[MR] 'Negative' attitude to Robin Hood --- BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife |

[Dave Montuori]

> The story of how Robin [Hood] and his men stole from the rich to give to 
> the poor has long been part of English folklore. However, Julian Luxford 
> of St Andrews University found a dissenting voice in a Latin inscription 
> from about 1460 in a manuscript owned by Eton College.

[snip]

> Dr Luxford said: "The new find places Robin Hood in Edward I's reign, 
> thus supporting the belief that his legend is of 13th Century origin."

OK. We have here what is apparently an *English* document from the reign 
of Edward I, that avers Robin to be of a [mid? late?] 13th century time 
frame, as opposed to the late 12th century regency and early 13th century 
reign of King John.

John wasn't well liked as regent nor as king. (Richard I, his predecessor 
and for whom John was regent when Richard was away, was probably more 
popular than he deserved, but though John's initial unpopularity may not 
have really been his fault, he didn't help his cause as the years went 
on.) Setting Robin Hood in that time period would be useful in promoting 
Robin and his band as heroes (of a sort).

Edward I, however, was a fairly popular king... in England. An English 
document placing Robin as Edward's contemporary would very likely cast 
Robin et aliae in a bad light. I would, however, be interested to see what 
people from Scotland and Wales had to say about a later 13th century Robin 
Hood... people from places where Edward and his government were (and 
perhaps still are) immensely UNpopular.

I'm not saying we're at all likely to find documents recording such 
attitudes... but if by some amaing chance any should turn up it would be 
fascinating to discover what they said!

Evan