MARCUS PITCAITHLY

In which I look at the legacy of the ancient British resistance leader in later folklore, romance, and drama. Content note: child abduction; marital breakdown. We've looked before at the potential relationship between Shakespeare's Cymbeline (c. 1610/11) and the Snow White story. I'd like to dive again into the play's connections to other romances and legends about the Roman invasion of Britain in CE 43. The majority of the play's quasi-historical material comes by way of

Content note: violence including mutilation. Image: Paul Dickey as Sir Guy in the 1922 film Robin Hood. In modern times, Guy of Gisborne...

Content note: familial murder and attempted murder; bigamy. "Thus set it down," decrees Claudius of his wayward nephew in Hamlet: "he...

We’ve looked at the possible historical origins of Robin Hood’s archenemy. What about his evolution in fiction? N.B. this post has been...

Content note: murder; attempted murder (including familial and spousal); violent jealousy; rape. NB: This post has been edited since it...

I examine the literary, folkloric, and perhaps historical origins of one of the most iconic characters in the Robin Hood mythos. Image: a...

In the second part of my piece on Marian, I investigate how her legend has evolved down to the present day. Image: Bernadette O'Farrell...

An investigation into the roots of Marian's role in the Robin Hood legend. Content note: sexual harrassment; abduction. Image: tomb...