Reading Notes: Week 3 Extra Credit Reading

Title: The Ballads of Robin Hood (B)
Author: Francis James Child
Link: Story link.


Plot:

• Robin disguises himself as a shepherd and hunts one of the King's deer. The Bishop means to report these doings to the King himself, and so the Merry Men forcibly take the Bishop to Barnsdale and rob him -- though they do provide him with drinks and music.
• Robin sends John out begging, for which he needs to disguise himself as in the garb of a religious pilgrim. John then challenges a group of four beggars to combat and takes their gold. He returns to Sherwood to share the spoils with the Merry Men.
• Robin spies the Bishop and his men while out one day and hides in an old woman's house. The woman, who Robin once brought shoes and hose, agrees to hide him. They swap clothes and sneak Robin out of the house, and John nearly shoots Robin, not recognizing him underneath the disguise. The Bishop mistakenly kidnaps the old woman and, in the commotion, Robin swindles 500 pounds from the Bishop and ties him up in the forest with a snarky shot about praying for him. This one is one of my favorites -- again, it shows how Robin is a hero of the common man as well as letting him get up to some covert hijinks while dressed as an old woman. Plus, the woman's dialogue with the Bishop made me laugh.
• In disguise, Robin confronts crooked priests. He calls them on their bluff, and then persuades them to change their ways. He takes all their money, leaves them with 50 pounds each, and makes them swear new oaths.
• Robin decides he wants to be a fisherman and goes to the port town of Scarborough. He's contracted onto a sailing ship -- despite not knowing anything about the sea -- and they set sail. Three days in, French pirates attack Robin's ship. They tie "Simon" to the mast and he starts shooting the pirates with his bow until none remain. They board the enemy ship, plunder 12,000 pounds and Robin becomes the captain of the ship. This one is my other favorite. I love tales of the sea and sailing and this mixes that with the classic "Trickster Robin" archetype that I enjoy. Pirates and Robin Hood -- two great tastes that taste great together.
• The sheriff of Nottingham devises a trap -- the winner of a contest will win a valuable gold and silver arrow. The gang all wears different colors so that they won't be recognized by the authorities and they enter the archery tournament. Robin wins the prize and, gloating, he writes a letter to the sheriff detailing what happened and fires it into town attached to an arrow.
• The King and co. decide Robin has been running amok for too long and they send Sir William  (plus 100 archers) to bring him back dead or alive. William is slain and Robin flees, but he becomes ill and dies after blood-letting. His men scatter to different countries.

Setting:
Same principal settings as Section A, with the addition of:

• Barnsdale Forest: A small region of South Yorkshire, England.
• Scarborough: A little town on the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire.

Characters:
Same principal characters as Section A, with the addition of:

The Bishop of Hereford. Illustration by Howard Davie.

• Bishop of Hereford: Plump and lavish, dressed in luxurious robes. A product of the wealth and influence the Church held at the time.
• He's gullible and is frequently fooled/swindled by Robin.
• Maid Marian: Of noble birth, a secret lover of Robin.
• She's not soft like most nobles -- she goes out into the woods with a sword, shield and bow in search of her disappearing lover. She's also a good enough swordsman that she was able to best Robin.

Writing Style:

• The ballads continue in the verse style as before.