Hodd

Goodguyorbadguy?Amedievaldocumentcastsdoubtonourpre-conceptionsaboutamedievalfolkheroandlegend.WhowasRobinHood?Romanticlegendcastshimasoutlaw,archer,andheroofthepeople,livinginSherwoodForestwithFriarTuck,LittleJohnandMaidMarian,stealingfromtherichtogivetothepoor—butthereisnohistoricalprooftobackthisup.Theearlyballadsportrayaquitedifferentfigure:impulsive,violent,vengeful,withnoconcernfortheneedy,nomerryband,andnoMaidMarian.HoddprovidesapossibleanswerintheformofamedievaldocumentrescuedfromaruinedchurchontheSomme.ThetestimonyofthemonkMatthewdescribeslifewiththehalf-crazedbanditHoddinthegreenwood.Followingthethirteenth-centuryprinciplesofthe“heresyoftheFreeSpirit,”hebelievedhimselfaboveGodandbeyondsin.HoddandhiscrimeswouldhavebeenforgottenwithoutMatthew’sminstrelskills,anditistheoldmonk’scruelfatetoknowthatnotonlyhashegivenhimselfuptoapostasyandshame,butthathisballadswereresponsibleforturningthemurderousfelonRobertHoddintothemostpopularoutlawheroandfolklegendofEngland,RobinHood.Writtenwithhischaracteristicdepthandsubtlety,hissureunderstandingoffolkloreandprecisecommandofdetail,AdamThorpe’sninthnovelisbothathrillingre-examinationofmythandamovingreminderofhowhumaninnocenceandfrailtyfixandhardenintohistory.FromtheHardcoveredition.