OFFICIAL ABSTRACT

West Virginia School Social Studies Fair Each project must have a written abstract using this format. Abstracts may be handwritten, typed or completed on a computer as long as this format is used.. The abstract must not be more than two pages. Lines may be added if desired. The bibliography may extend beyond that.

Project Name: Robin Hood: Man or Myth? Category: World History Type: Individual Pair X Class Division (Circle the appropriate division) III- High School Grades 10-12

1. What is the purpose of your project? - We have been fascinated with the story of Robin Hood for many years. One of us has actually lived in Nottinghamshire and has grown up in the shadow of Sherwood Forest. We wanted to find out what the general public believes about the legend. We wanted to research to find out where the stories, ballads, paintings and poems of Robin Hood originated to try to see what is real and what has been embellished by time and Hollywood hype. We wanted to survey people here in America and in England to see what was know and believed about Robin Hood and see what differences in opinions the two countries had, if any. We wanted to compare books and research, movies and internet information to see what experts think about the real Robin Hood.

2. What did you do to collect information about your topic (conducted interviews, read books, wrote to experts, visited places, etc.)? - We went to the library and obtained books that we read about Robin Hood. We went online to see what information could be helpful there. Online we found various people to write to and asked them questions about their opinions and findings about Robin Hood. We met an author of a book on Robin Hood and who has also been interviewed in a movie documentary on Robin Hood for the History Channel. We were able to get copies of the book and movie to see and read. The author wrote a brief report for us on his research findings on Robin Hood. He also sent us some artifacts of the time. We sent for and received many brochures about Nottingham and the surrounding area. We sent e-mail surveys and passed out photocopied surveys to a variety of people here and in England to see what they know and believe about Robin Hood. We joined the "Robin Hood Society" and write to them about our project.

3. What were the results/conclusions of your research? - We found that many people in our country (America) believe or have been persuaded that Robin Hood is only fiction. We believe this is due to the fact that so many different sources abound about Robin Hood. Some of the stories make him to be an almost unbelievable hero-especially in the more literary poems and ballads. The research we have seen supports a real Robin Hood could have existed between 1226 and 1354. The surname "Robynhod" and others similar to it appeared, too. Of course, the Sheriff of Nottingham and King Richard were real and add realistic details to the knowledge base about Robin Hood. Various scholars and writers have added anecdotes about Robin Hood and it becomes difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. The scarcity of written evidence from real people who may have know the real Robin Hood can be explained by the fact that most poorer people of the times could not read or write. Stories were often told through songs or ballads. Real reports of robbery and treason are in church records, however, as are many names that could have been Robin Hood's. Many researchers do not consider Robin Hood a myth. They do sometimes use the term "legend" to denote a state of part fact; part fiction. Our surveys show that the British respondents are, understandably, stronger believers in the tales of Robin Hood. Their American counterparts appear to be jaded and skeptical. This is perhaps thanks to experiences with seeing what Hollywood has done to real life topics in the past. We both feel that there must be some truth to the existence of Robin Hood. So much information exists on him that has the same basic facts of his skill with a bow and arrow, his band of followers, his zest to help the poor of that time who were persecuted by the rich, and his untimely death by bleeding by a wicked woman of the church. A person could hardly walk among the great oaks of Sherwood Forest in Nottingham without feeling the presence of this great hero of British history.

4. Please list all sources of information used in the project. (Use a bibliographic form: author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication.) BIBLIOGRAPHY Nottingham Visitors Bureau Brochures: Nottingham; Nottingham & Nottinghamshire; Robin Hood; Sherwood Forest 2002 Philip, Neil Robin Hood New York. Dorling Kindersley Limited 1997 Rutherford-Moore, Richard The Legend of Robin Hood Britain. Robin Hood Society 1998 Rutherford-Moore, Richard Robin Hood-Man or Myth? Britain Sent to us online. February 2002 Woolf, Rose Yeatman Robin Hood and His Life in Merry Greenwood Leicester, England 1992

This is the survey we used.

PLEASE ANSWER THIS SURVEY AND RETURN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANKS.

1. Have you heard of Robin Hood?

2. If so, do you think he was a real man or just an embellished myth?

3. What do you know about him?

4. Do you think movies and television play a part in the way people perceive him? Why?

OUR SPEECH: Jess-blue; Richard; Black

--Robyn Hod? --Maybe Robert Foliot?

--How about Robert Fitzooth --Or Robert de Kyme?

--Robert Hod perhaps? --Robin Hood of Wakefield?

--Robin Hood of Locksley?

That's the one we usually hear! Scholars have found many names that could claim to be the real Robin Hood that we have all heard stories about since we were small. But, was he real? How did the legend get started? What do most people believe about the legend of Robin Hood? Was he real? A myth? An embellished fantasy? We corresponded with Robin Hood scholars including Richard Rutherford-Moore and Alan Wright and they seemed to believe that Robin Hood was a real person. Exactly which one he was and how many of the stories told of his exploits is true is what is not certain. From the 1100's on, songs, ballads, poems and stories would be heard or published and the tales had content in common. Whatever the names, the basics of the story of Robin Hood are similar. He was a man who lived in Nottinghamshire and he was discouraged that the forests near the king no longer belonged to the people. King Richard was away at he Crusades and his brother, Prince John, forbid hunting on his land and taxed the poor heavily. Robin fled to the forest and vowed to help those who were Prince John's and the Sheriff of Nottingham's victims . To survive in the woods they would relieve rich travelers of their valuables. They used a huge oak (later called the Major Oak) to meet at and to store food and goods. New recruits were found, such as when Robin met John Little on a footbridge and they fought for the right of passage, with their fight ending in lifelong friendship. He was renamed Little John. He was a valuable asset to the band of merry men in Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood's cousin, Will Scarlett , joined them, as did Friar Tuck, Alan Dale, the songster, and others. He also met Maid Marian Fitzwater and married her. Robin Hood was lured to arrow shooting contests with prizes of gold and silver arrows and was able to slip in and out using disguises. As years went by, Prince John continued to pursue Robin and his men. Robin's aunt , Prioress of Kirklees, Elizabeth Stanton, betrayed him , treating him for illness by bloodletting, which weakened him and resulted in his death.

Growing up as I did, in Nottinghamshire, England, there seems to be little doubt as to the true existence of Robin Hood. You can stroll through Sherwood Forest, though the famous Major Oak has been fenced in and braced up due to vandals and time; take a tour of the Sheriff of Nottingham's Castle, which is now also a museum; touch the bronze statue of Robin Hood, and see sites of some of the churches of the past.

But here in America we are used to seeing Hollywood take historical stories and add something here, take something there, until very little of the facts remain. Surveys we sent out show that the British strongly believe in Robin Hood's existence, but the Americans are skeptical.

Researchers have written historical evidence to prove that King Richard, Prince John, and the Sheriff of Nottingham were real. Castles and records exist to this day. Robin Hood was a hero to the poor and downtrodden-precisely those who did not have the education to document his life other than in song. But, the common threads of his life seem to point to his reality. We challenge anyone to take a tour of Nottingham and not feel his presence.

The Robin Hood story

Whatever the name, the basics of the story of Robin Hood are similar. He was a man who lived in Nottinghamshire and he was discouraged that the forests near the king no longer belonged to the people. King Richard was away at he Crusades and his brother, Prince John, forbid hunting on his land and taxed the poor heavily. Land was stolen form rightful owners. Murders were committed, including Robin's own father. He fled to the forest and vowed to help the less fortunate who were Prince John's and the Sheriff of Nottingham's victims .

To survive in the woods they would relieve rich travelers of their valuables. Even greedy monks were at risk. They used a huge oak (later called the Major Oak) to meet at and to store food and goods. They made suits to blend in with the forest. New recruits were found, such as when Robin met John Little on a footbridge and they fought for the riht of passage, with their fight ending in lifelong friendship. A play on words, due to his huge size, resulted in his beign renamed Little john. He was a master at tricking the sheriff's men and was a valuable asset to the band of merry men in Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood's cousin, Will Scarlett , joined them, as did Friar Tuck, Alan Dale, the songster, and others. He also met Maid Marian Fitzwaterand married her.

Robin Hood was lured to arrow shooting contests with prizes of gold and silver arrows and was able to slip in and out using disguises. As years went by, Prince John continued to pursue Robin and his men. Robin's aunt , Prioress of Kirklees, Elizabeth Stanton, betrayed him , treating him for illness by bloodletting, wheihc weakened him and resulted in his death.