Dear Cousins, Issue #6 was just jam-packed full of good stuff, not the
least of which was Kip's letter, which is undoubtedly going to provide
food for discussion for months, as Hilda said. Thanks, Kip! We're all
having a great deal of fun reading stuff into RoS and stretching our
minds (and wings) a bit. We couldn't do this half as well if you and the
cast and crew hadn't given us complex characters to play around with.
Welcome to our (your?) playground!
Well, there were so many wonderful things said by so many people in
Issue 6 that I wish I had the time and space to comment on everything
I'd like to, but in the interest of saving Hilda's typing fingers, I'll
try and restrain myself. Are you giggling yet, Hilda? [I plead the Fifth
Amendment. -H]
Ariel, Rache - did you note Sharon Wells' comments about de Rainault?
(Hint, hint.) Sharon, you raise some very interesting questions. No one
has dealt with the Sheriff's fear of magic in the fanfic that I know
about. It would be fascinating to see this.
Chris: Please, please, please tell us where you got The Seventh Sword!
Is it only available in England? From what you talked about, I'm dying
to read it! Some of the psygenics stuff hits right on the nose for me.
[Cleared those $*&#@ sinuses, I hope!] Fascinating. Oh, you asked about
Arthurian stuff. Are you interested in general fiction? Or occult? In
the former, you probably want to read (if you haven't already): Pyle's
King Arthur, In the Shadow of the Oak King by Courtney Jones, The Coming
of the King by Nickolai Tolstoy, King Arthur, Hero and Legend by Richard
Barber, The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck,
Tennyson's Idylls of the King, Malory's Morte D'Arthur, Geoffrey of
Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain, Merlin's Booke by Jane
Yolen, The Pendragon by Catherine Christian, Invitation to Camelot
edited by Parke Godwin, King Arthur and His Knights by Sir James
Knowles, Galahad, Knight Errant by Southworth (� 1907!) Norma Lorre
Goodrich (I think) did a series tracing historical bases of the
Arthurian cycle, if you're interested. Shall I stop now? I'm willing to
loan, if you'll insure the books on the way back to me - all except the
1907 one. And as for occult Arthurian legend, try Gareth Knight's The
Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend or At the Table of the Grail edited
by John Matthews or Grail Seeker's Companion by John Matthews and Marian
Green, and let's not forget The Merlin Tarot, but I wouldn't read from
it! Too powerful! Oh, and The Book of Merlin edited by R. J. Stewart.
Tara: Hi! I think I remember a story where Owen raped Marion - Janet
Reedman's Twilight of the Gods in Sherwood Tunnels 6. (Thanks for
reminding me, Janet.) Also, I cannot take full credit for this idea
because Cindy Fairbanks and I also discussed it during our ongoing
correspondence. Personally, I'm not sure I'd want to write that story
(this from the woman who described what happened to the women of Wickham
during Lord of the Trees in Forbidden Forest; well, nobody said I had to
be consistent) - and I'm not sure Marion wants the story told. You're
right. It is a potentially explosive topic.
I can't help but wonder why none of us has touched it. You've come up
with a lovely what-if: what if Marion saw Loxley at Cromm Cruach? Gee,
that might be fun to explore. I usually focus on Will Scarlet during
that episode, because he's the only one who really makes sense to me
there. I know, I know. I'm hopeless. Feel free to give it a shot - or I
will.
Writing a series? Yeah, I guess I am. M'lady Anna of Hadley Hall just
keeps doing things... The characters who take your original plot and run
away with it truly are the best kind to have, but she drives me crazy!
Geez, she'd probably sic Robin on me if I tried to kill her off. I'm
willing to trade novel/las. Are you coming to Weekend? I can bring a
copy, and save us some postage.
You found a copy of Tennyson's The Foresters? Where did you get it? I
knew he'd done a Robin Hood, but I've never been able to find it.
(Tennyson was the subject of my honors thesis in college.) To answer
your question, Holt mentions Sir Richard of Leaford/at the Lea as the
knight in one of his earliest of the traditional ballads [he's the
sorrowing knight whom Robin helps in A Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode -H].
You could always ask Kip where he got it.
As for Lucifer, there are several explanations. (Do read Milton's
Paradise Lost as Kip suggested.) One: he was actually a personification
of whichever god of the Old Religion that the New was trying to push out
at the time, i.e. Pan. A couple of sects of Christianity used to believe
different things: one, Lucifer was the principle of Evil incarnate,
God's absolute opponent; two, Lucifer was Lord of the World because this
world, being so fleshly, was evil; three, Lucifer was Lord of this
world, but sort of like a demiurge, and he was good; four... Well,
enough of that. Early Christians were a pretty confused bunch - didn't
know exactly what they believed. Lucifer eventually ended up being what
you said, the shadow to Heaven's light. I've heard it said that Lucifer
may have had his origins in Zoroastrianism, where there are two opposing
deities: one Good and one Evil. God needs an opponent and humanity needs
someone to blame for bad stuff, because if God is all-powerful, all-
knowing, and all-good, then how could He (I'm talking Christian here)
let sickness, poverty, and other bad things exist? We, as humans, do
seem to have a bit of a tendency to separate and dichotomize things. And
this way, even Evil is subservient to Good. I've also heard of a
religious group that believes even Lucifer will be redeemed at the End
of All Things. As for me, well, this gets into the problem of Evil.
What do y'all think of Life, the Universe, and Everything? Does Evil
exist?
Amber: Hey, neato info about the Dead Sea Scrolls! I have Elaine Pagels'
book, but I hadn't heard the interpretation you mentioned. Neato, like I
said. Morgana: It would be unusual and interesting to see an all-female
Sherwood band. Go for it! What about Herne? Hernette? Hernia?
Kip: Welcome once again. I enjoyed your letter. It was intriguing. I
hope you're not going to go crazy as we continue to do our own thing. If
we occasionally lose sight of the forest for the trees, well, you gave
us such fascinating trees to examine! So it's all your fault! :-) (That
was intended as a joke; no offense.)
Oooh - King Arthur's Round Table as a magic circle! All sorts of lights
went off in my brain when I read that. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
One of the things many of us have missed about this topic is that a
circle is a symbol of immortality...
You're perfectly right about American commercial TV messing with the
order of the series. When I first saw RoS, I came in on what must've
been the middle of Season 3, but only a few weeks later, I was watching
Loxley. I saw Greatest Enemy before I ever saw Sorcerer. I remember
saying to myself, "So that's where 'nothing's ever forgotten' comes
from." And I saw some horrid melding of Enemy with one of the mid-season
Huntingdon episodes. You wouldn't believe what commercial TV did to RoS!
They edited out entire speeches and even a couple of fight scenes! I was
so glad when Showtime aired the series, even if it wasn't in the proper
order. American TV does this sort of thing even to its own products,
though. Presumably you'd have to get it put in the contract or
something.
When I mentioned people not being burned as witches in England, I was
basing it on a hazy memory of a book I'd read ages ago. Now that you've
pointed it out, the book may have said nobody was burned at the stake in
America. I don't mind admitting I was wrong. The author was probably
being smug or self-righteous. No, we didn't burn people; we hanged them
or crushed them or drowned them. If the water test was used, the accused
just couldn't win. If s/he floated, guilty and dead. If s/he sank,
innocent but dead. Talk about a Catch 22! It reminds me of the command
of one of the militant orders of knights: Kill them all and let God
decide. Geez.
If you can, grab a copy of Apocryphal Albion 3 and read Rache's
marvelous story, Most Awful Post Awful, for a really excellent pun on
"fen," which is both a wet, marshy place and the plural of "fan."
Janet R.: News note. The original Celtic version of Cromm was done in by
none other than St. Patrick. Maybe while he was banishing the serpents?
So perhaps Cromm was scared of Christian stuff like holy water. You're
asking me? I dunno. Like I said, the episode makes very little sense,
although Hilda's idea is interesting. I like your idea about Marion's
vision! Oh, and I read Mists of Avalon years ago, when it first came
out in hardcover. I remember not liking it much, but I don't recall the
notion of the serpents equaling druids. Should read it again.
Kitty: Hi! Green for prostitutes?! Wow!! I've seen the theory about
Greensleeves. In fact, remind me and I'll bring my photocopy to Weekend.
It's rather explicit on this point.
Ariel: Have you figured out yet why Owen might drug a woman he'd just
raped to make her willing to go through the marriage ceremony? If not,
think about it. Besides, rape was a "legal" form of marriage way back
when. Isn't that sickening?
Convent life... yes, it could be quite "worldly." That's why St.
Benedict started his massive reform campaign in the 1200's (I think).
There were some convents which strove to follow the Rule, but I'm sure
there were a bunch that were similar to brothels. After all, Benedict
and the other reformers were reacting against something.
Mike: Hi, there. Buckland's Complete is an okay resource, but don't
bother to write to the group whose leaders are called Robin and Marian,
with their seconds-in-command being the Green Man and Maiden. I already
tried it a couple of years ago. Either they don't exist or they never
answer their mail or they've moved. *Sigh* Hey, Jan, did you ever manage
to contact that Robin Hood group?
Hilda: We seem to be in agreement. Let's simplify our gathering ideas,
but not too much. I like your tentative outline. I guess we started out
by overwriting, but that's okay. It's easier to subtract than it is to
add. I do agree that we need to call the quarters. Your reasoning for
this is sound. Sorry, Janet V. But I love your (Janet's) idea of what to
say when raising the blessing bowl! That's perfect! And as for
grounding, once again, I'm with Hilda. I need a very firm and deliberate
grounding exercise (Hilda does good ones!) or I'll be bouncing off the
ceiling. Just ask Hilda. We don't want to do that to anyone. I think
the best idea is to finish the planning and finalize it at Weekend - in
just a couple of weeks. Hooray!
Back to Christianity: yes, the Devil and the Anti-Christ are two
different characters. According to Christian mythology, the Devil (=
Lucifer) is responsible for all the bad stuff in the world and all the
bad stuff people do. The Anti-Christ is supposed to show up just before
the end of the world, trick people into believing he, she, or it is the
Second Coming of Christ, and mess with their minds so they won't
recognize the Messiah when he (or she) comes. Sort of Christ's opposite.
Make sense?
I love your garter theory, Hilda! Also, remind me to get you a copy of
The Pastafazool Cycle. It's a parody of legends subjected to EXTREMELY
BAD rewrites.
According to Webster's, a yeoman is 1) an attendant or officer in a
royal or noble household, 2) a small farmer who cultivates his own land;
specif: one belonging to a class of English freeholders below the
gentry. I think that second one is what you're looking for.
Don't know anything about Julian the Apostate (yet), but "Julie" is from
Julia, the feminine form of Julius, which means "light-haired," I think.
Anne is from the Hebrew "Hannah," meaning "grace." There was a "Julia"
or "Julian" or "Juliana" mentioned at the opening of one of the Gospel
epistles, and there's always the medieval Julian of Norwich, who had
some beautiful mystical experiences. Let's not forget Queen Juliana of
the Netherlands.
I'd love to discuss Robert's visions (guided meditations?) and Jesus as
a champion of Love (beautiful idea!) and your concept of Cromm Cruach
and a bunch of other things, but I'm going to stop now. And thank you
for your nice words about Harmony of Opposites. All right, all right!
I'm stopping already! Blessed be and Amen too!
Janet Reedman Dear Cousins, Hello again! Issue #6 was an exciting and
interesting blend of ideas... it just gets more and more intriguing.
That's also why this letter is so long. Forgive me, Hilda! [After those
pictures of MP you sent, you have nothing to worry about! -H] Anyway...
here are my comments:
Sharon: Yes, I've seen the Ivanhoe comic book. Fran showed it to me in
Dublin!
Mithras: Most assuredly Mithras was a sacred king, but there were so
many others, including Jesus Christ. It seems that in primitive
societies kingship often consisted of a marriage to the land, and the
subsequent death of the ruler was perceived as being necessary to heal
an ailing land (or necessary if the king grew old - for his waning
powers would likewise affect the land). If we accept Robin Hood as the
'Green Man' (spirit of vegetation who dies in winter then is reborn), or
the 'oak king' (as son of the forest god) who dies in mortal combat and
has his place taken by a successor, then Robin Hood could fit in with
this idea. Also, some sources derive the name Robin Hood as meaning
'Shining One of Woden (or Odin).' Odin, the Norse Allfather, himself had
some characteristics of a sacrificial king, having hung nine nights on a
sacred oak with wounds in his side to pass through death and gain
wisdom.
An interesting note, but not related in the least: while glancing
through my book of Norse myths, in a sudden flash of insight I realized
that the name of Hod(ur), the blind god who was treacherously induced to
kill the young sun-god Baldur with a mistletoe shaft, means 'Hooded
One,' probably referring to his blindness...
I love Tolkien too, Sharon! It's not fiction - I also believe every
word! (Or if it wasn't this way, it should have been.) The goodly
Professor, of course, based his elves partly on the Tuatha de Danann
(both were tall, beautiful, were immortal but could be slain, and both
came from enchanted Western Isles) and partly on beings from his own
imagination (his elves were wiser and more refined - originally he
wished to call them 'gnomes' {wise ones} but knew that gnomes had even
more stereotypical connotations in the public mind than elves!)
As for Robin's birth, I seem to remember that one of the old, original
Robin Hood poems mentioned that he was born in the actual greenwood, on
the forest floor, as if his parents were forest-dwellers of some sort.
Chris: I wanted to pick up The Seventh Sword in London, and totally
forgot. It sounds fascinating! I went to a psychic once (she was very,
very good), and she told me I was also psychic - and that I was trying
to read her the whole time I was with her. I didn't (and don't) know
whether to believe her totally, but I certainly fit 5 out of 6 criteria
Mr. Collins gave for psychics (everything except the cast in the left
eye). It's an interesting story...
Still looking for Arthurian stuff? I presume you've read Parke Godwin's
Firelord? Brilliant. They should make it into a movie. I can think of
some terrific casting... Godwin also edited an anthology of Arthurian
stories - well, some seemed more like general fantasy than strictly
Arthurian, , but there was one in which the lead character was
definitely a Loxley-clone. Don't bother with Godwin's Sherwood, though -
it's nowhere near as good. Have you read Stephen Lawhead's Taliesin,
Merlin, and Arthur trilogy? Really neat writing. Prose that has the
qualities of poetry. The Christian emphasis gets a little heavy in the
latter book, but they are worth a read.
Tara: Hi, hope you're settling in well back home again! You had some
really neat stuff in your letter - I approve! Other Irish places named
after women (or goddesses, more like) are the Shannon (Sinend), the
Boyne (Boann - White Cow), and the Paps of Anu. Anu may or may not be
the same as Danu, but she almost certainly is the goddess known as Black
Annis or Cat Anna in England. She is the goddess in crone aspect - a
Kali-like figure with blue face and single burning eye. Traditionally
she eats children. She seems to be a pre-Celtic figure, and,
interestingly, there has been some evidence of child-sacrifice in
ancient Britain - babies' earbones in cists buried at megalithic sites,
parts of children's skulls at the stone circle of Loanhead of Daviot in
Scotland, a three year old girl with split skull found at Woodhenge.
Anu, of course, is probably identical to the Cailiech Berre/Calliach
Bheur (who in later folklore became a rather more benign witch called
Cally Berry.) There's also a nameless (as far as I know) witch in Irish
lore who can only be slain by a Silver Arrow!!
Did you know that the name of Guinevere in Arthurian lore has an Irish
equivalent? It's Findabhair (pronounced Finnavir roughly), daughter of
Maeve. The name means something like 'white phantom.'
The word king comes from Anglo-Saxon - Cyning. The similarity of the 'R'
names for Ruler comes from that common Indo-European heritage.
I found Tennyson's play, The Foresters, while I was in Dublin. I was
being silly and wanted to turn the thing into a musical. My favorite
line is when the outlaws sing at table 'Down with John! Down with John!'
(referring to King John, not Little John!) I did a one woman performance
one blazing hot afternoon for a rapt (probably horrorstruck) audience!
I totally agree with all your comments on the nonsensical portrayal of
witches still in the media. We get this in the local papers all the
time, since Victoria is supposedly one of the 'witchcraft capitals of
the world.' However, no one can still separate the difference between
witches and Satanists, although they're gradually getting more
enlightened - Victoria University has a chapel dedicated to the Lady,
and one of the local professors is a well respected, world published
poet/writer who just happens to be a very open and unashamed witch. (He
also happens to live just a block or so away from me with his wife, who
is a Quaker!) Periodically we go through masses of confused/confusing
stuff in the local media about child ritual abuse, and several years ago
there was a real paranoia about Satanists stealing a baby for sacrifice.
The whole thing was a hoax.
Debbi: There are tons of places in England, particularly in the
Derbyshire/Yorkshire areas, that contain references to Robin Hood!
Besides the places you mentioned there are also two odd monoliths (non-
prehistoric) called Robin Hood's Picking Rods, and a strange rock
formation called Robin Hood's Stride (very eerie in the dusk!) Also, the
cliff above Robin Hood's Bay just so happens to be called... Ravenscar.
(Now I don't think that's coincidence!)
Don't go expecting to see Robin's grave if you go to Kirklees Hall. Lady
Armitage forbids anyone on her land, and her groundskeepers see to it
that no one visits the grave. This has given rise to some strange
rumours, including one that Robin is really a vampire! (What do I mean,
'rumour?' It's true. We've seen him. Max Schreck, wasn't he calling
himself???)
Kip: Great letter! Helped and confused us all the more! Loved it!
I'm still trying to find The God of the Witches. Yes, Margaret Murray
sounded pretty potty - but don't you find some of the pottiest authors
give one the best inspiration for writing? Alfred Watkins' theory about
the Straight Track is pretty daft, as the connecting points of his 'ley
lines' are from vastly different eras, but the theory is fascinating.
T.C. Lethbridge with his imaginings of vast hillsides of grown-over hill
figures is another one.
Your explanation of why Robert became an outlaw pretty well tallies with
what I saw in the series. I was questioning the 'why' because so many
fans seemed to be tackling/ theorizing on this subject. I keep hearing
that convents weren't much better than brothels. I wonder if this is
true, or if some of it was just the spurious imaginings of outsiders,
who couldn't envision women devoting their entire lives to chastity. I
seem to remember a couple of fairly gruesome old stories about pregnant
nuns being walled up and what-not, which doesn't sound exactly like
something that would happen if various forms of license were completely
acceptable.
Crossed mythologies: yes, we Brits are a mixed bag. The problem I have
with the mixed mythology isn't so much that it is wrong, rather that it
sounds wrong. Usually, anyway, when a god/goddess/whatever is adopted
from one people to another, the figure takes whatever name is the
linguistic equivalent of that people. I'd have felt fine with Owen
screaming, "By the hammer of Taran(is)!" because this was the Welsh
Thor. I mean, he was a Welsh speaker, was he not?
I haven't read Murry Hope's book on Atlantis. Must dig it up sometime. I
don't pooh-pooh Atlantis at all. There seems to be a strong belief
amongst many creative people that they have hailed from Atlantis. One of
my writer-friends is also convinced that she hails from Atlantis; J.R.R.
Tolkien and his youngest son apparently had repeating dreams all their
lives that seemed reminiscent of the sinking of Atlantis.
Cromm Cruach: I've spent a lot of time tearing this episode to shreds...
but I just dug up what may be a shred of truth. Up in the area of the
Peak, there is a place called Penkridge. Apparently this name is from
the old 'Pennocrucion,' which in turn comes from the Gaelic 'Cenn
Cruach' (High One of the Mound) which is another form of Cromm Cruach.
They mixed up the episodes of RoS when they aired in Canada, too. On the
first airing, we had no Greatest Enemy. And then they jumped right into
the middle of the third season! It took two or three airings to get it
right...
Julianne: You're 100% on the mark about kids' books! Some of the most
inspiring/mythically interesting books I've read are Alan Garner's Moon
of Gomrath, Elidor, and The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, and Susan
Cooper's The Dark is Rising trilogy. They are full of British myth/
legend, and have stayed in my mind while many 'adult' fantasy novels
have faded away.
Does anyone know of a book called Under the Wild Moon?
Kitty: Yes, there is a legend about the nine maidens being turned to
stone for dancing on the Sabbath. It's a common enough story around
megalithic sites. (More on stones anon.)
A Welsh name for the Maiden: That is tough! Cerridwen actually had a
beautiful daughter, Creirwy, but she doesn't seem to play a part in
anything.
Sure, Gulnar knew that Owen was going to die - I thought that was fairly
obvious. That's why I really have trouble with our sorcerous friend
yelling in Cromm Cruach that he wanted revenge for his humiliation and
the death of his master.
Julie: Hi! I have a few of those Celtic name books; you can often find
them in 'touristy' type shops. I have Cornish, Welsh, and Irish
namebooks - a great source for writing. A good book for finding accurate
medieval names is The Oxford Dictionary of First Names. This book not
only gives you the names, but actually quotes the year in which they
first appeared in records, and the forms they took. So you know you
really can't call your characters Debbi and Sandra (I used those
examples because I just read the most abominable medieval-type novel in
which two characters had these anachronistic names!)
Hilda: My mum says black cats are lucky in England... though I certainly
know people over there who think of them as unlucky, too. I have a black
cat and so does my cousin Jane in Derbyshire...
I heard that prehistoric people also dyed their hair with an ash-urine
mixture...
Namesake Saints: There was a St. Hild(a) who founded Whitby Abbey in
Yorkshire. This must have been a remote spot in those days, on the edge
of the lonely expanse of the moor where the Bronze Age dead lay in their
mounds, with necklaces of Whitby jet and shale around their throats...
Megalithic sites: so many have legends of dancers, one can only assume
that there may be some folk memory of the dancing that probably occurred
there. Stones also tend to have names relating to Women, Witches, or
Festivities. There are The Nine Ladies, The Three Spinsters (spinning
women), Long Meg and Her Daughters (Meg was a witch), Mitchell's or
Medgel's Fold (Medgel was a witch with a magical cow), the Merry
Maidens. For festivities there are the Weddings (Stanton Drew), the
Hurlers, the Kissing Stone, The Pipers, and The Blind Fiddler. In
Ireland there is even a stone circle named Beltany. For the best reading
on stone circles try Aubrey Burl. He's an archaeologist, but his writing
style is never dull or overly technical. He breathes life into the
monuments he studies.
And now I shall close off, for it has gone midnight, and unless I get
some sleep I will be needing someone to breathe life into me tomorrow
morning! [And I know exactly who... -H]
Ariel
Dear Cousins,
Hi everybody! Can't believe it's almost time for Weekend in Sherwood.
Yowza! Without further ado, I'll plunge straight into the letters from
issue #6. I'd like to keep this letter less than a zillion pages long.
Sharon Wells: Hi! Your letter was really interesting and I hate to start
right off by disagreeing with you, but here goes. I don't see how
anybody, fey or not, could survive being shot at point-blank range by at
least two or three dozen crossbow bolts. To say nothing of the fact that
the soldiers would have then ripped Robin's body to pieces, as I believe
was customary at the time (somebody correct me if I'm wrong). Also, I
can't see the Sheriff leaving the tor until he had satisfied himself
that there was no chance Robin was still alive.
I think what is important about Robin's death is that although his body
was destroyed, his spirit was not. The sheriff killed Robin, but he
never had the satisfaction of seeing Robin plead for mercy. Also, Robin
died to get Marion and Much to safety, and sacrificing your own life so
that the ones you love will survive is about as noble and heroic as you
can get. By insisting that Robin is still alive somehow (in my mind,
anyway) detracts from the courage and selflessness of his final act.
Onto your thoughts about Robert: "What is he doing in Sherwood?" That
topic has been debated in the last five issues of Cousins. "Does he
even have any ideas about things fey?" I'm curious to know if you think
this is necessary for being Herne's Son. I certainly agree with you that
Robert would not, as you say, "throw up his hands and die when Marion
left," but I've talked such a blue streak on this topic in the past six
issues that I won't get on my soap box again.
I think you've hit on a really great idea regarding de Rainault and his
reaction to magic, sorcery, etc. I can't see him dabbling in magic -
from his dialogue, he seems to regard anything beyond the realm of his
five senses as so much hocus-pocus. I'd be more inclined to think
there's a deep-rooted fear of the unknown in the sheriff's mind, which
periodically explodes to the surface ("Children of Israel," and less
spectacularly in "The Sorcerer." And look at his reaction to being alone
in the forest at night in "Sheriff of Nottingham." I don't think it's
just fear of being caught by the outlaws that makes him panic). Maybe
what we have here is a classic case of Freudian repression. Any takers
on this one?
Linda Furey: Although I would like to do a more complex ritual at
Weekend in Sherwood, I think perhaps your "simple is better" idea would
probably work. I would hate to think that people are frightened away or
feel excluded.
Laura W. Todd: Back to the old "is Loxley perfect" question, here's an
idea. In the first two seasons, Robin is really a vulnerable hero. He
makes a few mistakes, and there's always this undercurrent of doom that
makes you wonder if the outlaws are going to survive to the end of the
episode. When I first watched RoS, I used to really wonder if the
characters weren't all going to get killed off. I was amazed when
everything worked out at the end of "Swords of Wayland." By contrast,
Robert is a much more "swashbuckling" hero. Maybe because he's a
nobleman, or maybe because the third season stories aren't as dark as
the first two, I never "worried" about Robert the same way I worried
about Robin. The only story that I didn't think Robert was going to
survive was "Cromm Cruac." So to even things out a little, maybe writers
have tried to present Robin as infallible, and Robert as having more
problems. Any thoughts on this?
In "Lord of the Trees," I believe Herne is shot in the leg with a
crossbow bolt, but we don't see the healing process on screen.
Interesting question, though.
I agree with you that "Cousins" is currently the most reliable RoS
letterzine being produced, so a lot of general chatter about the show
tends to work its way in here.
Janet VanMeter: Your ideas for a simple Sherwood ritual are very solid
and fit nicely into what Linda discussed earlier in the issue.
Tara O'Shea: Thanks for the notes on Sovereignty. I've seen this idea
used in a number of fanfic stories, and also in Bradley's Mists (which
I've skimmed through but sadly haven't gotten around to reading yet -
maybe sometime by the year 2000). It was nice to see it explained in
detail.
Ha! Another Branagh fan! What a marvelous actor. Blond men with English
accents make me just drool! (As an interesting aside, I think it's neat
how Henry kisses the ground before going into battle. In the light of
your Sovereignty discussion, this seems like remarkable insight on
Branagh's part-after all, he also directed Henry V. I wonder if it were
his idea). I've skimmed through Fortune Made His Sword, and I would love
to read it more thoroughly. Alas, I haven't the time . . .
A couple of fanfic pieces have alluded to Marion's possibly being raped
by Owen, but nobody has done a full-blown story. I would not object to
such a story if it were done with tact and sensitivity (such as
Julianne's "Mixed Blessing" in Forbidden Forest). Perhaps the reason
nobody has done so yet is because, as you pointed out, it's a
potentially explosive topic. My biggest fear is that without solid
writing skills, and an understanding of the psychology of rape victims,
such a story would turn into the worst kind of torrid bodice-ripper. My
second reservation about this scenario is that it might be used to
demonstrate a lack of sensitivity on Robert's part (i.e., he didn't
"understand" Marion, couldn't "sense" what she'd been through, and only
wanted to get into her skirt).
I think Hilda has a really good point in her comments at the end of
issue #6 about the changes in Marion's personality. These could easily
have been the result of sexual assault. It would explain her violent
sobbing in "Herne's Son," her ambivalence about getting into a
physically intimate relationship with Robert, her emotional reaction at
the end of "Cromm Cruac," and her near-hysteria when the Sons of Fenris
turn up in "Time of the Wolf," resulting in her ultimately taking refuge
in Halstead. However, going back to Kitty Gamarra's comments in Cousins
#3: " ...when Owen kidnapped her she had to assume that there was no one
to rescue her - her husband was dead, his men scattered and her father
without men-at-arms . . . (the Earl of Huntingdon) wouldn't even stand
up for her in his own castle." I think it can be equally argued that
Marion's behavior in the third season was the result of emotional
devastation due to losing Robin, and when Owen kidnapped her, what small
reserves of strength she had left were spent. Her sobbing might easily
have been the result of her realizing the apparent hopelessness of her
situation. I think the important thing here is that although a valid
idea, the Owen-raping-Marion scenario should not become cast in stone,
but be left open for debate.
Is "hood" meaning a criminal really a derivative of "Robin Hood?"
Fascinating!
Amber Foxfire: I agree with you utterly that Marion's staying in
Halstead has all the makings of a season-ending cliff hanger, but alas,
there was no fourth season. I'm not entirely sure when Kip became aware
of the fourth season's being axed, but from everything I understand,
"Time of the Wolf" would not have ended as it did if he had known.
Your notes on the split of Christianity from Judaism are interesting,
and the comparison to the seemingly contradictory Robin Hood legends are
apt. However, it's important to remember that the earliest "Robin Hood"
was essentially a colorful thief. "Robert, Earl of Huntingdon" probably
never existed and was made up by Elizabethan poets and playwrights. I
believe that the moniker "Robin of Loxley," (or "Sir Robin of Locksley")
was introduced in Ivanhoe. (Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong).
Marion and Much were added at the time of the Elizabethans, and of
course, the Arab/Saracen character was Kip's idea.
Debbi Henderson: Thanks for all the wonderful slang Robin Hood
expressions!
Morgana: Your ideas on the all-female outlaw band are neato! Maybe we
could call this version "A Forest of Their Own," or something.
Nansi Loser: Your thoughts on the Blessing being a more localized
Beltaine celebration are right on! I wouldn't say that Hugo is
"knowledgeable and tolerant" of the Old Ways - he's more likely turning
a blind eye. The only thing that's important to him is that he gets his
money, and a pagan's coins jingle in his purse as well as anybody
else's. However, I do give Hugo credit for keeping his nose out of
things he doesn't understand.
Carpenter's missive is so long that I could write an entire LoC on his
comments alone. Suffice to say, I found myself agreeing with just about
everything he said, particularly his noting that when you're trying to
write, film and produce a television series under a deadline, sometimes
the little details just get lost. I very much enjoyed his discussion of
why Herne chose Robert. (I did wonder what Kip was smoking when he
claimed to be from Atlantis.) I disagreed that Robert had no choice but
to become an outlaw after rescuing Marion - he hadn't really burned all
his bridges until the end of "Power of Albion." I loved his comments
about Marion's upbringing. "Wiccans incorporated!" Great! As for
Americans being "mongrels" - well, mongrel-hood is healthy! Healthier
than being inbred, at any rate. "Is 'fen' the plural of 'fan?'" Mr.
Carpenter doesn't seem to have read Rache's "The Most Awful Post Awful."
Janet R.: Your thoughts on "Cromm Cruac" had me in stitches, although I
admit to liking this episode a lot, despite its inconsistencies. Maybe
this is one episode where some writer needs to do a little "filling in"
of details. I like your idea about Robin Hood having the blood of all
the different types of English people. I think the problems you cite
with "Inheritance" might be the result of Carpenter's not having written
the episode. From his letter, it seems as though he has his own thoughts
on the Arthurian legends, and it's interesting to think what this story
might have been like had Kip written it.
On to Mary Sue yet again: some of the tell-tale signs of a Mary Sue
character are complete physical perfection, intelligence and spunk,
quite often an improbable name for 12th or 13th century England,
athletic strength, magical powers, and usually romantic entanglement
with one of the male characters. While I think readers should keep an
open mind about original female characters, if the character is so
perfect she makes the presence of the outlaws almost negligible, well,
you've got yourself a Mary Sue.
Julianne: Hi! I thought it was Herne who says "Did you really think you
could overcome me?" at the end of The Enchantment. Because as it's said,
there's Belleme sitting in a window looking kind of defeated and ticked
off. I personally think Robin gave the arrow back to Herne at some
point. I think I mentioned in a previous issue that the sheriff would
have gloated over getting the arrow back after killing Robin. More story
fodder, no?
I haven't seen "Wicker Man," but would love to. The video rental place
down the street carries it, but my VCR has recently lost its ability to
play volume. Drat, I have to get that thing replaced.
Back to "Cromm Cruac:" I don't think the villagers "knew" they were
actually dead, or remembered dying before. If they did, Gulnar would
have no power over them. Kind of like being in a nightmare and
realizing, "hey, this is only a dream," and waking yourself up. When you
can do that, the dream loses its grip on you. When Gulnar tells the
miller, "How can I kill you, when you're already dead?" it seems to be
news to the miller. Of course, this is only my own interpretation. What
kind of magic is Gulnar using? His usual potpourri. If it works, he'll
use it!
Kitty Gamarra: I loved your letter. We seem to be of one mind on not
bending characters in fanfic way past recognition of their TV
counterparts, and Marion's decision to stay in Halstead or return to
Sherwood. I think the myth of standing stones having once been dancing
women was an early Christian reaction against women dancing as part of
Old Religion rituals. I could be wrong, though. Can anybody help me
here?
Hilda: I don't think Robin "chose" anything in "Greatest Enemy." I'm
sure that if he'd had any say in the matter, he'd have lived if he could
have done so without his friends suffering for it. See my comments to
Sharon for further elaboration.
John and Meg as the King and Queen of Fishing Poles?! How about the Two
of Wands? Or would that be Nasir ? Or is he the Two of Swords? (*yuk,
yuk*)
I think a Norman woman as the next "Marion" would be a great idea, one
that would shake things up simply by requiring more open-mindedness on
the parts of the outlaws. Perhaps she could be a relative of Margaret of
Gisburne? Another story idea, folks! ("Marie Suzanne!" Honestly, Hilda,
you're just too much sometimes!)
"What other legend has been subjected to the occasional EXTREMELY BAD
rewrite?" Gee, did somebody mention Prince of Thieves?
As for the magic of Herne's Con packing its bags and flying out to
Michigan, Hilda, you're an optimist if ever there was one. I'm just
afraid Northwestern is going to lose the luggage. It's kind of hard to
transport a gorge and waterfall, but I'll try, honestly, I will!
Not to be a nitpick, but Creb in Clan of the Cave Bear was not always on
the move. His tribe was settled down in one cave and they only left to
go to a big Clan gathering that was held every seven years. I see your
point about lengthy training periods versus working magic in your
everyday life, however, I still don't think Robin would have had the
time to absorb the kind of knowledge and skills that being a shaman like
Herne would have required. But this is my own opinion and others are
certainly entitled to theirs.
The rest of your comments are funny, informative and well-put, as
always.
Yikes! I've done it again!! Short letter indeed. Ha! I should know
better.
Well, time to get this thing printed and in the mail. Blessed be, one
and all!
Hilda
Chris - Please, please, let us know if there's anything we can do to
ward off (funny expression, that) the ugly specter of burnout! You and
Denise are indescribably wonderful, and we'd hate to lose your guidance
and enthusiasm and imagination and skill and determination and... all of
those things that our magic-deprived language can't really express.
Whatever names people might have for those who congregate in places of
ancient majesty under the full moon, and who melt away at the first
morning bell, might begin to come close. But I pride myself on my
avoidance of calling names...
So the Salmon of Wisdom receives mail at Hornchurch? I refuse to be
blamed for one more pun, traditional or not!
This is straight from Kip Carpenter: the garter was no doing of his. Fan
writers made it up. Kip thinks it's brilliant, and (on blatant
prompting) says he wishes he'd thought of it.
You're probably right. I don't really expect to run into religious
intolerance within RoS fandom. I guess I'm just overly nervous about
exposing people who are just beginning to consider my favorite Path to
intolerance. We're reclaiming a lot all at once, and the fearful can be
fearsome! Also, like our original ritual outline, Pagans can do a
frightfully good job of scaring off our own, unintentionally falling
into the same old traps of "qualification" and "worthiness." I often
wonder whether I'm blaming the results of my own jargon addiction on
some amorphous ghost of intolerance. Well, here's an open invitation to
everyone else to follow Chris' example and say, "I mean, what does that
mean?" We do our best, but old habits die hard!
You're right, there are plenty of RoS activities at national
conventions. Maybe I'm just stuck in Peasant mindset. I consider myself
a Yuppie to be able to make it to both Weekend and Visions! Mini-cons
and parties seem to be the way to go for this bunch, at least in the
densely populated Northeast. Hotel room, heck... we're going for some
kind of record for number of people crammed into somebody's parents'
house, a vacation cabin, or a forest clearing; ghosts, mice, and hornets
notwithstanding! Support wildlife, Cousins - throw a party!
You're quite welcome for the good "work," although the term still seems
a bit of a malapropism. But then, most of my friends who do magic also
refer to it as "work!" Tripping over my own tongue again, I guess. Some
four-letter words are still problematic for me.
Todd - I agree that Michael's more "natural" delivery of his lines was
due to the immense freedom that a character like Loxley gives an actor.
A peasant rebel can lose his head, act foolish, or break down in front
of his people, and not have to cover for it immediately after (or
during). Such "naked" behavior might well have seemed irresponsible or
even unkind to Huntingdon. It was this very contrast between their
leadership styles (born to lead, taught to lead) that made the outlaws'
acceptance of Robert so touching; and in the meantime gave them
something on which to blame their own shocked inertia. To a noble of
those times, Loxley's "natural" behavior might well have looked like
madness or mental deficiency!
Maybe Marion's faithful-to-the-grave image in fanfic is an outgrowth of
a medieval myth that still appeals to many people today. Granted, she
saw her husband die, but Marion was too strong to be permanently
emotionally crippled by it. Again, this is legend, and the rules are
different here - for women, anyway. Sigh. Good question, Cousin. I do
think she'd be pretty much a wreck while she was at Leaford, though, and
being heavily protected by her father to boot.
We've both been spoiled by Phil Rose's interpretation of Tuck. I, too,
tire of drunken, foul- mouthed friars endlessly gnawing chicken legs and
insulting people (although the old ballads do seem to favor this sort of
monastic Pantaloon). Rose's philosophical approach to the role
transformed Tuck from a stock buffoon to an educated voice of reason
amid a band of occasionally short-sighted hotheads.
Is Kinesiology what says that if you put an unmarked tape of The
Greatest Enemy in my hand and hang a 2-pound weight from my wrist, my
arm won't drop as far as if it were Cromm Cruach?
I'm sorry your disk crashed. Thank you very much for the nice, neat,
large-type, double- column letter - it made typing a breeze!
Linda Frankel: Thank you for the great Fun Word! Why am I reminded of
Clive and Kip trying to giggle themselves to death at a panel at Visions
'91...all we could get out of them was something like "...the (snicker)
Hooded (ha ha, oh God) Hooded Gland!"
What a lovely visualization! I don't think anyone who's ever tried to
see the Goddess and/or God in her/himself will "object" to using Robin
and Robert as god-forms. This seems to me to be a big part of the
function of the Hero - to bridge the gap between the mortal individual
and divinity that you find in a transcendentalist culture such as ours.
After all, those of us who have watched the British tapes have seen Will
draw down the moon... Like you, I feel perfectly all right about calling
on Robin, Robert, or anyone else when it seems like the smartest thing
to do. I really don't think I'm in danger of centering my power outside
myself, and sometimes their kind of friendship is exactly what I need. I
was scared to death of "Marion Sue" for ages and wouldn't even talk to
her out of sheer awkwardness and embarrassment, until she brought me to
a place where Robert was badly wounded, feverish, and freezing. She
knew: Blood, bandages, stuff like that I can handle. She let me help her
take care of him, trusted me and was obvious about it, and plunk! there
I was back in my own self, acknowledging my place in that world as well
as this. Smart Lady.
I saw Hugo's motivation as being almost exclusively greed, with some
concern for preserving his "dignity." I don't think he'd go to the
trouble of destroying Marion if there was no money in it, and his
brother would probably make sure that any money to be had from such a
venture would go to himself! Of the two, the Sheriff seemed both
cleverer and more prone to vengeance. Hugo struck me as complacent and
unwilling to rock the boat. I "believe in the importance of Marion's
office," but I see it as a much less formal framework for her actions.
(I've already ranted enough about this: Issue 4, Page 12, Column 2).
Now that you mention it, a shortbow would work much better from
horseback... I heard something similar to your banned-longbow tidbit:
that it was illegal even to have a yew tree on your property. Has anyone
else ever heard of that?
Technically, I think Earl David was a Saxon rather than a Norman. I
never got an impression of Robert as any more than a nominal Christian,
attuned as he was to the plight of the common people and disgusted with
hypocrisy. I guess he just struck me as too down-to-earth to want to be
a saint or martyr. Also, didn't Hermetic magic come to England later on?
Were the Moors into that at all?
True, I see a lot of out-of-character stories in zines that don't book
themselves as "Alternative Universe" (don't get me started on Guy Turns
Good!) but the only character trait I expect from a gay or lesbian
character is attraction to members of the same sex - which I don't
expect from any RoS character besides Tom, Dickon, and maybe the
Sheriff, any more than I would expect Marion to fall madly in love with
Owen of Clun of her own accord, or Tuck to run off with that woman from
the Beltane feast. Beyond this, though, the main reason that I wouldn't
pay money for a RoS slash zine is because people whom I consider friends
have specifically requested that their characters not be portrayed as
gay. Whether or not they're laboring under antiquated ideas, in my
experience "enlightening" people by jabbing them in their sore spots
doesn't work!
Seriously, you have an active eye for psychological intricacies and a
singularly open outlook. Your plot ideas and what you've told about
your characters are very fresh and innovative, and I'd love to read
anything that you've written within a universe of your own invention.
It's almost as if you have a nearly-hatched vision straining at the
confines of Carpenter's already- written world. I don't know about
mistaking a Saracen for a Saxon, but I'd get a kick out of seeing dark,
quiet Nasir, whose speech is so musical when it does come, find a home
among the stealthy hillfolk of Wales during the lost period between
seasons 2 and 3.
It seems to me that Maid Marion the outlaw was already so anachronistic
that a basically feminist temperament, aside from being a necessity for
survival, would be nothing next to leaving the manor to run off with a
scruffy criminal who could get killed at any minute and live with a
bunch of similar sorts who somehow manage to honor their leaders'
monogamy in the vermin- and wild-animal-infested woods. What the heck.
Robin Hood as a fertility/abundance archetype, in contrast to the
virility/wildness image to which I'm more accustomed, would make him
more a Provider cognate to the Mother than a Youth to match the Maiden -
but I don't figure that England's neolithic inhabitants were half as
interested in labelling things and sorting them into little boxes as I
am!
Perhaps it's my own rebellion against my Catholic upbringing coming
through, but one of my favorite things about Paganism is its generous
room for all forms of ecstasy, even that not bought (or equated!) with
pain and terror. This brings to mind the little booklet that comes with
the Tierra/Cantin Herbal Tarot and its interpretation of the Five of
Cups: "Preoccupation with loss, at the expense of recognition of one's
true assets and powers. Negativity. The idea that it isn't real unless
it hurts!" (For what it's worth, that's not how I usually read the Five
of Cups, but it's an interesting idea.) Anyway, I appreciate the modern
Craft's equal embracing of "rigorous and demanding" practices alongside
practices that are less so. The "divisiveness" that non-Craft people see
as our greatest weakness is the diversity that is our true strength! I
would guess that your conflicts with folk overly concerned with
"political correctitude" might be a regional phenomenon. What are your
thoughts on this? My geographic guessing has gotten me into trouble
before...
When I was a Catholic, baptism was my favorite sacrament - it meant to
me, "You are a child of God, despite the fact that you're only human and
make human mistakes." It seemed like the last surviving remnant of early
Christianity's assurances against the modern Church's hierarchical
obsession with "qualification." Oh, well, they tried. I also read
somewhere the theory that Christianity as currently practiced is a
religion aimed at emotional toddlers - "Do as you're told, or I'll hurt
you!"
I know a lot of writers who "like" characters because they're bad in the
sense that villains give life to a story, rather than in the sense that
they'd want to spend time around the characters themselves. For a vivid
and entertaining glimpse of Robert de Rainault's horrific childhood, see
A Sherwood Carol by H. L. Avry in Albion 4.
The ability to empty oneself for divine possession as an inborn gift
rather than as an ability acquired through training - well, that's up to
the individual writer, but my personal preference in RoS fiction runs
the other way. A big part of the Merries' appeal for me is their taking
the part of the "ordinary" folk, thus reminding everyone that no one is
inherently better than another. Again, I guess this is personal. Also, I
thought that the whole point of a deity expressing him/herself through a
possessed person was to make use of that person's advantages, not to
cancel them out entirely. If I were a deity who wanted to manifest in my
pure form, I'd just do it, and to heck with mortal husks!
Wow, it seems that all I can do is disagree. I also think that a
religious skeptic would hear Herne's voice LOUD AND CLEAR if it would
serve the Balance. I consider Tuck's devotion to his friends far
stronger than the insistence on mindless Faith advocated by the Church
against which he rebelled, and his love for the honest people of England
the source of his persistence. I read Raven's letter in Issue 5 to mean
that RoS fan writers sometimes erroneously interpreted Robert's
vulnerability as portrayed in the series as the weakness of a "spineless
weepy adolescent."
Yes! Guy as the Chariot is perfect. Likewise Will as the Knight of
Swords.
Robert's drive to prove himself through sacrifice is so far from the
surface that I never saw it at all! He only accepted Herne's summons
long enough to rescue Marion and the band, then went back to Huntingdon
until the Call became undeniable. I see Robert as much easier on himself
than your sacrificial/ascetic description would imply, and able to love
strangers precisely because of his love for himself.
***** for Woolley's Guinevere trilogy. She's realistic, and gives the
power of Rumor in an age of uncertain communication its creative due.
She pays attention to detail without becoming tedious, and has a solid
understanding of the ideological conflicts facing a culturally divided
Britain. And Guinevere's musings are often so simultaneously grand and
well-rooted that their beauty merits tears of joy.
Human Queens are mortal. The way I've most often seen them deal with the
matter of being representative of the unbroken Cycle in fiction is
through daughters. It seems to me that the discrepancy between the King
dying in his prime and the Queen growing old gracefully may be related
to men's comparatively limited sexual peak, and may have been set into
human tradition back when progeny was one's only assurance that one
would live past age 35.
Might as well print it all now - the size of this publication is
increasing exponentially enough! But thanks for the offer. Blessed be.
Julie - You've read Branagh's autobiography, you tell me: Does the man
ever sleep? Now that Nancy Hutchins is away at school, I feel a bit of a
freak at 5'9". Where's Jane Jackman when you need her? She's one sweet
person, and everyone was totally psyched when she won brunch with Clive
at Visions '91.
There's a real poetic potential for the Arrow as the working class'
counterpart for the nobility's Grail. The nobility receives the fruits
of the people's effort; the farmers work during the day while the
nobles' schemes are hatched in the bedroom as often as not; the common
folk multiply and die at a phenomenal rate compared to the enduring
upper class... Lovely idea!
I just read that my name (spelled "Hylde") can also mean "elder-tree," a
tree sacred to the Goddess in her Mother aspect. All kinds of tasty
foods and useful medicines come from the various parts of Her body. The
elder tree is sacred to Holda (!) and is often the home of forest
spirits. (Thanks to Ellen Evert Hopman again.) Like myself, the elder
tree likes streams and swamps, and is quite comfortable in the
mountains. Are there any more tree-names out there? Laura is one, I
know, for the Laurel of Victory and Honor; and if I recall correctly
"Eric" means "plum" in Hebrew.
Wyvern - I don't see Marion as Guinevere. I'm just glad there are so
many legends, so we don't have to try to make them all fit one mold! I
like the idea of her representing an aspect of Herne (local version), or
of Marion and Herne both being aspects of the same power (global
version). Earthly representatives of divinity - but hey, who isn't?
What's this "ignorant" business? Can we please keep name-calling out of
these pages? Not to mention lying!
I read somewhere that a white cat represents either death or the spirit
of a dead person in Ireland. Cath? Tara? Any takers? Modern-day Witches
sometimes favor black cats because, like black robes, they absorb
energy. Hmm - does this mean that if I want to stop acting so manic in
Circle, I should make myself a white robe? I think green or brown for
grounding would be good, too. (The Lady just gave me a gorgeous blue
one. The ocean is blue; emotions and the subconscious are often
associated with the color blue. Perhaps I have options besides
intellectualism to pursue?)
The Merrie Women in Turmoil: "Find your own rags! You're the one who
made the pennyroyal bug repellent!" I don't know quite how you'd set it
up (kill Robert???) but I'd be interested in reading a story about
Marion leading the Merries! You're right about the fuzzy wuzzums. I read
one Elfquest book and loved it.
Morgana - I think there's a big difference between Morgwyn's systematic
summoning of Lucifer for a specific purpose and the apish photo-negative
of Catholicism referred to as the "Black Mass." Your theoretical rebel
rabbis would be doing something more like the latter, if they were to
call Lilith the Child-Strangler but not Lilith the Self Within Herself
and the Namer of Names. Of course, such splitting of a goddess would be
magically more difficult and theologically more convoluted than invoking
Jehovah's already-established mirror opposite! An interesting note on
Lilith the Child-Strangler: The Zohar tells that this office of
destroying imperfect children, which she performed with such relish, was
conferred upon her by God. Talk about a scary be-a-good-child-or-else
horror story!
More meanderings on the dualistic "he-did-it!" splitting up of
archetypes: I believe it's in the Netherlands that St. Nicholas, on his
yearly gift-giving visits to good children, was traditionally
accompanied by a fellow named Black Peter who would (at least threaten
to) beat the bad children. Black Peter! How's that for a demonization of
our Man in Black, he of the anatomical monicker? Now, I do seem to
remember someone who went abroad at the Winter Solstice, "dressed all in
fur from his head to his foot," but his gift was somewhat more permanent
than a train set...
Janet V. - Gavin and Yvonne Frost recently told me (THUD! Sorry, will
someone please pick up those names?) that the Benandanti of Italy were
those who had been born with cauls. Their job was to travel astrally at
night, and to do battle with rowan branches against evil ones who
countered with sorghum. The Inquisition didn't know quite what to do
with them, since they were battling what seemed to be the forces of
evil, but did forbid the carrying of rowan branches in public
procession.
Woodswalker - Well, maybe some day enough of us will live close enough
together that we can get really conversant with each other's magical
selves, cease to need visual and verbal cues to align our intentions,
and simply get together and celebrate our beliefs. I look forward to
that! But we've already seen enough of people guessing that, since
they're not "initiated," they might not have a place in our magical
circle. We can counteract that impression with simple forms, without
compromising feeling. When there's some sort of ritual progression,
people know that they're doing what they're "supposed" to do and not
"messing it up for everybody." Ritual isn't just a set of empty motions
or a crutch - it has its own power, and plenty of it. It's just
something that, like pistachio ice cream, works better for some people
than for others.
Your description of "true religion" and the deer at Valley Forge park
really hit home. I'd like to hear some similar vig-netties from some
more of our Cousins, especially since I had a lovely one just yesterday!
I was sorting the long-neglected recyclables for dropoff, and decided to
dig through all the nasties between the refrigerator and the wall to get
out all the paper bags. Well, I got them all out, and spotted something
else down there that I'd never seen before - an old plastic placemat
with a picture of Mockingbird, my spirit guide, on it! And as I loaded
the stuff into the car, who was sitting in the top of a fir tree singing
her heart out but Mockingbird herself! I love being Pagan...
I can't speak for anyone else, but when I make a plot suggestion in
Cousins, it's up for grabs!
Yes, I agree that there are probably more Robert stories precisely
because his situation is so problematic. There are so many facets of his
life to choose from! Likewise, maybe Loxley is pitted against villains
and supernatural phenomena so often because he's already centered in his
situation, having come to Sherwood with nothing to lose. Loxley as a
character doesn't present us with as many easy jumping-off points for
plots, and we have to drag in something from outside.
Well, now that Linda Furey's uncovered Robin's and Robert's buns, I
guess I'll have my hands full... But to be honest, I can't take sides. I
think they both have lovely glutei maximi, and would work Wardrobe for
either of them any day.
Donna: Good point about oral tradition and the "folk process" of
individualizing and embellishing tales being so often discounted as
evil, dirty, and false! Rather than considering modern society's near-
instantaneous access to information a sort of hard-won "independence"
from creative storytelling, I'd love to see both acknowledged
separately, each in its own right. This would include taking into
account the journalist's advertiser-induced slant, the scientist's need
to tailor her research to the interests of grant-making institutions,
and the ability of the individual to sort out information from
entertainment and enjoy each to its full, separate potential. It's like
Kip's suggestion in Issue 6 of how to make a really powerful Tarot deck
- celebrate the individuality of your viewpoint!
Judi - Serpents? Okay, I'll bite... if the name Patrick means "father-
king," could this be the dark side of our Father-King Herne? One who
comes with nice, neat, pat, written answers instead of those infuriating
riddles that force us to think for ourselves? Or maybe the light side,
the daylight/surface/simplistic face of the guidance we seek; with Herne
the more challenging and more comprehensive "starlight view" to
Patrick's "flashlight?" (Thanks, Starhawk!)
Another thought I'd like to snake in here: the famous Cretan ivory Snake
Goddess statue has Her permanent residence here in Boston - and I've
never even gone to visit! Next time one of you visits Boston, grab me by
the pentacle and drag me to the Museum of Fine Arts. Consider it an act
of charity.
(Tara, where the heck is Bindings due to come out? It's a fine
perspective on the Sheriff's attitude toward magic!)
Any !Kung person from Africa could tell you (in a language you probably
couldn't decipher) that being forewarned of a magical pitfall is
anything but being forearmed. !Kung sorcerers make sure that their
targets are well-informed of the curses being flung at them. It's an
integral part of the magic. Thanks again, Ariel, for your suggestion of
Jean Auel's novels: they offer an intriguing glimpse of the fate of one
cursed in such an informative culture without having been raised to
understand it. I think the specific volume was The Mammoth Hunters. At
any rate, de Talmont's warning of the contents of his Book was neither
charitable nor helpful to the haplessly nosy Sheriff! This phenomenon
can be easily dismissed as "psychosomatic" if you're of a reductionist
bent; but you could also look at it as a preference on the part of the
Lady for truthfulness. Any more ideas on whether a curse is more or less
effective if heralded, and why?
It would probably be gratuitous and unfounded to suggest that the
Devil's pitchfork was an attempt to demonize the working (farm) folk. I
had heard the theory that the pitchfork was a clumsy rendition of
Neptune/Poseidon's trident, which was neither tool nor weapon but the
scepter of the Triple Goddess' favor. (Actually, since the Church had
decided that singing and dancing were bad, it was a tuning fork they
handed him... Yes, I'm making this up.)
Had anyone else heard that the Grail was carved from a single huge
emerald that fell from Lucifer's crown when he got evicted? Where the
heck did I read that? Must have done wonders for the green glass
industry, anyway.
There are Rings of "Nine Ladies," "Nine Maidens," etc. all over the
British Isles. It seems to be a fairly standard pattern and name for
stone circles.
I think Kip located Mu/Lemuria, not Atlantis, in the Pacific.
Cath - Does this mean that an Irishwoman named Fiona is sweet but kind
of fruity?
Julianne - Cath Austein picked up a copy of The Seventh Sword in England
and informs me that it's VERY expensive. What I saw of it looked
intensely absorbing, but Linda Furey had first dibs on it from way
back... I think I'm third on the list... Seriously, if it turns up here
in hardback before my turn comes around, I'll just scribble another IOU
and spare myself some trouble. My creditors are suicidally good-natured,
as you well know... It's a tricky thing, borrowing (rather than buying)
a book that someone you care about has played a part in producing; but
if it's that or never read it at all, I say read. But I only say it to
myself; this is something that each person has to figure out alone.
I suppose it's possible that religions that stress dark vs. light
opposition (like Christianity and Zoroastrianism) developed after entire
cultures developed the technology necessary to pick up and go on the
warpath, and a whole people's destiny could depend on the outcome of
conflict; while stuff like the harmony of Yin and Yang developed where
people were so hemmed in by geography or their technology so regionally
focused that wars were limited to small-scale border disputes that never
threatened the continuity of the culture as a whole. (Or as posited in
the hilariously spurious collection of students' history-paper mistakes,
Did You Ever Hear of the Sarah Dessert, "There were no wars in Greece
because the mountains were so high that they couldn't climb over to see
what their neighbors were doing.")
I personally think that Evil exists. I think that it stems from forces
within each individual (fear, pain, ignorance) rather than from some
coherent external force for Evil per se. For example, I expect that
Simon de Belleme was drugged and tortured pretty severely in the Holy
Land, and fan writers have come up with a very clear picture of Sir
Guy's past. This is a big part of Scarlet's appeal for me - he's the
last holdout of free will against the things that can drive people to
evil acts. He's seen it all, and he chooses to keep on looking (albeit
through an ale-induced fog whenever he gets the chance). I don't like
his brawling, but I think I know why he does it, and it's not my place
to "forgive." That's for the guys he punches out to decide.
Thank you for plugging my grounding technique! Although lately a lot of
my grounds have been of the coffee variety... Blame it to ground-in
habit, on the grounds that it's part of my background. Have I driven
this one into the ground yet?
One of my morning bus-mates informs me that the Antichrist is the EEC
(European Economic Community). Depending on the preacher, I've heard
that the Antichrist is Saddam Hussein, space aliens, television, and
just about everything but a wart hog named Amelia (and my research has
been anything but exhaustive). In terms of sheer mythic popularity, the
Antichrist is about to eclipse the Devil! Lucky for us, Elvis makes them
both look like I Love Lucy reruns.
"To do yeoman service" means to perform above and beyond the call of
duty. Robyn Hode and the Potter ends with "God haffe mersey on Roben
Hodys solle, And saffe all god yemanrey!" Apparently yeomen were well-
appreciated members of society.
Janet R. - A chapel to the Lady at Victoria University? And I thought we
Bostonians were spoiled! Thank Mother, we haven't had a serious "evil
witch" scare in years. Your Witch neighbor and his Quaker wife are a
lovely example of "parallel evolution" of ideals in cosmologically
divergent faiths. Quakerdom, as I understand it, is also very insistent
on responsibility for one's actions and respect for the individual.
Potty authors as inspirational... Perhaps another identifying trait of
the Cousins crowd is our "separate but equal" embracing of the
scientific and the magical. A lot of "new age" sources are now
attempting to cram "paranormal" or "supernatural" phenomena (although
what "beyond normal" or "outside of nature" might mean is a mystery)
into the uncomfortable Oxford shoes of science; trying to describe
extrasensory perception as an electrochemical alteration of the human
nervous system or neolithic architectural precision as the product of
extraterrestrial intervention. So far I've seen no such attempts in
these pages to "explain away" or reduce magic to an incomplete
understanding of other phenomena. What draws some people to magic is the
same thing that repels others - its unquantifiable, unpredictable
independence. (Is it any wonder so many of us get along well with cats?)
It's that turn of the Wheel, the Lady's option to say "No" (or
alternatively, "Sure, whatever you say!") that makes magic the province
of risk-takers and of those who don't always want to know what's around
the corner. Those who enjoy their television with lots of suspense,
poetry, and leaps of faith...
May I posit that, as Pagan festivals and customs varied from village to
village, likewise Christian practices differed from convent to convent?
Not only were there numerous orders of nuns and monks, there was
probably substantial regional variation within those orders.
Communications were spotty, travel dangerous, and anything that could
produce a kickback zealously protected. (Your walled-up pregnant nun is
the weirdest human sacrifice story I've heard yet! Where did you find
that?)
Remember Tolkien's alternate name for Anadunie, "Atalante, the
Downfallen?" (Pardon my spelling, please - my Adunaic is worse than my
Quendi!)
Places named after women in Ireland: How about the Kennet River? Okay,
maybe it's named after part of a woman (kind of like our Robin being
named after the "generative principle...") But only cunning folk ken
it... My attempts to look this up uncovered the "spearhead" emblem of
the cult of St. George, which looks like this: I'll leave you to guess
at Barbara Walker's interpretation. (I admit that I'm quite fond of St.
George lately, as I got to play him recently in a mummer's play in a
workshop on English Sacred Drama! My "girlfriend" Griselda had a
beard...)
"Cailleach" even sounds like Kali.
"Pennocrucion" and "Cenn Cruach" - does this mean that whoever named the
Pennines was trying to tell us that the Pennines are "high?" It works.
"Pen" also links in with "penultimate" and "Pendragon" - perhaps another
proto-Indo-European root is still hanging on here. Does this mean that a
"pen pal" expresses the highest form of friendship? :-)
I'd like to add Lloyd Alexander's Taran series to the list of mythically
worthwhile children's books. Loosely based on existing Welsh tales,
these five books chronicle world-moving events through the eyes of
human-sized characters, and even gracefully handle their seemingly
inevitable Miserable Depressing Ending.
Well, if I dream of being interrupted at my prayers by someone whose jet
and shale jewelry looks more substantial than they do, I'll let you
know...
Ariel: Robin going to his death with full knowledge of what he was
getting into and being absolutely astonished that the Lady had other
plans for him doesn't detract from the courage or selflessness of his
Sacrifice in any way! Besides, it would be a perfect scenario for that
lightning-quick series of expressions: "I don't get it!... Wait a
minute... You mean I'm supposed to... Right!" As some of my less
charitable Massachusetts neighbors might put it, "Dawn breaks over
Marblehead..."
I personally think that understanding of things fey is a prerequisite
for the child of the Forest God, but (as in my previous rantings about
Marion) that understanding need not be expressed in any traditional
fashion. Indeed, if anything, I value such understanding more highly
when expressed in something other than mangled Gaelic or new-age jargon.
(Has anyone read Theodore Sturgeon's Godbody? Can anyone loan it to me,
the Xeroxin' Fool?) Robert knew what he was doing. Whether or not he
ever made references to "Sam Hain" or did the Maypole Boogie, he was
chosen for his clarity of vision and his wisdom of heart. The rest is
just gravy. Poor beleaguered Loxley was handed the shape of his
spiritual heritage by his peasant upbringing. If anything, Robert had
further to go in less time, and he pulled it off without any loss of
self. This is the beauty of the difference between the two Robins -
Loxley is our ideal, what we would be if we had been raised to it; and
Huntingdon is that ideal shining through a lifetime of what many of us
would grudgingly refer to as the "Real World."
I, too, thought that it was Herne who said "Did you really think you
could overcome me?" at the end of The Enchantment.
I don't think that Robin "chose to die" in The Greatest Enemy, but he
did look at the alternatives, and, given only the options of dying or of
letting Marion and Much die, opted to die himself. I don't consider this
a completely selfless choice, either. Can you imagine a Robin who had
seen Marion die? Or even Much? He would live, but he couldn't live with
himself. It's just not a part of Loxley's innocent, idealistic
character. I'd love to see how the more worldly Huntingdon would handle
such a situation!
You bet I'm an optimist. And (note shameless gloating with the advantage
of 20-20 hindsight) WE DID IT! The spirit of Herne's Con picked up its
antlers and relocated lock, stock, and cup of icky visionary-stuff... As
for the gorge, I gorged myself; and I think I (for one) did a downright
Mildred-esque impression of a waterfall a couple of times! The Lady had
plenty of stand-ins that weekend.
As always, I'm honored to accept your compliments. You and I may never
agree that we agree on Robert (whatever the heck that means!) but I
value your opinion and think you're great.
Editor's Notes
More Favorite RoS Quotes:
Julie Phipps: Two for Julianne: "Pigs might fly!" and "'e's right round
the Maypole!" Also: "Love conquers all things" (Marion in Alan A Dale).
Todd Parrish: "Blessed be the tie that binds!"
Janet VanMeter: "It is enough to aim." (Herne) "You're too stupid to
live!" (Owen of Clun) ** "Aren't you, Gisburne?" (Sheriff of Nottingham)
Judi Kincaid: "On THAT horse???" "You are a leaf driven by wind," and
"Don't assume anything, Gisburne, unless it is an occasional air of
intelligence!!"
You might have noted that this issue is chronologically or otherwise a
mess because it was put together half before Weekend and half after. I
crave your indulgence (stop waving that expensive scrap of paper in my
face; that's not what I meant!) We have another reprint available: the
ritual sequence we used at Weekend. Also, we blessed a good many
talismans more than we needed. There are plenty left! A self-addressed
stamped envelope will get you either or both of these items. The
talismans physically consist of three tiny stone beads (moonstone for
the moon, citrine for the sun, and emerald for the forest) strung
together on triple-knotted red thread - just the thing for a power
bundle, or to sew onto clothing or incorporate into a bit of jewelry.
They're charged with the strength born of friendship and with our
dedication to carry the spirit of Sherwood not only in our hearts but in
our deeds.
While I'm on the subject of the ritual, I'd like to thank Janet V. for
her poetry; Cath for filling in for Kip at the last minute and giving
the Blessing; all of our skillful readers; Donna for handling food, ice,
and a thousand practical matters; the Room 136 gals for the space; all
whose invaluable advice made the ritual a healing and enjoyable time;
and everyone who attended in body or in spirit for strengthening a
magical construct that will endure and nurture us for as long as we
choose. I'd also like to specifically thank Mark for stopping by our
room party despite con-induced exhaustion. You're the perfect guest. May
we learn hostcraft sufficient to honor your courtesy! And Kip, please
know that we craved your company as much as you did ours, and that your
honoring of promises previously made will never sully your name as far
as we're concerned.
ERRATA: First, as Ariel noted: In my reply to Ariel last issue, I...
uh... misremembered the situation of Jean Auel's character Creb. Turns
out that the Clan of the Cave Bear was, by and large, sedentary. Second,
Julianne informs me that IRC's (International Reply Coupons) work just
fine, but that trying to reach the Matthews' through their publishing
house is essentially a lost cause. I sent IRC's to the address listed in
Cousins 6 and got a commendably speedy reply.
Also, a reminder: we outlaws are anything but sedentary. Please recheck
the Who We Are listing in case one of your pen-pals has moved. I'VE
MOVED TOO, to the address shown in the bannerhead (that nifty little box
with the "muin" in it.) The Who We Are section is now semi-
alphabetical, but be sure to check roommate and spouse names. You may
have noticed that I've reformatted the Who We Are section in the
interest of saving space (and postage) - we're growing by leaps and
bounds! I don't want to delete the section, as it requires such frequent
updating; but if your "self-description" blurb is long and has been
printed several times, please let me know if I can delete or shorten it.
Consider it your own little Saxon rebellion against the Post Awful.
Julie Phipps wisely suggested that I run HTV's address here, in case any
of you had questions regarding Robin of Sherwood (miniseries prospects,
videotape availability, movie possibilities, anything!). Remember, while
"network executive" may not be something you'd want people to call your
sister, they have a job to do: they have to determine what sells, what
people want to see. So, write:
HTV Limited
The Television Centre
Bath Road
Bristol BS4 3HG
ENGLAND
or even call them at 02-72-778366
(Cousin Julie doesn't miss a thing!)
Anglophiles, take note: I just devoured Martha Rofheart's novel about
Henry V, Fortune Made His Sword, and would recommend it to anyone who's
ever enjoyed a romance. (Ariel, it's well worth the time you haven't
got!) It's emotionally rich without being vapid, and Rofheart takes
great pains to build her characters detail by detail until you really
get to know them. There's lots of gore, but it's mostly kept offscreen,
and the narrating parties don't like it very much. Henry himself is
depicted as cunning only in his contemporaries' eyes; his own parts of
the tale are told in the voice of a blunt and straightforward man driven
by duty and his desire to excel. The description of Agincourt is just
incredible. Check this one out (literally - it came out a while ago, and
would best be sought in a library).
Found another one! The Story of Robin Hood and His Merry Men by John
Finnemore (first printed in 1909, my copy 1946) is a selection from
"Black's Boys' and Girls' Library" that portrays Robin as an upstart
yeoman who is later granted the Earldom of Huntingdon by his idol and
admirer King Richard. Its color plates seem to be taken from
watercolors, and though they look a bit out-of-focus, they're
attractive, well-composed, and convey action effectively. (The one of
Little John dressed as a bishop to marry Allan-A-Dale is a scream!) The
writing style is adorable: "With that Little John stepped forward and
caught the dumb man by the ear and nipped him shrewdly with finger and
thumb so that the dumb man yelled with the pain and found his tongue by
a miracle, and began to call Little John very bad names." This one was
well worth being gentle with the brittle, yellowed pages and forbearing
numerous references to the "North Countree." Finnemore quotes the old
ballads often, minus swears and spelling mistakes, and goes out of his
way to impart a sense of wholesome mischief.
Curiouser and curiouser: Without Robin of Sherwood, television has lost
a lot of its charm for me, but my sweetheart still switches it on now
and then. A while back he came across a guy named Gore, yelling and
ranting as though he thought he was Will Scarlet. And the stuff he was
saying! "...And just as the false assumption that we are not connected
to the earth has led to the ecological crisis, so the equally false
assumption that we are not connected to each other has led to our social
crisis. Even worse, the evil and mistaken assumption that we have no
connection to those generations preceding us or those who will follow us
has led to the crisis of values we face today." He talks too much, but I
had to admit that he had an interesting point of view.
Iconography et al: I recently met a wonderful Witch named Rosemary
Kooiman who wore her pentacle point-down. I asked her why this was.
First, she said, point-down is for grounding. Also, in the tradition
which she joined in the early or mid-sixties, the five points of the
regular, right-side-up pentacle symbolized (deosil, starting at the
leftmost) Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Lord, and Lady; and flipping it
upside down put the Lord and Lady on top; so it was a matter of respect.
You just never know!
NEWS FLASH! I recently received a lovely note from a woman named Mary
Jupp, explaining that she found my address in a copy of the Loxley Times
(I'm NOT making this up) and asked that I pass on some exciting tidings:
Excalibur '93, a convention slated for next August 13-15 at Canterbury
University in Kent, will feature not only RoS but Blakes 7, Garrisons
Gorillas, and Young Riders. She promises "fancy dress, sports, scavenger
hunt, videos, guests, and much more." Curious? Write:
Mary Jupp
19 Chester Avenue
Bethersden, Nr. Ashford
Kent TN26 3BN
ENGLAND Please send two IRC's (or a SASE if you're in England). INSERT
TIME WARP HERE: Aha! In response to my inquiry, Mary tells me that the
Loxley Times is "...run by Rowena Sayer and a friend of hers. It is
basically a newsletter, no fiction, just updating R.O.S. and other Robin
Hood fans on what the cast is up to these days. It also does reports on
TV and films which they have been in. It is very interesting and...
really very informative. The address is:
Loxley Times
c/o Rowena Sayer
111 Farndale Ave.
Palmers Green
London N13 5AJ "Secondly, I myself [this is still Mary talking] run a TV
Fanzine which features stories written on several TV shows. We have
printed some R.O.S. stuff but are currently trying to accumulate enough
fiction to do a R.O.S. special. If anyone is interested in either the
fanzine or R.O.S. special, they can get further details by sending
I.R.C. to my address." Wow! In addition, Mary is a particularly keen
Mark Ryan fan, and looks to be a key contact for British RoS fandom.
Once again, the ritual sequence we ended up using at Weekend is
available as a reprint. Another new addition to the reprint file is the
pamphlet What is the Henge of Keltria and What is Neo- Pagan Druidism?
from the Henge of Keltria in Minneapolis. Yes, folks, there's more to
druidism in America than ADF! Send a SASE if you're interested.
If anyone doesn't have D.J. Conway's Celtic Magic and wants a copy of
their own, Darlene Veghts has graciously contributed an extra that she
found in the process of moving. Just send postage (not tons, it's a
small paperback) and it's yours. First request gets it.
Once again, let me introduce you to Smiley :-) (or (-: for you leftist
Saxon scum). Smiley is a great way top off your witty bits of irony,
snippets of sarcasm, or any of those other clever little turns of phrase
that lose so much without their accompanying facial and vocal
expressions. Like Julianne's "*giggle*," Smiley reminds anyone who reads
their mail way too late at night [such as your not-so-humble Editor]
that there's only so much you can do with the written word, and that
those brilliant barbs are actually suction-cup arrows.
A late-breaking tidbit for those interested in Morgana's Merrie Women
idea: Tree of Life 4 is open to any medium with a Robin Hood theme. If
they'll take Toto (or whatever you call that guy from Kansas), your
Green Woman should have no trouble establishing her Sherwood reign under
this Tree. Contact Todd Parrish (see Who We Are). Do I smell a serial?
(Without nasty little green bits stuck to it?)
Well, it's almost as late in the night as it is in the month, but here
we are! Many thanks for your patience, your magic, your friendship, and
all of those lovely gifts from the Lady that you have every right to
claim credit for yourself. A gift is nothing until it's accepted, and
acceptance of the Goddess' choice of gifts is an art we're developing
every day. Thank you, whose fingers spin Her thread. Thank you.
