Martitia Hunt and Richard Todd

Robin et Marion

The association between Robin Hood and Maid Marian, is believed by most scholars, to have arisen through the many rustic spring and summer festivals. One remarkably early link between these two names is in the French pastourelle play, Le Jeu de Robin et Marion, created at the Court of Naples for Charles of Anjou about 1283 by Adam de la Halle (1235?-1288?) one of the last French trouveres.

The trouveres were troubadours from northern France, between the 11th to the 14th century, whose beautiful poetry and songs celebrating love or ‘fine amour’ were composed in the northern dialects of France. The first trouveres appeared in the court of Marie de Champagne, sister of Richard the Lionheart, in about 1170. Some 2130 poems and songs have survived by these entertainers, including work by King Richard’s faithful legendry trouvere, Blondel de Nesle (c.1155-1202).

De la Halle, Adam of the Market, Adam the Uneven One, or Hunchback of Arras as he was also known, was a trouvere poet and musician from Arras, in the centre of the Artois region of France. He is credited with over sixty musical combinations and is often described as the innovator of the earliest French secular theatre. His combination of music and drama led to the beginning of Opera Comique.

The exact date of his birth is not known but it is considered to have been sometime between 1235-1240. Adam is believed to have been the son of a ‘Master Henry the Uneven One who is employed in Arras’. He studied grammar, theology and music at the Cistercian Abbey of Vaucelles near Cambric and went on to the Notre Dame School in Paris. He later married Marie who is often the subject of many of his chansons.

As a member of the Brotherhood of Jugglers and the Middle Class men of Arras, Adam de la Halle moved in courtly circles, and in 1271 he became one of the train of Robert II Count of Artois (1250-1302). His use of the name Robin, may be a droll reference to his patron.

The date of de la Halle’s death is controversial, but it is generally agreed to have been in Naples, about 1288.

Robin et Marion survives in various manuscript sources and is probably the first play with music, on a secular subject by a single composer. The play, based on a popular widespread refrain, Robins m’aime, Robins m’a: Robins m’a demandee : si m’ara , became popular all over Europe. A performance was recorded in a letter of remission for the first time at Angers in the Loire Valley in 1392:

Jehan le Begue and five or six other students, his companions, went round the town of Angers, masked, to perform a play called ‘Of Robin and Marion’ as in customarily done each year during the Whitsuntide fair by local people, whether students, burghers’ sons or other groups.

It must be stressed that Robin, the country boy- the lover of Marian the shepherdess- is not an outlaw. But this theatrical adaption of the pastourrelle, the story of Marion’s near seduction by a knight had a very large influence on the English May Games. The English poet, John Gower (c.1330– 1408) in his Speculum Mediantis (Mirroir de l’Omme), a work of 30,000 lines written between 1376-78 describes Robin and Marion’s role in the village festivals and goes on to condemn monks that revel and follow the rule of Robin, rather than Saint Augustine.

De la Halle’s play was originally accompanied by lively dancing, singing and folk music, including instruments such as cornets, bagpipes and a drum. His compositions can still be seen today.

Below are translated excerpts from the first scene of his play :

Marion:
Robin loves me, Robin is mine,
Robin wants me, he shall have me.
Robin has bought for me a fine scarlet dress, a petticoat and belt,
A leur i va !
Robin loves me, Robin is mine,
Robin wants me, he shall have me.

Knight:
I am returning from tournament
And I find Marion alone
The girl with the gorgeous body.

Marion:
Oh! Robin, if you love me,
Save me, for love’s sake!

Knight:
God give you good day,
Shepherdess !

Marion:
God keep you, sir!
————————————————————————————
Marion:
Robin’s not like his sort,
He’s much more merry:
He stirs up our whole town
When he plays his bagpipes.

Knight:
Now tell me, sweet shepherdess,
Could you love a nobleman ?


Marion:
Back off, fine sir.
I don't know any nobleman;
Of all the men in the world,
I only love Robin.
It’s his custom to seek me out here
Every day, evening and morning;
To bring me some of his cheese.
(I’ve got some of it left in my bodice
As well as a big hunk of bread)
Which he brought me at dinner time.

Knight:
Well now, tell me pretty shepherdess,
How would you like to come with me
On this lovely palfrey
And play games
Down by that thicket
In the valley ?

Marion:
Oh dear! Sir, back off your horse
It nearly kicked me,
Robin’s horse doesn’t lash out
When I walk behind the plough.

Knight:
Shepherdess, be my love
Please grant my request.

Marion:
Sir, keep away from me:
It’s not seemly for you to be here.
I was very nearly kicked by your horse
What is your name?

Knight:
Aubert.


Marion:
You are wasting your time, Sir
Aubert,
I shall never love anyone except Robin.



© Clement of the Glen 2006-2007

Elton Hayes

The Shrouded Green Mask

The Shrouded Green Mask

In a dark dense forest, centuries past, a green mask was hammered into a tree, held fast by an ornamental nail. Shrouded in the swirling mists of countless seasons, and framed by its bare, slate grey branches, the face on the mask contorted to the dreams of each icy evolution of man.

Meanwhile, cocooned inside their humming, neon lit, corridors of scholarship, the crusty investigators continuously scour their patterned parchment, in an attempt to lever the golden nail from its gnarled bark.

The all gleaming eyes, behind the mask, smile in defiance though and give forth an infallible sparkle, as the warming golden orb begins, once again to remove the glistening shroud of winter. Soon a flourishing cascade of leaves will encompass the mask, as yet another generation will skip amongst the flowing ferns and fire their dreams from a twisted yew, into the cloudless blue heavens.

The hidden man will smile his merry smile and blow his ghostly horn, whispering amongst the bristling branches and echoing about the hazy glades. The exquisite nail holding the ancient green mask, will forever be transfixed into the entangled roots of the rich tapestry of the summer greenwood.

Clement of the Glen

The Size of Sherwood Forest

Above is a map of the Royal Forest of Sherwood in the 13th Century. Many fiction writers and enthusiasts of Robin Hood, often give wildly exaggerated descriptions of its extent. But by the time of the death of King John in 1216, the great forests of the North and Midlands, including Sherwood had been considerably reduced.

In 1218 Sherwood’s boundaries were defined for the first time by King John’s son, Henry III (1216-1272). Henry instructed a group of knights and freemen to set out on a journey and record its size. Their route around Sherwood Forest is described thus:

“........leaving by Stoney Street in Nottingham they road through Whiston [then a hamlet on the Nottingham to Mansfield road] to Blackstone Haugh [by the Dover Beck] to Rufford and following the way to the village of Wellow on to the King’s ford. They then headed west across the north boundary following the water [River Meden] to Perlethorpe and Pleasley. Thence by Newboundhill to Windhill [now travelling south] -and thence by the hedges between the roads of Sutton and Kirkby to the middle of the pond at Newstead Priory, and so by the river Leen to the Trent.

During the reign of strong and powerful kings like Henry II (1154-1189) forests were extended, but with weaker monarchs, the reverse was the case. Sherwood was roughly triangular with slight changes occasionally. In 1232 the area south from Oxton to Lowdham and the Trent was included. But for most of the early Middle Ages, Sherwood Forest's boundaries, as defined in 1218 remained constant.

Royal Sherwood: Nottinghamshire County Council
The Quest For Robin Hood: Jim Lees
The Sherwood Forest Book: H.E. Boulton (ed.)

James Robertson Justice

James Hayter

James Hayter was personally chosen for the part of Friar Tuck by the director of Disney’s Story of Robin Hood, Ken Annakin. Hayter had just played the role of a verger in Annakin’s last production, Trio (1950) based on three stories by Somerset Maugham. During the early days of filming in March 1951, Annakin began screen testing Hayter for the part of the merry priest, exploring the character’s various possibilities. But as they fooled around and generally went ‘over the top’, Annakin was stunned to turn around and see Walt Disney and the producer of the film, Perce Pearce standing behind him.

Disney was not impressed and took Annakin to one side.
“You seem to have a very-laid back relationship with your actor, Annakin", he said.
The embarrassed director tried to explain that they had just finished a film together and were exploring how much joviality they could get away with, in the role of Friar Tuck.
“He can be played in several ways ,” Disney interrupted, “I’ve always seen him quite clearly in one way. I’d like to see the stuff you have shot.”

As they turned to walk away, he said, “I hope your not going to be cynical about these fine old English characters Annakin, they’re classics, you know and I don’t want them spoofed. I see the character something like this.......”

Then Walt Disney sat on a ‘prop rock’ by the river and began to sing Friar Tuck’s song from the film, Come Sing Hi , including a conversation with an imaginary Robin Hood. He knew all the lines by heart and earned himself a round of applause from the film crew. James Hayter went on, of course, to become for many the archetype, Friar Tuck.

‘Jimmy’ Hayter was born in Lonuvla, India on 23rd April 1907, the son of a police superintendant. He began his education in Scotland and it was his school headmaster who spotted his obvious talent and encouraged him into becoming an actor. Hayter later graduated to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).

He made his stage debut in My Fair Lady as Alfred Dolittle in 1925, a part he played for five years in the West End and later on tour. Jimmy also went on to tread the boards in London in notable productions such as 1066 And All That and French Without Tears. After managing theatre companies in Perth and Dundee and appearing in various repertory theatre productions, his first film appearance came as the character Jock, in the mediocre Brian Desmond version of the play Sensation, in 1936. Hayter then went on to make five more movies before the outbreak of war.

After serving in the Royal Armoured Corps during the dark days of World War II, Jimmy made television history, when he was chosen to play the part of Mr Pinwright, the owner of a small multiple-store, in the BBC’s first recognised half-hour situation comedy series, Pinwright’s Progress in 1947.

His cherubic comedy style soon established him with a whole host of regular film parts and James Hayter became one of the busiest character actors in British film history. Notable early roles include, Nicholas Nickleby (1947) in which he played the twins Ned and Charles Cheeryble, The Blue Lagoon (1949) as Dr Murdoch, Morning Departure (1950) Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1951) as Old Thomas, The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men, (1952) and The Crimson Pirate (1952) as Professor Prudence.

Apart from his memorable portrayal of Friar Tuck in 1952 (a part he would re-create in the 1967 Challenge For Robin Hood) James Hayter is probably best remembered, in that very same year, for his ‘perfect’ role as Samuel Pickwick in the adaption of the classic Charles Dickens novel, The Pickwick Papers. The success of the movie prompted a BAFTA nomination for him as Best British Actor in 1953. Alexander Gauge, who played Friar Tuck in 89 episodes of the hugely successful TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, also appeared in the film, as Tupman.

Hayter later joined Alexander Gauge and the rest of the television crew of The Adventures of Robin Hood, when he played the part of Tom the Miller in 2 episodes of that classic series.

Jimmy remained just as busy in the television studio as on the film set and appeared in a whole host of early productions. Including, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Presents, Fair Game, The Moonstone, The Avengers, Man From Interpol, The Flaxton Boys, Wicked Women and Dr Finlay's Casebook.

With seven children to support, James Hayter continued to work phenomenally hard in the film industry and went on to appear in over 90 movies, some classics such as: Calling Bulldog Drummond (1951), The Big Money (1958), I Was Monty’s Double (1958), The 39 Steps (1959) and Oliver (1968).

It was in 1970 that Jimmy re-joined Geoffrey Lumsden and Joan Rice; colleagues from Disney’s Story of Robin Hood, in The Horror of Frankenstein. This was the fifth in the series of Frankenstein films made by Hammer, but it is best described as a dreary and disappointing movie. Hayter’s television career was, on the other hand, far from dull, with continuing work in many popular productions of the time, including Doctor at Large, Hunter’s Walk and The Onedin Line.

Towards the end of his long and illustrious acting career, Hayter was chosen by comedy writer and producer, David Croft, to appear as a new assistant in his successful TV series Are You Being Served. Croft said:

"James Hayter had not worked for me before, but he was a well known featured player in movies over here,” Croft remembers, “ and as far as I was concerned was the only candidate providing he was available and willing to play the part."

So as the mischievous Percival Tibbs, Hayter appeared in 6 episodes of Are You Being Served. Unfortunately for many years, Mr Kipling Cakes had used his distinctly fruity voice, for their advertisements on British television and the company did not like the character he now portrayed in this series.

They thought the personality of the character he portrayed was unpleasant and had an air of indignity that might put the viewing public off buying their “exceedingly good cakes”!

Hayter at first argued that he was free-lance and could chose to play any character he desired, but when Mr Kipling Cakes finally offered him three times his BBC salary for the next series, not to do it and terminate his contract, he accepted.

The cast of Are You Being Served were very disappointed to see such a successful comedy talent leave, but he confessed, “if they are prepared to pay me three times as much not to it, then I wont do it– at my time of life, I have no more ambition.”

James Hayter died in Spain aged 75 on 27th March 1985.

© Clement of the Glen 2006-2007

(To see all posts about James Hayter please click on the label 'James Hayter' marked in the right-hand panel or below).