Robin Hood: a
legendary Hero
Long ago, the King Richard the
Lion-Heart left for the Holy Land on
a great Crusade. During his absence,
prince John his greedy brother,
usurped the crown.
Sheriff of Nottingham, with the
help of his guards, collected high
taxes to Prince John and he was
really ruthless.
Robin Hood was the peolpe’s
only
hope. He robbed from the rich to
feed the poor. He was beloved by all
English people. He lived in the
Sherwood forest with his Merry
Men.
The first stories of Robin Hood were
passed orally and with medieval ballads.
The first reference of Robin Hood is in
a poem written around 1377 AD. There
is a character named Sloth that says “I
know rhymes of Robin Hood better
than Paternostro ..."
For
years, historians have been studying if Robin was a real
figure or a legendary figure. Probably Robin Hood was an outlaw
named Robert Hode. It’s more difficult understand how
'Robinhood‘ became the nickname used by court officials to
indicate any lawless. For example, a man
named "William Robinhood" was tried for theft in 1261. Today, in
the USA, the criminals are sometimes called 'hoods'.
Robin is associated (as the Saxon rebels) to life in the forest.
The legend of Robin seems to coincide with Robin Duke
of Huntigdon, who lived at the time of the Norman Conquest,
who died before 1100, whose tomb (or supposed) to Kirklees is
engraved the following inscription:
Robert Earl of Huntingdon
Lies under this little stone.
No archer was like him so good;
His wildness named him ROBIN HOOD.
For thirteen years, and something more,
These northern parts he vexed sore.
Such outlaws as he and his men
May England never know again
Robert Duca di Huntingdon
Giace sotto questa pietra
Nessun arciere fu pari a lui
Per la sua natura fu detto ROBIN HOOD.
Per tredici anni e più
Queste terre del nord egli rese aride.
Fuorilegge come lui ed i suoi uomini
Possa l’Inghilterra non vederne più.
On
April 2011 was found a tomb, probably it would host spoils of
legendary hero Robin Hood. A historic says that is the place where was
buried the most famous popular figure of English tradition. Baldwin, a
university teacher, says that the person buried in this
tomb is Roger Godberd who inspired the legend of Robin Hood.
Godberd lived between 1230 and 1290 and was tried of a series of
crimes across the country: the crimes and the places where they were
done are the same as Robin Hood. Godberd led a band
of men, responsible of theft, arson and even murder.