Why Robin Hood? Being born in Nottingham, I was a great candidate for any association with Robin Hood. The little town of Arnold where I came from was a short distance from the little town of Sherwood where virtually every pub and street is named after something to do with our mysterious outlaw.
As a young boy, I spent a lot of time of Sherwood as they had the nearest cinemas. When I was a little older, I desperately wanted to go to Sherwood Forest, which is actually no longer in the town of Sherwood, but begins in another little town, called Ollerton. When I first stepped in the “real” Sherwood Forest at the age of nine, it’s magic became a part of me, I somehow felt I had returned home. The massive pine trees where so dense that daylight could scarcely enter. The beautiful ferns that grew over my head, the smell of the Earth on the forest floor, this is how I dreamt it would be and so much more. I already had my authentic Robin Hood cap on with the feather of course, now only one thing remained, to build my secret camp and find the other merry men and of-course Marian, unless the evil sheriff had captured her. The forest would become my eternal playground, but something happened as I was growing up. I began to realize that Robin was thought of as just a legend, rather like Santa Claus. To learn of this was quite devastating, as my Robin was very real and I wasn’t about to let him go. Also, as I grew up, I realized that the Robin Hood attractions in Nottingham were certainly were just legend, Nottingham castle had nothing to do with Robin, the major oak tree in Sherwood Forest that was said to be where he stored all the money he stole from the rich was not nearly old enough to be from Robin’s time. Maybe he was just a myth? How far from the truth that was, I was to discover years later.
It was around 1975 when I began dreaming of the greenwood in musical terms, and feeling a renewed pride in being from Robin Hood country, or so I thought.
Then I had a brainstorm, I should write some songs that tell the story of Robin and all of his adventures and call it “Sherwood”, so I did, and it was so much fun. At the same time, I entered the Australian production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” and during the show, began to realize how a show called Sherwood could be staged. This was getting exciting, I was getting paid to perform in a real theatrical production, I loved it, and at the same time, I began to absorb and learn all that I could. At this time, something happened that put Sherwood on hold for a while. Air Supply became extremely successful, touring, recording, writing songs and playing all over the world for many years to come.
In 1987, when things slowed down a little, I built a studio in my house to accommodate the desire I had to complete Sherwood and put it all on tape. It took on a life of its own and came together very quickly. I sang most of the roles myself at this stage, but the people that worked on the project would become immersed in it and take on their own roles. Being spurred on by Jodi, we took a trip to England to gather more historical information and completely by chance, met an historical author in Coventry whose new book was about to be released. The title of the book was Robin Hood, the True Story by Graham Phillips. History It was as if things were happening right before our eyes. We became great friends and the three of us traversed England, this time looking for the “real” Robin Hood, and what we found, was a thousand times more interesting than the legend. We had found Robin Hood, the real man and his identity would be revealed to us over the coming months. He was hard to find, but find him we did and with him came all his friends and Marian too, but he showed us something more. He led us to a place that exists in all of us, whose physical embodiment is a Holly tree beside a mesmerizing pool of water, encircled by ancient stones in the very heart of England. Hidden from all until the time is right, it was a place not bound by this dimension, Robin had led us to the Heart of the Rose.
The puzzle of Robin Hood began to be pieced together during several trips to England. All the characters had to be found; it had to be the true story at all costs. Soon they would all emerge like ghosts from the forest and they told us their story.
Visit Echoes of Time to journey with Graham Phillips and Jodi & Graham Russell on the discovery to the “real” Robin Hood and The Heart of the Rose.
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Book by Graham Russell, Graham Phillips and Jodi Russell Based on the historical research of Graham Phillips Music and Lyrics by Graham Russell |
All Contents © 2006 A Nice Pear
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ROBIN HOOD ~ THE TRUE STORY
A ROCK OPERA
Throughout the medieval world legends told of monsters and dragons, of valiant knights and of maidens in distress, but why do these legends survive? Is it because we can personally relate to what they have to say? Is a legend actually an exaggeration of an original truth? Such is the case with the legend of Robin Hood.
In legend, Robin Hood is England’s greatest archer and the finest leader of men - an outlaw wrongly driven from his lands. Robbing from the rich to give to the poor, he is an inspiration for the downtrodden and oppressed. To those who drop everything to follow him, he is an almost messianic figure whose leadership gives purpose and reason to their hard and bitter lives. The story of Robin Hood has been told the world over for hundreds of years. It has been portrayed in poems, plays and novels for seven centuries, and today it appears in the movies, on TV and even in cartoons. But is it simply a story? Indeed, it sounds very much like the stuff of fantasy and dream. However, behind the tale there is historical truth: a true story just as remarkable and romantic as the medieval myth.
The new discoveries that proved the existence of Robin, Marian and the other Sherwood outlaws instigated even more astonishing historical revelations. The skeleton of the story was fleshed out and the roles that each of the characters played soon became known. Robin was the leader of the Sherwood outlaws, but each character was the center of his or her own universe, spinning an individual web of destiny inseparably linked to the heartbeat of the forest.
Robin was betrothed to Elizabeth, but shunned her after meeting Marian – her stepsister. A triangle of love was born: its resolution coming only at the moment that Robin and Elizabeth finally faced their fate. Little John too was an historical figure, but not an oafish ruffian as he is often portrayed, but a witty and intelligent poet who composed the first story of Robin Hood so as to preserve the truth for a future age. As Robinxs lieutenant, he became the counter-balance to his leaderxs sometimes impulsive decisions, spawned by his love for Marian. And what of Marian herself? It was she who first led Robin into the celestial maze of another world by discovering the Heart of the Rose - the ancient shrine in the depths of the forest where time and space could not penetrate. Like the eye of the hurricane, a place of calm within a turbulent universe where only the truth exists. A sanctuary guarded by the cosmic joker – the Fool. As the Fool so eloquently puts it himself: "Am I madness and laughter disguised as the truth? Truth is a hard place to be". Yet this strange madman who rarely speaks is central to the tale. He is outside of time, outside logic and outside existence. He is bound by no universal law. As he tells all who are willing to hear: "You all must enter through me"
Like the first flowers of spring, why does the story of Robin Hood defy time and renew itself with each retelling? Is it because the characters in the story were flesh and blood and lived and loved just like you and I? Is it because they struggled to conquer their own fears and fight for what their consciences told them was right? Or is it because there is an element of magic and mystery lying just below the surface of the tale – one that still exists just below the surface of the modern world?
The Heart of the Rose begins with a prologue set at the ancient shrine, The Heart of the Rose. Here, the age-old legend of Eostre and Laan is re-enacted, in which Eostre uses her magic to resurrect her beloved Laan. In gratitude for his rebirth, and as a sign that he will always watch over the land, Laan fashions an artifact in the shape of antlers from the wood of a sacred tree that stands at the centre of the sacred grove.
The story of Robin and Marian begins many centuries later, during the Middle Ages and the reign of Edward II. England is prosperous and the Earl of Lancaster allows the old religion to continue in Nottingham. The first scene is the traditional May Day festival and displayed in the town square are the sacred antlers, those once fashioned by Laan himself. During the festival Robin first meets Marian and the two fall in love. Together, they are crowned king and queen of the May – the representations of the goddess and god, Eostre and Laan. Marian’s sister Elizabeth is already in love with Robin and vows to take revenge. Convinced that the old religion has betrayed her, the embittered Elizabeth steals the antlers, believing that without their protection the old religion will fall and Robin and Marian will fall with it. She leaves the town and enters the Church, taking her vows as a nun.
It is not long before a famine sweeps the land. When Lancaster’s plea to the king to abolish the crippling taxation falls on deaf ears, he leads a rebellion. His deputy, Henry de Facombery, however, betrays his battle plans to the king and the rebel army is ambushed and defeated. Lancaster is killed and his captain, Robin, is mortally wounded. Marian takes Robin to the Heart of the Rose, deep in Sherwood Forest, where he is miraculously revived. When the surviving rebels see that Marian has saved Robin from the jaws of death, they are convinced that the couple are truly the incarnations of Eostre and Laan. Believing they are now led by their ancient god, the outlaws willingly agree to follow Robin in his struggle against oppression.
Accepting his role, Robin organizes the rebels into an effective fighting force and begins to rob the rich to feed the poor. Inevitably, the outlaws come into conflict with the new Sheriff of Nottingham, Henry de Facombery. Facombery eventually gets his revenge on Robin by murdering Marian. Although Robin finally kills the sheriff in a duel and is ultimately pardoned by the king, without Marian, Robin is a broken man. He no longer has a cause for which to fight and his faith in his destiny is gone. For many years he lives alone in the forest until he falls sick and is taken by Little John to the priory where Elizabeth is now the abbess. Unaware of Elizabeth’s hatred and betrayal, Robin is secretly poisoned by his sister-in-law. As Robin lies dying, Elizabeth shows him the sacred antlers she stole all those years before. Still bitter, she tells him that it was she who brought about the death of Marian and the fall of the old religion. When she allows Robin to hold the antlers one last time, far from leaving the world a broken and dispirited man, his faith miraculously returns. He knows that as the personification of Laan, his life will inspire others for generations to come. Although Robin dies and is buried by John at the Heart of the Rose, he is united with Marian in spirit and their legend lives on.