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Cousins Issue 02
COUSINS ISSUE #2 - December 1991
A place for the Witches, pagans, nature spirits, fey-folk, and assorted elder
kin of Sherwood to share ideas, challenges, dreams, and projects, and to stir
up a little magic of our own.
contact Susan Gavula, sjgavula@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu for more
information.
This Issue's Fun Word: PAGAN
One who follows the ways of the rural people. From the Latin paganus, a well
from which country folk would get their water; later came to mean "farmer,"
"hick," or "civilian" (when most Romans in a given area were in the army.)
Eventually came to denote adherence to a native pantheist/polytheist religion
(when most invaders in a given area were monotheists.) Comparable to
"heathen," "one who lives among the heather on the heath."
Has anyone else out there got a favorite word?
* * *
LETTERS
Amber Foxfire
I just got the first (Nov. '91) issue of Cousins and I love it. Since I'm new
to Robin of Sherwood fandom, just now watching - and taping - the episodes for
the first time while my local PBS station airs the episodes, I found the
newsletter to be highly informative. I enjoyed Ariel's article and all the
letters that were published. Since one of the most appealing aspects of RoS
for me is its pagan-orientation, I particularly enjoy the Wiccan- orientation
of your letterzine.
The series seems to imply that the common folk observe both Christian and
pagan customs and rites, but in actual fact does anyone actually know if the
rural people of that period observed synchronized Christian/pagan
customs/rites or was it either/or, either Christian only or pagan only?
I found the observations of Marion and her connection with which of
the three goddess aspects very interesting. For myself, I would connect her to
the maiden aspect; she seems to be guided by Artemis/Diana, even though she is
not a Celtic goddess, primarily because Marion is very outdoorsy, very much at
home in the woods, very good with the bow, and is as much a partner as lover
to Robin of Loxley.
This is all I can write for now. I've enclosed a SASE for any
replies.
Question: How many issues per year do you plan to publish of Cousins and is
there a subscription fee?
[Amber - I'll publish as often as A) I have enough material and B) I can get
to a copying machine and afford the postage. There's no set subscription fee,
but the more postage contributions I get, the more frequently I can publish!
Thank you for the stamps. -H]
Laura Woodswalker Todd Thanks for the first issue of Cousins! I wasn't sure if
I should join because I'm not really a committed Wiccan but just sort of a
generic pagan. I've always worshipped Mother Earth thru hiking and communing
with the Woods (hence the name Woodswalker). More recently I've become
interested in Goddess and Pagan lore. But the formality of conducting rituals
seems too much like "religion" to me. Besides, who has the time? My magical
practice of late has consisted of doing writing and artwork for the zines.
However, I love letterzines, so if that's what Cousins is going to be, count
me in! I'm fascinated to read such tidbits as the true meaning of the rag on
Robin's pants. I always thought it was to hold his pants together and to look
sexy. [Hey, it worked...-H] I find the Pagan archetypes fascinating,
especially the symbolism in Jenni's Hooded Man of Robin and Robert as the
Holly King and the Oak King. Apparently these are summer and winter archetypes
in pagan mythology that are continually in conflict as the year-wheel turns.
However-- I hope this doesn't get carried too far, because it would mean that
Robert slays Robin, who comes back 6 months later and slays him in turn...
Yes, let's not get too literal with these archetypes. The pagan symbolism adds
resonance, but I don't see the RoS characters as Pagan placards but as human
beings. Why force Marion into a label like "Maiden/Mother/ Crone," when she's
a little of each...like we all are. I don't see the characters as a literal
coven because while they seem to hold both the Old Religion and the New in
respect, they are just not all that religious...mostly they're just concerned
with survival.
I don't mind if writers make Loxley a little more "magical" than the series
shows him, just so they keep it believable. (Don't ever make him a sorcerer
with the abilities of, say, Belleme.) One really neat example of fannish
inventiveness concerning magic was the zine Sherwood Legacy, where Loxley (who
never died in this story) was learning to be Herne's apprentice. [Spoiler! -H]
There was a wonderful story where he established a psychic link with Robert
and was able to rescue him from imprisonment. (I do believe this is one of
Kitty's stories!)
A few general comments on the magical aspects: I just watched the show for the
first time in February of this year and I missed half the first season. Lord
of the Trees was the second of the shows I saw and I was instantly hooked,
given my background of "tree worship." Hey, I wish the Trees would take
revenge today on the forest destroyers! And then there was Children of Israel,
dealing with Jewish magic, and being Jewish myself I was really impressed
(most medieval fiction ignores the existence of Jews.) Magic seemed less
prominent in the 3rd season, although some form of magic or psychic power
usually figured in plots like Power of Albion, Inheritance, and Rutterkin. One
thing that always bothered me was the "satanic coven" stereotype perpetrated
by Gulnar, Morgwyn, and Belleme. Why would Carpenter pander to these negative
clichs, when modern Pagans are trying so hard to fight against them? I was so
unconvinced by this threadbare concept that I usually yawned with boredom
whenever one of this unholy trilogy came onto the screen. How many "good"
witches/covens are featured in RoS? (Maybe in episodes 2-5 that I missed?)
I really appreciated the comments by Ariel and Hilda about Robert. Hilda, your
comments are right on target: Robert is the character who I can identify with
the most.
To me Loxley is the "perfect" Robin. He gets put on a pedestal and called a
"god." He is as well adapted to his environment as a tiger is to the
rainforest. I haven't seen a lot of writers delve into his insecurities,
fears, etc. While Robert is like us: he has problems. Such as his
relationships with his father, the other outlaws, Marion, and Gisburne.
"Alienation" is the word Hilda used, and yes, Robert has an identity crisis.
He is also stuck with a very tough act to follow. (I was so crushed after
Loxley died I didn't want to like Robert for about 3 episodes. I'm sure the
characters themselves felt the same way.) This creates a lot of grist for
fanfic. Perhaps this is why in the zines I've seen (a total of about 7), about
2/3 of the stories tend to be about Robert.
I haven't seen too many of the "negative" portrayals of Robert which Ariel
mentions, aside from a few really depressing stories where he wastes away
after Marion leaves. (All thru these stories I am saying No way!) What I have
seen is his vulnerability. It's this which finally made him grow on me. I
became fascinated with the question of "What makes Robert tick? Why did Herne
choose him and not some local peasant lad?" I was finally forced to start
writing just to answer these questions. Which leads me to my soapbox rant:
there are some assumptions made in fandom that I just can't buy. Like the
claim that Robert became an outlaw simply because of Marion. Likewise when
writers cite an abstract "passion for justice" as his motivation, it rings
false to me. I suppose a hormonal teenager or a flaky hippie might act from
these motivations...but I don't see such an immature person making a credible
"Robin Hood." No, there have got to be intense personal factors in Robert's
life that would put such a fire in his spirit that he would leave his home,
family, and future for the sake of the peasants. Put yourself in his place: we
all give lip service to "helping the poor," but what would cause you to leave
a comfortable life to go and live as a fugitive, risking your life to aid the
Underclass?
Back to the topic of Magic: I never understood why some writers portray Robert
as an earthbound guy with no spiritual or psychic sensitivity. Also at some
point he must have had exposure to the Old Religion. Perhaps he had a servant
or nursemaid who taught him things that the average earl's son wouldn't know.
Otherwise he'd have crossed himself and run like hell at the first sight of
Herne. Since when does an English nobleman take off to do the bidding of a god
with horns? It bothers me that fans take such things at face value and don't
probe beneath the surface. In fact, I'd have liked to see Kip himself explain
these things more adequately, but then us fan writers would be out of a job.
To my mind it's Marion who really gets the bad press in fanfic. How about when
Will calls her a bitch and tells her "you never really loved either of them!"
(The Hollow Hills, Albion 4). Or how about in Hooded Man (I think) where
Robert says "do you love me? Or do you just love Herne's Son?" (Translation:
"You're a god groupie.") Granted, Marion's behavior toward Robert is
understandable for a woman traumatized by grief. But it is not the behavior of
a Goddess archetype. She is all too human. I think she is the weakest and most
vulnerable of the 3 lead characters. Why is there not more fan fiction from
her viewpoint? Is it because people just don't like her? I admit I was pretty
disgusted when she left Robert. I understood it intellectually, but still I'd
have liked to shake some sense into her.
Well, I've ranted far too long, as usual. Blessed be!
Janet VanMeter
I just got your letter and also the first issue of Cousins. While things are
fresh in my mind, I thought I'd write - even though we will see each other
next week! By the way, I liked the "Cousin Jennet" idea!
Anyway, I think I have to agree with Ariel on her character descriptions. In
fact, I totally agree with her! And also with your ideas on Robert.
Well, the main item I wanted to address this time goes along with Raven's
question "Where is the Goddess?" By agreeing with the idea that Robin (either
one) is the "legman" for Herne, then I think Marion is the "leg woman" for the
Lady. And who is the Lady? I firmly believe that role should be given to
Sherwood Forest/Britain. Yes, I mean the actual Earth Mother - does she really
need a human manifestation besides what is found within her children - Marion
and all the others? I keep remembering Loxley's moving speech after the battle
at Castle Belleme about what and why they are fighting for. "Sherwood protects
Her own," that sort of idea. What do you think of my theory? It works for me!
Staying on this train of thought...isn't one of the major beliefs underlying
the Craft the idea that the Goddess and the God are both to be found within
everyone - that gender starts getting a bit ambiguous after a while? I think
that a lot of problems facing the past and present stemmed from the attempt to
cram everyone into little boxes/roles of "male or female" only. If everything
originally came from the Mother, doesn't that mean that everything is a
mixture of feminine/masculine? (I guess those folks more learned in yin and
yan could take over from here.)
So, Hilda, carols for a female "Sol" [reference to a previous conversation -H]
seem to me as appropriate as anything else! I forget which cultures they are,
but some places did consider the sun as feminine [i.e. Sulis, for whom
Salisbury is named -H] and the moon as masculine. Maybe the "Man in the Moon"
isn't as crazy as some people think! I could see the first or last rays of the
sun as long beautiful tresses of gold. Why not? [Fine, you Huntingdon fans,
beat up on me, just because you know Janet could shoot your camera out of your
hand at 50 paces... -H] We each should be able to find whatever we need
spiritually in all of these things. (Are we back to yin and yan again?) Why
else did we end up with all the diverse myths, etc. rather than everyone
simultaneously believing only one exact explanation for the cosmos? Because
each of us needs something just a little bit "individualized" to "complete"
ourselves spiritually.
Tina Evans
The question of a feminine counterpart for Herne seems to be an underlying
theme in Issue No. 1, and I would like to try and address that question. My
first thought is: should we consider Herne a god? All the references to Herne
that I have seen indicate he is a local legend particular to the Windsor Park
area. This in itself may make it hard to find a feminine counterpart for him.
But a local legend must have origins in some older being or tradition.
Certainly Cernunnos is the logical assumption. Pottery fragments bearing the
images of female horned figures have been found in Britain, but there is
little information to be found concerning these female figures. Does anyone
else know anything about female horned figures in general? To my mind, the
"horned god" cult is essentially male in nature. If Herne had his origins in
such a cult it would be difficult to equate a female figure with him.
Nor do I think Cernunnos is the only figure that can stand as Herne's
counterpart. Perhaps Woden, the Anglo-Saxon god of battle, could serve as a
counterpart as well. The stag is used to symbolize Woden in some instances.
More importantly, Woden is the figure associated with the Wild Hunt in Europe,
in much the same way that Herne is associated with the Wild Hunt in Britain.
It is quite conceivable that fragments of a religion associated with Woden
survived among the native "Saxon" population, despite the Church and the
Norman Conquest, and eventually evolved into the figure of Herne.
So, I tend to agree with Hilda, Herne probably does not have a feminine
counterpart. But the beauty of fan fiction is that you are not limited to a
strict historical interpretation of the material. You can do what you like
with your characters. I think the concept of a "female Herne" is very
interesting!
Raven, I don't know of any Craft groups using Robin Hood as a tradition, but I
have heard that John and Caitlin Matthews will be holding a celebration of
Beltane and the Robin Hood legend on April 25, 1992 in London. Mark Ryan will
be among those participating in the event. I have also heard that John
Matthews is publishing a book on Robin Hood sometime next year, which may be
of interest. If you come up with no other leads on using Robin Hood as a
tradition, you might try writing to them. The address can be found in their
books, or you could write to me. Good Luck!
Lynn
Finally finding time to write. Received "Cousins" this week. To say I am
impressed is an understatement. It was terrific! However, you just have to put
wider margins on it! [Would that my postage endowment were as generous as my
natural one... -H] I kept writing notes and comments in the existing ones, and
since I had to write small, I couldn't read some of them the next day. It's a
sad state of affairs when you can't read your own writing. I have so many
comments on it. I don't know if I'll be able (timewise) to put them all down,
as I want to get this in today's post.
1st: Herne. What if Herne had originally been Robin in the Hood? The Sacred
King sacrifice could have been symbolic for him, not actual as it was with
Robin. It was his death as Robin Hood and rebirth as Herne (Dread Lord of
Death aspect of God). Natural evolution, so to speak, or part of the Wheel.
Also, as for no Goddess aspect (Raven's letter) - perhaps his original partner
died or he never had one. Maybe he was the only magically talented person in
that area & time. If the latter was so, then the God aspect would be stronger
because that is the one he would naturally manifest.
Also, this was a TV show for the general public. Perhaps Kip though that a
male mentor would be more readily accepted than a female. After all, a female
would probably be blatantly a witch to viewers. He may have not wanted to rub
that into viewers. Let them develop interest in Herne and gradually absorb
Craft philosophy.
Also on his "consort" - if not match (i.e. magical ability) - it may possibly
have been a mismatch, as with Robin and Marion (more on that later). If he had
had a "consort," with high female mortality rates, she probably would have
passed over before this time and be unbeknown to Robin. We really know nothing
of Herne's past.
Marion - Mayhap she was chosen by the Gods and by Robin, but possibly not
choosing the Gods herself. As Robin's partner & chosen one she would fall into
the role of Maiden, but may not really have been a practicing Wiccan. I have
often seen modern couples where one is strong magically (more of a calling)
while the other isn't (perhaps a balancing that may be necessary). Also, I
have seen some couples where one believes strongly, while the other just
nominally goes along because of love for the partner.
Why divorce RoS from the way the Craft is today?
Robert - How many of us have been raised Christian; but are now Craft? It
could have been the same for him. He was not really magically talented. When
his initiation came (i.e. presentation of tools - "String the bow.") the need
for a Robin Hood wasn't immediate, so he could have the traditional year and a
day (probably what he needed in this case for his subconscious to mull over
what had happened to him and bring him to a point where he could accept his
position as Herne's Son.)
Robin, on the other hand, was magically talented. When he was "initiated" he
also resisted, but for less time because the need for a Robin Hood was
immediate. Thus, the year and a day was "waived" as it sometimes is today.
Robin, being magically talented, could be paired with Marion. Robert, not
being magically talented, probably would have eventually paired with Isadora
who was magically talented, or one like her. Then the Goddess would have taken
precedence. Marion, I think, would have stayed in Halstead as the "Mother"
aspect or later the "Crone." After all, the Mary "cult" is really just another
way of worshipping the Lady.
When Michael Praed left the show, they were in a real bind. I think Kip
handled an awkward situation brilliantly. They could have recast, but instead
he used Craft belief to get them out of their predicament.
Again, Raven's letter - There was no need for background on Rhiannon or
Arianrhod as the show was for a British audience. I think they would know
these two just as we would know Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill. Also, Herne may be
bigger in the Craft there, as He pops up quite frequently in Paddy Slade's
Encyclopedia of White Magic. He is involved in many of the rituals, and is
possibly a more integral part of their version of the Craft and therefore the
obvious aspect for the mentor in RoS.
Ariel
Replies to first issue of Cousins:
On Metempsychosis: I have only one idea on this - watch the movie Dead Again
and you'll see "metempsychosis" in action!
Raven: Your comments were very to the point, and are probably things that
other people have wondered about, too. Personally, I never "got" the pagan
references (outside of Robin following Herne) until I started reading fanfic,
and then doing my own research into the Craft. I think Hilda's right about
Kip's avoiding the word "goddess" to get the show on the air. From the various
books I've perused on Wicca, it seems to me that in the historical time period
in which the series is set, the paganism of the English peasants might well
have been of the male-oriented variety (but I'm certainly no authority on
this, and fanfic that includes the Goddess is doing a handy job at evening
things up a bit). If you read my lengthy piece in the last issue, you'll know
how I feel about Marion as the Priestess. Personally, I can't see her in this
role. As for her Christianity - I have the same response as I do to Robert's
faith - it was very possibly tinged with cynicism.
I think the main reason Marion went to Kirklees was to avoid being married off
to someone she didn't like (i.e., Belleme) and she (apparently) went to
Halstead for sanctuary more than religious beliefs. (But given that many women
went to the convent because there was nobody suitable for them to marry or
because their fathers couldn't afford a dowry or because their parents had
promised one of their children to the Church... it seems likely that very few
women went to a convent because of their religious convictions!) I also agree
with Hilda that as the only well- defined female member of the cast, Marion
takes the role of Maiden, Mother, and Crone at various points in the series.
Using Robin Hood as a tradition...hmm. One of the books I recently read was
Margaret Murray's excellent work, The God of the Witches. She describes Robin
Hood as having been associated with the Horned God. The name may possibly have
been a title for a coven High Priest. Interestingly, the coven High Priestess
was usually referred to as the Maiden or Maid.
I don't think the "non-pagan contingent" perceives us in any particular way.
Individual fans' religious beliefs do not seem as important to the fandom at
large as their interest in the show.
Janet: Hello! Like you, I was raised in the Methodist Church. As for
discovering other archetypes, all I can say is read, read, read! That's what
I've done. I listed some books at the end of my last article, and am hoping to
include a more complete list sometime soon. College and university libraries,
occult bookshops, and other fans/Wiccans are the best sources for reading
material.
Mary Ann: Your questions about witchcraft in the middle ages are interesting.
From what information I've gleaned, I think that the Old religion persisted
for quite a bit longer than the Christian Church would like to have people
believe. (And still does, if you look at our customs of Christmas trees,
Easter eggs, etc.). Laura Chevening pointed out at Herne's Con 2 that most
peasants would have been lucky to see a priest once a year. Books I've read
have suggested that for a long time the peasants probably kept one foot in
each camp: professing Christianity to their noble masters and secretly
honoring the Old Religion upon which they believed the health of their crops
depended. With the growth of cities and towns and the increasing numbers of
clergy therein, it probably grew more difficult for peasants to keep to the
old ways. A couple of writers have even suggested that some of the nobility
themselves (including the Plantagenet kings) may have been closet pagans. I
think the notion of witches worshipping the Christian devil came about
principally during the witch-hunts (and was usually "confessed" by witches
under torture). [I'd say alleged Witches under torture. Whether one was a
Witch or not seldom had as much to do with the accusation of Witchcraft as
such factors as political dissent, female independence, or being the last
obstacle to some influential person's acquisition of a juicy bit of property.
- H]
In this context, I'm not sure entirely what Kip was getting at in "Swords of
Wayland." According to most of my sources, the first "Black Mass" was
performed as a lark by some priests of Louis VIX of France. [VIX? -H] I can
only speculate that Morgwyn was doing essentially what Belleme and Gulnar did:
summoning a force or spirit of evil, giving it a name, and performing a very
powerful magical spell to incarnate this force. Some people refer to the Gods
and Goddesses a all being aspects of the One. Is it not possible that various
Devils are similarly aspects of "the Evil One," no matter what name you give
it?
From what I foggily remember, the Druids were a class of pre-Christian Celts
who studied magical phenomena. Doreen Valiente, in An ABC of Witchcraft,
mostly describes the similarities of their practices with those of the
witches. Other books may have better references.
The Celtic Calendar is divided into the four great Sabbats: Beltaine (April
30), Lammas (August 1), Samhain (October 31), and Imbolc (February 2). Between
those Sabbats are the four solstices or lesser Sabbats: Midsummer's Eve
(Litha, June 21), the Autumnal Equinox (Mabon, September 21), the Spring or
Vernal Equinox (Ostra, March 21) and the Winter Solstice (Yule, December 22).
The dates of Christmas and Easter were "rearranged" by early Christians to
coincide with Yule and Ostra. There seems to be some consensus in
occult/mythological/historical literature that Lammas may have been a time of
sacrifice, but whether or not this was done in the middle ages, I haven't
really been able to figure out. As Hilda pointed out, by Robin Hood's time,
the sacrifices may have consisted of the first fruits of the harvest (or the
first grains). As I noted in my article, some fen regard Robin's death as a
harvest sacrifice (or at least a symbol thereof).
As for "Earth Magic..." I'm not really sure. Probably, someone else could give
a more detailed explanation, but from what I understand, it's using the energy
inherent in the earth to work magic (but again, this is sketchy). I think the
story you refer to may be Julianne Toomey and Caitlin Sebastian's "Walk in
Soul," from Apocryphal Albion 2. In that story, I believe it's Robert who, in
a fit of desperation, wildly summons the earth power to snap the soldiers'
crossbow strings (he then spends a couple of days unconscious). Later in the
story, Robin's ghost appears and gives Robert some tips on how to properly
channel the energy. Was that the story, or was it another piece?
As for Loxley using magic on his own, without Herne's involvement...again, I
went into that in my last piece and don't want to repeat myself. Personally, I
can't see him doing this, but plenty of other fans and writers have portrayed
him as capable of working his own magic.
As for the other things you're interested in: check out past issues of Herne's
Stepchildren (the letterzine), the Journal of the Friends of Robin of Sherwood
(shameless plug), and Spirit of Sherwood's newsletter On Target. All of these
have included pieces on medieval life and customs, costuming, food, history,
etc. Ask other fans who might have back issues. Again, libraries often contain
quite a bit of this stuff in their history sections.
Nansi & Nancy: Hi! Welcome to the circle!
Hilda: Your comments on my piece were very fair. As I said, I was up on a real
soapbox there. I agree with you that Marion's departure for Halstead was
probably one of the only ways that Judi Trott could be temporarily removed
from the program without actually killing off her character (a point I should
have brought up in my article).
I've never heard of the faery being six feet tall. That's quite interesting.
Anything I've read has described them as short. Thanks for pointing that out.
Okay, okay, maybe I was being a bit harsh, calling the Maiden/Mother bit an
"excuse." I suppose any plotline developed to get Marion out of the convent,
or indeed, any plot wherein Robert meets another woman could be called an
"excuse" also, though the latter would be more likely termed a "Mary Sue."
I'll agree with you that the magical stories are often excellent; some of them
are spellbinding (gotcha!). I enjoy reading these stories very much. However,
after reading a great quantity of them, I begin to feel like these are not
quite the characters I've come to know and love. There are a lot of tense
situations in the TV series where the characters have to work out the solution
to a problem themselves. This may be somewhat mundane, but I find it more
satisfying.
I didn't think about the writers' using Marion's asking about Samhain to
explain the festival to the audience, but you're right. It's done on other
programs all the time, but this one went right over my head. (Maybe because it
was so subtle, or maybe because I wasn't looking at it from that perspective).
Your assessments of the characters are quite good, including your suggestions
as to why people like to "stick pins" in Robert. "A National Enquirer need to
injure those we admire most" - well put!
Re-reading my piece, I guess my overall peeve is that I don't like seeing
characters get pigeonholed, something that's happened to just about every
other character in this particular series. A lot of friendly debate has been
exchanged regarding pieces that deal with Tuck's religious beliefs, "Gisburne
turns Good" stories, the "Nasir subservience" issue and so on.
I also spotted two errors. The Order of the Garter was founded by Edward III,
not Henry III. Also, when Robin first meets Herne, he doesn't shout "No!", he
just sort of shakes his head and runs off.
Well, that's all the rambling for this issue!
Blessed Be!
Janet P. Reedman
Ooh Hilda - Loved your newsletter and am dying to participate. So many lights
flashed in my little brain while I was reading it. I'm sure my reply may sound
rather disjointed, but there are so many topics I want to touch on!!!
Raven: Goddesses/Herne's consort. Most of us know Rhiannon as a Welsh goddess
seemingly associated with the Celtic horse-cult, but if you break down her
name into composite elements of the ancient Brythonic language, it becomes
something like 'Great Queen.' The 'rig' denotes royalty; it is the same word
element in the Irish 'Morrigan' or 'Great Phantom Queen' and also the 'rig' in
'The Rig Veda!'
Herne or Cernunnos (Carnun in Gaelic) is never written of as having a consort,
but it would certainly seem likely. The Gundestrup Cauldron, a beautiful piece
of Celtic artistry, bears a depiction of Cernunnos, and it was found deposited
in a sacred bog traditionally sacred to the Goddess Nerthus-- the Great
Goddess, according to writers of the time, of the early Danish people. This
may be telling...(or maybe not!)
I too have some difficulty seeing Marion playing the role of priestess,
because of her Christian upbringing, though who knows? There was an intense
devotion to the Virgin Mary in the Middle Ages, which seems to contain some
traces of Goddess worship. Also, many of the carvings on English churches of
the time are distinctly non-Christian--green men, female exhibitionists, etc.
Mary Ann: Druids - History is still pretty vague as to what and who the druids
were. They appear to have been the wise men/shamans of the Celts. The name
itself roughly means 'oak-seer' [I've also heard it explained as a variation
of the word for "to know" -H]; the oak was the tree most beloved by the
druids. Purportedly the Romans stamped them out after desecrating their shrine
on the isle of Anglesey (Mona), but it's doubtful they would be completely
eradicated at this time.
The 'Wheel' is a very interesting subject, most prevalent in Eastern
mythologies. However, the term 'Wheel' has been applied in Celtic/Norse
beliefs as both the Sun and the Moon. ('Arianrhod' actually means something
like 'Silver Wheel.') The shape of stone circles in general might also give
rise to a 'wheel' association as in 'Rhiannon's Wheel.'
To be sure, Beltaine customs were performed in the 1100's. People still
practice some of these customs today (and I'm talking about folk who know
nothing whatsoever about paganism!) Maypole dancing is still a common sight in
Britain on May Day (Beltaine). This is the day the 'May Queen' is chosen. In
fact, if one looks at a calendar of events in Britain, a good share, such as
the Hobby Horse, pace-egging, cheese-rolling, the Haxey Hood game, the
Castleton festival, and the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, have obvious ancient
roots.
In the Haxey Hood game (which takes place in Lincolnshire every year) opposing
teams fight for the possession of 'the Hood.' The man who wins is known as the
'Lord of the Hood,' and those he fights to get it are known, rather
sinisterly, as 'boggans,' which would seem to be a corruption of 'bugganes' or
'boggarts'--evil, goblinish spirits. During the ceremony, they also used to
'smoke the fool'--hang a living man upside down over a smoldering fire! Of
course, this has been done away with for safety reasons! This custom may
indeed have had its origin in human sacrifice, though no doubt, by the Middle
Ages, the sacrifice was symbolic rather than actual.
In the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, men dance from dawn to dusk with antlers on
their heads (one horn was dated to Viking times.) And at Castleton in
Derbyshire, a 'Green Man' is paraded on horseback down the village street to
the church. [But is his name Edyard? -H] Once he reaches the end of the route,
his green covering of leaves and burs is hauled up the church spire to be torn
apart by the winds. [Somebody help me here - which was the fantastic zine
story that made such fascinating use of this custom? I think it was being
practiced in John's home town. -H] Again, this has been theorized as a
possible remnant of a human sacrifice.
(For anyone interested in the subject of sacrifice, The Life and Death of a
Druid Prince by Celtic historian Anne Ross and Don Robbins is absolutely
brilliant! It tells of an actual sacrifice--that of the 'bogman' discovered in
1984 in Lindow Moss near Manchester. This preserved man, who lived at the time
the Romans were subduing Britain, was ritually sacrificed around Beltaine, and
had suffered a 'triple death'--he was struck over the head, garrotted, and
then thrown into the bog. Ross believes he was a druid, possibly from Ireland,
and that he was chosen by eating a portion of 'burnt bannock' to die for the
land. After he was garrotted, she believes he was heaped onto a white horse
and then taken to interment in the bog--which may be the source of local
legends concerning 'a wizard with a white horse' and 'the king under the
ground.')
Ariel: Love your theories; you've raised many interesting points of discussion
about our favorite characters.... I quite agree, with you and Kip, that Herne
& Robin would equate with Merlin & Arthur (which could provide Loxley fans
good reason to believe he's not REALLY dead, just sleeping!) [Oh, goody,
another excuse... OK, OK, I'll leave you alone now, Ariel! -H]
As for possessing extra abilities in fanfic--like Hilda, I would be bored if
the characters had to be drawn completely as they were on TV. So little of
ourselves would go into them, then, and they would never come alive--just be
poor copies of Carpenter's creations. It's like when you're playing a
character as an actor; you don't go out and try to imitate the actor who's
played the part before you. Borrowing is all right, but you've got to give
something of yourself. The only thing I'd object to in fan-fic is if Robin
used 'powers' in a situation that could have been resolved in another way. You
have to be careful with magic; if it's too easy to use, it becomes merely a
plot device. But that's a writing problem rather than a problem with the
action itself!
Now for Faerie: As Hilda noted later in the newsletter, the Sidhe were at
least six feet tall. The Saxon 'elves' were also described as tall (as in the
legend of Wild Edric...the border lord who captured and wed the faerie woman,
Godda.) The 'fays' in Arthurian myth are the size of human women, if possessed
of more than human beauty. In fact, in most faerie lore the 'hidden people'
are NOT tiny (see the works of folklorist Katherine Briggs) but three feet and
up to around the shorter heights of normal men. The idea of thumbnail sized,
winged sprites is Elizabethan. (It is my belief that 'faeries' may indeed have
been aboriginal people of Britain; faeries traditionally fear iron--so would
bronze- using tribes.)
Another note of completely useless info: Contrary to popular belief, Neolithic
and Bronze Age men were not, on average, that much shorter than modern man!!
From data gathered on the Orkneys in Neolithic tombs, men averaged 5' 5" to 5'
7" while women ranged 4'10" to 5'3". Around Stonehenge, Bronze Age men
averaged 5'8". The 'Bush Barrow' chief was 6'!
True, there's nothing mentioned in the series that would lead one to believe
Robin's mother was of 'faery' race--but it DOES seem to be prevalent in the
fandom. I'm not sure why, but if you use the theory that the 'faery' were
aboriginals, it could work rather well. After all, from analysis of
bones/crania etc., it is believed that the earliest folk of the British Isles
were 'slender and dark, with attractive faces and high cheekbones' (taken from
a book on Cornwall's ancient sites.) 'Faery' in this instance could be more of
a title than an actuality, the folk being as mortal as you and me, yet
believed to possess strange powers (and certainly a race apart from the
average Saxon.)
The idea you pose about Robin's ancestry being Welsh or Irish is interesting
too (especially as Michael does have some Irish ancestry.) And I think I may
just have to write a story on this subject...hmm...
Marion - I do think she was 'weaker' in the third season, but chose to believe
this was caused by her grief. I was stunned when I first saw her wailing and
weeping in Owen's castle, and surprised she didn't fight back then and there.
I mean, as you noticed yourself, Ariel, this is the woman who played
'Conquest' with King John! (Of course, that was later in the series when
Marion would have perhaps been a little more her old self.) I find your
psychological reason for Marion remaining in Halstead to be very true and
plausible.
Robert - I, too, tire of seeing Robert suicidal and semi-catatonic after
Marion's departure! However, if Marion was not Robert's main reason for being
an outlaw, what was? Even if he hated what was being done to the people of
England, the lack of justice, would it be enough to make him want to be
outlawed, to lose everything? Couldn't it serve the cause more if he stayed at
Huntingdon and tried to rally other nobles to his cause, rather than becoming
a hunted man? I wish he had spoken of his reasons at some point in the series!
I must admit I have some troubles understanding Robert's character, and also
the magic in the third season. Herne seemed distant to me; less of a real
presence. And other magic/magical beings seemed to be of a dark sort--Gulnar,
Cromm Cruac.
I also had trouble with Owen and his men in the third season. I love the
HERNE'S SON episode, but who were those people??! They mentioned Arianrhod but
also the Hammer of Thor! Are they Celts or Vikings? A cross? With the 'Cult of
Fenris' I would say definitely more Viking, but...I presume that blue stuff on
their faces is woad, used by the ancient Britons? And Owen's name is certainly
Welsh enough! But speaking of names, why does Grendel have the name of a Saxon
monster?
But I digress here...And so I end my wild ramble through the magic forest...
P.S. Another note on Sacred Kings - several years ago excavations at
Stonehenge revealed the skeleton of a young man of about 24 in the ditch. He
had been shot through the back with arrows: several flint arrowheads were
still wedged in his ribs. He dated from the Middle Bronze Age. Obviously the
monument was still sacred and in use at this time - why would they leave, say,
a murderer or felon in its ditch?? Was this youth a Sacred King, ritually
sacrificed? If only the stones could speak!!!
Hilda
FOLKS, PLEASE TAKE NOTE - I'm not ignoring anyone here, but if I don't answer
you directly or only address one of your points, it simply means that I agree,
don't know the answer, never thought of it before, or think someone else could
do a better job.
Amber: I would expect that there were many "totally Pagan" people in England
in Robin Hood's time, since there had been for so long already. But with
Christianity still being phased in and communications technology virtually
nonexistent, I think that most Christianity practiced outside of the convent
or monastery was probably a composite of imported Roman ideas and whichever
local images and rituals didn't conflict outright. There's a good example in
"The Cross of St. Ciricus." When I was a little Catholic kid in New Hampshire,
I don't remember my religious education teacher saying anything about curing
physical ailments by burning candles that had touched the bones of a
saint...But we did have the Blessing of the Throats on St. Blaise's Day at the
beginning of cold and flu season (I think St. Blaise came in with the French
Canadians), where the priest would hold crossed candles to our throats and say
a prayer so that we wouldn't get sick. Composite Christianity survives most
notably today in Yoruba/Catholic faiths such as Macumba, Candombl, and
Vodoun, where each Yoruba deity is also a saint (i.e., Yemaya is another name
for Mary, Oshun is St. Theresa - Are these right?) David Byrne did a really
cool mini-documentary about this - who here has seen it and remembers its
name? Anyway, most saints are adopted deities from territories conquered by
Christians or by peoples who subsequently became Christian (like my favorite,
St. Brigid!) There's still a Church of St. Bacchus somewhere in Eastern
Europe, and Brittany boasts a St. Cornely - the patron saint of domestic
horned animals! Mary Herself was an apocryphal figure in early Christianity,
but got promoted to Queen of Heaven when it seemed necessary to get matristic
hayseeds into the church.
Woodswalker - I don't recall the outlaws putting together one formal ritual.
Their work was looking after the Lady's children, and they did it very well
considering their circumstances! Beats me why we had to put up with "satanic
covens." I guess because they're really scary, but still OK to put on TV
because you're supposed to hate them. I do wonder what would have happened if
black magic had been portrayed as a bid for individual gain (which I suspect
is the motivation for most real black magic) rather than as slavish and
frankly insane devotion to a perversion of Christian or older archetypes.
Maybe that would have been too scary - or given people nasty ideas. I doubt
that Georgia-Pacific would stop short of such tactics were they considered
workable! Hitler didn't, or so I understand.
I don't think that Robert's noble contemporaries would necessarily have been
spooked by an encounter with an elder God. It's entirely possible that the
ruling class' devotion to the Church was largely a matter of diplomacy, and
individual nobles may well have held their forebears' faiths in secret.
I don't think that characters yelling nasty things at Marion in zines means
that the writers themselves feel the same way about her. Most RoS fan writers
are women, and what woman hasn't been slapped in the face with accusations of
never having loved someone when she won't knuckle under to his every demand?
Which of us hasn't succumbed to the temptation to consider our every motive
false and tainted, when this is the image of women presented to us from Day 1?
By living out these accusations through an admirable and strong character like
Marion, riding them out, and proving them false, writers can tap into an
inexhaustible font of shared experience and keep us glued to the page.
Janet V.: I think you know now that I agree with you about exactly who and
where the Goddess is in the series!
Lynn - all I can say is, I agree! But I do want to reserve Robert the
possibility of having a latent magical talent, perhaps buried under layers of
diplomatic training, because it could make for some really juicy stories. Some
of the blatantly Craft-flavored stuff I've seen written about Marion gives her
character a lovely new dimension and the first taste of familiarity I've
gotten for her, despite its being a total departure from the show.
Ariel - I seem to recall that "Robin" is archaic Welsh male-anatomical slang.
(Thingie of Sherwood?) Not a bad choice for the name of the male protagonist
of a fertility religion... "Maiden" or "Maid" originally meant "unmarried
woman," I think, but I'd love some etymological backup on this.
I personally don't have an idea of an "Evil One" (an external personification
of evil and a handy- dandy scapegoat when you know you've screwed up,) but
it's a convenient conception, and might well have found as much favor in the
12th and 13th centuries as it does now. Gods, spirits, and demons are like
that. If a specific sort would suit your purpose, you can usually conjure it
up, whether you put any forethought into the potential consequences or not...
Although I'm not convinced that Satanism existed in England before the Church
even got a proper foothold, I'd be willing to believe that sorcery (in the
sense of calling up an otherworldly type and bargaining with it for assistance
in accomplishing some goal) was practiced. Especially in a time when just
about everybody was downtrodden, I can easily imagine people slipping into the
habit of centering their power outside of themselves in the form of demons and
rent-a-monsters.
Other names I've heard for holidays: Lammas - Lughnassadh; Samhain -
Hallowmass or Day of the Dead; Imbolc - Candlemas or Brigid; Litha - Summer
Solstice; Ostra - Ostara, Eostar or Eostre (kin to "estrogen" and "oestrus
cycle").
In case anybody hasn't run into "Mary Sue" yet, she's an annoyingly perfect
female character written into fan literature to give the author's fantasy
personification a proper debut into the universe in question. Come to think of
it, I don't expect that anyone who enjoys fan literature hasn't met Mary Sue!
You're right - some themes are eminently tempting (like what's Tuck doing out
in the woods with a load of fogbound Herne-worshippers,) but I think that it's
not so much a matter of characters being pigeonholed as it is the emergence
and reemergence of something inherently fascinating as more and more people
try their hands at writing fanfic. I tend to see the "Gisburne turns Good"
stories as a sort of there-but-for-grace escape hatch for people who were
abused as children to take pride in how they've reshaped their own situations;
and the "Nasir subservience" issue as a way for writers to explore exactly how
divergent two cultures can be without regressing into pure space-alien
speculation; but then I'll always pick a sociological explanation if there's
one kicking around.
Gosh, it's fun typing your compliments! I'll argue with you any day... I don't
really think that Robert was originally portrayed as particularly psychic, but
I enjoy fanfic that explores that possibility. Personally, I'd like more
Loxley-employs-his-own-earthy-peasant-common-sense stuff, but I'd like more
Loxley anything! (Note blatant favoritism here.) Thanks for the bolt out of
the grey-blue. Hope to hear more from you soon.
Janet R.: I suppose "female exhibitionist" is the literal translation of
Sheila-na-Gig, the grinning female figure found carved over doorways in Celtic
countries, holding her Gates of Life open wide. But, honestly, what a
dismissive term! Not your fault, of course - modern folk would be just as
shocked if an Egyptian Priestess of Bast turned up and offered them a glimpse
of the Divine. People's ideas of holiness vary from culture to culture. That's
why RoS' setting is so conducive to plots involving mysticism - two wildly
divergent worldviews were simultaneously prevalent, and the combination offers
the opportunity to borrow the most interesting elements of each.
It's hard to be precise about Druids, since they maintained an oral tradition
only and refused to write anything down. Some guesses as to why include the
desire to cultivate memory skills and to shield sacred teachings from non-
initiates. My own favorite speculation is that the Druids might have
considered written teachings too vulnerable to misinterpretation and abuse.
"Nobody knows who they were, or what they were doing..." Identify that quote
about the Druids, anyone, and I'll buy you an ice cream!
Wheels and more wheels - there's also the Wheel of the Year, and Arianrhod's
Silver Wheel may have been a reference to the apparent turning of the stars
through the sky. The Norse influence brought the spinning wheel of the Norns
(Fates.) Just about any agrarian people tends to have a cyclic view of things,
since they have to keep such close track of which part of the year is best for
planting, harvesting, etc. Does anybody here know anything about the origins
of the Rotary Club? Their club sign is a wheel, unlike the perfectly mundane
(!) lions, eagles, and elks of other civic clubs. Now who was it whose sign
was a device used for drawing a circle...
Someone recently mentioned to me how interesting it was that, of all of the
British Isles, the only country where Witch-burning never really caught on was
the home of the Lindow Man...
On Faerie stature - I wish I could remember where I read the theory that the
nomenclatures "Wee Folk" and "Little People" (as well as the unconvincingly
saccharine "Good Folk" and the ridiculous "Mother's Helpers") were
conciliatory diminutives intended to pacify rather than accurately describe
the denizens of an ill-understood and frankly frightening realm. In the Middle
Ages, one's "little Auntie" was more likely to be a favorite, beloved relation
than a literally small person. This manner of denoting affection seems to have
largely fallen out of common English usage, except in reference to kittycats
and other assorted fuzzy-wuzzums.
Owen and the Composite Pagans from Heck...They seem like a load of sloppy
malcontents to me. "Gosh, here's a scary wolf god (who answers to somebody
named Thor, we think) and some nifty blue makeup that gives us interesting
visions..." (Yes, woad is a hallucinogen.) It's as though some modern kids
from dysfunctional families decided that good old reliable Bacchus, Carlos
Castaneda's awesome peyote dude Mescalito, the Egyptian Dark God Set, and the
nastier aspects of the Morrigan were the way to get their jabs in, since
things on the material plane seem so hopeless and/or meaningless... I know it
seems silly, but yes, Virginia, the Pagans have their Jimmy Swaggarts too, and
probably have for a long time. I don't think paranoiac monomania is
necessarily a recent invention.
I have read that the Druids would only use bows and arrows against humans in
ritual, never in war, considering it cowardly to kill an enemy one couldn't
properly see. If only the stones could speak...They do, Janet. Big clunky
types that they are, they probably haven't figured out how to thank you for
being their voice, so I guess it falls to me. Thank you very much.
Editor's Notes
Ariel mentioned the newsletters of Spirit of Sherwood and Friends of Robin of
Sherwood. Here's where you can get those:
Spirit of Sherwood
c/o Chris Haire & Denise Hamlin
1276 West Marshall
Ferndale, MI 48220
Friends of Robin of Sherwood
c/o Jeannie Pellerin Box 237
W. Upton, MA 01587
Check with them first about back issues - it's a lot easier to run a reprint
of a club journal than of a zine!
And those of you who are desperately seeking the loan of some book - let me
know! I'll gladly print your name, address, and the titles or subjects of the
books you'd like to borrow.
Cousins' first material- plane circle at Visions '91 (all 4 of us!) was quiet
and steady, almost subsonic. We invoked the spirit of Friendship, and set up a
strong, gentle transdimensional "goodwill node" to attract those with good
intentions and to be invisible to any who might be frightened or hostile. It
was as though we had managed through sheer desire to reconstruct the awesome
power of love that we felt at Herne's Con I and II. It's still there, and it's
always been there. Here's where you come in: mention Cousins to your open-
hearted friends who enjoy Robin of Sherwood and have an interest in the show's
magical dimension. Effecting change in accordance with will is what we're all
about! Until next time and always, blessed be. Love, Hilda
