"The Robin Hood Ballads"

The Robin Hood Ballads

England's favourite hero, Robin Hood , is a partly legendary, partly historical character. The old ballads about the famous out­law say that he lived in about the second half of the 12th century, in the times of King Henry II and his son Richard the Lion-Heart. Society in those days was mainly divided into lords and peasants.

This was the England of Robin Hood about whom there are some fifty or more ballads.

Robin Hood

The ballads of Robin Hood tell us of his adventures in the forest as an outlaw. Many Saxons joined him there.

They were called "the merry men of Robin Hood".

Robin Hood was strong, brave and clever.

He was much cleverer, wittier and nobler than any nobleman.

He was the first in all competitions.

He was generous and tender-hearted and he was always ready to respond to anybody's call for help.

His worst enemies were the Sheriff of Nottingham, the bishop and greedy monks.

He always escaped any trouble and took revenge on his enemies.

Robin Hood was a man of a merry joke and kind heart.

The ballads tell us of Robin Hood's friends — of Little John who was ironically called "little" for being very tall; of thejolly fat Friar Tuck who skilfully used his stick in the battle.

Their hatred for the cruel oppressors united them and they led a merry and free life in Sherwood Forest.

The ballads of Robin Hood gained great popularity in the second half of the 14th century when the peasants struggled against their masters and oppressors.

The ballads played an important role in the development of English poetry up to the 20th century. They became so popular that the names of their authors were forgotten.

Ballads of Robin Hood

• WILLIE AND EARL RICHARD'S DAUGHTER
• ROBIN HOOD RESCUING THREE SQUIRES
• ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN
• ROBIN HOOD'S PROGRESS TO NOTTINGHAM
• ROBIN HOOD AND THE BISHOP
• ROBIN HOOD RESCUING WILL STUTLY
• ROBIN HOOD AND THE BUTCHER

O Willie 's large о limb and lith,  And come о high degree,  And he is gane to Earl Richard,  To serve for meat and fee.  Earl Richard had but ae daughter,  Fair as a lily-flower,  And they made up their love-contract  Like proper paramour.  It fell upon a simmer's nicht,  Whan the leaves were fair and green,  That Willie met his gay ladie  Intil the wood alane. 

Он был пригожим молодцом,  Когда служить пошел  Пажом усердным в графский дом  За деньги и за стол.  Ему приглянулась хозяйская дочь,  Надежда и гордость отца,  И тайною клятвой они поклялись  Друг друга любить до конца.  Однажды летнею порой,  Когда раскрылся лист,  Шел у влюбленных разговор  Под соловьиный свист.