Customer Reviews

The Outlaws of Medieval Legend

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book delves into the many outlaw characters of Medieval Britain, historical, semi-historical and those of so called myth that may have contributed to the Robin Hood legend. Hereward, Fulk Fitzwain, Eustace the Monk, William Wallace, and Gamelyn are all covered with at least one chapter dedicated to each. Outlaws of Medieval Legend also looks into the possibility of Robin Hood being a real living person, even if their reality differed from that of the Robin Hood Stories. Besides that it explores the sociological reasons that the Robin Hood and other British outlaw legends and historical figures were so popular during the middle ages and continue to be so to this day. I highly recomend this book to anyone with any sort of interest in the subject matter.

Personally I always liked to think of Robin Hood as a just and righteous Anglo Saxon Thegn that had lost everything after the Normans took over England in 1066 and was fighting a guerella war against the oppressive Normans. I also always liked the idea of Robin Hood being a heathen that would rob the corrupt greedy Christian church and political figures.

Even though Keen's book is not the most recent book on the topic, he still has some very good things to say. This edition republishes all his original material from the 1960's with a new introduction, explaining how some of his ideas have changed due to recent scholarship. This book is not a revision, just a reprinting. He has a chapter on outlaw ballads as an expression of peasant discontent, but has stated that he may have overstretched his conclusions.

However, his book is still good to read in order to gain a broad understanding of English outlaws, he focuses on Robin Hood, but mentioned several other outlaw poems as well. For me personally this was the first time I read an overview of the life of Hereward and the tales of Gamelyn. I've heard of William Wallace, but didn't really know anything about him. Keen also has a chapter on Eustace the Monk, one of the outlaws who can be tracked down and pinpointed to exact dates. These other outlaws received a chapter or two and Keen explored both the overlapping themes among them and explores the historical background which produced the tales.

His chapters on Robin Hood outline the fictional character and overview a few of the ballads. He notes how tough it is to try and find a historical Robin, and states that it may never be done. A few candidates have been put forward but they are all on shaky foundations and speculations. We know the rough century/century and a half in which the stories first began, so the original figure or figures who inspired them must have lived in the same period. Overall a good book if a little outdated by more recent scholarship. A good introduction to outlaw literature.