Reading Notes: Robin Hood, Part A

· I love that this is a ballad. You can tell that it must be old, and far more true to the original.

· He’s so young. 15 is tiny.

· Wow, the forresters were obnoxious, but this is quite the dark start nonetheless. Was he by rights an outlaw, and not just because Prince John was corrupt?

· I like that the ballad directly addresses the audience. I can just picture a minstrel singing it.

· Guys are weird.

· I really enjoy that Robin isn’t a sore loser.

· So, do they steal from the rich and give to the poor because the rich steal first from the poor, or do they start by just stealing from the rich for the heck of it, and then later it becomes a justice thing?

· Oooh I like the bible reference. Also, why on earth is Robin trying to be a butcher?

· Ahh now I understand. Dang it! I never wanted to favor the Sheriff of Nottingham, but in this case I feel sorry for him. He may be horrid, though…

· I feel like he’s corrupting people… L.

· This is making me really want to go for a hike in a green wood.

· “Gamble Gold of the gay green woods”… I love that.

· Does Robin ever win fights?

· I love this Shepherd. There’s so much bravery in all of these stories, and so much refusing to yield. (Which maybe is dumb, but makes for a good story).

· The shepherd-swain is my favorite so far for sure. He was only defending his lunch and his honor, but he fought for hours, and I’m glad that he didn’t join them (or at least hasn’t yet).

· I want it to get to stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

· It seems to be a common refrain, “We will fight before we will fly.”

(Nottingham Castle Statue)

Bibliography:  The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, collected by Francis James Child