Legend or Leader Advanced English 9 The Middle Ages The Myth Modern assumptions include of knights in shining armor lavish banquets wandering minstrels kings queens bishops monks pilgrims and glorious pageantry ID: 580802
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Slide1
Robin Hood:Legend or Leader?
Advanced English 9Slide2
The Middle Ages: The Myth
Modern assumptions include of
knights in shining armor, lavish banquets, wandering minstrels, kings, queens, bishops, monks, pilgrims, and glorious pageantry.
In film and in literature, medieval life seems heroic, entertaining, and romantic. Slide3
The Middle Ages: The Reality
In reality, life in the Middle Ages, a period that extended from approximately the 5
th
century to the 15th century in Western Europe, could also be harsh, uncertain, and dangerous. Slide4
The Peasants
At the lowest level of society were the peasants, also called
serfs.
The lord offered his peasants protection in exchange for living and working on his land. Slide5
Hard Work & High Taxes
Peasants worked hard to cultivate the land and produce the goods that the lord and his manor needed.
They were heavily taxed and were required to relinquish much of what they harvested. Slide6
Women: Household Chores
Whether they were nobles or peasants, women held a difficult position in society.
They were largely confined to household tasks such as cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving, and spinning.
Traditional (patriarchal) gender rolesSlide7
Four Humors
The body was viewed as a part of the universe, a concept derived from the Greeks and Romans. Four humors, or body
fluids,
were directly related to the four elements.Fire: yellow bile or choler
Water: phlegmEarth: black bile Air: blood. These four humors had to be balanced. Too much of one was thought to cause a change in personality--for example, too much black bile could create melancholy. Slide8
1. “An
unverified
story handed
down from earlier times, especially one popularly believed to be historical
.”
Very similar to myth
What is a
legend?
2. ‘An
extremely famous or notorious person.’Slide9
First mentioned in the 1370’s by aristocrat William Langland
Merry Men do not appear until 14
th century versions of the tale
Friar Tuck and Maid Marian do not appear in this version (not until late 15th century
Medieval Literary recordSlide10
Price John is not consistently the villain of the Robin Hood narratives
Robin Hood’s depiction as a talented swordsman and archer not included in early versions; not until 17
th
century “Rob the rich to give to the poor” not added to the legend until the 19
th centuryLiterary recordcontinuedSlide11
1. Robin Hood embodies a combination of medieval outlaws (William Wallace, Herewald
the Wake)
- local folkloric competition
2. Robin Hood represents a “ballad-muse” or folkloric stock character - narratives that encourage alliance with
criminals often act as anti-government propaganda - resistance to unpopular monarchs & authority
Dominant theoriesSlide12
3. Robin Hood as a common alias used by medieval thieves
- roving bands of outlaws were common
- way for outlaws to communicate on social fringes
4. Robin Hood was a real, aristocratic (or servile) figure who was either from Yorkshire or Nottinghamshire who most likely supported Richard 1 (Lionheart) but was driven to outlawry during the Third Crusade - Richard 1 (1189-1190) - Rule of Prince John notoriously misguided (heavy taxes) (1199-1216)
Dominant theories