Recently I went to see the new Robin Hood film, starring Russell Crowe as Robin Hood (Robin Longstride) and Cate Blanchett as the dignified Maid Marion. I had had a number of qualms about the film beforehand as I heard, while it was in production, that it was going to be making political statements, which meant to me t’would be all about ‘rob from the rich and give to the poor’.

What is wrong with this viewpoint on the Robin Hood legend, is that it was invented around the 1500’s when the Robin Hood legend was both in extreme decay and surging popularity, leading to what one might call ‘creative inventions’! I have covered the heart of the real Robin Hood legend here and here. For further information on why the socialist take is not correct, see ‘Number Three’ in this open letter to the BBC.

The fact is, such an idea likely springs from views of Robin Hood as being quite the generous, open-handed hero chief, who, as it says in the Gest of Robin Hood (one of the earliest sources) was courteous and ‘did poor men much good’. This is not, however, his original audacity and says nothing about redistribution of wealth.

Happily, despite the film’s numerous occurrences of ‘content’ I was pleasantly surprised by the depiction of Robin; not as some modern anti-hero, as I had once expected (!) but as a good, honest, hardworking and safe man. In fact he is still portrayed heroically and without the socialist trappings! Something probably no other film about Robin Hood can boast!

Although I feel the need to point out that Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950) also had the make-the-king-sign-the-Magna-Carta plot point as a feat of Robin’s, (however much Ridley Scott may think it his own invention), I like what Robin stands for in this film: ‘Every Englishman’s home is his castle’ and Empower the weak to fend for themselves. Certainly this is not socialism! Were the producers moonstruck to make such a mistake? I watched the Robin Hood ‘documentary’ on the History Channel at my grandparents’, and socialism was the theme of the day. The ‘documentary’ struggled to draw a line between socialist dogma and Ridley’s choice of the Magna Carta as Robin’s prime issue. The two together don’t make sense, Ridley!

The most amazing thing is that real, authentic Old English warbows were made for the film! I don’t think this has been done, in any Robin Hood production, since the 1908 Lewis Waller Robin Hood play in London!

My second qualm would be against those who say Russell is not handsome enough for the role. Old he may be but dull he is not. And his actions speak for him and conspire to make you feel his case. Likely my favorite part of the movie is when he sees the arch-villain Godfrey about to butcher Marian. The bull-rush Robin Hood gives onto the scene is highly realistic and compelling.

Godfrey is such a chilling villain that if there is a sequel to this movie I do not know what could ever replace him.

This is not to say I did not love the way Godfrey died; with one of Robin Hood’s lethal arrows through his neck.

The Sheriff of Nottingham—French on his mother’s side—was played by Matthew Macfadyen, the actor who played Darcy in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice. He gives Marian a little trouble occasionally but is really merely comedy.

Little John, however, I am afraid was done very poorly. No notice was taken to the northern legend which portrays him as large and fair and rather perilous while good. But how would the producers have been aware of this? However a hint of his other legend, which portrays him just as a boy—Jacky boy or Robin’s Jok or an ‘innocent fool’—was, interestingly, in the film, with Robin Hood looking out for the safety of a boy called Jamie at the beginning of the story, before he is killed. Instead of correctly putting an ‘I’ over his grave, Robin & friends put ‘J’—anachronism! UNSCHOLARLY!

The grand sweeps that the cameras took throughout the film, and overall cinematic effect, were really breathtaking. No recent Robin Hood film has been made of this scale; a good comparison would be the Douglas Fairbanks 1922 Robin Hood film, in which an entire castle was built at Fairbank’s expense! If you go and see Robin Hood, you can expect amazing visuals, fairly realistic costuming, pretend history, and a few bad things you may not want to watch.

But expect to be wowed by Marian’s long hair.

We are now releasing our album, Greenwood Gone!

Click here to see lyrics and samples of the tracks, and click here to buy it!

Thanks to Clement of the Glen for the use of his amazing photo from Burnham Beeches!

We just finished the 7th track for our upcoming album! It’s a beautiful Scottish Gaelic song called Iain Ghlinn Cuaich. Here are the translated lyrics for the version I sang:

Oh Iain of Glen Cuaich, it is not often that one encounters your like
That ringletted head of hair tight curled to the roots
It was your beautiful handsome appearance that left me love-sick
And there is no fault to be noted about you from head to toe

I can’t begin to express a third of your worth
Better to catch a glimpse of your face
Than the new grown dew laden forest in sun
The desire of my eyes is to catch close sight of you
My love deserves a crowned heiress under him.

Iain, Iain, my love, why did you turn your back on me
Without a thought for the love we once had?
I never gave my respect to any other man under the sun but you
And neither will I until my body is under the ground …

Any time now, these blogs may go down due to maintenance issues … We will try to ‘re-boot’ as quickly as possible! Also, Greenwood Shadows is now moving to a new address.

Smiles from Sherwood,

Adele

WARNING!

IF YOU ARE FIFTEEN OR YOUNGER, THIS POST MAY NOT BE FOR YOUR EYES!

Shoot somewhere else!

Well, it’s time for the big announcement. It is now time to discover what Wren Hunting was really about, and to learn more about what Robin Hood fought! erm, hunted!

Read more »

Three years ago, my dad brought home a video from the library, The Adventures of Robin Hood. It was to be watched after we went skiing for the first time, and he assured us it was a great film. That night, quite sore, we ate enchiladas and had an incredible time watching it in our living room. As I watched, my mind started ticking. I was thinking something like this …

This is so cool …

B’le rwyt ti’n mynd, medda Ricard wrth Robin
B’le rwyt ti’n mynd, medda Dibbun wrth Dobbin
B’le rwyt ti’n mynd, medda John
B’le rwyt ti’n mynd medda’r never beyond

Rwy’n mynd tua’r coed—Llad y drwy bach, Bwa a saeth

Where are you going, says Dibbon to Dobbin
Where are you going, says Richard to Robin
Where are you going says John
Where are you going says the Never Beyond.

I’m going to the woods to hunt the wren with bow and arrow!

And what the heck did THAT mean???

So ho hey, I decided to probe a little further into the Robin Hood legend, to figure out how old it ACTUALLY was! And, now a happy three years later; I finally understand wren-hunting, I know why Robin was doing it, and I have far better insight into this fascinating hero.

For a start here (it’s SUCH a complex subject, aherm), here’s how I think the oldest extant Wren/Bird hunting song oughta look: (it’s not long)

Shelg mi an dreathan
Gabh’s y cean
Is agam’s ny cassyn
Is bheir muid i fo’n thallamh

(all spoken by Robin Hood)

Now as you likely can’t understand Gaelic/Manx, here’s the probationary translation:

I’ve hunted the wren
You take the head
And the feet are mine
And we’ll bear it into the earth.

(There is a tune for this, btw)

Now, this isn’t exactly the normal way that wren/bird hunting songs proceed!

Usually, what goes on is, several fellows go out, kill a bird, and then discuss what they will do with it in a ridiculous doggerel:

Let’s go hunting, said Rickety-Rockety,
Let’s go hunting, said Robbety-Bobbety
Let’s go hunting, said Johnny Malone
Let’s go hunting, said everyone.

What shall we shoot at?
Shoot at a crow
Bang! Bang!
Dead! Dead!
How do we get him home?
Borrow a cart
How’ll we get him in?
Up! Up!
Take off the wheels
Push! Push!
How shall we cook him?
Boil him in a pot
How he’s done
Let’s eat him
Smack! Smack!
(Arkansas version, very modern)

The crow instead of wren reminds me of this nursery rhyme:

Robin a Bobbin bent his bow
Shot at a pigeon and killed a crow!

Or

All in a row, a bendy bow
Shoot at a pigeon and kill a crow
Shoot again and kill a wren …

In fact, in certain songs, it could be an owl, or, in a German song, a cuckoo being hunted by a young man!

And this is a typical explanation of what went on at wren-hunts:

‘On a certain day of the year a wren was caught and killed. It was carried round by a singing procession of men or boys, in a decorated receptacle, from house to house, its feathers, in exchange for food or coins, being distributed to be worn as protective charms or luck-bringing amulets, or to be kept in houses and fishing boats for the same purpose. The body of the bird was afterwards buried to the singing of ‘dirges’, formerly in the churchyard with circular dances, but latterly on the seashore or in any convenient place of waste ground.’

A Second Manx Scrapbook, W W Gill

However, there seems to be another Manx tradition in which two people bury the wren/hen after hunting it:

‘In the days when it was a truly ritual observance, the Wren was buried with all solemnity, by torchlight at night, to the accompaniment of singing, dancing and ‘keening’. The song and dance were both performed by men and boys, but one of these was dressed as a woman, and another, who actually buried the Wren, either wore a mask or had his face blackened. The ‘keening’ was done by the women-folk of the neighbourhood, who had to remain outside the churchyard wall, and keep their heads covered. In its passage down the years, most of this ritual, and all of its solemnity, has been lost …’

Now, the guy dressed as a woman; strange? Indeed! In fact something’s desperately awry here. This is illustrated by some OTHER Manx folklore … concerning the exact same character, who is commonly known as the Fool or Jockey, at least in English/Scottish/Irish mummer’s plays.

It’s a window in the world
A little portal where you get a better view
And all along the way the days are made
Of little moments of truth

{Song by Andrew Peterson}

Besides The Lord Of The Rings, The Song Of Albion series is certainly my favorite. In fact, 4 years ago, reading those exact same books breathed a desire within me to discover Western heritage; the forgotten ’simple’ past, the long-lost ‘epic tales’. First, that meant becoming a Gaelic singer, then it meant searching out such things as Tiwyr & Robin Hood and learning the strange art of writing so as to better, deeper, tell those stories.

So I find this video of Kevin Kaiser explaining how artists and writers are ‘thin places’ or ‘portals’, people who rend the fabric and let us see absolute truth and beauty in the Other World … I find it truly satisfying to my soul. Kevin, thanks for revealing the truth about Lawhead’s ‘portals’!

It is sad to relate that Richard Todd, the actor who played Robin Hood in Walt Disney’s The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men, has recently passed away. He went with ‘courage and dignity’ in a fight against cancer.

Here are some pics from the movie for which we know him best:

Sherwood must rise again!

Thank you Clement for introducing us all to The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men!

My friend Sophie just emailed me a fascinating little ballad about Robin Húd’. I would like to point out the word ‘mickle’, a Scottish word for ‘great’ or amazing.

The part about Little John going to ‘town’ may be related to a particular sequence of verses in the Lytle Gest of Robyne Hode, in which it seems Little John has returned to the forest of fair Barnesdale from the outside world, and is eagerly asked for news by Robin Húd’ and his ‘menye’—his company of men. (I believe that menye is pronounced men-yee based off the way it was rhymed with other words).

Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
Is in the mickle wood!
Little John, Little John,
He to the town is gone.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
Telling his beads,
All in the greenwood
Among the green weeds.

Little John, Little John,
If he comes no more,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
He shall fret full sore!

Sophie, thanks a LOT for pointing this jewel out!

When Child published his collection of the ballads of England and Scotland—most of which were originally about Robin Hood, friends & family—he did not include many tunes to the songs. So many years later, Bertrand Harris Bronson made another collection—this time, with many new variants plus tunes!

Unfortunately, the four volumes which he printed have become in scarce supply. And in the folk-song community, demand is very high. To help things along further, the original printings were done unevenly and so the last volume became quite pricey.

So, a few months ago, I was thinking that my thin resources would evaporate in the attempt to procure them. As I was mournfully contemplating this, I discovered on the Mudcat Digital Tradition forums that they were being reprinted—within a few days! And, unbelievably, they are now available for $40 a volume. So I’m happily studying my Bronsons—thank you, God!

*Why would I get these? So Wren Song can begin to re-construct, re-tune and re-sing the ancient songs of Britain—that is, the songs of Robin Hood.

In fact, the money left over after getting the new Bronsons has just procured software & other things necessary to a home-studio. Wren Song is going to be learning a lot now. The hope is, after re-forming a decent amount of songs, to make some available here for download for free—the ones at the heart of the Robin Hood legend. Even more will be available track-by track for the usual 99-cents price or all together in an actual CD.

I might add an especially special thanks to Clement of the Glen for prodding us in this direction!

This is going to be so fun!