Robin Hood

Paul Creswick's 1917 version of the ballads of Robin Hood is written in the novelistic tradition pioneered by Howard Pyle in his 1883 version, with a fictitious "old English" idiom, a heroic Robin and storyline for children - the modern Robin Hood most of us associate. Creswick's version, sort of

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the first generation after Pyle, has a tighter plot, a better origins story and includes more adventures than Pyle. The writing though can be strict and little bland at times compared to Pyle who is more colorful and new. Creswick at times put me to sleep but then things picked back up again on and off. Unlike Pyle, Creswick was writing during the age of film and some of the scenes have a distinct silent movie feel to them (one of the earliest films ever made was Robin Hood in 1907). Creswick's long downfall of Robin, when nothing could get worse but does, is well done - the explanation of his turn to crime has some emotional depth, and elements of King Arthur's legend.

It struck me while reading this that the theme of Robin Hood is "identity" - even the name "Hood" is derived from Robin's hood which hides his true identity. Almost every episode involves one character or another changing identity as the central plot device. Why is this? Well, prior to the democratization of society in the 18th and 19th centuries, who you were was everything - what you wore born into, and the clothes you wore, determined your station in life - your merit or skills or actions were secondary, class mobility was limited and your life was mostly pre-determined. As the nobility might say "Being things is ratha bettha than doing things." Thus it was a fantasy of the lesser born to break from the restrictions of social bonds and be judged fairly on skill and ability, as Robin does of his Merry Men in encounters of strength. Robin Hood took from the rich and gave to the poor, a form of socialism - it is no accident that the legend of Robin Hood was so popular in the 19th century when the Middle Class rose to dominance and Socialism became popular.

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