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Ask Me Anything ...
- Thread starter Martin
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Martin
Active Member
Anyway . . .
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RaVeN:
What are the latest theories on the real names, places, dates, etc. of King Arthur and Robin Hood?
King Arthur:
His name is synonymous with wisdom and fairness. The names of his wife, magician and knights are household words. His sword symbolizes righteous power. His capitol city is an icon for earthly perfection, but with all this name recognition, we still aren't sure that he ever actually lived.
There is undoubtedly an historical person, a British warlord who held the Germanic invaders at bay in the early 500's of our era, on whom the legends are based. Who he was, or his rank (king, count, commander, dux bellorum?), is something we are not likely to find out because there is no contemporary documentation to speak of.
The real Arthur, if there was such a man, would probably have been pagan, not Christian; he would have been more like a Scottish clan chieftain than a King; there would have been no Round Table (an invention of the French romancers) , no knights, and no notion of chivalry. In fact, the legendary man is much more interesting!
There was great excitement among historians in 1999 when a piece of slate was discovered in the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, a place associated in the legends with the kingdom of Camelot. Inscribed by knife in sixth-century script, it stated: Pater Coliavi ficit Artognov (Artognou, father of a descendent of Coll, has made this). Artognou would have been the word for Arthur in those days.
Unfortunately this does not provide proof of Arthur's existence. However, most historians agree that the legends are based on a real man, a war leader in the Dark Ages.
Hopefully archeologists will find more evidence of the existence of this king. His legend, however, has had more influence on culture, than the real King ever did - the legend has been depicted in countless stories, films such as Camelot, and paintings, especially by the Pre-Raphaelites. There has been a resurgence of interest in this King and the legend in recent times - in the 1960's, for example, President Kennedy's regime was christened 'Camelot', probably after his favourite song from the film. This great King with his Round Table represents an ideal of honour, chivalry and goodness, an ideal that has been lost in the mists of time.
Robin Hood:
The Robin Hood of modern folk-mythology is a creature built up, generation by generation, to meet the needs and desires of his audience. The earliest Robin Hood was a yeoman, not a wronged nobleman, who haunted Barnsdale Forest, not Sherwood; he didn't become a Saxon or mere Englishman fighting the Norman oppressor until Sir Walter Scott dressed him up for his walk-on in Ivanhoe. The original outlaw behind Batman and Zorro and The Scarlet Pimpernel was a ragged ruffian who might have worn Lincoln Green, whose shadow stretching across the centuries tells us much about our changing understanding of order and honor and justice.
There was, possibly, a person whose exploits were exaggerated over time until the legendary character known as Robin Hood emerged in English folklore, but few people would claim that the Robin Hood in the legends was an actual historical figure who possessed incredible archery skills and went about rescuing Maid Marian and robbing the rich to give to the poor. At best, then, Robin Hood was a quasi-historical person who became the legendary hero of Sherwood Forest through exaggeration and embellishment of his real life accomplishments.
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So there!
NEXT!
Cheers, Martin
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
RaVeN:
What are the latest theories on the real names, places, dates, etc. of King Arthur and Robin Hood?
King Arthur:
His name is synonymous with wisdom and fairness. The names of his wife, magician and knights are household words. His sword symbolizes righteous power. His capitol city is an icon for earthly perfection, but with all this name recognition, we still aren't sure that he ever actually lived.
There is undoubtedly an historical person, a British warlord who held the Germanic invaders at bay in the early 500's of our era, on whom the legends are based. Who he was, or his rank (king, count, commander, dux bellorum?), is something we are not likely to find out because there is no contemporary documentation to speak of.
The real Arthur, if there was such a man, would probably have been pagan, not Christian; he would have been more like a Scottish clan chieftain than a King; there would have been no Round Table (an invention of the French romancers) , no knights, and no notion of chivalry. In fact, the legendary man is much more interesting!
There was great excitement among historians in 1999 when a piece of slate was discovered in the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, a place associated in the legends with the kingdom of Camelot. Inscribed by knife in sixth-century script, it stated: Pater Coliavi ficit Artognov (Artognou, father of a descendent of Coll, has made this). Artognou would have been the word for Arthur in those days.
Unfortunately this does not provide proof of Arthur's existence. However, most historians agree that the legends are based on a real man, a war leader in the Dark Ages.
Hopefully archeologists will find more evidence of the existence of this king. His legend, however, has had more influence on culture, than the real King ever did - the legend has been depicted in countless stories, films such as Camelot, and paintings, especially by the Pre-Raphaelites. There has been a resurgence of interest in this King and the legend in recent times - in the 1960's, for example, President Kennedy's regime was christened 'Camelot', probably after his favourite song from the film. This great King with his Round Table represents an ideal of honour, chivalry and goodness, an ideal that has been lost in the mists of time.
Robin Hood:
The Robin Hood of modern folk-mythology is a creature built up, generation by generation, to meet the needs and desires of his audience. The earliest Robin Hood was a yeoman, not a wronged nobleman, who haunted Barnsdale Forest, not Sherwood; he didn't become a Saxon or mere Englishman fighting the Norman oppressor until Sir Walter Scott dressed him up for his walk-on in Ivanhoe. The original outlaw behind Batman and Zorro and The Scarlet Pimpernel was a ragged ruffian who might have worn Lincoln Green, whose shadow stretching across the centuries tells us much about our changing understanding of order and honor and justice.
There was, possibly, a person whose exploits were exaggerated over time until the legendary character known as Robin Hood emerged in English folklore, but few people would claim that the Robin Hood in the legends was an actual historical figure who possessed incredible archery skills and went about rescuing Maid Marian and robbing the rich to give to the poor. At best, then, Robin Hood was a quasi-historical person who became the legendary hero of Sherwood Forest through exaggeration and embellishment of his real life accomplishments.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
So there!
NEXT!
Cheers, Martin
warm_enema
New Member
Litany, that is a good answer. I don't believe you. I want pictures.
warm_enema
New Member
Then you sir, are a liar.
warm_enema
New Member
I believe that the experiment needs to be recreated. Perhaps Cassandra, will volunteer.
Litany
Active Member
warm_enema said:
We lost a lot of good people that day. I'm not sure I could go through that again. Although, The International Journal of Topology and Packing Geometry have shown a great deal of interest in repeating the experiment. Mind you, the insurance quote was phenomenally high.
warm_enema
New Member
I'll go get the lube.
Martin
Active Member
Hey, this thread lives, still!
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RaVeN:
Are you going to let those people take over your thread like that?
Well. I could ask them to stop, but it'll only make it worse, I think. Anyway, thanks for bringing this thread back on topic!
Second, who has the nicer ass? Phil or Ice?
No offense to Phil, who has an excellent ass, but give me Ice's.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
NEXT!!
Cheers, Martin
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
RaVeN:
Are you going to let those people take over your thread like that?
Well. I could ask them to stop, but it'll only make it worse, I think. Anyway, thanks for bringing this thread back on topic!
Second, who has the nicer ass? Phil or Ice?
No offense to Phil, who has an excellent ass, but give me Ice's.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
NEXT!!
Cheers, Martin
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