March 25th, 2009

In the ancient days of Britain, people spoke of the Brothers Three, who were Robin Hood, Will Scarlett, and Little Shaun. Robin was the ringleader, the youngest ‘brither’. Of course, they weren’t actual brothers, more like comrades, blood-brothers.

Now in the Scots & English mummer’s Sword-Plays, we meet a fellow called Bold Anthony (as strong as a mantle-tree) and his sturdy comrades, who include “Little Man John” and “Jack Finny” and get into all kinds of mischief. This would be the Bold Archer (of an old Scots song), and Little John and Jock/Sawney before they joined Robin Hood! Unfortunately, these are all the same person! So then, we see that everything is interrelated and the Sword-Dances preserve memories of the seperated myths of Bold Archer, Little John, and Jock/Sawney before they entered Sherwood.

Here I’ve resurrected an old English folk play, a mummer’s play if you please, which has to do with the Third of the Brothers Three—Bold Archer/Little John—being added to Sherwood Co. I got it from several ballads: Robin Hood and Arthur A’Bland, Robin Hood and the Tinker, The Bold Peddler and Robin Hood, Robin Hood and the Shepherd, Robin Hood’s Delight, Robin Hood and Will Scarlett, and I also got it from 2-3 mummer’s plays.

When I re-constructed this play, I still believed that Bold Archer was a different person than Little John. There is an old Scots song which mentions Bold Archer/Bell Archie, who is also called Johnny. This person is rescued by Robin Hood, along with someone called Mudge, Miller’s son. But now, it’s getting even worse; Much the Miller’s son is really Little John or whoever’s getting rescued. I am afraid it’s quite a complex situation!

And THIS PLAY, although a pretty authentic version of what-would-have-been performed in Medieval England, is not the oldest, most correct arrangement for the verses it contains. So, let me warn you, although it looks perfect, it’s all muddled. The roles at the beginning originally would not have been between Robin Hood & Little John/Bold Archer, but between Robin Hood & Friar Tuck, and switched talking roles for Robin … Little John’s lines were originally Robin Hood’s. At the end, there are some authentic parts of Robin getting Little John to join up, only it should not end that the Brothers Three are Robin, Little John & Bold Archer, as John = Archer. Rather, it should have what some verses said originally—Will Scarlett, as the 2nd/3rd brother.

And 2nd point; a lot of the Robin Hood ballads include a big fight between Robin Hood & a mysterious personage. Any name works. Bloody Butcher, potter with a rose garland, Cutted Friar, Friar Tuck, Guy of Gisbourne, Abbot/Black Priests, dadantdada. This would be that same fight, only from the perspective of a mummer’s play. The truth of the fight is that it was originally supposed to be much more frightening and ended with Robin Hood just barely managing to kill the other man.

For instance, instead of the lines “If thee be so stout, thee & I’ll have a bout", Robin ought to be saying, as a sort of introduction to the big fight,

Be the knave never so stout,
I will rap him on the snout
And put him to flight!

All that said, here is the indeed-important-if-muddled play!

Important Note! Feel free, whoever reads this, to take this, copy this, use this, in any way whatsoever, because this is a functional Old English Play, and meant to be used as such! All I require is that you say “reconstructed by Adele Treskillard” in all copies, etc.

Bold Archer

Here come I Bold Archer
The biggest man in Northumberlan’
There’s not a squire
living in th’ whole damp shire
That would dare to bid me stand!
With a long pike staff on my shoulder
see how well I clear my way—
Let them be one two or three,
I make them all flee,
for I give them no leave for to stay!
As I was walking one summer’s morning
Through the forest o’ Merry Sherwood—
To view the red deer,
That run there and here,
Then I saw bold Robin Hood.
As soon as Bold Robin Hood did me spy
He thought fine sport to make—
He held out his hand,
And bid me to stand,
And thus unto me he spake;

{Enter Robin Hood.}

Robin Hood

Who art thou, bold fellow?
That stands so boldly here?
Stroth to be brief
thou lookst a thief
Come to steal the King’s deer!
I’m the keeper over this forest
And the King put me in trust—
To mind the red deer
That run there and here
A stop thee, good fellow, I must.

Bold Archer

If thou beist Keeper over this forest
And hast any great command
thee must have more
protectors in store
before thee canst bid me to stand.

Robin Hood

No more protectors in store,
no more have I any need,
for I have a staff,
of old oak graft,
sure to do the deed.

Follow up:

Bold Archer

By thy staff and thy bow I care not a straw
nor all the bow arrows to boot.
If thou get a knock all on the brow stock
thou must just as well run as to shoot.

Robin

Speak clearly bold fellow,
give better terms to me.
I’ll correct thee for thy neglect.
I’ll make thee more mannerly!

Bold Archer

Marry gep with a wenion!
Art thou such a goodly man?
I don’t care a peg for thee looking so big
So mend thee thyself where thou can.

Robin

Let’s measure staves bold fellow!
Before we begin our play
I won’t have my staff half a foot longer than thine
Else thou wouldst call that foul play.

Archer

My staff’s eight foot and a half
And growed straight on a tree
An eight foot staff will knock down a calf
And I’m sure he’ll knock down thee!
Many a battle I’ve been through—

Robin

I can fight a battle as well as you

Archer

Battle to battle we shall try

Robin {flourishing quarterstave up}

To see which on the ground shall lie—

Archer

So mind your hits and guard your blows

Robin

{Delivering three punctuated blows to Archer’s staff, from side to side}

Likewise your face, and eyes, and nose!

{They fight}

{Robin is being battered}

Robin

Oh hold our hands, oh hold our hands
And let our quarrels fall,
Or else we shall thresh our bones to a mesh
And get no acquaintance at all.
If thee will leave thy tanning trade
And bide in greenwood with me,
My name’s Robin Hood
and I swear by the wood
I will give thee both gold and fee.

{A Whistle.}

Archer

Who’s yonder, thou proud fellow,
That’s coming over yonder hill?

Robin

It’s only Little Shaun, bold Robin Hood’s mon,
Shall fight with thee thy fill.

Little Shaun

What is the matter master?
I pray thee to me tell—
To see thee stand
with thee staff in thee hand
I fear it’s all not well.

Robin Hood

This tanner he stands he makes me to stand,
He’s the tanner-hood that stand by my side—
He’s a bonny blade in his master’s trade
so well he a tanned me hide!

Little Shaun

Thee must be commended bold fellow
if thou such a feat can do
if thee’s so stout thee and I’ll have a bout
and thee shalt tan my hide too!

Robin

{halting Little Shaun}

Oh no, oh no, it may not be so,
For as I have heard tell
He’s a warrior good, and of thy own blood,
His name is Archer Bell!

{Little Shaun shouts with recognition and jumps on Archer}

Robin

And if he will be one of us,
We will take all one fare,
And whatsoever we do get,
He shall have his full share.
And in the forest of merry Sherwood
Hereafter he’ll be free
And we’ll be three of the bravest outlaws
That is in the North Country!
But he shall be a bold yeoman of mine,
My chief man next to thee,
For three merry men,
and three merry men,
And three merry men are we
As ever did sing
in a forest ring
Under the greenwood tree.
And ever hereafter, as long as I live,
We three will be all one;
The wood shall ring
and the old wife sing
Of Robin Hood, Archer, and Shaun.