More Robin Hood, because why not!
In the series
Robin of Sherwood it's proposed that "Robin Hood" is a title passed from person to person, reconciling the yeoman origins of Robin of Loxley with the dispossessed noble origin of Robert of Huntingdon, which vaguely parallels the theory that "Robin hood" or "Robehod" or "Hobbehod", etc., etc. became established as a stock alias for ne'er-do-wells and outlaws by the 1260s, which is when the first mentions of that name start bounding about. Ergo, anyone driven to outlawry presumably could choose to model themselves on
some guy also known as Robin Hood.
Taking the placement of Robin Hood in the period of Richard I's absence from the continent as fact (see above), sixty-ish years (1199-1261) is as good a timeframe as any for such a transformation from fact to fiction, not unlike the appropriation of fellow archer William Tell in the name of Swiss revolutionary nationalism, or his Korean counterpart Hong Gildong.
Within the context of Ivinghoe, this Robin Hood is the
grandson of the outlawed forester that helps Richard, disguised as the Knight of the Fetterlock, to storm Conisburgh Castle and rescue Walter and Roana, whose own activities relate much more to Prince John's own grandson, Edward Longshanks.
Anyway, on with the story!
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Robert II of Locksley
This article is about the historical figure, the outlawed grandson of Robert of Locksley. For their depictions in popular culture, see Robin Hood.
Robert II of Locksley, also known as
Robert of Huntingdon, was an outlaw and bandit active during the reigns of
Henry III of England and his son and heir,
Edward I of England. Presumably the son and heir to rebel baron
Richard of Locksley, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, Robert was disenfranchised and deprived of his inheritance after the disastrous
Battle of Evesham during the
Second Barons' War. Facing charges of treason, Robert appears to have modelled himself, deliberately or otherwise, after his Angevin-era ancestor Sir
Robert of Locksley, and lived as an outlaw in Sherwood Forest, Barnsdale, and wider Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.
It is in this phase of his life that he adopted the alias "
Robin Hood"; his biography and exploits, along with those of his ancestor and his fellow outlawed rebel
Roger Godberd, have since come to form the basis of the legend of Robin Hood. Given the attribution of his activities to the reign of "King Edward", it is most plausible that his
floruit extended to at least 1272 (the beginning of Edward I's
de jure reign) or 1274 (Edward's return from the Holy Land during the Eighth Crusade.) His fate afterwards is unknown; Robin Hood receiving the king's pardon appears to be a detail lifted not from Robert's own biography, but that of Roger Godberd's.
Robert's life, along with his ancestor Sir Robert Locksley and Roger Godberd, hence forms the nucleus of the Robin Hood of popular legend.
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Early life and background
Given that Robert's fortunes arose from being heir presumptive to
Richard of Locksley, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, the simplest explanation is that Robert was the son of Richard; likewise, as Robert specifically identified with Sir
Robert of Locksley, an outlawed forester of Loxley Chase knighted by Richard I of England for his aid during the
Revolt of 1194, and based much of his career upon his biography, the most parsimonious conclusion is that Robert II of Locksley was Sir Robert's grandson, and Richard was Robert I's son.
Robert II's presumed birthdate is extrapolated from the theory that "1247" on the Kirklees headstone purporting to inter Robin Hood refers not to "Robin Hood"'s death, but his birth; backing for a birthdate of this time-frame is circumstantially supported by the validity of his resulting age during the
Second Barons' War. Apart from this speculation, little is known about Robert's background beyond his connection to South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
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Second Barons' War
Robert's father, Richard of Locksley, appears to have sided with
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester during the numerous disputes between their fellow barons and
Henry III of England, presumably some time after the "
Mad Parliament" of 1258 which attempted to pass the
Provisions of Oxford, which were confirmed by the Provisions of Westminster the following year, but revoked via Papal Bull as there is no special mention of Richard of Locksley in any of the rolls relating to these Provisions.
Nevertheless, Richard's support of Simon either during or immediately after his self-imposed exile in the aftermath of the papal bull appears to have endeared Richard to Simon sufficiently for de Montfort to promote him to the
Earldom of Huntingdon, perhaps on the grounds of a plausible claim
jure uxoris through his wife Gunnor, daughter of a previous holder
Simon III de Senlis. This title itself had lapsed in 1237 with the death of
John of Scotland along with the
Earldom of Chester, which Simon granted to himself in 1264.
If Richard's conversion to the Barons' cause was during this time-frame, it may have represented the northernmost extent of the overthrow of the king's support base, following the violent "debt cancellations" amounting to pogroms aimed at Jewish moneylenders in London, Winchester, Canterbury, Cambridge, Lincoln and Northampton.
Whichever the case, it was as
Earl of Huntingdon, and his son Robert, knighted by Simon de Montfort himself, as heir presumptive, that Richard participated at the
Battle of Evesham, where
Henry III and his son
Edward Longshanks sought to wrest control of the country back from the rebellious barons. The battle was a disaster for the barons and their forces were massacred, with Simon de Montfort and Richard of Locksley slain alongside fellow rebel leaders
Peter de Montfort and
Hugh le Despencer, amongst others.
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Outlaw and bandit
Robert had survived, and escaped to press his claim on the Earldom of Huntingdon; however, as the war wound down it was clear that Simon de Montfort's endowments were considered null and void, and Robert was dispossessed of his knighthood and earldom, and further declared as an fugitive from justice when he refused to sign the
Dictum of Kenilworth, and joined the faction of the "Disinherited" with
John Deyville on the Isle of Ely; Deyville and his brother Robert had taken command of the northern rebels upon the death of Richard. His misfortune appeared to be on the brink of reversal when
Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester (who had previously turned against the barons at Evesham) attacked London seeking more favourable terms for himself and his fellow dispossessed lords.
The precise timing of Robert's turn to banditry and adoption of the "Robin Hood" alias is unknown; however, if he is to be identified with the "
Robertus Hod" at the final rebel stronghold at Ely, this marks 1267 as his
terminus post quem. It appears that Robert fell out with John Deyville over the latter's violent methods, and refused to accept the king's peace, being similarly disgusted with Gilbert de Clare. A "
Robertus Hod" is next reported as defaulting on a court hearing in 1268 based on crimes committed several years prior alongside a certain Simon de Constable in East Yorkshire; although Simon de Constable was pardoned by the king, there is no mention of Robert Hood or the other criminals' fate.
The extent of Robert's activities as "Robert Hood" may be inferred through comparison with his fellow rebel and outlaw
Roger Godberd, who served under Simon de Montfort during the Barons' War. Many aspects of the Robin Hood legend, such as his association with Sherwood Forest, command of a hundred followers, relationship with the Sheriff of Nottingham, special protection by a knight named Richard, and pardon by the King, in fact derive from Roger Godberd's biography; minus aspects unique to Roger Godberd's life, Robert Hood's career appears to be defined by his activities in Barnsdale Forest and related locations such as Wentbridge, and his association with Little John and Friar Tuck.
The chief sources to the historicity of Robert Hood's career, besides the ballads and plays concerning Robin Hood, are mentions by Scottish chroniclers:
Litil Iohun [Little John] and Robert Hude [Robert Hood]
Waythmen [Forest outlaws] war commendit gud [praised well];
In Ingilwode [Inglewood] and Bernnysdaile [Barnsdale]
Thai oyssit [practiced] al this tyme thar trawale [labour]. (Andrew of Wyntoun's Orygynale Chronicle, c. 1420)
Then arose the famous murderer, Robert Hood, as well as Little John, together with their accomplices from among the disinherited, whom the foolish populace are so inordinately fond of celebrating both in tragedies and comedies, and about whom they are delighted to hear the jesters and minstrels sing above all other ballads.
About whom also certain praiseworthy things are told, as appears in this -- that when once in Barnsdale, avoiding the anger of the king and the threats of the prince, he was according to his custom most devoutly hearing Mass and had no wish on any account to interrupt the service -- on a certain day, when he was hearing Mass, having been discovered in that very secluded place in the woods when the Mass was taking place by a certain sheriff (viscount) and servant of the king, who had very often lain in wait for him previously, there came to him those who had found this out from their men to suggest that he should make every effort to flee.
This, on account of his reverence for the sacrament in which he was then devoutly involved, he completely refused to do. But, the rest of his men trembling through fear of death, Robert, trusting in the one so great whom he worshipped, with the few who then bravely remained with him, confronted his enemies and easily overcame them, and enriched by the spoils he took from them and their ransom, ever afterward singled out the servants of the church and the Masses to be held in greater respect, bearing in mind what is commonly said: "God harkens to him who hears Mass frequently." (Walter Bower's Continuation of John Fordun's Scotichronicon, c. 1440)
Robin Hood's association with Maid Marian is complex, and relates to the history of both characters with May Day festivities, along with the
Le Jeu de Robin et de Marion relating the story of a shepherdess named Marion who fights off the advances of an amorous knight with the help of her lover Robin. The syncretising of Robin Hood, Maid Marian, and this play may be related to Robin's relationship with
Matilda de Montfort, niece of rebel leader Peter de Montfort and an heiress of his trust in Ringwood. So long as Matilda lived, she came under threat from Nicholas of Ely, who had already displaced her cousing William in the diocese of Winchester.
Thus, Anthony Munday's plays, known collectively as
The Downfall and the Death of Robert Earl of Huntingdon, which relates Robert's noble origins and relationship with the persecuted Matilda, who then adopts the identity of Maid Marian, may simply be committing the same error as the Scottish historian John Major in his
Historia Majoris Britanniae. Major conflates Robert II of Locksley with his Angevin-era ancestor, Sir Robert of Locksley, and Munday carries this error forward whilst appropriating the alleged plight of Matilda FitzWalter at King John's hands for his play. By this time, Roger Godberd's exploits had already been thoroughly folded into this so-called "composite Robin Hood".
Although Roger Godberd's career is known to have ended following Henry III's death, when Edward I returned to England, Robert Hood's fortunes are less well-known. The Robin Hood of the ballads, although granted the king's pardon, ultimately repudiates it and returns to the greenwood. Robin Hood is mentioned in conjunction with Edward I in notes made on the manuscript of the
Polychronicon dated to 1460:
Around this time [i.e. the reign of Edward I], according to popular opinion, a certain outlaw named Robin Hood, with his accomplices, infested Sherwood and other law-abiding areas of England with continuous robberies.
However, as Sherwood Forest is explicitly mentioned, this may once again be a result of the conflation of his career with Roger Godberd's. Andrew of Wyntoun's entry is recorded under the date 1283, which would imply a career extending over nearly 18 years; if the date of 1247 is taken to be Robert Hood's year of birth, he would have been active from age of around 18 to 36, which is not implausible. Nevertheless, all of the above remains as mere speculation.
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Contribution to the Robin Hood legend
Main article: Robin Hood#Historicity
The Robin Hood of popular culture, as discussed above, appears to originate from fewer than three strands:
- Robert of Locksley, yeoman and disenfranchised forester knighted by Richard I of England for his service during the Revolt of 1194; may have been the origin of "Robert Hood" as a stock alias for an outlaw
- Robert II of Locksley, otherwise known as "Robert Hood", disenfranchised heir to the Earldom of Huntingdon active as a criminal during and after the Second Barons' War, associated with Barnsdale Forest and Little John
- Roger Godberd, soldier in the service of Simon de Montfort who turned to banditry following the Battle of Evesham, arrested multiple times by Reginald de Grey, Sheriff of Nottingham, pardoned by Edward I
These personages emerge in history in the reverse order as they are presented here: Roger Godberd and Robert Hood are both mentioned by Walter Bower, but explicitly as separate individuals. No suggestion of Robert's noble lineage is made in either chronicles or ballads until Anthony Munday's plays at the end of the sixteenth century, by which time Roger Godberd had already mostly been forgotten and his exploits ascribed to the more popular figure of Robert Hood, now known widely as "Robin Hood". We may disregard the elaborate pedigree drawn up by William Stuckley as a genealogical fabrication for the Earldom of Huntingdon being held by the Locksleys during this era.
Robert of Locksley's existence must be inferred from the reconciliation of the fame of "Robin Hood" as a personage and as an alias by the time of the early-to-mid 13th century (such as the various "Robert Hod"s and "Hobbehod"s between 1228 and 1234 in pipe rolls) and the various attempts by chroniclers such as the anonymous author of the
Sloane Manuscript and John Major in his
Historia Majoris Britanniae to place Robert Hood's activities in the timeframe of Richard I's reign.
These are corroborated by the
Wardour Manuscript detailing Sir Robert of Locksley's service in 1194. As for the lack of previous mention to the Earldom of Huntingdon with regards to Robert Hood's career, it is notable that by these exegeses, Robert II of Locksley never held the earldom in reality, only his father as a token of appreciation by Simon de Montfort. Robert I of Locksley being a yeoman prior to his involvement in the Revolt of 1194 and Robert II of Locksley being deprived of his inheritance due to the outcome of the Battle of Evesham handily reconcile these apparent contradictions.
It is notable that the early historical references (Andrew of Wyntoun and Walter Bower), along with the vast majority of the earlier ballads, all mention Robin Hood's association with Barnsdale Forest and Little John, with the exception of
Robin Hood and the Monk, which mentions Sherwood Forest, although explicitly as a
destination, and the margin interpolation in the
Polychronicon. Evidently by the mid-to-late fifteenth century, Robert Hood's identification with Barnsdale had solidified, and his legend had slowly begun to absorb that of Roger Godberd.
By the end of the next century, as codified by the
Historia Majoris Britanniae and
The Downfall and Death of Robert Earl of Huntingdon, the "composite Robin" had solidified, with Robert I of Locksley's Angevin-era origins and career, Roger Godberd's association with Sherwood Forest and entanglements with the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Robert II of Locksley's history of nobility and disinheritance leading to a career of banditry, leaving a complex network of origins and literary traditions to be untangled by future generations.
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Massive props to
http://www.robinhoodlegend.com/ , without which this would not have been possible in the least.
Everything in bold except for the Locksleys, the Ivinghoes, Matilda de Clare and the so-called "Wardour Manuscript" (actually the text of
Ivanhoe) is historically attested.
Also, this took way too fucking long.