A hero loved by the people, who steals from the rich to give to the poor: this is the image of Robin Hood that minstrels and troubadours conveyed throughout the Middle Ages. But does this lovely tale have an ounce of authenticity? In this new issue of History SecretsStéphane Bern and his guests followed in the footsteps of this famous fanciful and flamboyant rebel.
From Sherwood Forest and its thousand-year-old oaks in the heart of England, to Walter Scott's Scotland (the character in the green cap inspired his Ivanhoe), they retraced the steps of this Robin, a name which at the time also designated a bandit.
Read also: Robin des Bois visits Brocéliande “to forge links between legendary forests”
An episode too classic to convince
The route turns out to be a well-oiled tourist circuit. A little disappointing: Nottingham Castle, like its sheriff, no longer has much of its original appearance. The ending is more interesting, with a dive into ancient texts, and references to several characters who defied the authorities in an England that was as unequal as possible. So, probably, several figures – from the robbed nobleman to the simple bandit – constructed the legend. As the historian and novelist Philippe Séguy summarizes, “Robin Hood has the eyes of our imagination! »
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