Robin Hood Existed

by Michael Reuel

Hollywood likes to make money out of Robin Hood, but the truth about him should not be allowed to fail. The existence of everyone’s favourite outlaw has been questioned for years, but the truth is that this is all based on historical misplacement. We don’t have to tell our children untruths about this son of Sherwood, have that awkward moment when we break it to them that he might not have existed, or even embellish the tale for the sake of the telling. Robin Hood did exist! Understanding why the storytelling has become so murky is key to re-enlightening our culture on what exactly he meant and means to the nation. There are currently multiple Robin Hood movies in production, none of which give any indication that they are focused on historical research in order to construct a story. However, for those who go looking, it is possible to find something authentic – more than just a legend or myth. The only difficulty is knowing where to start, which historians to reject or pay attention to, and learning which avenues of the story are false. Michael Reuel’s research gets to the core of the Robin Hood we should know, by sifting through the evolution of the folklore to achieve a clear definition of his origins, while establishing which historical approaches are the most fruitful when studying the life of a medieval outlaw. As popular culture continues to evolve, the original tales of our folkloric heroes need to be cherished more than ever. Because the more false myths that are allowed to form around a man like Robin Hood, the further away from the original tales the storytelling gets. There is, in fact, such a thing as a definitive take on the original Robin Hood tales. Even a blueprint for telling the story as it was originally envisioned to be told, providing we understand what context to view the earliest texts. Robin Hood Existed provides that context, shedding light on what kind of man Hood was, his lifestyle, his culture and his worldview. The result is far more down to earth and brutal than that of the dispossessed nobleman we are often introduced to, but fear not. The original Robin was certainly heroic; a deeply principled man whose affections for the ordinary folk led him to live a life that does indeed fit the mold of the hero who robbed from the rich to give to the poor. There’s just so much more to it than that.

Genres: History

179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2016

Reviews

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this look into the likelihood of Robin Hood being a real person. The writer has his own agenda and offers many fresh perspectives, rather than simply going through Robin's place in popular culture as some other books have. I haven't given 5 stars as there were some intriguing references I wished to know more about, however, I do find myself in support of the arguments.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the author makes some interesting observations and writes confidently, many of his theories are less persuasive than his tone would suggest. There is much to be applauded in his approach of studying Robin Hood ballads for clues to the identity of the outlaw, the author very conveniently ignores the merits of many of history's possible candidates as historical prototypes without justification, cherry-picks the early ballads for key phrases that support his thesis and ignores portions that don't and he completely ignores the fact that we just don't know how old the Robin Hood legend is: the oldest ballads we have need not be the oldest to have existed. Some of his theories are quite interesting, attractive, even, like the idea of a parallel or shadow culture existing for generations in the forests of England after the Norman Conquest, but the author's proof for the idea is far from persuasive. In the end, Reuel proves very little and suggests just a little more. With a little more research and some editing (removing some pointless digressions and correcting some slight historical errors), this could be a far better book.

[Richard Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the fresh perspective of this book's second half in particular. Readers who have searched for proof of Robin Hood in other titles will be familiar with some of the initial content, such as why Robin is not a disinherited noble and did not belong in King John's time, but Reuel's work becomes different when he starts to discuss Robin's heritage, his place in the landscape and his reputation among the yeomanry.

Whether you accept his theories depends upon whether you accept his reinterpretation of 5 early Robin Hood ballads. On this, though inevitably there are some murky areas, he has me convinced that Robin's place in the landscape and culture has been misunderstood, while he also makes some compelling arguments for the ballads not being works of fiction and for linking Robin with one particular king.

[Peter John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin of the Fairies

This book was one of the most interesting ones I have read on the subject and very thought-provoking. Reuel`s theory makes good sense.
I would have liked to hear more about the link between outlaw and fairy in the medieval context but the link with the woses was a good start.