Outlaw

[Marcus Woodhouse]

Angus DonaldISBN 978-0-7515-4208-0 Sphere 2009.
Set at the end of the reign of Henry III rather than during the reign of Richard I and having more of a flavour with both the original 14th century stories (which have a Robin Hood happy to mutilate monks and murder page boys to stop them from snitching on him and the TV series of the 1980's (so the merry men use weapons and tactics more akin to those of Agincourt, and fight a skirmish that reads almost word for word like the account of the "battle of the herrings" and Cerennos/Herne the Hunter is still being worshipped in 12th century Nottinghamshire.) If you can ignore all this it's not an unpleasent read. A bit like Die Hard but with bows and arrows.

[Brendan C]

Angus DonaldISBN 978-0-7515-4208-0 Sphere 2009.
Set at the end of the reign of Henry III

Sure it's not Henry II?

[Marcus Woodhouse]

Nope, not sure at all. In fact I'm going to claim that I got heavy handed with the IIIII key.
I may have been drinking yesterday.

[Sir Thomas Hylton]

Henry II was Pre Richard I & Henry III was post King John, though none of them were 14th C kings it must have been a nice amount you'd had to drink

Or do you mean tales written in the 14th C about an earlier period?

That said it is refreshing that its not set in a King Richard I or King John era for a change. I'll have to look this one up.

Oh & its Cernunnos, though that's only as I have an interest in Mythology Celtic & otherwise.

There is evidence that old religions & belief systems were still practiced in certain pockets of the country right up to recent times. Though usually in areas where the communities had little contact with the rest of the country. Certain parts of the Peak District & Yorkshire etc. So not out of the question for in certain remote parts of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire & Yorkshire that deities like Herne, Cernunnos etc may have been worshipped, or certain practices & superstitions still followed.


Some superstitions seem to have made their way through to the 20th & 21st Centuries, even though few of us recognise the origins for these nowadays.

[Brendan C]

That said it is refreshing that its not set in a King Richard I or King John era for a change. I'll have to look this one up.

Richard and John do show up, along with Queen Eleanor in this (Richard as King and John as grotty Prince). Marcus' reference to Henry III is probably down to the tale being the memories of one of the characters, now in his advanced years in the reign of Henry III, recalling his youth (apologies for overlooking that, Marcus).

So not out of the question for in certain remote parts of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire & Yorkshire that deities like Herne, Cernunnos etc may have been worshipped, or certain practices & superstitions still followed.

Herne was not a diety. Legend has it he was a huntsman of Richard II, who hanged himself when he fell out of favour with the King. His ghost has been seen in the grounds of Windsor Castle, last reported sighting being in 1963, I believe.

Brendan C

[Marcus Woodhouse]

I find it very dubious, indeed to me it is a purely romantic notion, that anyone would have still been actively worshipping cults that were wiped out by Roman legions in the 1st century AD, let alone after nearly 1200 years of active Christian conversion, including some done at the point of a sword.
I'll agree with there being some folklore retention in supersticions such as the touching of wood for good luck, but not full scale worship.
In any case, the north of england was in fact Christianised earlier and more thouroughly than the south was thanks to Sts. Aidan, Columba, Cormac, Hilda, Ninian and dozens of others.
We're talking about Deby not darkest Peru, medieval royal courts spent plenty of time in the midlands.

[Sir Thomas Hylton]

Its something I found odd too. though I'm refering to an actual published study . Can't remember the publication I came across this.

[knight1066]

Just finished reading "Outlaw" and thoroughly enjoyed it; pagan worship apart. Waiting with anticipation for the next book in the series "HOLY WARRIOR". Due out later this year.

Synopis:

The year is 1190 AD: Richard the Lionheart has launched the epic 3rd crusade to seize Jerusalem from the cruel Saracens. Marching with the vast royal army is Britain's most famous, most feared, most ferocious warrior: the Outlaw of Nottingham, the Earl of Locksley -- Robin Hood himself. With his band of loyal men at his side, Robin cuts a bloody swathe on the brutal journey east. Daring and dangerous, he can outwit and outlast any foe -- but the crimson battlefields of the Holy Land are the ultimate proving ground. And within Robin's camp lurks a traitor -- a stealthy enemy determined to slay Christendom's greatest outlaw before the trumpets fade.

[Marcus Woodhouse]

Its me by the way, sorry to spoil it for you.

[Tom H]

Just read this after it was lent to me and told it was good. Not impressed. No great story, a collection of cliches really and several parts seemed to have been pinched from the recent BBC series! And as for Little John wielding a double headed axe and wearing an "ancient horned helmet"....

[Nigel]

Is thuis the one with legions of tempalrs running around ?

[Marcus Woodhouse]

No I think that must be the sequel which for some reason I just have no desire to read.