background knowledge Archives

In many of Robin Hood’s early interpretations in ballads, Robin is quite different from what we know in modern society. In these songs and ballads, Robin Hood is far more blood thirsty and vengeance seeking. That is, he does not take things lightly when it comes to slights of his character and honor. Robin Hood, though more violent, still believes in justice. He stands against those who would do acts of corruption, such as the foresters, sheriffs, and the like. In this post, we are going to take a look at a few Robin Hood’s portrayal in ballads an poems.

Take for instance, Robin Hood’s portrayal as a fighter and vengeance-seeker in “Robin Hood and the Monk.” Likewise, see how he is willing to use a decapitated head to deceive the king in “Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne.” Moreover, see how Robin Hood faces peril in “Robin Hood’s Progress to Nottingham.” Lastly, Robin Hood’s appearance in Ivanhoe is interesting and somewhat out of character as an aid to the titular character. While often unlike what we know now, Robin Hood has many of the traits that we know and love in today’s media.

“Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne” by Thomas Bewick (1832). This is a woodcut print from Robin Hood: A Collection of All the Ancient Poems, Songs, and Ballads.

The stories feature many facets of the illustrious outlaw, from all of these battles to the nuances with friendship. For instance, Robin Hood’s relationship to Little John is far more tumultuous than what typically appears on television. Below, I am going to post links to the ballads we’ve covered this month. In them, you can catch up on the material or even take away something new about the Robin Hood’s portrayal in ballads and poems.

Archery is quite important in Howard Pyle’s The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. It shows his deftness of character and his heroic qualities. Likewise, in Robin Hood ballads, Robin Hood uses archery to defeat villainy. It also defines him as a hero. Understanding the importance of archery in the story of Robin Hood also sheds like on Medieval England. In this post, we are going to examine some of these aspects.

Historical Context of Archery

Archery has been around since at least prehistoric times. Many early civilizations used it for hunting ang and warfare. “The bow allowed the prehistoric human to become the most efficient hunter on earth, providing him with safety, food and raw materials such as bone, sinew and hide,” states The Washington Post. In fact, if you were to examine Greek Mythology, you would find a great deal of heroes utilizing archery as a means to exact revenge and win in combat. For instance, Paris of Troy used his bow to pierce Achilles’ heal during the Trojan War.

Later, in Medieval England, English longbowmen put archery to use. It became a staple in the military forces of the time for their tremendous power. The Battle of Agincourt in 1415 is a notable conflict in which the bow prospered in combat. As such, it was important for men to practice their archery even outside of warfare to finetune their skills. Building from that, longbowmen were victorious in the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). This was due to their effectiveness at long range. They could also fire a large quantity of arrows in a short time (Britannica).

Archery in the story of Robin Hood

Robin Hood is known for his archery. I would wager there are very few people who don’t know about the famed archery contest in which Robin Hood splits an arrow in twain. Yet, using the bow shows Robin as not just a common cutthroat outlaw, but a man of honor and heroism, which allows him to challenge authority because his skill is so mighty.

Archery in the Narrative

Additionally, we might consider why there are so many archery contests throughout the story. As such, Robin and his merry men practice archery for warfare. Thus, as it relates to Robin Hood’s own morality, archery is a discipline that requires astute dedication and focus, which shows Robin as more than a mortal man–a genuine hero.

Here, Robin wins the competition against his murderous aggressor in Chapter One: “Then Robin took his good yew bow in his hand, and placing the tip at his instep, he strung it right deftly; then he nocked a broad clothyard arrow and, raising the bow, drew the gray goose feather to his ear; the next moment the bowstring rang and the arrow sped down the glade as a sparrowhawk skims in a northern wind. High leaped the noblest hart of all the herd, only to fall dead, reddening the green path with his heart’s blood.” This quote shows that Robin is a articulate archer, capable of great feats of finesse and dexterity.

Symbolism

Nevertheless, the bow represents combat and one’s skill with it shows that they aren’t playing around. The Sheriff of Nottingham is corrupt and uncaring. Regardless of Robin Hood’s crime, the Sheriff is hunting him because the slain man was kin; thus, he will show no remorse and will act outside of justice. I wouldn’t call that fair in judiciary terms, especially since Robin Hood was defending himself and was not the attacker. Robin Hood having great skill with the bow shows that he is more than capable of taking justice into his own hands and defending not only his own honor but the honor of those around him.