-Caveat Lector-
And so, I suppose, was young King Arthur, Merlin's -uh- protege ?
Robin Hood was gay, preferred ``merrie men'' - study
By Paul Majendie
LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - England's legendary outlaw Robin Hood was gay,
preferring his ``merrie men'' to Maid Marian, a leading English literature
professor said on Sunday.
The reassessment of one of Britain's greatest folk heroes was greeted by gay
activists as a welcome -- if belated -- 'outing'. But the Robin Hood Society
said the claims were damaging to one of the great role models for today's
children.
Stephen Knight, professor of English literature at Cardiff University,
decided Robin Hood was gay after studying 14th century ballads that are the
earliest known accounts of his deeds.
``The ballads could not say outright that he was gay because of the
prevailing moral climate, but they do contain a great deal of erotic
imagery,'' he said.
``The green wood itself is a symbol of virility and the references to arrows,
quivers and swords make it clear too,'' he told The Sunday Times.
He said the ballads showed that Maid Marian -- always described as Robin
Hood's true love -- never existed.
Knight thinks her name was added by 16th-century authors who wanted the tale
of the outlaw who robbed from the rich to give to the poor to be more
respectable to heterosexual readers.
His theory won backing from Barry Dobson, professor of medieval history at
the University of Cambridge.
``In the 12th century, homosexuality was accepted, but in the 13th the church
became much less tolerant and such people were driven underground,'' he said.
Robin Hood has always been portrayed as a swashbuckling aristocrat who became
an outlaw after his lands were confiscated by King John in the 1190s.
Peter Tatchell of the gay rights group Outrage was delighted by the new
academic speculation: ``His lifestyle alone was enough to provoke
speculation. It's about time school history lessons acknowledged the
contribution of famous homosexuals.''
But Mary Chamberlain of the Robin Hood Society was outraged: ``Robin remains
a highly regarded figure the world over and children like to play at being
Robin Hood. These claims could do a lot of damage.''
The Sunday Times concluded that in Hollywood, it was Mel Brooks and not Kevin
Costner who had got the story right.
``The revelation flies in the face of Kevin Costner's portrayal of the outlaw
in 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' and suggests that the title of Mel
Brooks's film 'Robin Hood: Men In Tights' was closer to the mark,'' it said.
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