Robin Hood (J.C. Holt)

Like tales of King Arthur, the Robin Hood story, in various forms, has been with us for centuries.  Did a real Robin Hood ever exist?  If so, when- and who was he?  How accurate are the tales?  Does it even matter?

In his book Robin Hood, J.C. Holt explores the legend from several comprehensive angles.  He:
- looks at the original five ballads, and details what we know about them (when they were written, their (in)consistencies with each other, and more)
- discusses in detail several people whom historians have considered candidates for the real Robin
- the physical location of the tales, and how it's changed over the years
- the audience of the tales- and how the tales have propagated/morphed to fit their desires
- the later tradition- how the centuries saw the tales evolve into more of their present form

The earliest certain reference to Robin Hood came in 1377; the five surviving ballads* date from somewhere between 1400 and 1500.  These, of course, are the surviving written records- implying that the tale was well-known long before then, and likely passed down orally through the years (as many stories of the time were).  Many more sprang up afterwards, and while the initial ballads indicate Robin operated in the early 1300s (during the reign of King Edward II) near Barnsdale (South Yorkshire), later stories change the time to late 1100s/early 1200s (reigns of King Richard the Lionheart and King John) in Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham.  The initial stories stand opposed to monastic wealth, forest law, and the local sheriff, but they "present no programme of reform"- the "rob the rich to give to the poor" concept came much later.  In short, the Robin story we know today looked quite differently originally- and even the original is likely far from pure fact.

As Holt proceeds through each angle, from the original tales to the history and geography of the area, he looks at a given element in-depth, but often fails find conclusive evidence.  Whether examining the authenticity of the original tales, candidates for Robin or potential locations for Robin, he sees possibilities many places, but problems and inconsistencies everywhere.  In the final chapter, Holt summarizes by concluding to not conclude:

It is now possible to summarize how the tale of Robin Hood took shape.  Such a reconstruction is bound to be tentative.  The points where it rests on fact are far apart.  The interconnections vary in strength from reasonable probabilities to speculative conjectures.  At some points reconstruction is impossible, and it is better to accept that than to guess. 

His point in a nutshell: we don't know, and we won't.  Robin probably was a real person, but even the earliest recounts of his exploits probably have fictional elements.  No one historical person fits the mold perfectly, and the locations mentioned change over the years.  Robin could have been no more than a thief angry at society/authority in general whose exploits grew and consumed other tales over time, or many thieves combined; we just don't know.  Some readers didn't like that conclusion; I didn't have an issue.  Holt did his homework, and found the evidence inconclusive.  There's nothing wrong with admitting that.

Die-hard fans of Robin Hood should read this book.  It's relatively short (190 pages), scholarly, and interesting.  If (like me) you have a cursory interest, you can skip this.  It's too academic for the lay reader (I read only 63%, choosing to skip through some detailed historical analysis on the audience, because I just didn't care that much), and can meander at times.

After reading about the history of Robin Hood, and doing a fair amount of reading on King Arthur, my conclusion for both characters is the same: they both (probably) existed, but nowhere near what the tales make them out to be today.  Their enduring popularity is not in history, but in what the characters represent.  For Robin, it's the noble outlaw- operating outside the bounds of the letter but well within the spirit of the law.  That concept is what people have held in admiration for centuries- and will continue to do so.

Rating: B-

*Robin Hood and the Monk, Robin Hood and the Potter, A Gest of Robyn Hode, Robin Hoode his Death, and Robin Hood and Guy of Gisbourne, all available here for reading