remembering the
many ruberie and umiliazioni that Robin had tax
to monaci and nuns, had tricked it, salassandolo
until provoking of the dead women. An other story
supports that the cousins betrayed it on istigazione
of the lover, Sir Roger di Doncaster, while an
other source still charges fine its to a monaco
that it cured it, which it had thought well that
that man, in quality of outlaw, would have had
to be eliminated. Robin came buried in the cemetary
of the convent and the stone a stiff arc was affected.
In the Report of Grafton (1562) one says that
Robin Hood lies in a tomba without name, while
in a report of a posterior century stone slab
is spoken about a cemetary and one with recorded
one simple cross. In the 1665 dottor Nathaniel
Johnstone of it it made a design, an other analogous
one appears in the work of entitled Gough “Sepulchral
Monumenrs”. To the beginning of XIX the
century some sterratori occupied to the tracing
of a railroad feature, broke off the slab on purpose
thinking that the reduced tombale stone in powder
had prodigiosi powers against badly of teeth.
Therefore the last one I seize concrete the figure
of Robin Hood was disappeared in order always.
To the age the tomba had come to the light also
of the cousins, manufatto a much similar one to
that one of Robin. The history has delivered also
the name to us of the woman: Elizabeth Stainton.
Wanting to find the true and deep sense of the
legend of Robin Hood, it comes spontaneous to
think next to an age in which peasants and countrymen,
forced com' they were to living in painful conditions,
began to make to grow within of himself the ferments
of the contestazione and the rebellion against
noble and the powerful ones, resentments that
were manifested in the doctrine propugnata from
John Ball, then realized in the revolt of 1381,
are worth to hardly say some time after the first
official citation of Robin Hood made from John
Langland. The so-called Revolt of the Peasants
comes considered like the sign of the end of the
medieval time; but, to being sincere, this feeling
ce offers in way still more sensitive and concrete
danced and history to it, the folkloristic legends
that speak us about Robin Hood and its enterprises.
Also it, with its anelito one of freedom, is the
symbol of the door of an historical moment that
is closed in definitive way in order to concur
that that one of the new times can be opened.
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