Origins: A Gest of Robyn Hode

Subject: Origins: A Gest of Robyn Hode
From: GUEST,#
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 06:22 PM

A Gest of Robyn Hode
by: Stephen Knight (Editor), Thomas H. Ohlgren (Editor)
from: Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales 1997

For people who pride themselves on learning songs and never using sheet music or other aids, here's one for you. It's at

http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/gest-of-robyn-hode

I think the first 1820 lines would be the hardest. It is entitled

The First Fytte

Subject: RE: Origins: A Gest of Robyn Hode
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 09:43 PM

Thank you, #. I generally like old poems, but this is one simply too long and too tiring to read, at least for me, today.

Here's an interesting thing about language. The U of Rochester goes into great detail about this old poem, but it fails to tell us which Rochester it's in. There are 17 Rochesters in the U.S., one in Canada, one in Australia, and two in the UK.

I looked up 'fytte'. It's a section of a poem.

Subject: RE: Origins: A Gest of Robyn Hode
From: GUEST,#
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 09:59 PM

leeneia, it would be too much for me today, too. I did a bit of googling and it's the Rochester in New York.

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robspot/gestrobinhood.html

Some info about the poem/ballad there.

Subject: RE: Origins: A Gest of Robyn Hode
From: Lighter
Date: 06 Apr 15 - 03:35 AM

In this form, undoubtedly intended as a poem, not a song.

The few Robin Hood ballads that survived in to the 20th century originated far later.

Subject: RE: Origins: A Gest of Robyn Hode
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 06 Apr 15 - 09:01 AM

Thanks, #

Subject: RE: Origins: A Gest of Robyn Hode
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 06 Apr 15 - 10:21 AM

Camsco have a book out (2012) on The Gest by Bob Waltz. It's very readable and gives a detailed history of all of the versions with a stemmatics approach to comparing versions. I found it very interesting and recommend it. Can't remember exactly how much it was but pretty cheap. Try Googling it.

The Gest of Robyn Hode by Robert B Waltz.