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Cousins Issue 06
COUSINS ISSUE #6 - June 1992
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.
for more information about Cousins, contact Susan Gavula,
sjgavula@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu
This Issue's Fun Word: GNOSIS
Knowledge of spiritual truth and of the deeper wisdom that is concealed
from those without the necessary faith or insight.
(Thanks to: Sharon Wells)
Gnosis: A Journal of the Western Inner Traditions is also the name of a
wonderful magazine, centered on Gnosticism but touching on all kinds of
themes from psychology to religious history. And talk about a source of
Fun Words! If you can wring any meaning out of my run-on sentences,
you'll probably enjoy Gnosis (P.O. Box 14217, San Francisco, CA 94114).
LETTERS
Sharon Wells
...I won't go back to all the earlier issues, but try to contain my
comments to those of the March 1992 issue. First off, I don't agree with
Janet V. about some of her comments on Loxley. I do not believe that in
The Greatest Enemy he was "truly and sincerely dead." Sorry, but there's
magic in Robin, magic woven through the light and shadows of Sherwood
(the Goddess), too much magic to believe that the totally earth-bound
Sheriff could do him in. I also believe that the red garter, while maybe
done unconsciously by Robin (and/or Carpenter and the costumer), was
meant to represent his role as leader in the (coven?) semi-occult doings
of the men of Sherwood (in service to the Goddess and Herne). Perhaps,
compared to Herne, he was still a neophyte, but according to Much, Robin
had always been fey.
In Christine H's letter, she addresses the problem fan-writers have
balancing magic with too much magic. I agree, I don't want to read about
super heroes, but I do enjoy it when that special inner power of Herne,
the Hooded Man, or Marion comes to the fore, and what would de Belleme
be without his bad-guy magic? And she also talks about Loxley being
vulnerable. That's one of his endearing traits. He can make mistakes.
He's not some coddled prince who has only to wave his hand and everyone
will listen to him and change their ways. No, he has to fight for every
step, and there seems no end in sight to the greed and evil of the
powerful rich who so thoughtlessly trample the helpless poor. I also
disagree with the Sacrificial King business. That is Mithras, not Robin
Hood.
To totally change the subject, in the "Classics Illustrated" version of
Ivanhoe, published by Berkley/First Publishing, you will find that the
Robin Hood character dresses exactly like the RoS Loxley, and if you
turn to page 32, you will see him drawn to look exactly like Michael!
The artist seems a little timid about this, because in other
illustrations the same character has a different face.
Being what you might call a "Michael-ite," I find most of my ruminations
revolving around the first two seasons of RoS; however, as you pointed
out over and over again in the first four issues of Cousins, what about
Robert? Why is he here? Does he even have any idea about things fey?
And, what does he do after Marion leaves? I had to handle all those
questions for a RoS novel I was writing, and I began to be more
sympathetic to Robert and his motivations. I came up with my own
theories, which I won't spell out here, but needless to say, Kip left us
plenty of room to speculate there. Someone as down to earth as
Huntingdon had to have solid reasons (at least to himself) for doing
what he did. And I don't think someone that strong, that well able to
fend for himself, would just throw up his hands and die when Marion
left. No, he's too much the leader for that. He had visions (if not the
psychic kind Loxley had), and I think Robert would continue to be a
driving force for good in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Lincolnshire.
For those of you who would like a general overview of magic and religion
throughout history, there is the Manly P. Hall tome entitled: Masonic,
Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy. Long enough
title? He does not go into anything Celtic, but does mention familiar
things like Woden, Fenris, fairies (which he claims comes from the
Persian word "peri") and a whole lot more.
I know it's been answered ad nauseam, but there is a big difference
between the "wee people" (who are more like leprechauns) and elves (or
Sidhe - pronounced "shay"). It was believed for some time that the
Tuatha De Danann were the taller sort of elves. The High King of the
Tuatha De Danann was the bearer of many titles and the source of many
legends. His chief title, Dagda, meant the "Good God." I prefer
Tolkien's description of the elves. (Who said it's fiction? I believe
every word.)
In most of the elven legends, there is always a price to pay when the
elf leaves his or her world to love a human. The price is usually death
to one or both. As mentioned in prior issues of Cousins, many fan
writers tend to cast Loxley as having some elven blood. Perhaps that is
due, in large part, to Michael Praed's face. Who knows? Perhaps Ailric's
death (and the absence of his wife) is the price Ailric had to pay for
loving someone with less (or more) than human blood in her veins.
No one has really mentioned de Rainault in here thus far, so I will. Why
is he so terrified of magic (Robin Hood and the Sorcerer)? Was there an
incident in his past? He seems very susceptible to it (Children of
Israel). Could that be because he dared to dabble in it once? Or was he
witness as a child to something so frightening that he reacts out of
sheer terror as an adult? (Not that he didn't have reason to when
confronted with de Belleme in The Enchantment). I've read almost no
fanfic, due to a lack of funds, but I wonder if there are any stories
about this?
Now that I've rattled on for so long, I wish to thank Hilda for this
lovely letterzine. I really enjoy the stimulating conversations, the
comments, information, and references. I did do some research into
"witches" for college once, but my sources said that "wicca" came from
the word "wise," not "to bend," as was reported in Issue #3. Anyone else
come up with that one?
Before I end, I must say that I do own one RoS fanzine, Forbidden
Forest, which I did a "deal" for. My favorite stories are those by
Jenni, Janet R. and the lovely moving poem by Julianne T. Wouldn't we
all like to dance with Robin in Sherwood?
Herne Protect Us All.
P.S. Who I am? I've written and/or published 28 fanzines (mostly Beauty
and the Beast). I'm an R.N., president of the B+B International Fan
Club, and I've studied metaphysics for so long I'm embarrassed to say!
I've played "Dungeons and Dragons" since 1976. Any others out there?
[second letter]
...I have just a quick news flash from something I discovered, thanks
to a friend. I play role- playing games. There's one called "GURPS"
which is Generic Universe Role Playing System. It is very easy and
detailed and there is an entire book dedicated to Robin Hood with
incredible maps and detailed historical and geographical information.
Several times the authors refer to the "Robin of Sherwood/Robin Hood"
series (ours) when discussing things and there's even a special column
about the Old Religion and Herne the Hunter. It's fantastic! I'm already
beginning to learn the system so I can run people around in a RoS
adventure. [Yoo hoo, Chris! How's the Weekend schedule looking? -H] The
book is available in any war-game/hobby shop, if you're interested.
Here, in America, it costs $16.95 (plus our lovely state sales tax) so
if you do want to explore this and you can't find one locally, I can
arrange to get it for you. The only problem is, you really need the
basic GURPS book in order to make full use of the Robin Hood one, if you
intend to play the game. If you want it just as a reference book, it's
fine like that, too.
My friends are into the GENIE computer network and there's been just
tons of RoS activity there lately. It seems there's a big upsurge in
interest. Showtime no longer has rights to air episodes. I received a
very nice letter from them recently. They said there was a great deal of
interest in the show. Maybe we should try to organize an effort to
encourage them to make more RoS episodes! Be well...
Linda Furey
Hi there! I told you I was going to write this, and I have done. We'll
just have to see if there are fireworks or not.
I'm writing in to give my two dollars worth (inflation, you know) on the
proposal to hold a circle at Weekend in Sherwood using the various
Merries to represent the different quarters/ elements etc. etc. (See
Julianne Toomey's letter [in Issue 5] if you don't know what I'm on
about.) In a way I like the idea of holding a very formal circle and
incorporating all of the characters from the show. It could be fun.
Frankly, though, after I got home from the gathering at Jan's at which
we discussed the idea of performing this sort of ritual at Weekend, I
started doing some serious thinking and soul-searching on the subject,
as we had all agreed to do. Now maybe the rest of you will think I'm on
fifth base, but I have reached the conclusion that Weekend is not the
appropriate time and place for such a ceremony. Yup, I have reasons, and
they are included here for your perusal.
It's hard to know quite where to start so I'm just going to leap into
the void and hope that there is something there to land on when I get to
the landing part.
I have had the good fortune over the years to include in my family of
friends a number of people from backgrounds, spiritual and otherwise,
very different from my own. I have good friends who are Hindu, Buddhist,
Jewish, Protestant, Wiccan, Catholic, Pagan, Anglican, and Atheist.
They are all good people who love and honor their families and friends,
but beyond that what all of these people have in common is respect and
tolerance for other people's beliefs. If asked, any of them are happy to
talk about what it is they believe and why, but I have never known any
of them to force their beliefs on anyone else. They believe, and taught
me to believe, that each person must choose for him- or herself which
god or gods to worship and what name(s) to call them by. What brings
comfort and contentment to the heart and spirit of the individual can
not be wrong and deserves respect.
The members of our community (and I count everyone in RoS fandom, and
not just the few of us who gather in these pages each issue) are as
diverse as the people I mentioned above, but we seem to share, with very
few exceptions, that same tolerance and respect for others. That's what
I have come to love about this fandom. I have migrated through a number
of fandoms over the years, and nowhere and nowhen else have I found
anything to equal it. Sure we natter about which Robin has nicer buns,
and we don't all like each other all of the time, but if you take the
time to listen to us it's all very familial. We are a reflection of the
merry band and all of the people they ran across in and beyond Sherwood
Forest. We are, in our own way, Normans and Saxons, Pagans, Christians,
Saracens, and Jews; men, women, lords, peasants, minstrels, wronged, and
trying to right; leaders, followers, giants, half-wits, former soldiers,
Crusaders' daughters, friars, foreigners, and most importantly friends.
The world Richard Carpenter created when he penned the first script is
the place where we all met, and "Sherwood should belong to everyone"
(except possibly Guy the Gamekeeper). Did Nasir or Tuck or Marion (who
occasionally expressed a desire to become a nun) ever get excluded when
the cup was passed? Did they get left behind in Sherwood at the Time of
the Blessing? The answer is no. All who wished to be included were
included. Let us not then exclude anyone from our celebration by having
individuals take on the roles of the various characters from the series
and performing complex rituals that hold more meaning for the few than
for all. Let us not frighten away anyone who might wish to attend, or
join Cousins, by putting forth the image that to be one of our number
you must be a practicing expert of the pagan persuasion. Cousins was
founded with the intent that it be a place for all, regardless of their
level of expertise or amount of experience, to learn and question and
share.
We say in the theatre that "Less is more," meaning that a man standing
alone on a hillside with a longbow in his hand and the red sun setting
behind him can say more about courage, truth, loyalty, love, death, and
who is really winning the battle than the prettiest speech or the most
expensive set. Why? Because it speaks in a language we can all
understand. No matter what our background. No matter what we believe in.
Let us then invite our community, our entire wonderfully diverse
community, to join with us to speak in a language common to all who walk
the long roads through Sherwood. Let us simply raise the cup and ask for
Herne's protection and pass it 'round with a Blessed Be and Amen, too.
Chris Haire Dear Cousins:
Merrie meet! Issue 4 was great - keep writing, everyone!
I just finished reading The Seventh Sword by Andrew Collins. What an
extraordinary story! Andrew and his psychic friends have been locating
these swords and other artifacts by means of psychic questing over the
past 10 years. Mark Ryan is featured in a chapter and RoS is also
mentioned because of the similarities to Swords of Wayland. Andrew also
thanks Richard Carpenter in the front of the book. I'll try not to go on
too much about this book before you've read it. One part I wanted to
share with you is some of the research on psychics done by Andrew
Collins and Graham Phillips; they call it "psygenics." They found
certain similarities in psychics: allergy complaints such as asthma,
sinus problems, and hayfever; casts in the left eye; constant problems
with electrical apparatus, including LCD watches; and a deep love of
animals, ecology, and prehistoric monuments. They also found that,
ethnologically speaking, all British psychics had strong Celtic
backgrounds with family roots in either Ireland, Scotland, Wales, or
Cornwall. When not Celtic, they discovered that they had either strong
Jewish ancestry or Gypsy blood running through their veins. They say it
seems psychics belong to one big family and abilities were part of a
particular genetic strain. They said that often current psychics were
found to have relatives who had been psychics, mediums, or spiritualists
in their day. Psychics are a special breed of people who have been much
discredited and maligned both in the past as in the 17th century witch
trials and in the present day. They have often been made social outcasts
by their friends, their workmates, even by their own families, purely
because they are not understood or accepted for what they are. I found
this information valuable and fascinating. It makes a lot of sense and
explains a lot of things. Do you all have any thoughts on this?
Laura: In Issue 3 you said your feminist friend referred to Marion as a
token woman. I disagree! She was a hell of a strong woman who took
risks, rebelled against men like Hugo, DeRainault, Belleme, her father,
and Robin when it was necessary. There are a lot of admirable, strong
women figures in RoS in addition to Marion who show aspects of the
Goddess - Alison, Meg, Mab, Isadora, Sarah, etc.
Yes, I'm into Tarot cards! I have the Hanson-Roberts deck as well, which
is really a nice one. It's uncanny how much the King of Pentacles looks
like Mark and the Magician looks like Michael. I had had some ideas on
designing a RoS-inspired Tarot deck as well, but it's a bit overwhelming
to consider tackling by oneself. I've been jotting down notes with ideas
and will try to set a room party type gathering for interested artists
and Tarot enthusiasts to discuss it at Weekend in Sherwood. Bring the
Tarot decks you all use, Tarot books, and art supplies!
Some of the ideas I've had were Nasir as the King of Swords, Much as the
Fool, Robert as the Sun, Gisburne as the Moon, Loxley as the Magician,
Marion as the High Priestess, Tuck as Temperance, John and Meg as the
King and Queen of Rods, Will as the Hanged Man, Albion as the Ace of
Swords, etc.
Phil: I very much like your definition of what Pagan means. Yes!
Mark: Thanks for plugging Weekend in Sherwood, sweetie! (Your check's in
the mail! Ha ha!) Hmm...sounds like DC needs to get their act together
- we'll sic 350+ Spirit of Sherwood members on writing polite letters of
inquiry about The Hooded Man and see if that helps! I can't wait to see
The Wildwood Tarot and what you and Mike have conjured up. The Seventh
Sword was quite a book! I remember seeing you in Memphis after your
experience in California and how disturbed you were by the whole thing.
Thank goodness you found Andrew and you were able to help each other!
Tina: Thank you so much for the info on the Matthews. I am a great fan
of theirs. I've been reading lots of great material by them on the
Arthurian legend. I would highly recommend The Arthurian Reader by John
Matthews and Legendary Britain by John Matthews and Bob Stewart. The
latter is a beautifully illustrated book containing material on Arthur,
Robin Hood, the Green Man, Merlin, Wayland's Smithy, Aquae Sulis, Thomas
the Rhymer, Iona and the Orkneys, etc. (ISBN 0-7137-2027-1.) I seem to
be reading anything Arthurian I can lay my hands on of late. Any
recommendations, anyone? I really enjoyed The Hawk of May series by
Gillian Bradshaw and the Mary Stewart series as well.
Ariel: I think you are right about Marion - that most people like her
but Time of the Wolf sort of messed things up. Kip once said if he had
known there would be no 4th series, he'd have never ended it that way.
He would have done the wedding. I don't believe Marion would have stayed
in the convent forever. I think she had a breakdown of sorts and needed
time to retreat and deal with her grief. She would have snapped out of
it after a time, I'm sure.
The Warriors of Arthur is by John Matthews and R. J. Stewart, I think.
There is also Grendel as an example of a fanatic in RoS.
recently came across an old interview with Richard Carpenter which
Goldcrest and HTV put out with their publicity for Season 2. In it he
said, "I've drawn upon history and The Bible for inspiration since both
were wrought with magical events. Solomon had a powerful magic shield
and Moses could throw down his staff and it would become a snake."
Laura: Don't give up on coming to Weekend! We have lots of club members
out that way who might like to share a ride. We can put an ad for you in
On Target if you'd like?
I disagree about Jason and Michael upstaging anyone who's on the screen.
I'm more interested in what Nasir is doing in the background!
I think Marion loved Robert. What's not to love about Robert? I think
you are right about his empathy with people.
Kathy: Hello, old friend! Well, Hilda was right! We've been pan pals
since the early years of RoS fandom and I never knew you were into this
stuff! Anyway, I don't know about John Matthews touring, but I'd love to
see him - if you or anyone hears of any more on this, please drop me a
line!
I think you are absolutely right in saying that Robin in RoS has more to
do with our times. The historical Robin was probably not particularly
religious or concerned with the plight of the poor and oppressed at all.
Hilda: Thanks for another great issue of Cousins! Glad you enjoyed the
current issue of On Target. Stay tuned for a great interview with Mark
Ryan in issue 7, Jean West's journey into the land of Arthur, and more
neat stuff from our talented and generous members out there.
Thank you for the explanation of "cowan," but I still don't like the
sound of it. Makes me think of cow or coward or something, I guess.
Speaking of films, isn't it interesting that movies like Dead Again and
The Fisher King became word-of-mouth hits this past year? I also saw a
cute film called The Butcher's Wife which brought up some neat ideas. I
saw Thunderheart last night and I highly recommend it!
Well, I'll shut up now and leave room for someone else! Keep up the good
work!
Laura Woodswalker Todd
(Issue 4)
Dear Cousins, Greetings. "Is Loxley 'perfect'?" That seems to be the
question of the day. I never thought of him as perfect in the series
(those few that I've seen) but it's true that the fan fiction has really
canonized him! (Oh, I suppose that it's unavoidable when you have
someone that heartstoppingly gorgeous with that much screen presence who
exits with such an unforgettable death scene.) Anyway, as Ariel says, he
is often "made into a paragon of wisdom at Robert's expense." Yeah, I
could cite several stories where Robert is really condescended to.
People are always telling him "you never let yourself believe..." I even
remember one story where it was implied that Herne just didn't "like"
Robert as much. Perhaps that was the author's preferences creeping in?
Oh well, what can I say, authors are human too. As a matter of fact I
recently finished a novella about Robin and Robert, and boy did I have
to walk on eggs to avoid the appearance of "slighting" either one. I
hope I don't have irate fans at my door when it comes out.
Changing the subject, someone mentioned Lord of the Trees again. Can
someone tell me what happened after Herne was shot? Did he heal himself
with magic power, or does his deerskin repel arrows, or what?
Hilda: calm down, my dear girl, I think Michael's legs (and the rest of
him) are just fine...I was merely expressing my disbelief that anyone
else would say such awful things about the dear fellow.
This has nothing to do with RoS, but I just finished reading Diana
Paxson's The White Raven, which will probably appeal to all you fans of
Celtic Pagan stuff. Well, that's it for now and have a happy Beltaine
(or whichever holiday is next).
(Issue 5)
Dear Cousins, As usual, I'm totally blown away by people's neat ideas.
Like Janet VanMeter's idea of the Arrow as Loxley's symbol and the Sword
as Robert's. Along with Hilda's Tarot-like addition of Isadora's table
and Marion's cup. Ooh! I don't know why I love Tarot so much, seeing as
how I don't believe they can "predict the future." I just think it's
neat to play around with symbolism. Can't wait to see Mark Ryan's
Wildwood Tarot!
A few general comments. Was Robert "rational" in Herne's Son, when he
fought Owen of Clun? And his actions after that (attempting a rescue
with four other men vs. a castle full of barbarians)? And giving up an
earldom to become a ragtag outlaw? A really rational man would have
stayed in the castle and worked behind the scenes. Not to say that
Robert is not intelligent, but his primary character trait is not
"rationality" but passionate conviction.
And now, to add my 2 cents to the discussion about "what is this
letterzine for?" Some people think general RoS discussion should be
saved for "generic letterzines." Well, I'd like to point out that the
other letterzines come out a few times a year, while Cousins comes out
every month! [Would you believe every 2? -H] (For that, Hilda, you
should win an award!) This makes Cousins the only zine where it's
possible to carry on a halfway coherent discussion, and that's why this
zine has become my main vehicle for general chatter about RoS.
Well, I'll sign off for now and leave room for the rest of you! Herne
Protect!
Janet VanMeter Merry Meet Everyone!
I want to offer my opinion and suggestions for the proposed
CousinsJgathering and ritual at "Weekend in Sherwood." The natural
simplicity of the paganism presented in RoS is the aspect I find most
comforting and attractive. Therefore, the simpler we keep things, the
better, in my book. I don't see the need for the "calling of the
quarters" part of the ritual, and I don't believe it belongs within the
context given in RoS, especially the deification of the characters at
the quarters. I'd like to offer the following for consideration.
It begins with the first person taking the next person's hand and
leading everyone "into" Sherwood with a visualization. As we are being
led into the Forest, we walk sunwise around the Circle until the
visualization is complete.
This "casts the circle" and leads naturally into the next action, which
is that wonderful "Herne Chant."
Then one by one, we each express an intent or promise to fulfill with
the Power raised within the group.
Once each person is finished, someone raises the Blessing Bowl and says,
"This seals the bond between us, both in the Forest and the Village.
With the inner world and the outer world. With those that have gone
before, and those yet to come. May Herne Protect Us." Everyone responds,
"Herne Protect Us."
The Blessing Bowl is passed around the circle as a symbol of the Bond.
As we drink, the Power is grounded within us. Once the bowl has
traversed the circle, the first person says "Nothing's Forgotten,"
everyone responds "Nothing Is Ever Forgotten. Blessed Be."
Then we can pass eats and drinks.
Well, what do you think? The Journey at the beginning both establishes
Place and also brings us into the midst of the Goddess, as Sherwood.
Once there, we can then call the God. Within their presence, we announce
our action. We ask and receive blessing on it. Then we leave knowing
that we must uphold and never forget what we accomplished.
I think the above is a very simple way of achieving what the
CousinsJgathering is all about. Those people not wholly familiar with
established Craft tradition and practices might also find this more
comfortable and easier to remember. (And except for the Blessing Bowl,
no other 'props' are needed! Another big plus!)
Except for the deletion of the "quarters," this is basically following
the sequence you suggested, Hilda. I look forward to reading what
everyone else wants to do!
Herne Protect and Blessed Be!
Tara O'Shea
...I am going to go all out of order, because I started reading this at
the dinner table, and didn't come upstairs until I saw something I could
answer, and now I'm tapping away at the PC.
Ariel: Let me tell you about Sovereignty. This is one of my favourite
subjects. The idea of a mystical union between a king and his kingdom is
older than Indo-European society, but among the Celts, the Irish in
particular, the idea of sovereignty is remarkably clear. When the
Milesians landed in Ireland, they were greeted by three sisters, Eriu,
Banba, and Fodhla (collectively called the Banba) who represented the
spirit of Ireland.
They were the land incarnate. Donn, the leader of the Milesians, did not
treat them with respect, and perished in the war that resulted between
the Dananns and the Milesians. Amairgen, the first Druid in Ireland,
promised Eriu that Ireland would be named for her, and it still is
because the name Erin is derived from the genitive form ireann. Marion
Zimmer Bradley goes into this a great deal in The Mists of Avalon, tied
up in her Sacred King ideas. Basically, the king makes the marriage
(called the banais raghi) with the land, in the form of a woman. Maeve
(or Medhbh, or just Medb) of Connaught and Rhiannon and many others are
thought to be sovereignty goddesses, and Maeve is always Queen of
Connaught, even though she is listed as wed to three different kings. If
he forsakes the land, he will come to a bad end. Often Sovereignty
appears first as a crone (The Caillech) and then is transformed into a
ravishing beauty when a warrior has the courage to make love to her, and
then that warrior becomes a king. Yeats, in the end of the play Cathleen
N Houlihan, says this too, when the old woman of the roads has gone
from the house, and one character asks his son, 'Did you see an old
woman going down the path?' and the boy, Patrick, replies, 'I did not,
but I saw a young girl, and she had the walk of a queen.'
Many place names in Ireland come from women's names. My own name comes
from the name of the seat of the high kings called Temuir or Temair
(modern Irish Teamhair) after Tea, the wife of the first Milesian High
King (Ard Rhi) Eremon. The Sovereignty's best known form was that of the
Caillech Brre, and I have somewhere a poem about her, written in the
ninth century. It's quite wonderful. I know I'll dig up a copy sooner or
later.
Also, in the first Arthurian stories, I don't think there was a round
table. I am not certain, but I think this was an invention of Wace of
Jersey in his Geste des bretons dedicated to Queen Eleanor, based on
Geoffrey of Monmouth's bloody mess (sorry) of a history. In any case,
most of the Arthurian legend comes from Welsh and Irish myth. It was the
French who added most of the stuff we think of now: Lancelot du Lac, the
bloody Grail legend (sorry again. I have a real problem with the
Arthurian stuff. I hate bits of it. I mean really hate it.)
I thought Marion would be the Queen of Swords, but maybe I have not read
my tarot notes closely enough. I though de Rainault made a lovely devil.
I did three card illustrations that I want to show at the Weekend Art
Show. I love spending an afternoon reading looking for interesting
things to draw or write about, and started thinking about a RoS deck a
while back. I, too, ran out of characters.
Hey, Hilda, you have an editorial staff?
Kathy: A great deal of the stuff I've read about the legend has Robin
Hood being a fanatic about the holy Virgin. Big time. Maybe this was
turning a Goddess idea into a Christian one that would find more favour
in the medieval world?
Hilda, I swear, it's been so long I almost jotted a comment down on my
own letter. I think I need to get some sleep one of these days. And I
don't want to sound stupid, but what on earth (or any other manifested
plane) is a Harry Stu? Gee it rhymes with Mary... Yes? No? Maybe?
[Bingo. -H] Yes, I would love to do a Tarot RoS brainstorming session. I
don't know much about the cards, and to have my questions answered in
even the smallest part would help a great deal, as constantly feel I am
missing out on something I should know more about.
Oh, you read Hitchhiker's Guide too? Have you read Good Omens by Neal
Gaiman and Terry Whatshisname? Oh, if you haven't, I know what I'm going
to get you for a Yule gift. It's a really hysterical look at Armageddon,
I mean it. I keep forgetting, does anyone out there read Sandman? [Here
Tara offers a synopsis of some of the latest occurrences in the best
graphic serial I've ever come across, including an encounter with the
Three who are One...but you'll have to write to her to read it! You
might want to pick up the latest Sandman series when you stop by your
local comics shop to interrogate the proprietor as to the ETA of The
Hooded Man. -H] I
like Michael's skinny legs. I happen to be very fond of Anglo Irish
skinny-butt men (this is adapted from my friend Katey's favorite phrase.
I love Kate's odd idiom), as I will tell anyone who asks. (Our Mr. Praed
and Pierce Brosnan are at the top of this list.) I don't mind, but I
guess HTV did, hence the thigh supplements.
Judi: I like medieval history up until Agincourt, but that's mostly
because of Kenneth Branagh's Henry V and an utterly marvelous book
called Fortune Made His Sword.
Carol: I am also interested in Celtic languages (my cousin teaches
Irish, though I see her less than once every two years. Her name is Tara
O'Shea too. Quite confusing for everyone except the two of us.) and once
not too long ago, while I should have been studying for my midterms,
instead started looking at the etymology of words. Particularly, the
word King. In Latin it's Rex, French Roi, Spanish Rey, English has
Regent and as these all derive from Latin, it's to be expected, but what
about Righ, Rhys, and Rajah? I don't know the Breton or Scots Gaelic
word, but I expect that they are from the same root as the Welsh and
Irish. Does this mean that the Romans and Celts had similar words for
king and queen? Rigantona, Morrighan, Arianrhod, Rhiannon. I am a nut.
Really. I mean, many French words come from Gaelic too, like "garcon" (I
have no little 5 looking thing to put under the c, but you know the word
I mean). And "iron" and "whiskey" come straight from Irish. I have
recently learnt that my name in Irish is Teamhair N Seaghda, and also
that Tara is the name of an eastern goddess as well. I can't remember
the particulars, but it was an interesting bit to learn.
My fave RoS quotes are "You've been sitting on yer bums for a year
looking at sheep" and "We're very nearly ready." Funny, I never before
realised how much I liked Herne's Son. It does have a few great laughs,
doesn't it? Poor Guy. At least he wasn't shot and set on fire like in
The King's Fool... I hope he had good medical insurance.
Re: Issue 5
Julianne: Has anyone written a story where Owen rapes Mari? I need to
buy more back issues to catch up. If not, why not? I mean, there's a
potentially explosive subject just waiting to be explored. Maybe Loxley
didn't show up in Cromm Cruach because Marion wasn't there long enough
to have nightmares like John and Robert. Plus, how could they have
gotten Michael in for a guest appearance? Oooooh, that would have been
interesting. I've seen Loxley meets Huntingdon stories, but I wonder
what would have happened if they had met at Cromm Cruach... Deeply
weird.
While my sister watched Sorcerer the other day with me, all she kept
asking was "What does the Arrow do anyway?" And all I could think to say
was, "It has power." Or why else would Belleme have wanted it so badly?
Maybe the arrow was what gave Robin the power to throw off Belleme's
enchantment, so he would be able to kill him.
As for the sword's incarnations, maybe it's a Time Lord in disguise?
I know what you mean about a series. I have a monster I started when I
first got into RoS, and it's over two hundred pages now, and (ye gods)
still growing. I'm killing off the character to get her out of my life
(and everyone else's lives) once and for all. It's the only way. [That's
what Gramps said! -Arthur] A nice little epilogue, and then I swear I'm
never fooling with it again. Well, maybe... no, I'm adamant about
this... Really. (Ethlinn, put the sword down, I mean it! oh dear...)
Where was I? Oh yes. Cousins. I call it a letterzine because I've yet to
read Herne's Stepchildren, and Cousins just gets better and longer with
each issue.
(Hey Hilda, what or where is Beloved of Arianrhod?)
Why would Gulnar want Owen dead anyway? Maybe just as an excuse to take
revenge on Herne's Son later. Maybe he was just bats. I'm a firm
believer in the latter myself...
Congratulations on your "baby." I'll send you mine if you send me yours?
My poor Ethlinn has been known to go by the moniker "Mary Sue," but I
was 15 years old when I started it, and I swear I've gotten better over
the years. Well, sort of... My friend has a lovely laser printer at
work, and is going to print out a nice copy for me soon. It all looks so
professional. If I ever win the lottery, I'm going to buy a Hewlett
Packard too...
I never knew about the serpent being wisdom. Thanks!
Janet V.: I don't know what Kip would say about good ol' Simon, but I do
know he's been popping up in fandom a lot recently. I have my own ideas,
but I've no idea if they'll ever see print. Also, can't you just see
Belleme and Gulnar as Evil Twins? I mean, neither has the common decency
to die and stay dead for pete's sake! I guess Gulnar is sort of like a
Belleme for Robert to deal with, only weirder.
I thought Huntingdon died by poison. Unless that's another Robin Hood,
after Robert. Has anyone thought about who'll fill the Hood after you
know... Robert goes (what a nasty thought, but a necessary one...)
I learned something interesting the other day. Alfred Tennyson, in his
play The Foresters, made Marion the daughter of Sir Richard at the Lea.
Do you think Kip used this as his reasoning, or was it synchronicity?
Morgana: J. C. Holt has a whole book full of theories, and I also picked
up a good book called Rymes of Robin Hood, an Introduction to the
English Outlaw which also has a bit about Adam Bell too. It is by R. B
Dobson and J. Taylor, and the ISBN is 0-86299-610-4. It has just about
every tidbit you can imagine pertaining to the written record of Robin
Hood.
Raven: Okay, Gulnar was a Viking. Who just happened to think Arianrhod
was an earth goddess. And he resurrected an Irish daemon too. What is
this, a pot luck?
I heard that the reason the devil is portrayed with horns was a reaction
against Pan worship way long ago. The same as in the creation story,
where all the aspects others held as Gods (the Sun, the Moon, the Earth,
etc.) were all created by Yahweh. Still, I mean, it's mildly annoying
when you tell someone about your beliefs, and they come out with "You're
a devil worshipper?" I mean, really. One must be Christian to believe
in the Anti-Christ, and so how can someone who is not Christian worship
Lucifer? That's what gets me so crazy when you see those religious
programmes on UHF channels around Samhain, where they say witches held
human sacrifices at Stonehenge to bring about the Antichrist. It makes
no sense, really, and I thought people were above such silly
superstitious nonsense and lies in the 20th century. Obviously, I
underestimated many of them.
If Lucifer was a fallen angel, then why doesn't he have wings, but horns
and a tail in most art? If you ask me, after hearing all the stories, I
think the Morningstar didn't so much fall as was pushed. Heaven needs a
shadow, doesn't it? Someplace to threaten baddies with. One might say
that if it hadn't been Lucifer, it just would have been one of the
others.
How did I get on to Christian mythology? I need to hold my tongue.
[Pleathe don't. Thith thtuff ith too confuthing alweathy. -H]
Hi Hilda. You want a copy of the Scots ballad Tam Lin from the Tam Lin
in the Tor Fairy Tale series? I will enclose it. [Thank you! -H] I seem
to be a veritable font of poems and odds and ends recently. Yes, Janet
did wear green.
I always find it amusing that, when Edgar went looking for the right
"witch," he found one. Serves him right. Broomstick indeed!
I think Robin is definitely a title of sorts. I mean, later "Robin Hood"
was a common name for an outlaw or thief. It survives in the American
slang "Hood" for criminal.
I like your Arthur-Herne comparison. It smacks of truth to me. Still,
it's weird to think of a dead human king having greater power than even
a localised God. Maybe Arthur fed off of the legends and became more
than a memory, and that's why he is so powerful after centuries of
storytelling.
Cross global crowd, remember? Well, not for long. I'm due back in July,
and an address change will be forthcoming. Until then, letters are my
life. I give generously (too generously sometimes) and adore receiving.
Maybe we should all get together and plead with Jason to come to Visions
'92 or some other annual con. If not, how about kidnapping? Works for
me...
Just so long as Abbot Martin doesn't do his Tammy Faye Bakker impression
ever again. I have the bloody thing dubbed in Spanish, and it's even
scarier...
That reminds me, after reading your bit on "muin" being Irish for vine,
I took a look at my Ogham notes, and Tinne is the word for "holly," yet
every time I look up Beltaine, it says it comes from "Bel-tinne," the
fires of Bel. So does Tinne mean holly and fire? Anybody know? [Cath,
this sounds like one for you. -H] I mean, all my Irish cousins had to
take Irish in school, and Tara teaches it now...
As for more Fave RoS quotes, how about "Arrest them? I don't even know
them." If you've ever read Anthony Horowitz's novelization, after Guy
goes flying down into the cellar and Cousin Ambrose shuts the door, it
says "And then they all went and had a beer." I mean, really, that has
to be the longest bar brawl ever filmed. I think I'll go watch it
again...
Maypole safety needs?
Amber Foxfire
Hilda - I agree with you about Marion's out-of-character actions at the
end of The Time of the Wolf. Tara O'Shea comments in Issue #4 that this
was due to the fact that Judi Trott "didn't want to do a lot of work in
the 4th series." However, as we all know, there wasn't a fourth series.
This leads to the question of whether Kip Carpenter knew, during the
filming of Time of the Wolf, that there wouldn't be a fourth season.
Does anybody out there know the answer? My guess is that while Time of
the Wolf was being shot, Carpenter didn't know that there would be no
fourth series for Robin of Sherwood. The whole idea of Marion staying at
Halstead, in effect breaking off her relationship with Robert, seems to
me too much like a season-ending cliff- hanger. Even if Robert and
Marion hadn't actually gotten back together in the first episode of the
never-filmed fourth series, Carpenter could have very easily redeemed
Marion's character in the eyes of the fans in that first episode. (Maybe
she would have had a vision of Robert in danger and the episode could
have ended with her leaving Halstead for Sherwood.)
Tina - I agree with your view of Herne as shaman. It makes sense when
you consider that he probably wasn't the first "Herne" (and probably
wasn't the last "Herne" either).
The idea of there being a succession of Robin Hoods (as well as there
being more than one Herne) is very intriguing. If we assume that Robin
Hood is a Pagan, the term "Robin Hood" could be the pagan equivalent of
the Judeo-Christian term "messiah" or "savior." I read an interesting
article in the local newspaper recently about what Biblical scholars are
just now finding out from their investigation of the Dead Sea Scrolls
(for 40 years, from their discovery in 1948 until 1988, American
academics blocked Biblical scholars from viewing the majority of the
Dead Sea Scrolls). Anyway, what the scholars learned is that early
Christianity was more like a sect of Judaism rather than a separate,
independent religion. Both Jews and early Christians viewed Jesus Christ
as a messiah in overthrowing the oppression of the Romans. The incident
that disturbed the followers of Christ (but not their Jewish "brothers")
occurred almost 100 years after Christ died. During that time Roman rule
again became overwhelmingly oppressive. In order to rally the common
people, the current Jewish ruler declared himself "a messiah" and led a
"rebel" fight against the Romans. This disturbed the Christians, until
that time probably just a Jewish sect, because the idea of more than one
messiah was anathema to them. As far as the Christians were concerned
there was only one messiah: Jesus Christ. Apparently, though, Judaism
has room for many messiahs; it would appear that Jews viewed the term
"messiah" as a title that could be given to more than one person. The
Biblical scholars seem to think that the Christians, on the other hand,
interpreted the term "messiah" as also being "the son of God" and there
was only one "son of God" - Jesus Christ - as far as they were
concerned. The scholars believe that the incident with the "second"
messiah could have caused the actual split of Christianity from Judaism,
thus creating a separate religion. The whole point of this is that, in
light of this information plus what we know of pagan practice, the fact
that there could have been (and probably was) more than one Robin Hood
is highly likely. (This could explain the seemingly contradictory Robin
Hood legends: one, that he was a peasant {Loxley}; the other, that he
was of the nobility {Huntingdon}).
This is all I have to comment on this time. Blessed be.
Debbi Henderson
Greetings All! Thought I'd write with some other Robin Hood related
books. The newest is called The Sheriff of Nottingham by Richard Kluger.
Brand new. Also fairly new is Sherwood by Parke Godwin. Another good
retelling is The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley.
For esoteric knowledge of all sorts, you can't beat Brewer's Dictionary
of Phrase and Fable. There are entries on all of the principal players
and some unique expressions as well! I've copied some below.
1. The Bow and Arrow of Robin Hood - The traditional bow and arrow of
Robin Hood are religiously preserved at Kirklees Hall, Yorkshire, the
seat of the Armytage family, and the site of his grave is pointed out in
the park.
2. Death of Robin Hood - He was reputedly bled to death treacherously
by a nun who was instigated to the foul deed by his kinswoman, the
prioress of Kirklees, near Halifax (1247).
3. "Many talk of Robin Hood who never shot with his bow" - Many brag
of deeds in which they took no part.
4. "A Robin Hood wind" - A thaw-wind which is particularly raw and
piercing, being saturated with moisture scarcely above the freezing
point. Tradition runs that Robin Hood used to say that he could bear any
cold except that which a thaw-wind brought with it.
5. Robin Hood's Bay - between Whitby and Scarborough, Yorkshire, is
mentioned by Leland. Robin Hood is supposed to have kept fishing boats
there to put to sea when pursued by the soldiery. He also went fishing
in them in the summer.
6. To go around Robin Hood's barn - to arrive at the right conclusion
by circuitous methods.
7. To sell Robin Hood's pennyworth - to sell things at half their
value. As Robin Hood stole his wares he sold them under their intrinsic
value, for what he could get.
8. Robin Hood's Larder - an oak in Sherwood Forest. The tradition is
that Robin Hood used its hollow trunk as a hiding place for the deer he
had slain. Late in the last century some schoolgirls boiled their kettle
in it (my thought: a coven?) and burnt down a large part of the tree,
which was reputed to be 1,000 years old. It was blown down in 1966 and
the Duke of Portland gave a suitably inscribed remnant to the Mayor of
Toronto.
Let me move on now to Herne. Brewer's also has an entry that describes
Herne's Oak. This was an oak in Windsor Great Park, reputed to be
haunted by the ghost of Herne the Hunter/ The Wild Huntsman. It was
supposed to be 650 years old when blown down in 1863. Queen Victoria
planted a young oak on the site.
Herne the Hunter was at one time a keeper of Windsor Forest. Shakespeare
says that now he "walks" in winter-time.
If anyone can't get hold of this marvelous dictionary and would like me
to copy down the rest of the entries for Cousins, let me know.
In Spirit...
Morgana
Dear Cousins: Greetings to you once more! I think Spring Fever is
turning into writing fever as well. Besides these long responses to many
Cousins I'm sketching out a non-RoS story, plus busily filling in my
Book of Shadows. I sometimes wish there were a hundred hours in the day!
Todd: Isn't Kineseology having to do with something called muscle-
testing and how it applies to your physical health and structure?
Tina: You might want to check out The Tree: The Complete Book of Saxon
Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland. It contains some chapters on the Pagan
Saxon historical backgrounds, Woden and Freya, etc. It's a good all-
around read on Saxon Paganism.
Nansi Loser: You're correct about the Sacrificial King's joy regarding
being chosen to be the offering to his god(s). A very interesting book
and television movie based on this whole theme is Harvest Home by Thomas
Tryon. It's 20th century Paganism as portrayed by a small rural
community who, every seven years, sacrifice the chosen Harvest Lord. I
won't give away the entire plot (obviously this isn't all of it!) but if
anyone's wanting more info on this premise, do read/see it.
The Sacrificial King is also mentioned in the first part of the Farrars'
A Witches' Bible Compleat.
Being a novice's novice to RoS fandom, and since like me you write, my
fevered imagination came up with a rather radical departure from the
traditional RoS structure. What do you, or does anyone, think of an all-
female Sherwood band? As it's merely a thought - for now - I haven't
elaborated on characters, mindsets, etc. but perhaps someone could put
forth ideas. I seriously hope I don't get into too much trouble with you
good people, as I honestly have no idea what type of reaction/response
this will elicit (I'm still waiting while you digest this...) For
instance, how would the Sheriff, Isadora, Jennet, Gulnar, Wickham itself
react to the Sherwood Amazons? Could the characters be the female
equivalents to Nasir, Tuck, Will, et al? Should the leader be a dark
Celt, then later on maybe a Duchess or other nobility? What about a
sacrificial Queen?
Folks, this field is wide open. If you want to pat me on the back and
shout "Vivat!", okay. If, on the other hand, you'd rather throw me into
the Sheriff's cell with the old prisoner and Arthur, I'll perfectly
understand! Really, I'm willing to accept whatever fate you deign!
Tara: This is answering Tina's letter to you in #4 regarding serpents
and occult wisdom. Dense me, I never considered St. Patrick's expelling
the snakes out of Ireland as symbolic of expelling magickal wisdom and
knowledge. But in light of the serpent's definition it makes a ton of
sense. Lady Cybele in her fine lecture tape "Witches and Halloween"
postulates that the snakes actually stood for the Druids (as their
staffs were fashioned to look like serpents) and when St. Patrick got to
Ireland, he drove out the Druids from the island, and thus their ancient
knowledge.
In pictures of Cleopatra and other prominent Egyptian contemporaries (I
know, she wasn't Egyptian at all, but Macedonian!) you can see on the
headdresses the snake emerging from the Third Eye. Again, this was the
exponent of occult wisdom emanating from that person. Obviously this
wisdom was not confined to men. Many women were seen to possess it as
well.
Raven: Holy Blood, Holy Grail is one heady read! There's a lot to take
in, but the authors are really up on their history of the Templars and
the Gospels. It pretty much blows the whole Sacrificial King theory out
of the water! If I come across an extra copy, I'll let you know.
Legend states that Fenris is said to have been killed by Odin's son
Vidar, one of the Aesir, so you're right about that. Fenris is the son
of Loki and the Giantess Angurboda. He became so fierce that the gods
finally had to chain him. While Fenris struggled not to have the chain
affixed to him, Tyr put his hand in Fen's mouth but before his hand
could be removed, the wolf bit it off. There's also a myth that Fenris
consumed Odin (a godling eating a God?)!
Julianne: I read in Conway's Celtic Magic that green, apart from being
the favorite fairy color in all Celtic countries, also became known as
the color of death. As for being the color of criminals, I don't know.
Hilda: Hesus, Taranis, and Teutates is a patriarchal, warlike Gaulish
trinity. Hesus is similar to Teutates, the latter being a war god
worshipped for human sacrifice. His name is cognate with Tuatha,
"People." Taranis - "The Thunderer" - is also found in Britain. The
wheel is his symbol, sometimes a spiral representing lightning. Also the
eagle. Human sacrifices were offered to him.
General This and That: That old question arises: Was Jennet a Witch or
what? Well, she certainly had the name for it. Planta genet (or genista)
was the broom plant sacred to Witches and a derivation of the royal
British line Plantagenet. "Genet" meant horse or steed, "royal horse" of
Paganism. A "jennet" was a small horse or female donkey and used
frequently in names of medieval Witches - Jenet, Janet, Jean, Jeanette,
Joan.
Julianne again: Glory-of-Elves is the Norse name for the Sun Goddess
who'd birth a daughter sun to rule the new universe after doomsday.
(These last two are from the Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets.)
That's about it. My vacation plans are updated and I am hoping to be in
London June 11-25 (tentatively). If any Cousins will be there about that
same time than let's merry meet! May the Lady and Lord of the Greenwood
guide us all gently.
Nansi Loser
Last week Issue #5 arrived and I hate it when people get caught up on
typing, especially since it just reminds me how far behind I am on my
own stuff!
Nan and I sat down this weekend and watched the Lord of the Trees
episode of RoS, which I no longer have on tape - so thanks again to
Laura Todd, who was kind enough to invite us over and loaned us her
tape, and which I hadn't seen in a long time (I think the resident
teenager taped over it at some point, because we've got all the others).
We had a lot of fun talking the episode over because there's so much
going on in it, both magically speaking and otherwise. It certainly
seems that "the blessing" is a very localized/Sherwood personalized kind
of Beltane (welcome to summer) festival. This episode's Herne appears as
more of a localized deity, also. But as isolated as people were at that
time, this "personalization" of both major and minor sabbats would make
sense. It's hard to realize how truly cut-off these villages were from
the rest of the world, especially living (as we do) in the age of
instantaneous EVERYTHING. Anyway, everyone, including Marion and Tuck,
seems to have a clear idea of what they are worshipping/celebrating and
why. Isn't it Marion who tells Robin that he can't go after the
mercenaries and spill blood because he's Herne's son? My personal
favorite person in this episode, very strangely enough, is Abbot Hugo -
he's shown as much more knowledgeable about the old ways and tolerant
than one would expect. And he certainly doesn't doubt that Guy ran into
some serious trouble with the old gods of the forest...
Hilda, I loved your holography suggestion in response to my comment
about my not being able to be two places at once - It would be fun, but
I can't be two places at once, even holographically (though that
certainly WOULD cut down on any travel and hotel expenses at Weekend in
Sherwood), because I have quite enough trouble coping with one of me
running around. If I start multiplying, I think the family would
probably have hysterics!
Great job and lots of interesting discussion. Take care.
Richard Carpenter
Sweet coz,
I love it! I wish I could enter into endless discussions and theories
and suppositions and all the other delightful eccentricities in your mad
mab - er - mag.
I even did a long tape - shall I send it, Hilda? - (HILDA: No thanks!)
[Fair enough, I'm sure I've erroneously second-guessed you enough times!
-H] Right, I will send it - about all the letters, just to try and put
my point of view really, and justify all my mistakes. Writers always do
that! But before I got a chance to send it - I get another edition!
In fact the only time that I get pissed off is when people say things
about the show that indicate either a bad memory or the fact that they
haven't really studied every episode! And that, he said - falling off
his chair in hysterics - is essential!
For instance, dear Laura Woodswalker Todd (lovely name) I agree that the
show has as many holes as God's golf course but not some that you bring
up. Loxley sees visions - knows the right path to take, has definite
e.s.p. and clairvoyance. And his archery is "magically" good! These
things are in the stories and not just in Michael's piercing eyes.
No, Robert isn't any more rational than any other young man of his age.
I do find "bare bones" a bit unfair (I cried into my Highland Park) and
I would've said that Loxley got quite a lot of revenge during the
series.
I do feel sometimes that the sweet coz's lose sight of the obvious in
their pursuit of the esoteric. Robin died to save Marion's life. And to
give her time to get away. It is in the script. It was meant to be
significant that Much - the youngest of the outlaws and the most
innocent - was the other person Robin sacrificed his life for. On a
wider scale the Summer King idea is there to give the thing mythic
scale. But to quote from my favourite prose poem "greater love hath no
man than this - etc." It was curious that the episode went out Easter
weekend.
Yes, Herne is a shaman - and although some directors tended to "beam him
down," this was not in the scripts. Murray Hope's book on Atlantis is
very good - for a woman. (Hope you know I'm kidding) Hey - a good book
is Keith Thomas' Religion and the Decline of Magic.
I love Robert Graves and Margaret Murray, but scholars who are poets can
put the glamour on you. Gift of the gab, the Irish call it.
And finally, in Hilda's bit - the fifth paragraph on page 14 is the most
generous and warming tribute that any writer could ever hope to read.
Thank you Hilda. That - I shall keep, for any rainy days ahead. Blessed
be, sweet coz's. Kip
P.S. Herne help us if you lot ever start an Arthurian fanzine!
P.P.S. And talking of Robert Graves, here's one of his poems. It speaks
to me. Read it several times slowly like an incantation - which I think
it is - and then learn by heart.
Broken Images
He is quick, thinking in clear images;
I am slow, thinking in broken images.
He becomes dull, trusting to his clear images
I become sharp, mistrusting my broken images.
Trusting his images, he assumes their relevance
Mistrusting my images, I question their relevance
Assuming their relevance, he assumes the fact;
Questioning their relevance, I question the fact.
When the fact fails him, he questions his senses;
When the fact fails me, I approve my senses.
He continues quick and dull in his clear images;
I continue slow and sharp in my broken images.
He, in a new confusion of his understanding;
I, in a new understanding of my confusion.
[Tape begins here. -H]
I get an awful lot of fan mail...well, let's say, letters from
friends...about Robin of Sherwood, which was a programme that I wrote
quite a few years ago now, and also have largely forgotten what I wrote,
because my short-term memory is very poor. And so when obscure points in
a text that was written with a deadline and also to a series of
production constraints are examined in such minute detail by clever
people like you, it is, to say the least, a little bit frightening. You,
as writers yourselves, must realize that a lot of the things that one
does, one does on the spur of the moment because it sounds right, and
that dear old thing Inspiration (which doesn't happen very often).
Certainly I researched, but not nearly as thoroughly and as deeply as if
I was preparing a Ph.D.
The curse of writers is the VCR. I think I'll probably have that on my
tombstone, because programmes that basically are meant to be watched
once have been watched again and again, and all of the faults have been
obviously very clearly revealed. I am flattered that the fan fiction has
arisen from this, because anything creative that happens from a
television programme, which you just sit and watch and is a very
uncreative activity, must be good.
Well, with that rather boring preamble, let's get down to why I'm
writing to you like this. One, because I can't afford to spend hours of
time answering letters concerning a programme that I wrote ten years
ago; and two, it's quite pleasant to chat to you like this, walking
through an English wood in winter and kicking up dead oak leaves while
my dogs race around in the holly bushes. So, I've got my copy of
Cousins, Issue 2. I have to confess, I haven't read Issue 1, but I shall
certainly read Issue 3 if there is one, because I find it fascinating,
and I crave your indulgence to answer a few points which actually I
think Hilda finally covered at the end of it, as it were acting as
chairperson.
What I find fascinating is the intensity of some of the interpretations.
Everybody seems very worried about the fact that the Goddess doesn't
appear in the series. Well, the reason for the occult in Robin Hood was
inspired by a book called The God of the Witches, so that's really a
very simple answer. Not "The Goddess of the Witches," you note, and
written by a woman. A clever book, but she was potty. I recommend her
other book, which is even pottier, which is called The Divine King in
England.
Ceremonial magic is one thing, the Wiccan tradition is another. Paganism
is a feeling and an instinct. Whoever coined the expression "the old
religion" did Paganism (in my opinion, and this is all my opinion!) a
great disservice. So, to Laura Woodswalker Todd, here I am, Laura,
walking in the woods. You wish the trees would take revenge. Have you
seen the floods in Bangladesh?
Magic was probably less prominent in the third season because I didn't
write five of the episodes. Although the Tarot was used (incorrectly, I
might add). And why the Round Table would be placed in the keeping of
the heirs of Agrivaine when, in fact, Agrivaine was one of the people
who helped to destroy the Fellowship, remains beyond me.
Now then, "Satanic covens" stereotypes. Why would I pander to these
negative cliches? Well, I'll try to answer that one. You have to believe
in the Devil in order to worship him. The Bible is full of the Devil,
both in the Old and the New Testament. The Bible is also full of magic,
ceremonial magic, which has existed in every civilisation since Babylon.
If you don't believe in the Devil you can't worship him, and there is no
question that the negative power of evil is just as strong as the
positive power of good, and certainly enforced chastity in the Middle
Ages gave rise to all kinds of neuroses, some of which found outlets
both in monasteries and in convents in deliberately upturning the magic
rituals of the Judeo-Christian tradition. I don't know if there's (I've
never studied it, anyway) I don't know if there are accounts of rabbis
turning to black magic, but then rabbis are not celibate. Nevertheless,
the Jewish tradition believes in demons and demonic forces and has
banishing rituals. It's all done to gain power, of course - power over
the material world. "All this I will give to you if you will bow down
and worship me." (New Testament, the Devil to Jesus.)
I'll come on to Gulnar later on, answering another letter. Why did Herne
choose Robert? Why did Christ choose St. Paul? Why does anybody choose
anybody? You know, you can't explain everything. If you do, it
disappears. Duke Ellington said that once, he said about critics and
analysts, he said: "If you take a daisy and you pull its petals off one
by one, what have you got? You ain't got a daisy." I know that's a
pretty flip answer, but sometimes analysis or explanation of everything
that you put into a show kills the show. You must have mystery. Mystery
is the essence of good drama. The guy got hooked on Marion. Then he got
involved with the Merries, liked the excitement, saw that it was
motivated by a desire for justice, and in a sense he was defying his
father, becoming
an outlaw, because his father was very Establishment.
Do you remember the scene between them? So, all these things got him
involved. Why did Patty Hearst become a terrorist? So, I would say that
the three reasons that Robert became an outlaw were love, revelation,
and excitement. No, Robert had had no previous experience of the Old
Religion apart from the usual things of throwing salt over your left
shoulder and not walking under ladders and...in other words, the
superstitions which have survived in everybody to this day, even in the
most materialistic world (black cats, etc.) Although black cats in
America are different , aren't they? Strange, I don't know why that
should be.
No, he wouldn't have crossed himself and run like hell when he saw
Herne. Robert has an innate curiosity and a lot of courage. Really,
summing up your letter, Laura, people behave inconsistently all the
time. Consistent people are dull and boring.
Janet VanMeter: Well, I have to say: the series is male-oriented, and I
suppose you're right, the forest is the Earth Mother, just as the rest
of Britain is, and just as the whole world is. Richardson's book Earth
God Rising suggests that there has been in recent years too much
emphasis placed on the Goddess, to the exclusion of Her Consort, and
yhat it's possible that we're going to see much more of a twosome in the
Wiccan tradition from now on. That's certainly true in Britain. I mean,
I went to a Wiccan wedding, and there was dear old Herne with the
antlers, and why not? It's a uniting of the male and female principles.
I can't go along for a female sun, but that's a personal thing; because
in the Edda, the son of Munduforai is Mani [I'm just guessing the
spellings here -H] and the daughter is Sol; and according to Brewer, the
Lithuanians and the Arabians and the Mexicans and the Hindus, and
apparently the Germans have "Frau Sonne" (Mrs. Sun) and Herr Mond (Mr.
Moon, hence "man in the moon,") but I don't think you'll get a good
Wiccan to see the moon as anything other than a female. Perhaps the Yin
and Yang symbol sums it all up. There's a bit of Yin in the Yang, and a
bit of Yang in the Yin, as there is in all of us. What's important is to
unite the whole thing.
Now on to Tina Evans. Again, trying to turn Herne into a woman, are you?
Well, women can be as horny as men... The Horned God is the consort of
the Goddess, and certainly Diana is portrayed as horned - the horns of
the moon - so maybe your idea isn't as daft as it first seemed.
Lynn: That's a nice theory, but I think you're pushing it to its limits
to suggest that Herne was Robin i'th' Hood. He'd have had an awful job
getting a hood over those horns... No, I will take you seriously. Again,
the desire for total knowledge... We really know nothing of Herne's
past. Good. I'm glad. We shouldn't. He is our mystery figure. You sound
like a script editor. The moment I read things like "a practicing
Wiccan," I realize just how dangerous organized religions can be. If you
read the Robin Hood ballads, which is about the earliest thing we've
got, he is always revering the Goddess under the disguise of Mary. And
I'm sorry, I didn't use Craft belief to get them out of the jam when
Michael left the show. I used Frazer's The Golden Bough.
You're totally wrong about the British public knowing anything about
Rhiannon or Arianrhod, because they don't. As I've said earlier, Herne
is the consort of the Goddess in many Wiccan ceremonies over here. And
no, I certainly didn't avoid the word "Goddess," Ariel. I just didn't
need to use it.
Absolutely, the main reason that Marion went to Kirklees was to avoid
being married off to someone she didn't like, and she went to Halstead
for sanctuary. She went, as it were, in retreat. Some of the convents in
those days were like women's clubs. The nuns hunted, had lovers, and a
bloody good time. They were usually quite rich, and some of those
convents were extremely well endowed. (Presumably the lovers were too.)
Good old Ariel, she got the message. She read Margaret Murray's funny
book, The God of the Witches, and that's where I got Herne from.
Somebody says I'm not sure entirely what I was getting at in The Swords
of Wayland. According to my sources, the first Black Mass was performed
as a lark by some priests of Louis XV or XVI or something of France.
This is queried by Hilda, but as far as I'm concerned, they're not doing
a Black Mass. They're invoking a demon.
The best book on the Druids is by Stuart Piggott, and one of the things
he says is that using text-free archaeological evidence in an attempt to
see it in meaningful terms of human activities, we must recognize
straightaway that the valid information it can give is strictly limited.
But it's a good book about the Celts, anyway.
The wheel stuff is good, but wheels are usually sun symbols. I've seen
the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. It's quite eerie. The antlers are very
old. I like the bit about the actor playing the part before you. No, you
don't play it the same way; nor do you write the legend in the same way.
Would God you did! My task with Arthur would be that much easier. There
are so many tangled strands to untangle and make some sort of sense of
in the Arthur legend, because too many people had a go at it, with
vastly different viewpoints.
I prefer my faeries a little bit shorter than everybody else, but not
tiny, obviously. They weren't thumbnail-sized winged sprites in
Elizabethan times. Have you seen A Midsummer Night's Dream?
Why were you stunned when you saw Marion weeping and wailing in Owen's
castle? The girl was terrified of the situation with Gulnar, and Owen
was completely different to the situation with King John. Try playing
"Conquest" with Owen of Clun! He'd knock you down and rape you.
Oh, the other thing is this business of having problems with crossed
mythologies. You've got to understand, you people in the United States
of America, that this little island has been invaded by everybody. For a
quarter of our history we were run by Italians. We've had the Vikings,
the Danes, the Saxons, and the French; the Picts, the Scots, and the
Welsh. Look at present- day Wiccan tradition. It's a rag-bag of ideas
from all over the place. Place names in England are French, Saxon,
Viking, Roman...You have only to look at the number of strange religions
in the United States to realize that Owen's particular mumbo-jumbo
derives from very different sources. It's only archaeologists who snap
off history into the Bronze Age, the Stone Age, the Iron Age, the Beaker
People, etc. What are we going to be known as, the Motorway People? or
the Airport People?
Janet, your stuff is excellent about sorcery. Now then, what's Tuck
doing out in the woods with a load of fogbound Herne-worshippers? He's a
renegade monk. End of story. But not quite the end because he can see
clearly that organized religion is corrupt, and that the Herne-
followers (not worshippers) are essentially good. All mythology starts
with the horizon, and all religion too; and with the changing seasons
and the eternal questions: Who am I, and what am I doing here? Don't
let's bring the Masons into it, for heaven's sake!
I love "Owen and the Composite Pagans." That's exactly right. OK, Hilda,
if you want Robert to have the possibility of having latent magical
talent, why not? It doesn't worry me any. But he certainly won't have
any either latent or blatant magical talent if we did any more episodes.
This is all very incoherent, and I've more or less come to the end. I
agree and disagree with all of you, and I love you too. If Robin of
Sherwood has brought you together as friends, if it means that you read
more about our desire to be at one with all things and to invest them
with the magic of our imagination, then I hang my head humbly. People
tell you to keep one foot firmly on the ground, and that's not a bad
idea, but if you do, you'll never dance.
Well, I dictated that a long time ago. Well, not all that long ago. And
I think it was Hilda's letter to me today that prompted me to have a go
at Cousins (I love the name!) Issue 3, February 1992, so I'm catching
up, aren't I? It's a super idea, this letterzine, because particularly
throwing up all sorts of mythological cross-references and what have
you. So I thought I'd put in my pennyworth for Issue 3 and at least be
topical, if magic can be topical.
So, let's have a look...By the way, where is Mu/Lemuria, it's in the
Pacific. First question answered... Murry Hope is a lady, not a fellow.
Second question, well, not "question," but first mistake answered. She
has written, in fact, an extremely cogent book on Atlantis. Don't pooh-
pooh Atlantis. I've been working with a deep-trance medium who has been
to Atlantis and comes from Atlantis, and I'm absolutely certain that I
did, too.
Single-source theory? I don't know what you're talking about. What about
the Big Bang? Isn't that single-source theory? And everything starts
somewhere, not in about five places at once. Thank you, Woodswalker! The
whole business about writing a television series that has a slight
mystical bent (if you like to put it like that) is that the writer is
God. He can do what he wants. And it's very wrong to sort of come up
with an agenda, and then force your characters into it, because your
characters take over and say things and do things that you didn't expect
them to do. It's part of the creative process, and so if it doesn't fit
into some neat theory (using "neat" in its proper context) that's just
too bad.
It is the most beautiful pre-Spring day here! I can't tell you... [A
"tweet" of agreement from some anonymous bird... -H] Robert's reason for
going into Sherwood. Well, one, he was rebelling against his father and
injustice. He had a very strong sense of justice. And, two, he'd fallen
in love with Marion; and three, he was called by Herne, in a sense.
People often struggle against the call, but the call proves too strong
for them. Horns, well...Female horns? Certainly. The horns of the moon.
And if you really want a great Goddess with horns, you can't do better
than Isis Herself. Or maybe I answered that in my reply to Cousins #2
earlier on this tape.
Yes, you're right about Belleme and black magic. He brought it back from
the Crusades. He even looked as if he was dressed in Arabic gear, if you
remember. He is using ceremonial magic and he's invoking a demon to gain
power.
You don't have to go to Argentina, as I've explained about the German
Mr. Moon and Mrs. Sun.
Well, the Rotary Club wheel is actually the Round Table, I think. Oh no,
it's not, that's another thing called the "Round Table" which is similar
to Rotary.
I can't help you with Cromm Cruach. Antony isn't into Paganism, although
he's written a very lively book of world mythology for kids in a very
contemporary style, which is what it needs. I don't know what Gulnar was
trying to accomplish in Cromm Cruach. Now, in Time of the Wolf he's out
to kill Herne. Well, of course he is. He's a rival shaman. He can't kill
Fenris, no. Fenris is a mythological creature.
What magical powers does Isadora's Round Table possess? Well, if it is
in fact King Arthur's Round Table, which it's supposed to be, it
possesses the power to unify and bring together ("round table"
conferences and all the rest of it). It's a seat of power, it's a magic
circle. It represents the horizon, and probably had (and certainly will
have in my version) the zodiac signs around it. It also represents 360
degrees, of course, which is the year. I don't know where we got the
other five from.
What does the Silver Arrow do? What does a crown do? What does a scepter
do? What does the President's seal do? It doesn't do anything. It's a
symbol of power. That's all.
As you probably know, I drew issue with the designer of the Silver
Arrow. I wanted a beautiful Silver Arrow about 18 inches long, carved
with sort of Celtic designs but recognizably an arrow, not a sort of
early medieval dildo.
Yes, I'm into Tarot cards. I use the Marseilles deck, because it's one
of the earliest. Some of them misinterpret very badly the original
meanings of the cards. That's why I use one of the earliest.
Hey, come off it, Janet! "In general the TV series seemed to not want to
probe past the surfaces. Is this a general failing of TV...they want the
characters to stay the same cardboard cutouts week after week? They seem
to avoid any references to past events, as if they're afraid to offend
some viewer who hasn't seen the earlier episodes." No, the series didn't
want you to forget that there was a Loxley as quickly as possible. In
fact, in the very last episode, one of the reasons that Marion goes into
the convent is because one of her men, the man that she mystically
married in the very first episode, died; and she's terrified to lose a
second husband, which is why she just finally can't take it any longer
when she "finds his body." And once having committed, when he comes back
to her, she feels that the shock of seeing what she thought was his dead
body is just too much her and she's not going to go through the
possibility of it happening, which of course is more or less inevitable
with revolutionaries. The establishment, generally speaking, tracks them
down and kills them. They're too dangerous. But I don't like "cardboard
cutouts." I thought I'd actually created rounded characters with a bit
of depth to them. If they were merely cardboard cutouts, I doubt if
there would have been the outburst of fanzines in the States that there
has been, and I don't think you can put it down to a desire to fill in
the characters and round them out.
Janet, the reasons that Robert becomes an outlaw are obvious in the
story. He loathes Owen of Clun, he falls in love with Marion, and he has
to get Marion back when his father says that he will do nothing about it
because Owen of Clun is on the borders. In other words, he's a marcher
lord. And King John would get very cross if the Earl of Huntingdon made
waves with regard to the political situation on the Welsh marches; and
therefore the Earl is going to do nothing about Marion, so Robert does.
He goes back to Herne for help in tracking down the outlaws and then,
after he's fought with them and rescued Marion, he has become an outlaw
whether he likes it or not. I mean, if I go out and meet a gang of
criminals and get them to save my girlfriend illegally from a rich man
who's kidnapped her, who happens to be related to a High Court judge, I
am branded a criminal, whether I like it or not! I mean, sometimes I
think people are so busy examining minutiae that they can't see the wood
for the trees!
The other reason (and this is my criticism of American television) is
that I have written shows before that had to go out in a certain order,
obviously Episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (it's logical, isn't it?) and what
happens in America is that they put them out in any order! In a recent
showing of Robin of Sherwood in the States, they mixed all of the series
up so that some weeks it was Michael being Robin Hood and another week
it would be Jason being Robin Hood, which must for people who had never
seen the show at all have been totally confusing. When I do King Arthur,
I'm going to insist that it go out like a soap. I mean, they don't
scramble episodes of Dallas and Dynasty, or do they? Or even Cagney and
Lacey, or even Star Trek: The Next Generation? Then why should they take
a British show and just scramble it any way they like? It really makes
me really mad, actually. And then I get accused of not developing the
characters from week to week or referring back to previous episodes.
That is precisely why. I tell you, a scriptwriter has to be a juggler
and a tightrope walker at the same time. You must remember that Marion
has been brought up by Sir Richard of Leaford, who is a straight
establishment figure who goes off to the Crusades and is reported dead,
and then Marion becomes the ward of the Church. So why the hell should
she know anything about Samhain, for God's sake? You're trying to turn
ancient beliefs into a religion all the time, you people! It isn't! It
isn't organized! There aren't covens and grand covens and head covens
and Wiccan Incorporated. It just isn't like that. And pray God it never
gets like that, because it'll die if it does.
Page 6: I like Phil Kramer. A simple, to-the-point letter. That's really
what it's all about. Simple is best.
Mary Ann (or Marion) - she likes Hugo's description: "As long as they
have their children baptized and are married and buried as Christians, I
don't much care what they get up to." In fact, this is the whole essence
of what one belief does to another. It takes its rituals and uses them
with a different belief. Magic wells, holy water. Fertility rites,
Easter. And you're wrong, they did burn people at the stake in England.
They burnt Catholics. Protestants burnt Catholics, and I think Catholics
burnt Protestants as well. And I think there was a bit of burning in
Scotland of witches.
No, you're right, the witches wouldn't have worshipped Satan. Possibly a
few nutty priests would have done that.
The main thrust of most of the letters is the puzzlement by the Pagans
in America as to why I didn't use the Goddess in Robin of Sherwood. I
just didn't. That's all. End of story! I couldn't have the Goddess and
Herne, and I wanted Herne.
And this question of pantheon-hopping...These pantheons have been
created by literary scholars in universities. There weren't pantheons.
People had beliefs, that's all, and I think I explained on the first
side of this tape that we are a very mongrel race, just as you are
becoming a very mongrel race if you could break up your ghettoes. (Mind
you, we've got ghettoes too.) But you haven't been invaded and taken
over many, many times in the course of your history.
Yeah, you're right about Margaret Murray's books. They are very
controversial, and The Sacred King in England is even more
controversial.
While we're on the subject...well, we're not, but anyhow, Druids
believed in blood sacrifice. Human sacrifice. The idea of these lovely
old men is bollocks, quite frankly.
Oh, yes, I know the story of William Rufus. I don't know the original
source for the story, and I'd like somebody to find it, the actual
original source.
Yes, St. Brigit. Hilda, you're quite right. I didn't know about "Robin"
being part of the male anatomy in old Welsh and Cornish. That's
interesting. I think, really, you've got it right. Herne was a local
deity. It was actually Windsor Great Park, but I transposed him to
Sherwood Forest.
Yes, Gulnar is a howling loony. Yes, Morgana picked up Isis. "Kernel" or
seed for Herne is good.
If you want to make a really good Tarot deck, read up about the Tarot
and then get photographs of people you know who you think represent the
different archetypes (in the Major Arcana, anyway) and make the deck
yourself. Anybody who draws a Tarot deck themselves, even if they copy
another Tarot deck, is making a very much more powerful deck. If you
ain't an artist, use an ordinary deck and just decorate it a bit. I
mean, paint some of the colors brighter or something on the figures.
Page 11: Am I a Pagan? Find out. And what do I think of Cousins? I think
it's terrific! I don't think it's silly at all. Not that I care what you
think. You don't care what I think.
Good, Hilda. Herne is more concerned with balance than with good per se.
That's exactly the point I made, I think, on the previous side of this
tape.
Oh, dear, this thing about the Devil. Lucifer, who is the Light-Bringer,
fell from Heaven because of the sin of pride, which is why pride is the
worst of the seven deadly sins. He's also the hero of Paradise Lost by
Milton, who is far more interested in Lucifer than he is in Adam and
Eve. It's a great poem, written in wonderful Jacobean English, of Man's
first disobedience and the fruit of that forbidden tree. That's how it
opens. But then, you know that.
Yes, a Priestess of Bast would lift her skirts to show her congregation
the Divine Portal of Life.
Might I suggest that a really fascinating book is called The Nazarene
Gospel Restored, by Robert Graves. Well, by Graves and Podrow, a Jewish
rabbi, who came to the same conclusion about the New Testament. You must
remember that Christianity was not founded by Jesus. It was founded by
St. Paul, an ex-SS man. According to Graves, Jesus was the rightful heir
to the ancient Jewish throne of Israel, a priest-king position, and the
reason for that was that Mary was a princess of the House of Israel.
Anyhow, get the book out and read it. Even if you only read the
introduction, it'll open your eyes. It's very ?intimatic? [Not sure of
this word. -H] Graves later wrote a book called King Jesus, which was a
novel based on the book of scholarship. I warn you, it's a huge book,
but it's fascinating, and it's full of Graves' usual flimflam and
playing with words and very illogical explanations for everything, but
it's lovely.
Now, [pages flipping, indistinct mumbling] Marion is a Mary Sue, I knew
that when I wrote it...Yes, there are not enough women really in the
show. I'm going to correct that if we do King Arthur, because we've got
a lot of permanent ladies in that. We've got Gwynvar, we've got Morgan,
we've got Vivian, we've got Morgause, we've got Palomides. Ah! Who is
Palomides? Well, Palomides actually is a Saracen knight in the Morte
D'Arthur, but I can't obviously have another Saracen knight in a
television series, so I'm making her a Greek Amazon warrior lady. And
she falls in love with guess who? Well, who was Tristan's rival for
Isolde? Who? Well, it was Palomides, wasn't it? Well, I thought I'd keep
that going, except that my Palomides is a woman who falls in love with
Isolde. Why not? In Camelot 3000, Tristan comes back as a woman.
I've got to kill this idea in the bud that old Robin Hoods become
Hernes. There's no such thing as "old Robin Hood." They get killed.
Herne is a shaman, is a man who becomes the God when he dresses up as
the God. He could have dressed up as the Goddess. A lot of shamans do
this, but I don't think the television audience was ready for this.
So, Kathy Allard...Interests besides the obvious (whatever that means):
shamanic journeying and Herne as shaman. She's got it absolutely right.
Is "fen" the plural of fan? I thought it was a wet, marshy place.
Right, that's all, folks. I hope I haven't bored the pants off any of
you. Oh, quite a few of you I wouldn't mind boring the pants off... No,
I shouldn't have said that, that's terribly male and chauvinistic. But
only an American fan journal, or whatever you call it, could start with
"This issue's Fun Word: Tanist" [this with an American accent that makes
me wish I were Chinese... -H] I love it! I suppose that's the difference
between our two cultures in a nutshell.
COUSINS ISSUE #6 - June 1992 Part2
Janet Reedman
Dear Cousins, Hello all! The letterzine is growing (both in size and
scope) and I must commend everyone on such intelligent, thoughtful
letters!
Julianne: I also subscribe to your pet theory about Marion and Lord
Owen. I've used this theme in my RoS novella Twilight of the Gods
(Sherwood Tunnels #6). I have on file a story written by U.K. writer
Jackie Marshall which is similar also - only involving Grendel. It'll be
in Legend #5.
As to the colour green, I've heard that in Celtic countries it is the
colour of death and also of faery (faery being connected to death
inasmuch as "faery houses" are generally ancient burial mounds.) Some
Scottish clans would not use green in their tartans because it was
considered unlucky. Robin Hood's traditional wearing of green could be
(and has been in some sources) link him to forest sprites.
I, too, possess The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. A
wonderful book for use while writing fantasy! Some of the theories and
linguistics I am a little dubious of (more later), but in general, I
find this book quite indispensable. The part I have to dispute is
Robin's "death by arrows." I've never found that in any of the original
Robin Hood tales. That's "our" Robin (maybe the author is a fan?) [Or a
Druid? -H]
Cromm Cruach: The one episode that has me either doubled-up laughing or
tearing out my hair! It seems one either loves this episode or hates
it. (I'm one of the latter.) None of what happened seems to make a lot
of sense (including the outlaws not knowing their whereabouts, then
sending Tuck and Marion off - how did they know their way, then?) The
monster was totally cheesy (and ineffective to boot!) Why did Gulnar
fall into the water screaming his head off - he was apparently unharmed,
after all! The monster died awfully easily - done in by a bit of holy
water. And why was Marion staring so disconsolately into the water
afterwards? I like to think maybe she did see a vision of Loxley, just
as Will saw Elena. It would make sense.
I see several Cousins mentioned Lammas Night. I read that book about 5
years ago, and enjoyed it immensely. There's a novel abut William Rufus
out called Lord of the Wood (I think). It was quite interesting, as I
remember, and dealt with the ritual nature of his death.
The garter and Michael's pants: (Indignant and defensive comment) What's
wrong with Michael's legs? They look perfectly nice to me! Stuffing,
huh! Somehow I'm sure the garter had more significance, padding or no
padding. I'm sure the stuffing could have been secured less obviously,
if that was the intention.
Marion at Halstead: I don't think Marion would have stayed, for all the
reasons (boredom, etc.) stated. However, I'm not sure if she would have
returned to Sherwood. She was older, she seemed frailer (probably both
emotionally and physically...)
St. Patrick and the snakes: I've heard the snakes equated with 'druids.'
[Mists of Avalon, was it? -H] You might be on to something here,
Julianne!
Loxley's "nationality": Interesting question. He does have a "Celtic"
look about him. But what exactly is a Celt (other than someone born in a
Celtic area, speaking a Celtic tongue)? Caesar describes the Celts as
fair or tawny-haired, not unlike the Saxons. Yet there is a very dark
strain in the Celtic peoples, especially among the Welsh and the Irish.
Personally I believe this could have come from the earlier inhabitants
of Britain, who were certainly not eradicated when the Celts arrived
from mainland Europe in about 700 B.C.. One will note that there is
always an abundance of existing (pre-Celtic) monuments in areas
described as "Celtic," moreso than in England in general (save for
around the Wiltshire/Avon area.) One English writer I know wrote an
Alternate Universe story in which Robin is described as having ancestors
from all the invading races that ever came to Britain! (A man to defend
all the existing free folk, you see.)
Janet V.: I'd like to know how Arthur could have power greater than
Herne's which is how it seemed in The Inheritance. Arthur was, in life,
only a man. I always think of him as a sacred king, almost an earlier
equivalent of Loxley. Merlin was his spiritual father as Herne was
Robin's. Even deified, Arthur would not be Herne's superior - equal,
maybe. Arthur's appearance was a little much to take, too - he looked
too "medieval fantasy."
I love your idea about the Arrow/Robin, sword/Robert. Neat material for
fan fiction.
Raven: I'm trying, honest, but I still find Robert's reasons for
becoming an outlaw a bit vague. OK, so Marion definitely wasn't the
only catalyst, but I really wanted to be shown something else. To say he
saw "injustice everywhere" just doesn't quite do it. The old "show not
tell" principle, I guess. I'm personally not 100% sure if he hadn't seen
Marion by the end of The Greatest Enemy (?) For him to know that there
were outlaws held captive in Wickham he must have witnessed their battle
- unless he was psychically guided for the entirety. We never did know
what Robert really felt and saw that day, what even brought him so far
from home - it would be wonderful to know! (Oh, dear, I'm really not
articulating what I'm trying to say very well at all - hope it doesn't
come off as total drivel!)
Hilda - you're right about the Celts - the earliest traces of their
culture were found in Hallstatt, Austria. They were certainly a wide-
ranging folk, however - spreading through most of Europe, including
Spain and Northern Italy (where there is a light-haired/eyed streak
amongst the people, even today). And there are even linguistic links
between the names 'Erin' and 'Iran' (I'm not kidding!)
I was amused by your reference to 'Harry Stu,' the male equivalent of
'Mary Sue!' But how does one tell if the character is an original or
merely the author in disguise? Yeah, I know some 'Mary Sues' are pretty
obvious, but I've read stories called such, which I've enjoyed despite
the 'Mary Sue' tag. In fact, some Mary Sues I would hardly have noticed
as such unless my attention had been specifically drawn to this sub-
genre...
I can tell you a little about Taranis/Esus/ Teutates. Taranis is a
thunder-god, his name equivalent to Thor/Donar. Like most thunder gods,
he was connected with the oak and with fire. Esus or Hesus was
described as 'Lord and Master,' but there doesn't seem to be a lot about
him in mythology. Teutates is a war-god, probably equivalent of Tyr/Tiw
who gave his name to Tuesday - also his name would suggest 'Teutons,'
linking the Celts and Germanic tribes at an early date. (Many
anthropologists agree that the main difference is linguistic.) Anne
Ross, in her book Life and Death of a Druid Prince, believes that Pete
Marsh (the bog-man) was sacrificed to the above threesome, his "triple
death" (head injury, garrote, neck wound) being to placate each god.
You also mentioned The Fantastic Adventures of Robin Hood. Author Nancy
Holder has stories in Legend #2 and #4 under a pen name! She is indeed a
RoS fan! Anybody into Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover? Must also
mention that her latest anthology of fan-written Darkover stories
contains a tale by RoS fan Jacquie Groom... (FINI)
Julianne Toomey
Hilda, I just wanted to say right up front that you're doing a marvelous
job. This is neat and really fun! [If I could afford a color printer I'd
be blushing in print! Thank you, all of you! -H]
Dear Janet V.: You've raised some fascinating questions for us to chew
on. "What happened to Belleme?" is one of my favorite things to ponder.
The ending of Enchantment seems to show that he's still around and more
than capable of making trouble. In fact, it ends with a threat: "Did
you really think you could overcome me?" In spite of this, we don't see
him at all during third season. This could be because Robert has Gulnar
to be his magical enemy. Hmf. Some enemy. Gulnar's a twit (personal
opinion). Personally, I would've liked seeing Robert go up against
Belleme - fascinating idea. But back to the topic. Belleme seems to
think he's still a force to be reckoned with, but I have to think
differently because of his lack of vengeful activities toward the new
Hooded Man. Maybe he is a Loxley fan! Or maybe he doesn't attack Robert
because he can't leave his lands. How about this theory: having been
brought back to life (as well as having been killed the first time) by
the Silver Arrow, perhaps Belleme isn't fully alive or doesn't have all
his powers, since he doesn't have possession of the Arrow. Maybe he's
confined to his ancestral lands. Who does end up with the Arrow, anyway?
Herne stops it from killing Loxley. That's a neat use of telekinesis on
the Baron's part, which could go to prove my theory that Belleme needs
the Arrow to supplement his powers. Belleme didn't do anything that
spectacular in Robin Hood and the Sorcerer. Herne hands the Arrow to
Robin and we never see it again. So, what happens to it? I like your
theory of symbolism.
Oh, yeah. Note to all: I finally got a response from Caitlin and John
Matthews. Folks, don't ever go through the publishers! Letters take
forever to get to authors that way. However, they sent me some really
cool info. There are/were 2 weekend workshops on Robin Hood in various
guises. I also now have a list of the Matthews' publications and of
their tapes. If anyone wants copies, please send me a SASE and I'll be
happy to get them for you. The only thing that disappointed me was no
real RH info - unless I want to go to England for their workshops. Don't
I wish! Well, we'll just have to wait for the book.
Morgana: A theory that there were 3 Jesuses? Do explain! Pretty please?
I've never heard that one. Did you ever run across the theory that
Christ spent a bunch of the "missing years" in India learning magical
stuff? That's almost as good as the theory presented in Holy Blood, Holy
Grail. I may be about to stick my foot in my mouth with the following
comments, because I seem to recall that some folks liked it, so allow me
to preface my remarks with the notion that this is only my opinion.
Anybody out there is perfectly welcome to disagree with me. Now, I could
grant the authors' main premise: san graal (holy grail) could have been
corrupted from sang real (bloodline, as in family), but some of the book
just made me sit there choking. For one thing, the authors played fast
and loose with historical incidents/facts - and if even I picked up
their booboos in historical dating (and I'm not an historical scholar; I
just play around with it) I shudder to think what else they got wrong.
We're not talking a few errors here. Those I could pass over. We're
talking major league mistakes, sufficient to cast the authors'
scholarship into serious doubt, for me. Of course, I couldn't swallow
some of their later chapters at all. They did a fair bit of stretching,
but they did have some interesting points. For example: just how close
to Jesus was Mary Magdalene? But when they started discussing the
"Barrabas" (who was a convicted agitator and murderer) who Pontius
Pilate released, and decided "Barrabas" could have been "Bar rabbi," son
of the rabbi, i.e. Jesus...Well, I pretty much gave it up. Still, it
does present some interesting ideas... Jesus never really died, went to
France and thence to England with his family; the Templars' treasure was
esoteric knowledge... Do read it, but remember a large grain of salt.
Right. I'll get off the soapbox now.
Thank you for the reference for Round Table info. Now, if I haven't
loaned that book out yet...
Nansi: I see we agree about Lammas Night. Kurtz is good at what she
does. Oh - it's not in print any longer, which is a shame. Wouldn't you
love to see it as a movie?
Very good point about our 20th century perspective about sacrifice being
different from earlier ideas!
Since I wouldn't dare guess what responses, if any, you're going to get
to the writing question, I'd like to assure you that you can do just
about anything you want. Getting it published may be the difficult
thing. Editors ultimately determine what goes in their zines, and they
can reject stories, just like in real life. However, there are zines
which will print "adult" themes; Apocryphal Albion prints what-ifs and
alternate universe stories... Most zine editors, I think, would prefer
that you keep the characters "feeling" the way they felt and were
portrayed on the show, but this sure as shootin' doesn't leave out
explaining points raised onscreen or extrapolating from said points.
There are so many things a writer can do! I love RoS!
Ariel: Good plug for libraries! I'd like to add to that. Most children's
books have better info than adult books do - and they're easier to read
(unless you're doing a massive research project on a college level, but
for medieval daily life, I'll take kids' books every time).
If you think the Sheriff needs more print time, I bet zine editors would
love to see some stories (hint, hint). I just wish there were more
Scarlet stories. Of course. :-) [Folks - that there is is Smiley, a
nice, easily typed way of saying, "I'm smiling/laughing/joking." -H]
Ladies (Ariel and Laura W.), I meant to say this earlier, but I f-f...
er, mentally misplaced the idea. I agree that TV series don't tend to
explore characters. I'd like to suggest that American TV is especially
bad at this. There's no plot development; how can there be character
development? Frequently, TV shows have a bunch of different writers
doing different episodes. These writers may or may not get a chance to
see the writers' guides for the show, so how can they have any
familiarity with the characters or with what has gone on in the past?
Now, if they'd let fans write the stories... But back to my point.
England seems to do better in the characterization department. Geez,
from what I've seen, there are continuing storylines, with continuing
characters, who actually get a chance to change and grow and develop. I
think RoS does this very well, but I'm definitely partial.
Aren't we all? Nice bit of explication of Robert's actions in Herne's
Son.
Jan: I'm having some (second? third? fourth?) thoughts about how formal
or elaborate the "Weekend in Sherwood" festivities ought to get. We
don't want to scare anybody off. What does anyone else think? Hilda? Are
we too complicated? Should we dump some stuff? Oh, and speaking of -
yes, I like your sequence of 6, 4, 5 better than the original. Shall we
cooperate on the Sherwood visualization? Home is where my heart is,
after all. Or would that be hart? Circle first, party after is my
opinion.
Back to Jan - Yeah! We're definitely into the "artistic license" bit!!!
Note: Are you sure we've "proven we're grown-up enough to handle that
part of the show without giggling"? Then why did some of us use
pseudonyms? Some of the illos in Forbidden Forest raised the room
temperature!
Raven: Have you ever seen one of the "new" traditional retellings of the
Lilith/Adam story? I read it back in college in a feminist theology
book. It was neat. Seems Adam didn't want Lilith for his wife 'cuz she
knew her own mind. She was his equal. Adam didn't like that, so Lilith
got kicked out of Eden and God created Eve as Adam's helpmate. Adam told
Eve all sorts of horrible, terrifying stories about the demon called
Lilith, until one day Lilith came to the Gates of Eden, demanding to be
let back in. Basically, she kicked Adam's ass and she and Eve teamed up.
Talk about taking our heritage back as women! Thought you might enjoy
that.
We're not using either Robin in the party at "Weekend." We thought we'd
just call him "Robin" and leave it open for people to visualize
whichever one they want...want to see, that is! We want to avoid
partiality. Don't want to turn anybody off.
Am I the only one in the fandom who hasn't seen Wicker Man? Geez, I
gotta remedy that before my story Wicker Work comes out in Albion 6!
You know who's responsible for "Marketypes?" Would you mind dropping me
a note? I don't remember where or from whom I heard it first...The
phrase had made the rounds...
You poor person - a 2 hour nuptial mass, in Latin yet! Ugh. I enjoy
Latin - had 2 years of it in high school, but the only way I'd subject
myself to that would be for curiosity's sake. I just happen to have a
priest's missal, pre-Vatican II, which means it's full of the old forms
and it's ALL in Latin. Fascinating stuff. Anyway, Mary is usually
depicted with a crescent moon and stars at her feet or standing on a
snake. She usually wears blue and white - except in depictions of her at
the foot of the cross, where she's usually wearing black. And you're
right that Magdalene tends to be shown dressed in red. There's lots of
wonderful pagan imagery in christianity. Your comments about the gospels
are informed. Thank you.
Hilda: I know the tradition of green as a walking target for the fair
folk. That's cool. I wasn't even thinking of that when I wrote my
comments last letter. Come to think of it, Linda Furey may have been the
one who told me about the green = outlaws.
Question: If Cromm Cruach were populated by illusions, why would they be
so terrified of dying (again?) And why would they seem to remember dying
before? And why would they treat their own so shamefully? Gosh, I could
go on and on. Much as I enjoy the episode for the Will revelations, a
great deal of it just doesn't make any sense. What kind of magic is
Gulnar using there anyway?
Thanks for the notes on vervain. I promise not to toss in too much. But
at least I know now why I picked it. Venus rules Libra. I'm a Libran.
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on everybody's points - including mine.
You're doing an excellent job and making some fascinating discussions,
ideas, and concepts even more wonderful!
Re: comments about Wickham, villages, and covens. Now I'm wondering if
there weren't villages in Sherwood which rejected ALL Robin Hood stood
for - both in the ballads and in what we've been discussing. Anybody??
Well, I've rambled on at length again. Sorry - I honestly meant to keep
it short this time. *Sigh.* Lady Bless.
Nancy Hutchins
Greetings, Cousins! Just thought I'd take a break from mundania and let
you know about an incredible book that's just been published. It's
called Enterprising Women: Television Fandom and the Creation of Popular
Myth, by Camille Bacon-Smith. I was clued into its existence by a friend
of mine who works in the Wellesley College Library and catalogued the
book when the Wellesley libe received it. The book is about Q gasp Q
FANDOM!! In particular, fan fiction, and how it has become an
underground publishing phenomenon. The author takes a feminist slant
that this forum allows women an opportunity to express their artistic
impulses, and to create the positive role models that are so lacking in
the mundane world.
The book focuses mostly on Star Trek fandom, but includes a healthy
discussion of Blake's 7 as well. It also mentions Beauty and the Beast
(and a number of other movies and series) fairly often. Sadly, Robin of
Sherwood is only mentioned once or twice in passing. However, there is
an excellent glossary at the back and an exploration of general fanfic
genres: hurt/ comfort, slash, Mary Sue, etc. The author also devotes
some time to discussing how people become drawn to fandom to begin with,
and what compels them to contribute to fanfic.
Enterprising Women is written in a serious, academic style, but is by no
means dull. In fact, it's quite lively, and I think the author
thoroughly enjoyed herself while researching and writing it (I would
have!) However, I do think she missed a lot by not delving more into RoS
fandom. (On the other hand, it seems that the majority of her research
was done in the early to mid 1980s, before RoS fandom had really taken
off).
I found a copy of this book in the women's studies section of the
Syracuse University library. The ISBN# is 0-8122-3098-1 (hardcover) and
0-8122-1379-3 (paperback). Check out your local libraries for a copy, or
perhaps bookstores carry it in the women's studies or media sections.
It's worth the read!
Take care and Blessed Be!
Kitty Laust-Gamarra
Merry meet, Cousins! First, I want to apologize for my absence in the
last two issues, but as many of you know, I gave birth to my second son
in February and newborns take up a lot of time. During all of this, I am
co-editing two zines, which also takes quite a chunk out of my day. By
necessity, I will keep this short (if possible).
Some quick comments to specific people:
Nansi: The only true no-no in our fandom is slash (this comes from Kip
himself), otherwise you are free to wander wherever the muse leads you.
However, most editors try to keep the stories in character (depending on
their view of the character.) By all means, explore, explain, and
extrapolate those points raised in the series. That's what fan fiction
is all about! And I believe everyone has the "right" to tell their
version of the story, whether or not someone else has previously covered
that material.
Julianne: When I said not to give the characters abilities not in the
show, I was referring to stories I've seen where Robin reads minds or
controls the weather. It is exciting to more fully develop a character,
but you need not add what was never hinted at. I still say you shouldn't
bend a character out of recognition and then try to say it's RoS. Q
Pendulums are also very good at finding lost items and "standard"
directions for yes and no answers have been set up (let's get together
and discuss this at Weekend). Q Green was traditionally the color of
prostitutes, and in some European countries, still is. [I heard a theory
that "Greensleeves" was actually a love song to an army camp follower
whose client mistook business for pleasure. - H] Q Meg was not at Cromm
Cruach; John dreamed about her and later had a vision. Like Hilda, I
think Gulnar created an area where your worst fears were physically
manifested, but Much was "cured" by them and so became one of the
villagers without a "ghost" from his past. Q The "vision" Marion saw in
Witch of Elsdon was sent to her by Herne (she sees him first), and I
guess he can give visions to whomever he wants. When Albion shows her
the vision, that too is probably "from" Herne. Q As to the ritual for
the Cousins party, will there be anything to do for those of us that
aren't initiated into the Pagan religion? (I would love to attend but
found just your outline intimidating. Does it have to be this
complicated?) Q I too felt that Gulnar drove Owen to his death on
purpose. In the show, he acted as if he saw more in that shadow than an
enemy's death.
Janet V.: Good new topics! You may be close to the truth with de Belleme
being a "Loxley fan." It's quite possible he didn't care about Robert,
only Robin. Then again, he might not be strong enough to leave the
castle without the silver arrow (which Herne keeps hidden so it doesn't
go help the baron again). Kip mentioned that he had intended on another
episode with Belleme. It would be interesting to ask him what he
planned. Q I theorize that Arthur was stronger than Herne only in
relation to Robert, specifically through his godfather. The table was
the symbol of the knights' unity and equality. In my opinion, it wasn't
meant to have any miraculous power other than keeping itself from being
hurt (which in a way means that a guardian really wasn't needed) and
bringing Arthur here. The show gave the impression that it was the table
which kept Arthur and his men connected to the earthly England so that
he could return when needed (the king that was, the king that is to be).
Morgana: J.C. Holt does a wonderful job of tracing the original Robin
Hood, giving several different possibilities. I tend to agree with him
that Robin would not have been a nobleman (and I'm a Robert fan - shame,
shame) mainly because the idea of the disinherited earl never came into
the legend until centuries later when the ballads became popular with
the nobility. They didn't want to listen to the exploits of a yeoman, so
he became a nobleman.
Raven: Hats off, Hilda always works too fast for me too! Q I never
intended for people to "tread on eggs" nor think of how the writers
would have handled a character, but rather, to stay with the attributes
that were shown in that character. Besides, to "stay in your character"
means to have your character react as he/she would have on the show. Q
Forgive me, but weren't Sumeria and Babylon in the Middle East? Anyway,
I was referring to the kind of "Satanism" that de Belleme and Morgwyn
were up to; the "Black Magic" of Latin spells and twisted Christian
rituals did wander into England via the crusaders. I'm certain the Celts
had their own perverters of magic, but they would have followed the same
system of earth magic that the good guys did or as Gulnar did. (Has
anyone ever heard of any "black" magic related to the Celtic tradition?)
Not to sound illiterate, but who is Lilith and is she mentioned in the
bible? I only recall Eve as Adam's wife. Q I agree that Gulnar just
wants his own power and to kill the man possessed by Herne. However, in
the most ancient myths, the gods did try to kill each other off (look at
poor Osiris or even the trials of Wayland). I think it reasonable that
Fenris might be trying to get rid of Herne the god.
Hilda: I must take umbrage at your idea that in the Midwest we are too
backwards to accept pagans. St. Paul/Minneapolis has a very high occult
population. But I'm certain you meant no offense. Q Back again to the
Celt/Saxon division. I still hold to the belief that by the 1100s there
were no "Celts" in a strict sense. By then, the Celts and Saxons would
have been pretty well mixed, just as Americans are no longer pure Irish,
English, German, or whatever your ancestors might have been. I agree
about the Gauls/Celts originating in Central Europe. The Spanish believe
they were invaded by the Celts some time before the Romans (thus the
region of Galicia where the language is not Spanish). There is a theory
that the original inhabitants of the Iberian peninsula were the
survivors of Atlantis. Historically, the center of the Tarsus Empire was
somewhere on the eastern coast - perhaps the descendants of Atlantis?
But I digress here. Q LoC's are fine except for one thing, they come too
late to help your story. Many times I've received very constructive
comments after publication that make me wish I could still rewrite the
story. However, it is true that no one should tell someone else what to
write, and that has never been my intention. I only want to help build
better stories and writers. When all is said and done, these are matters
of opinion and actually quite personal.
Most of you probably know my feelings about Marion staying at Halstead.
She had a bit of a breakdown, but once she had time to really think,
she'd return to Sherwood where she could help the downtrodden. This is,
after all, the same woman who literally hit her husband to be allowed to
help in the fight. As third season evolved, I saw Marion come to first
accept and then actually love Robert. None of us ever really forgets our
first love, but how many of us refused to ever love again? In defense of
her "heartless" attitude at the end of Time of the Wolf, Kip wrote and
began filming this episode before he knew the show was canceled. It had
been his intention to use Judi in three episodes of the fourth season,
at the end of which she would have left Halstead and married Robert (he
and I discussed this at Son of Herne's Con Q he said she would have
returned after meditating and deciding that she really belonged in
Sherwood.) So, if there had been just one more season, this whole
question would never have come up.
A couple of new points to hash over: Who sent Marion the vision of
Robert dead at the Circle of Nine Maidens and why? Isn't there a myth
about the nine maidens being women who were turned to stone while
dancing? Does anyone else think the Tuatha de Danaan are the Fairy and
not meant to be gods? Why was Herne able/willing to save Marion's life
at the Wheel but not Robin's on the Tor? (Besides the obvious departure
of Praed, that is.) If Cerridwen was the Crone and Creiddyld the Bride,
then what was the British/Welsh name of the Maiden? (The only ones I can
find are Irish.) Why can't I ever write a short letter?
Sorry, Hilda, I promised to be brief, but these topics are just so
fascinating that it's impossible. Until next time, Herne protect you
all.
Ariel
Dear Cousins, Merry Meet! Summer is finally here, thank goodness! I was
getting rather tired of rainy/cold/rainy and cold/snowy weather, which
lasted ('round these parts, anyway) until about May 5! What a looong
winter!
Well, to jump right into the letters from Issue #5:
Julianne: Hello! I think I might have originated the discussion about
making characters more or less than what they appear to be on TV. I feel
like there's a difference (probably a subtle one) between developing a
character, getting into his/her thoughts or feelings, and endowing that
character with paranormal or supernatural abilities. For example, a
number of stories have Robin reading people's minds. If he could really
do that, why didn't he employ it more often in the on-air series?
Needless to say, it would have killed the plot! [And embarrassed most of
the female characters to death... -H]
Your suggestion regarding Marion's apparent nervous breakdown in Herne's
Son is quite sound, given Owen's character. (I think Janet Reedman uses
this scenario as a reason Marion retreats to Halstead in her story
Twilight of the Gods.) One quibble, though. If Owen had already raped
Marion, why was it necessary to drug her for the Feast of Arianrhod, to
make her "more than willing?"
Your Mary/Lady hypothesis is interesting. A book I read on King Arthur
(Warriors of Arthur, author's name temporarily forgotten) suggests that
Arthur may have carried an image of the Virgin on his shield because it
would be acceptable to both Pagans and Christians alike, since Mary
represents the Lady in all Her aspects.
Cromm Cruac? The only reason (I think) Loxley didn't show up was because
he probably would have appeared to Marion, who wasn't in the village
until the very end of the story (to say nothing of Michael's being out
of the country). It would have been a nasty twist, and has the potential
of an excellent apocryphal scenario! (If you'll recall in Jenni's The
Hooded Man, one of the outlaws refers to Loxley's resurrection via
Belleme's sorcery as "Marion's Cromm Cruac," i.e. , something she
desperately wanted to believe was real.) I don't think the village was
so much a Celtic afterworld as a complex illusion created by Gulnar,
preying on the worst fears and inner demons of the outlaws.
I've been hunting around for a copy of Lammas Night, but haven't come
across one yet, not even in the local used book store.
As for "adding to the stock literature portfolio," I'm of two minds. On
the one hand, I know what it's like to be a beginning fan writer,
thinking, "Oh, wouldn't that be a neat idea," then reading a back issue
of a 'zine where five writers have already done it, and better than I'll
ever be able to. (What do you do then? Submit yet another contribution
to a time-worn genre, or let your manuscript collect dust?) On the other
hand, I've read a number of stories that have made me sigh and think,
"Not that plotline again!" So I've been on both ends of the stick, and
while certain genres annoy me, I also understand what draws people to
these genres in the first place. And I must admit, it's always a delight
when someone crafts an entry into a stock genre which alters the
equation of that story type. For example, there's a piece in Legend 4
which describes a "new" Hooded Man: he's "Reuben of Sherwood," a Jewish
boy (the story name escapes me at the moment and I don't have the 'zine
in front of me.). Needless to say, Reuben is going to have a different
frame of reference than his "Pagano-Christian" predecessors.
On the Weekend in Sherwood ritual: one small suggestion. Could we
possibly address Marion as "Lady," rather than as "Maiden?" To my way of
thinking, "Maiden" implies that we believe Marion represents this aspect
of the Goddess, whereas "Lady" is a more generic address of respect.
This is just a quibble; I won't be upset if we keep "Maiden." I just
thought I'd run the idea past the Cousins to see what they think.
As for Wickham, I'll have to agree with Hilda that it's a village, not a
coven. Robin's speech is (in my opinion) a kind of welcoming address to
get the festivities kicked off (gee, for a Wiccan, I tend to prefer
mundane explanations, don't I?)
Biblical stuff: I'm currently reading a really neat book called A Matter
of Time by Beverly Byrne, about a missing testament of the Bible called
the "Alexandrian Testament," which if discovered, could throw the modern
church into a tizzy. It's excellent reading and I recommend it strongly.
WHAT "copious spare time?" Where is it?? Roosting?? (*giggle*)
I think Gulnar did goad Owen to his death, even if it was to fulfill his
own prophecy. Watching the scene, I think Gulnar knew perfectly well
that the portcullis was going to come down at any second (don't forget,
Robert had already run under the gate), and yet he tells Owen, "Now, my
lord!" Whereupon Owen goes chasing after Robert and...well, we know what
happens next. And if ANYONE writes an apocryphal where Robert ends up
getting killed in that scene, I will personally draw and quarter said
individual! So there.
In almost any story where Robert meets the resurrected Robin (or Robin's
ghost), Robin is full of sage advice for his successor.
Convents...I have foggy memories of conversations with Jeannie Pellerin
(were you with us?) where she described medieval convents (according to
her research) as a kind of "hotel" for rich widows and unmarried
daughters. Some of the things that went on might have been more akin to
Law and Order! There's a wonderful scene in Erika Jong's novel
Serenissima which describes a nunnery that is literally a brothel. Makes
you think...hey, that would be a hysterical story idea: Marion leaves
Halstead when she realizes what really goes on after Compline!
Janet V.: Belleme? To quote Blessed Be 3, he's "gone to writer's limbo,"
another victim of the fourth season's being axed. As I understand, he
might have made a reappearance in the Season that Never Was. For good
post-Time of the Teeth Belleme fanfic, check out Disillusion by Laura
Chevening, (Albion 3), The Hooded Man by Jenni, and Resurrection by
Cindy Fairbanks (Longbow IV). I personally recommend the third very
strongly.
Silver Arrow? Herne gave it back to Robin at the end of Enchantment and
from there it was never seen again. Apparently, Herne was keeping it
between Sorcerer and Enchantment (Robin did have to steal it to give it
to Lilith) so it's my guess that Robin would have ultimately given it
back to Herne. After all, if Robin had had the Arrow on him in Greatest
Enemy, wouldn't the Sheriff have gloated over getting his hands on it
again?
Unfortunately, I haven't the foggiest notion why the Table was more
priceless than the Grail, or for that matter, Excalibur. Never heard of
an Arthurian saga where there was a "quest for the Round Table!" Maybe
I'll have a better idea after I've plowed through Mists of Avalon.
Your musings on Loxley/arrows and Huntingdon/ swords are absolutely
perfect! (In fact, one of my many "back burner" story plots is Robert's
eventual demise, by sword.) It also makes sense that Robin, a peasant,
would be more familiar with the longbow (after all, he didn't even learn
to swordfight until Will taught him in Sorcerer.) By contrast, Robert, a
nobleman, would most likely have mastered the sword earlier and (my
guess) would probably only have been able to practice the bow in secret.
Nansi: Fascinating notes on human sacrifice! Wasn't Herne's Con 2 a
delight? I really appreciate Chris and Denise's being able to put on
Weekend in Sherwood, but there was something special about Herne's Con.
There are no limits whatsoever on what you can or can't write in terms
of fanfic. However, there are limits to what editors will accept. (The
only thing that's really taboo in RoS is homosexual relationships
between explicitly heterosexual characters, which Kip has asked us to
refrain from creating.) Exploring the unexplained, overlooked, or
underdeveloped aspects of any show is one of fanfic's reasons for
existing! Of course, people may disagree wildly with your
interpretations, but friendly debate is one of the most enjoyable
activities in fandom.
Raven: Your information on black magic is fascinating! You make a good
point about people practicing "evil sorcery" for their personal gain.
Robin of Skyron? He he ! Now there's one I'd love to see! I think we are
of one mind on that fine line between exploring a character's hidden
talents and making that character other than human (which is unfair to
the rest of the mere mortals in the cast). I'm being mundane again, I
know, but I'm more interested in the characters as human beings. This
reminds me yet again of my "other" favorite fandom, Dr. Who. At first,
the Doctor was just an ordinary time-tripping alien [dime a dozen... -H]
who couldn't keep his nose out of other people's troubles, but by the
end of the 26th season, he was this Super-Time Lord with all these
mysterious "powers." It really takes away from the character.
Our Lady of Sherwood? I love it!
Your observations on Robert demanding Marion's hand as "payment" for
rescuing her from Clun are right on! (And another potential what-if.) I
think Robin came to the forest for more than just Marion.
I've never read a story that makes Robin look weak or spineless. Another
observation (one that others may or may not agree with): it seems to me
that in stories where bad things happen to Robin it's because of some
external event he can't control. With Robert (sometimes, but by no means
always), bad things happen because of some inherent flaw in his
character (or at least his poor judgment). What say you?
Hilda: I think we should keep the circle announcement as discreet as
possible. A meeting of "Cousin Jennet" is probably simple and effective.
I would love to have a Cousins con! Even a one day event/gabfest would
be nice. If the weather is good, perhaps an outdoor park or wooded area?
Yes, the last time I checked, A/U meant alternate universe.
Check out any of Jean Auel's Earth's Children novels to see the kind of
work required of hunter/gatherers to simply survive. (The Valley of
Horses and Plains of Passage are particularly good for illustrating what
this might have entailed for individuals constantly on the move.) Then
consider the lengthy period of priestess training described in Marion
Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon, and you'll get an idea that the two
activities, for all practical purposes, are incompatible. I can't see
Herne's Son also being Herne's Apprentice.
I liked the rest of your comments and agreed with most of them except
Robin-as-Sidhe (which I've already rattled on about at length, so I
won't bend your ear any more).
Well, this is long enough! Take care, one and all! Merry Meet, Merry
Part!
Julie Phipps
Dear Cousins, Hello! Firstly I'd like to thank Hilda for sending copies
of Cousins, all of which I found very interesting.
For those who don't know me, I've been a fan of RoS since it began. My
fav characters are Will Scarlet (Hello, Julianne!), Sir Guy of Gisburne,
and both Robins. I've also been lucky enough to attend all three
Greenwood cons, where Robert Addie nicknamed me 'a pest!' but I was
lucky enough to get a kiss off him.
I've also recently attended A Celebration of Belt
ane, where it was nice
to see Mark Ryan again. And we also learned how Mark was expelled from
school. [Well, I've printed it; let's hope I don't get expelled from
anything! -H] It was an interesting day, but the organisers seemed to
run out of time, but despite this my friends and I had a great time. It
was also nice to meet Chris and Denise of Spirit of Sherwood.
I'm also a would-be writer and poet. One of the reasons I fell in love
with RoS in the first place was the 'magic and supernatural' feel the
series held. It's funny how Michael's Robin seemed more 'fey' than
Jason's Robin; how do others feel about this? And I suppose Robert would
have been brought up a Christian.
Julianne: HIYA! I'll try and locate some books on the Pagan beliefs in
Saxon England. What I'm after is a book on Celtic names which is useful
for stories, etc.
I like your comments regarding Cromm Cruach. I only like the episode
also because you learn more about Will's past. It does seem odd that
Loxley didn't show, probably because Kip had to steer clear of Loxley's
character, but it could have been interesting. Could have had a scene
between Loxley and Much?
Janet R.: Hello! So you made it over to England again, well, I said I
wasn't surprised. I knew how upset you were last time you tried to see
Michael in Aspects. Look forward to seeing you again later this year!
Christine Haire: It was great to meet you and Denise. I'm looking
forward to receiving my membership kit for Spirit, and my photo of
Michael and Jason was a classic photo! Also, Helena tells me she enjoys
being a 'St.' Until then she'd never realised she'd lived in a previous
life. Do you know any more about St. Helena? Might be interesting to
other people in Cousins.
Well, I guess that's all for now. Until next time, merry meet and
Blessed Be.
Mike Morton
Greetings to all. Salutations and Warmest Felicitations (In other words,
"hi.")
In my last note I promised to keep looking for reference to current
Wiccan practices that are based (at least in part) on the tradition and
lore of Robin Hood. A good friend of mine from California had mentioned
it in a letter, so I dug through my "archives," brushed the dust and
cobwebs from the box with her correspondence in it, and searched through
all her letters.
She had found a reference to this in Ray Buckland's Compleat Book of
Witchcraft, which she quotes in regard to Deboran Wicca: "Coven leaders
are called Robin and Marian, with their second-in-commands called the
Maiden and Green Man." I'm afraid that's all she wrote in the letter
about it...anxious readers may need to get a copy of Buckland's book to
seek further details.
Another good source on Deboran Wicca might be the Encyclopedia of
American Religions by Gordon Melton. This is a massive reference item
found in most libraries. Melton dedicates an entire section to Wiccan
and magical groups, including several Pagan organizations. In some
editions of the encyclopedia there are addresses for points of contact
as well as publications issued by the organization. If the edition does
not contain addresses, inquiries to his Institute (available through the
Encyclopedia) may provide this information.
Bright Blessings to you all. May the Horned God provide for you and the
Laughing Goddess bring joy and mirth to you hearth and home.
Hilda
Sharon - Thank you for restocking my stash of Fun Words! You do know
some good ones!
Is Robin of Loxley dead? I agree that the Sheriff himself could never
destroy Robin, but he may have been an unwitting tool of stronger forces
working as part of a bigger pattern. Rache's song Parting Thoughts comes
to mind, in which Robin tells the Sheriff: "As you wish to you shall
have me fall/But never see me on my knees/You'll do as you are
compelled/And I'll go as I please." Anyway, I agree that Robin did not
stop existing at the end of The Greatest Enemy, but he may have chosen a
different way of being. Freedom, he might have called it. Or he might
have been nursed back to health by a nun or an old hag or Herne or some
farmer or the Lady knows who...
Robert's visions being more "down to earth" could have been quite an
advantage, considering the initial effects of Herne's sendings on Robin
of Loxley. Each vision seemed only to confuse him at first, and
oftentimes didn't even make a dent in his headstrong approach to a
crisis until it was nearly too late. But they evoked "that intense
listening expression" that Woodswalker mentioned in Issue 4, and helped
solidify our conception of Robin as one who paid attention to a side of
the world that reveals itself to only few.
Barbara Walker mentions the Persian "peri" beings as being "...djinn or
fallen angels; or again, that they were female spirit guides like the
shakti of India...In Armenia, the peri was openly recognized as a man's
female, emotional soul." Perhaps this has something to do with modern
gay men's embracing the term "faery," or with all of the dorky jokes
about the Merry Men!
Linda - Wow, that's minimalist! You already know that I'd prefer not to
use the RoS characters in the directional invocations. Not only is it
too complicated, it's too forced. But I would like to take the time in
our informal circle at Weekend to create a good, solid magical
experience that anyone can understand - joining hands, singing a simple
song or hearing a poem, introducing ourselves, feeding each other...
We'll certainly want to define our magical space, but a stroll around
the perimeter with an athame or some nice incense, accompanied by a
simple explanation, will do. Those of us who would be more comfortable
with a more substantial boundary can handle it silently without
intimidating anyone. In fact, what we already have looks fine. But the
quarters could be given more intuitive forms: the winds of Sherwood (the
spirit of the storyteller); the campfire (the flame that holds us
together); Darkmere, rivers, and rain (the power of dream); the oaks of
Sherwood (our strengths and talents all pulling together), and the love
in our hearts. Then we can move on to some simple sharing exercises to
let us fully experience our fellowship, such as the ones I listed above.
Then, the blessing bowl.
Sigh! It's one thing to agree to disagree, and quite another to try to
plan anything at the same time! Someone wants me to work on Trust, I
think...
Chris - Well, on the one hand, I guess I needn't feel bad about the
psychic abilities that I may simply not have hereditarily...but I know
that I must have mule or ox blood somewhere back in my family tree,
since I'm stubborn enough to keep trying anyway! I only hope that my
four- legged forebears spread their genes as far as did the Psychic
Family, or my friends of African and Chinese and Amerind and other
ancestries might be tempted to give up! (Just like me to have mule blood
in my lineage, as it's rumored to be impossible...)
Another opinion on the Hanson-Roberts deck! For the record, one of my
friends who reads professionally finds its very cuteness helpful in
reading for strangers who come to the Tarot with a limited
understanding. She finds that she can discuss things with them that
might otherwise frighten them if they're looking at Ms. H-R's
reassuringly adorable images. How about an impromptu exhibit of what
people come up with in the RoS Tarot Art party? I figure you're a better
judge than I of what will wash and what won't in Novi, Michigan. Wow, a
fine bit of trivia just surfaced: Linda Furey informs me that "NOVI" is
from the old Pony Express Stop Number 6, "No. VI" in Roman numerals.
Gisburne as the Moon??? Dark moon, maybe, in those black undies! Are
John and Meg the King and Queen of Fishing Poles? Have you got DC
Comics' address?
Woodswalker: My impression of what happened to Herne in Lord of the
Trees is that a relatively minor wound nonetheless stopped such an old
man in his tracks, but once his heart rate got back to normal he could
probably get home and get cleaned up, poulticed, and bandaged. I'm sure
he had plenty of willing help.
Thank you for your patience with my "Damsel in Shining Armor"
manifestation. I just think that Michael didn't take off more clothing
because he would have totally eclipsed his co-stars. Either that or
they'd have chucked the cocky creature in the river, garter and all! And
he'd have looked just as nice...
5 stars for The White Raven. I loved it. Sorry we crossed in the mail
yet again - maybe the bimonthly format will remedy some of that.
Meanwhile, Happy Litha!
I know a lot of Tarot readers, and few if any are trying to "predict the
future." As I see it, Tarot is a way of translating your situation
through a set of images with basic, intuitive implications within the
context of a specific culture. This opens the door to the individual
will, so often ignored to the point of invisibility nowadays, and gives
you a clearer view to your own individual outlook and desire. Its
apparent "random" element, the order and position in which the cards
turn up, is a gateway for external guidance: what I call "the Goddess
and God," but what in my experience doesn't worry too much about names.
I disagree with your statement that "A really rational man would have
stayed in the castle and worked behind the scenes." Robert accepted the
Hood precisely because he saw the futility of attempting to change from
within a system designed to make change impossible. My favorite
illustration of this is in Rache's Staying (Apocryphal Albion 1), where
Robert says to his father: "You're saying our highest aim is to avoid
becoming overly monstrous. We can't actually aspire to being good men."
Something an "environmental terrorist" would surely understand... I do
very much agree that Robert's passionate conviction is his primary
identifying trait.
Thank you for the punctuality award...I think! I'll admit, it's odd to
be honored by having folk bring an entire roast boar with all the
trimmings to my Harvest Potluck, so that I spend the entire feast
dashing to the neighboring villages for more tables, bowls, carving
knives, and wine cups, when I was only expecting to enjoy myself with
the same old familiar peasant crowd with their stewed turnips and skins
of homebrew! I'd love to do an All-RoS Letterzine if I didn't have to
hold down a job, but as things stand I choose the aspect of the show
that I love most, and that gives me the energy to bang out megapages of
text for the sheer excitement of sharing Sherwood's magic. Ironically,
if Cousins became a generic RoS letterzine, the very volume of mail
would make punctuality (and possibly my handling it at all) impossible.
So far I've done my best not to chop up people's letters too much for
the sake of "sticking to the point," but if it comes down to a choice
between that and scrapping the letterzine altogether, I'll definitely be
tempted.
Janet V. - I see calling the quarters as one of a series of steps into
ritual consciousness, rather than as an arbitrary ritualistic trapping.
Please remember that, while magical consciousness comes easily to you,
this is an open circle to which we're inviting just about anyone who
wants to come. Most of us didn't grow up in Wickham! Expecting people to
have memorized standard correspondences for the directions would be a
definite mistake, but inviting different sides of ourselves to the fore
in turn, with simply-phrased explanations, is like walking people
through a kaleidoscope of internal seasons and saying, "Here is another
thing about you that is beautiful..." It's a fun way to gently sift
people down through mind to heart and soul, which are aspects more
easily shared. Otherwise, I worry that people who aren't accustomed to
working magic might get to attend a "nice ceremony" but that the reality
of participating in a magical working might whiz right by them. I'd like
to take the time to softly, gradually reintroduce people to their
magical selves and get our perspectives solidly aligned before we go
into the actual working - else it could come off scattered, confusing,
pointless, or worst of all...cute!
Technically, we may not have room to move at all! Any ritual plan will
have to take this possibility into consideration.
I love your blessing, and really want to use it! I also like the idea of
keeping props to a minimum. I would, however, want to do a very
deliberate grounding exercise at the very end. Again, it's probably
never required conscious effort for you, but I don't want people
meandering around leaving their wallets on vendors' tables and
forgetting meals and sleep. These are things that happen to people like
me if we don't go out of our way to link back in with the here and now.
I guess my number one problem with all of this is my fear that it could
turn into a contest. That probably sounds silly to you, as it will to
anyone who habitually lives and breathes magical reality. But magic is
so counter to our modern Western culture that there's an ever-present
danger that people will feel inadequate when dealing with an unfamiliar
worldview and immediately want to establish themselves as top banana, or
at least "above average" (like back home in Lake Wobegon). Also, Cousins
is still a babe in arms, and with this *&#$%@ Depression undermining
just about everyone's pet projects, people might fear that their ideas
won't ever get used if they don't get used in this particular ritual.
Our challenge now is to make a decent pot of broth with umpteen zillion
cooks. My point is: I think we're going to want to get together at
Weekend in Sherwood some time before the ritual and sort out the actual
ritual sequence at the last minute. There are loads of ideas, all of
them excellent, and we'll have to iron out how to keep it simple and
non-threatening without making anyone feel slighted. In short, serious
magic.
Tara - So that's why Ragnell pulled such a sneaky trick on Sir Gawain,
insisting that he make love to her yucky hag-self before informing him
that what women want most is "sovereignty" and taking on the form of a
beautiful young woman. It kind of illustrates how the idea of royalty
has changed over the years, from a doleful responsibility that only
revealed its beauty when fully embraced, to today's glitzy, empty fairy-
tale glamour that seems to bring its heirs no joy in the end. It's very
much the story of Robert, who was offered the privilege of the
aristocracy but chose true sovereignty instead. (Say - why does
"Ragnell" sound so much like "regent" and "reign?")
I just had an odd thought. If you named a sword after the Caillech
Brre, that sword would have to be the right and mark of sovereignty,
wouldn't it? Caillech Berre, Caliburn, so who could spell back then
anyway? They probably thought that the thing on the king's head was a
"crone!"
My editorial staff consists of a few of my spare personalities. I type,
they argue.
So, how did we end up with the word "king" for king, when it doesn't
sound like anyone else's term for the same idea?
Beloved of Arianrhod is a skit that performed a bunch of us at Son of
Herne's Con. It involved a markedly imperfect (lame) Sacred King and an
organized Sisterhood of Arianrhod. I'll send you the script. Call it a
reprint - anybody else who wants it, send a SASE. It has absolutely
nothing to do with Robin Hood, so it's not exactly zine fodder.
I don't remember where I saw it, but I've read at least one story that
cast Matthew of Wickham, son of Edward and Alison, as Robert's
successor. Makes perfect sense to me. What I wonder is, who's the next
Maiden? Not a noblewoman, we've done that... How about a foreigner? A
Sidhe/transdimensional? Someone who illustrates simply by her outsider-
ness that England needn't always give birth; that She can adopt? Yes,
I'm dreaming. Say - how about a Norman? I think that would be great! Oh,
no, I hear the approaching slippers of a thousand Marie Suzannes...
Weren't the Devil and the Anti-Christ two different characters? And if
"christ" means "anointed one," does "anti-christ" mean "the one who
wiped it off"? Probably not.
Never, never, NEVER admit to kidnapping in print. You may have just
implicated me as an accomplice. (Jason, pack up your stuff and go home.
It never happened.)
Yes, Maypole safety needs. A well-wrapped Maypole is a joy to behold.
Amber - I agree with the proposition that "Robin Hood" is more title
than name, but I definitely don't translate it as "messiah" or "savior."
I prefer the generative/anatomical interpretation (Issue 3, Page 10,
Column 2), since it's not only etymologically traceable, it refers to
something essentially human rather than to one set apart. Also,
fertility is a process, something that keeps on happening, while
salvation is a one-time event that has either happened yet or it hasn't.
The Robins of RoS held no illusions of redeeming the downtrodden of
England and righting the social structure once and for all, but accepted
the ongoing task of seeding hope and strength among those who might
otherwise have none.
Debbi - I'd also heard that "to go around by Robin Hood's barn" is to
take any circuitous route, verbally or physically (i.e., going from
Boston to Ithaca by way of New York City).
According to the ballad of "Robin Hood and the Potter," (which Joseph
Ritson declares to have been written by "a vulgar and illiterate
person,") Robin sold cheap even when his goods weren't stolen. A potter
who travelled regularly through Sherwood without paying Robin's "toll"
beats him sorely in a fight over this matter, and Robin decides to use
him in a plan to embarrass the Sheriff. He praises the potter's yeomanry
and proposes a deal: that they temporarily trade clothes and jobs. Robin
goes thence to Nottingham and sells the potter's pots: "The pots that
were worth pennies five, he sold them for pennies three." He sold out in
record time, reserving the last five pots as a gift for the screffeys
weyffe - I mean the Sheriff's wife. She subsequently invites him to an
archery contest, where the "potter" attributes his fine shooting to a
bow he got from Robin Hood. This thoroughly awes the Sheriff, who bets
the "potter" a hundred pounds that he can't show the Sheriff the famous
Robin Hood. Robin compliments the Sheriff's wife, gives her a gold
ring, and conducts the Sheriff to Sherwood, where he indeed sees (and is
robbed by) the object of their bet. Robin then pays the real potter with
the money he stole from the Sheriff, far more than the original load of
pots was worth, while back in Nottingham the Sheriff's wife laughs at
her husband: "Now have you paid for all the pots that Robin gave to me!"
Now wit ye wel, myn Cosyns wys
Thys vers be hard to rede;
Bot if woldst lawgh et ye prowde screffe
To Ritson's boke gyf heede.
Besides, some of it is in almost normal English!
Nansi: Merrie Women, huh? It brings up the whole matter of how each of
the Merries, had they been Marys, would have been a Mary Sue! Your nun
will have to be the intellectual equivalent of Abbess Hildegard von
Bingen, and I can't guess how you're going to manage Little Joan! Have a
blast, though. I'm looking forward to your story! (Wilhelmina, however,
is convinced that it's a stupid idea that will just get you into
trouble, but she's had too much to drink. Lotta may not understand it,
but she thinks you're a nice lady and will help out however she can.
Fatima is keeping her opinion to herself. Robyn's scowling off into the
fog again, and...Hey! Who's HE???)
For a Sacrificial Queen story you'll never forget, read Dagger Spring by
Susan M. Shwartz in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Greyhaven anthology (Daw,
New York, 1983). The very fact that I remembered where it was and went
to the trouble to ransack my lair to verify its location is proof of its
beauty - ask anyone who's been here!
Okay, I'll bite - why is the broom plant sacred to Witches? It has
obvious purification significance, and was part of Math ab Mathonwy's
and Gwydion's "recipe" for Blodeuwedd. Apparently it also "cleans out"
the human body in every conceivable way, including inducing labor. Maybe
something to do with emptying oneself for divine use? A bit literal for
my taste, I think.
More meanderings on names: Jean, Janine, Jonet, et al. are sometimes
explained in Baby Name Books as feminizations of "John," the modern
variant of the old sea-god name Oannes (i.e. Jonah). Multiple
mythologies correlated horses with the sea (Epona, Poseidon), possibly
because of the horselike appearance of the breakers as they arrive on
the beach. Once an ocean, always a horse? Likewise the names Mari, Mary,
Marion, etc. (mare, ocean, and "mare").
Nansi - I agree heartily with everything you say, except for your
description of Hugo as "tolerant" in Lord of the Trees. He displays
learning (wealth of information) without wisdom (understanding) in that
he is familiar with the names and practices of the season's observances;
but his only use for these facts is to keep himself, his wealth, and
(grudgingly and without success) his brother out of trouble.
I'd be a real fly-by-night if I didn't acknowledge that I (gasp!) stole
the holography idea from a certain Royd Erris. I admit, sometimes I'd
like there to be two of me right here - one to clean up the supper mess,
talk on the phone, and look things up, and one to chatter at y'all
through dear Rapunzel's overworked keyboard.
Kip - Please indulge me in my folly, as I insist on studying the dirt
under the Goddess' fingernails and seeking out the sacred everywhere...
You, as a maker of worlds, should know as well as anyone that any world
has as many identities as it has inhabitants, and you've feathered a
nice cozy nest for a flock of mystics! Yes, many of us are occasionally
overzealous in our search for magical interpretations - but you started
it.
An aside - Broken Images has the same feeling, the same mirror-pool
shiveriness and measured, contemplative pace as one of my all-time fan
favorites, Harmony of Opposites by Julianne Toomey. Their use of
comparison and contrast is also very similar.
Act without thinking, huh? It's hopeless! We'll pull the petals off of
your very letter for months, I'm sure! It's not out of fear of the
unknown or disrespect for you or lack of intuitive appreciation. We want
to show off how clever we are, we want to make what you are a part of
our worlds, we want to share what we get all too few chances to share.
We're cicadas trying to recite Homer (or Greeks trying to become
summer), children of an intellect-worshipping culture enjoying what we
love the only way we know how. And if we bash into walls and fall down
holes and tie ourselves in knots in the process, at least we'll have fun
doing it. That much I think I can safely promise.
I use "single-source theory" to mean any method of defining a culture as
a direct derivation of a specific previous culture, rather than as a
combination of the cultural attributes of everybody from Pict to Italian
who's interbred to produce the society in question. So, if I called
Bellarmine jugs an artistic evolution of some specific Hindu art form,
I'd be using single- source theory, but if I mumbled vaguely about
Mediterranean pottery construction techniques combined with Teutonic
visual ideals and a Celtic predisposition for heaving things into lakes,
I'd be...me, probably. And most likely guessing or lying outright. But
it would sound great.
Your choice of the old, traditional Marseilles deck pleases me in an odd
way - it kind of Yangs out some of the Yinniness of your distaste for
"religion." Some intuition, some tradition. Kip, you're great!
Why do American television programmers scramble British shows? Maybe
because they don't speak the language.
On Paganism trying to be a hierarchical religion: Yes, it's a disaster.
But again, we're bucking our whole upbringing. I guess it's something
each of us will have to break a few bones on before we decide to walk
around it. So don't shout so! We'll just rebel all the worse. Remember,
having started (or at least reawakened) all this, you've been
unwillingly drafted and bound kicking and screaming to a pedestal. I
don't envy you in the least. But please don't worry about that part of
the human psyche that's Pagan. I really don't think that'll die, no
matter what perversions we subject it to.
Likewise, I agree that Paganism and ceremonial magic make an awkward
marriage at best, but let's call it a marriage of expediency. I don't
know about over there, but we Americans (especially the little boys)
have had our intuitive gifts ridiculed, punished, and ignored since we
came into the world. To stop analyzing everything to death and hiding
from anything even slightly mysterious takes hard work (except, I guess,
for you and Janet VanMeter). Ceremonial magic, and the ceremonial
aspects of "organized" (although that certainly doesn't describe most of
it) Wicca, offer a crafty (!) method of tricking ourselves into using
our beloved obsession with structure and pattern to ease us out of our
accustomed patterns. A memorized structure that acknowledges magic is a
step away from memorized defenses against our own nature - and
everybody's got to start somewhere!
Yes, "fen" is the plural of fan. You got bogged down in the selfsame
phenomenon, after all!
Now I want to know how people regard black cats in England... Pointers,
anyone? Here it's supposed to be bad luck if one crosses your path.
Well, Kip, you've come smack up against the Number One occupational
hazard of the hypertalented writer. Your characters have gotten away
from you. They make fun of Julianne for acting timid. They kick me in
the shins for saying unfair things. They remind us of promises we'd
rather forget, goad us into situations that we might otherwise miss out
of apathy, scold us for selling ourselves short, and often act in ways
that are directly at odds with what you tried so hard not to treat as a
rigid "agenda." What can I say? Oops. And thanks.
Janet R. - Maybe Gulnar had made some sort of bargain with Cromm Cruach
that somehow linked their fates and transferred the effects of the
beastie's holy water allergy to Gulnar?
Here's a theory on the garter: some bottom-rung Costume Department
flunkie "innocently" suggests that they secure that particular bit of
padding with a strip of red cloth, and since nobody objects, wings a
gorgeous bit of symbolism over everybody else's head and informs the
world: "Yes, somebody here is paying attention! Blessed be!"
Caesar didn't take the Celts' hairdressing practices into account when
he described them as "fair-haired." The Celts often used lime water as a
sort of paleo-mousse to stiffen and lighten their hair (although even
natural blondes were noted to favor this practice). So if anybody tries
to sell you an "ancient" artifact depicting Celts with spiked Mohawks,
try not to laugh too hard!
Maybe the Celts, after having driven England's pre-Celtic inhabitants
into the country's more remote and less desirable areas on their
arrival, fled to those same pockets of cultural preservation when the
Saxons and later the Normans arrived. That would explain the
preponderance of "Pictish" monuments and artifacts in areas usually
referred to as "Celtic." Say - maybe the tendency to consider
inaccessible mountains, dangerous swamps, impenetrable forests, and
high, rocky places more "magical" than other sorts of terrain arises
from the fact that those are the areas that invaders didn't consider
worth bothering with, so the people there got a better chance to
practice their indigenous magics without persecution or dilution of
their traditions.
I like some Mary Sue stories. If a Mary Sue character is obviously a
clone of, say, Alice; and she shares both Alice's unfailing sense of
direction and Alice's poor eyesight, then all I can say is, "Way to go,
Alice!" But if she has Alice's knowledge of botany but not Alice's
inability to keep her mouth shut, I start to yawn. An idealized version
of anyone is not a character.
Pete Marsh??? That's reeeally bad! I love it! I hope he has a sense of
humor, because I laughed myself silly! But I have one problem with the
title of Ms. Ross' book: Would Pete have been considered a Druid?
Taranis et al. seem like ill-defined "transitional deities," with names
and realms dripping with a militaristic yearning for national identity.
Perhaps Pete was a very late "Druid" who gave his life to placate the
gods that he himself had grown up with, but his grandparents mightn't
have approved.
Julianne - I'm not convinced Belleme was ever fully alive. He seemed to
have mortgaged his soul quite thoroughly. Lilith's use of the Arrow to
revive him seemed more like an anti-pin in a voodoo doll than any sort
of lasting cure. You see that a lot, using "the hair of the dog" to
break a spell; from needing a photograph of whoever hexed you to get out
from under a hex, to keeping something from your homeland nearby to
combat homesickness. It's like the Yin in the Yang (thanks, Kip!) or the
St. George dirge the middle of the May Song, using an outward sign to
confront the inner shadow.
I won't add to the silliness over why Marion would have confiscated the
Arrow. How close to Jesus was Mary Magdalene? Close enough to get John
the Younger off the hook, maybe...that's another theory I've heard.
Tzipora Klein said recently, while introducing a song:
"Grandfather, is it true that the lion is the
smartest and the strongest of all the beasts?"
"Yes, child, in all of the stories the lion tells,
he is the smartest and strongest of all the beasts."
"Then, Grandfather, why does the man outsmart
the lion in all of our stories?"
"Silly child. Look who's telling the story."
Jesus was a champion of love. There are so many love taboos in our
culture today, and so much of history and myth has been rewritten to fit
them, that nobody can say for sure what Jesus thought was kosher. Now
what other legend has been subjected to the occasional EXTREMELY BAD
rewrite? Just about all of them, I'll bet.
"And was the Holy Lamb of God in England's pleasant pastures seen?"
Screwy theory, but the basis of one of the most breathtaking hymns I've
ever heard. I've only got ELP's version of Jerusalem (lyric by Blake,
music by Parry), but if anyone wants to send me a cassette and some
postage money I'll gladly copy it for you.
(Nansi, don't forget Sherwood Tunnels, if you want to drop the Merries
into a totally different environment or pull an unlikely visitor into
Sherwood. Dianne Smith likes surprises!)
I don't think our ideas for the Weekend ritual were too complicated
exactly. I just don't want any supposition of familiarity with this or
that magical system on the part of the participants. I'd like to do
enough to involve everyone emotionally and spiritually as well as
intellectually, but have lots of different people take part, and use
plain English - and plenty of crib notes. Memorization creates the
illusion of an "in" and an "out" group, and that's something I'd like to
avoid. I think that cooperating on the Sherwood visualization would be
great.
If I may take the liberty of guessing about the pseudonyms in Forbidden
Forest, I'd say that we're grown-ups stranded in a kindergarten, and
those who used pseudonyms may have done so to avoid having their future
work dismissed on the grounds of their having written something erotic
in the past. And by the way, it was your poem that ended up with the
hottest illo of all! Jan and Kitty, maybe next time for the low price
of $2.00 extra, you can toss in a couple of potholders woven by the
nearest troop of Brownies. Keep those household spirits busy!
I sort of guessed that terrified "illusions" in Cromm Cruach would be
the best psychological weapons against tender-hearted outlaws. It's also
a classic nightmare sequence, to be stuck in an eternal feedback loop of
violent death. (Then you wake up and it was a dream but then it really
happens, etc...)
Kitty - I'm sorry that I didn't do a better job of describing exactly
what the Cousins circle was about. First, it'll be separate from the
room party, so that people who don't receive the newsletter already or
don't want to do ritual can still have a good time meeting each other
and chatting at the party. The party will be open. The circle is only
for Cousins who already receive the newsletter. Second, I've never been
formally initiated into any tradition. There will be a place at our
circle for anyone with an open heart (although if it's as big as it
looks like it might be, we won't have solo parts for everyone!) There's
a reason for all the structure (see my reply to Janet V.), but it's
easier to experience than to explain. You'll fit right in, I'm sure! I
sincerely apologize for my occasional lapses into jargon. I really do
think I'm getting better.
I think that the Table needed a "guardian" so that there'd always be
someone who knew exactly what it was, where it could be found, and how
to get hold of Arthur should the need arise.
Yeo, dudes - What's a yeoman? Does he own land? Does he make toys with
strings on them? Or does it take two of them to do that?
I've heard mostly fiction stories involving Celtic cursing - blasting
crops, withering a child in the womb, sending bees after someone, that
sort of thing. I think that any sort of magic, just like wealth or
eloquence or political influence, has abusers as well as conscientious
users. No system of magic rules out abuse, but the ones that I know of
have allowances for it: ostracism of the abuser, built-in wards or
bounce-back schemes like the Threefold Law (whatever you do, good or
ill, comes back to you three times), or the petty "zap wars" that sap
their participants' abilities and leave them empty boasters without any
interference from mortal or immortal.
I'll try to remember to bring the Lilith book to Weekend.
I didn't mean to imply that there are no tolerant Midwesterners! I was
just acknowledging how spoiled we Northeast types have gotten and
cautioning people not to take universal tolerance as a given. Besides,
my geography stinks. I thought Minnesota was a Plains state! Serves me
right.
A lot of megalithic sites got brand new myths when the Christians
arrived (see Steve Sneyd's poem Churn Milk Joan in Legend 3), but the
numerous Circles of Nine Maidens probably referred to the nine maidens
whose breath warmed Cerridwen's cauldron (at least according to Gavin
and Yvonne Frost, whose slides of some fine megaliths I had the pleasure
of viewing recently). Three times three is a very important number to
people who live with a Triple Goddess.
Ariel - I have two guesses as to why Owen would have drugged Marion for
the Feast even if he had already raped her, and they both have to do
with public affairs. First, a recent rape victim is hardly a "conquest"
to be proud of. They tend to exhibit symptoms of emotional shock:
bursting into tears, wandering around looking blank, wailing, fainting,
vomiting, hiding, laughing uncontrollably...not exactly impressive to
one's wedding party. Secondly, I wonder whether a more blatant reference
to the rape would have made it onto British television at all.
(Besides, Judi was so spookily slinky in the part, it was too good an
opportunity to miss!)
Say - another behavior noted in recent rape victims is the temporary
adoption of a radically different personality. Perhaps Julianne and
Janet have stumbled across something here.
For the record, I don't at all mind seeing the same plotline over and
over (unless it's out of whack with the characters themselves, i.e. Guy
Turns Good) as long as the stories themselves are good. I could see
Loxley resurrected by anything from wolves to Saint George, as long as
the story was well-written and the plot didn't contradict itself. And I
could read ten variations on the same theme and enjoy them, provided
that the writing was good and the characters recognizable.
I agree that, if we must practice rigid (dare I say anal-retentive?)
division of spiritual labor at all in our ritual, "Lady" is more
accurate than "Maiden."
Somehow I can't picture Marion ending up in one of Jeannie's or Kip's
Convents of Iniquity without a hefty dowry, but it's a funny idea!
I can just imagine Herne trying to explain to Loxley that he was going
to hold on to the Arrow for safe-keeping, and Loxley figuring out
why...(shiver)
What was special about Herne's Con? I hesitate to tell you, as it may
come off condescending...but you're not Gisburne, and I shouldn't assume
that you share his grasp of the obvious... It was US. In the absence of
intention, Weekend will be whatever we expect. But with focused
intention, Ithaca Wood will pick up its very roots and march to
Dunsinovi, and we who live in Sherwood might notice an unfamiliar bird
song or a shift in the breeze, but no more. Sneaky, or what?
What would people think of an all-tenting Cousins event? It would
probably be the cheapest option that would give us sufficient time
together.
Back to Jean Auel: Remember Creb from Clan of the Cave Bear? He was
respected as a magic worker, yet he was on the move all the time with
his clan. Add to this that the outlaws were semi-sedentary, and that
Pagan "clergy" (lots of quotation marks on that) at any given time might
as easily have been Workers Within the World as cloistered trainees, and
you'll understand my message to plot-seekers: Don't Close That Door!
Just because some members of some cultures can afford to dedicate
lengthy periods of time exclusively to magical training, it doesn't mean
that they're the only magic workers! In fact, some days I get really
cranky with the I've-taken-more-classes-with-Starhawk-than-you crowd.
Studied folk do have an advantage, but not the only possible advantage.
Julie: Namesake saints - now there's an interesting subject! I don't
know of a St. Hilda, but there was a St. Hildegard: Abbess Hildegard of
Bingen, who was (among other things) a fantastic illustrator and a great
composer. I have one of her albums (A Feather on the Breath of God), and
even without the English translations of her gorgeous lyrics graciously
provided by the publisher, her hymns are truly lovely and quite capable
of transporting me to a realm of peace and bliss. Anyone who wants to
send a cassette and some postage money is welcome to a copy. Was there a
St. Julie? Or is Julie your full name? Hilda is my full name. On this
subject, Julianne, I vaguely recall a "bad-guy" emperor by the name of
Julian the Apostate, who refused to persecute heathens. Can you tell me
anything about him?
Mike - Thanks for the info! An update on Deboran Wicca: the address
listed in Buckland is out of date (my letter came back marked "no
forwarding address.")
Folks could also drop our new member Christopher Robin a note, as he's
priest of a Robin Hood coven, but he's a lousy correspondent by his own
admission. He is, however, extremely intelligent and a very nice guy. I
suppose it would be uncouth to mention that he's also quite good-
looking.
Another resource for contemporary Robin Hood oriented magic is Caitlin
and John Matthews. They'll be hosting a residential weekend course
December 11-13 at Hawkwood College in England. They, too, are slow to
answer mail (IRC's don't WIRC, according to Julianne - try an
international money order for the return postage) but they can be
reached at Domus Sophiae Terrae et Sanctae Gradale, BCM HALLOWQUEST,
London WC1N 3XX, England.
Editor's Notes
More Favorite RoS Quotes:
Sharon Wells: "God's legs, you're a wild lad, Robin!" (King Richard)
Rache: "I mean, what does that mean?"
Tara O'Shea: "You've been sitting on yer bums for a year looking at
sheep," "We're very nearly ready," "Arrest them? I don't even know
them."
The Cousins Circle at Weekend
The Cousins circle at Weekend in Sherwood and the open Cousins room
party are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. The circle is for you who receive this
issue through the mail and nobody else, unless you personally invite
them. It is not to be publicized or spoken of openly at Weekend. The
place and time will be posted on the Con bulletin board as a note to
"Cousin Jennet." The Cousins room party will probably be heralded by
posters. Any Cousin who is going to Weekend by car and would be willing
to make a Cakes and Wine (read: Cookies and Juice) run to a local
grocery store for us, please contact me, as I'm coming by broom. (And
Smartfood and Doritos and...you get the picture.)
In case anyone hadn't noticed, we're bimonthly now, because Yours Truly
was being driven bananas by all of the redundancy created by continually
crossing in the mail. Autocratic? Maybe. But there's only one editor!
(I ain't saying I'm always right.) If you're curious, these nifty
Recycled Paper envelopes only cost 13" apiece. I'm still lucky enough
not to have to pay for copying.
News from what's left of the ozone layer: chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's)
are eating away our Mother's precious skin, the atmosphere, at a
skyrocketing rate; and their largest manufacturer, the Du Pont
Corporation, is trying to steer their Congressionally mandated "phase-
out" toward a "phase-in" of their even more damaging substitutes, HCFC's
and HFC's. The latter of these, if accepted by Congress as substitutes
for the original chemicals, would not only do just as much damage to the
atmosphere...they would accelerate global warming. Groan! No thanks!
We're a verbose lot - grab a pen, and write to:
Edgar Woolard, Jr.
Chairman & CEO
Du Pont Co.
1007 Market St.
Wilmington, DE 19898
and let him know exactly what it will take for you to believe Du Pont's
claims of being an environmentally responsible corporation. Let me know
if you want a copy of the letter I sent as an example.
Reprint Update: In addition to Julianne Toomey's Just Who Is This Herne,
Anyway? and Alexei Kondratiev's Basic Elements of Celtic Ritual, Cousins
now offers Bob Holzhauser's Arrow Making Guide, 8 pages of practical
pointers for the serious hobbyist on up; and for those interested in how
other folks read the Tarot, my own basic outlines of two Tarot spreads.
Just refer to this one-pager as Tarot Blueprints. My thanks go once
again to Judi Kincaid for motivating me to get this on paper! As I
mentioned in my reply to Tara, the script for Beloved of Arianrhod (as
performed at Son of Herne's Con) is up for grabs too. All for the price
of a SASE!
Trivia Corner: Ellen Evert Hopman, in her superb new book Tree Medicine,
Tree Magic (Phoenix Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 10, Custer, WA 98240)
tells us that "Nottinghampshire was known as Vernemeton in Roman
days..." Nemeton means "sacred grove." I don't know where the "Ver-"
came from, but I would guess that it means "green," as it does in
"Vermont."
Ring Around a Rumor: A revised and updated edition of Barbara Walker's A
Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, including an initial
HARDCOVER printing, may be in the works (on the best authority to which
I have access). Phone your bookstore! Reserve a copy while you can. No
offense intended to our Cousins of the canine persuasion, but this
deliciously thorough compendium of historical tidbits from around the
world deserves better than chronic dog-ears!
Hardcore longbow enthusiasts, take note: the Great Lakes Longbow
Invitational is being held July 17-19 in Marshall, MI. For more
information on this event, phone Maurice Cash at (313) 784-5467.
* * *
Father Aloysius peered over the young acolyte's shoulder and sighed.
"You're doing it again." he muttered.
"Doing what, Father? Show me." pleaded Tuck, eager to please his writing
teacher.
"Ending your sentences twice." grumbled the good Father once more,
seating himself beside his favorite student and taking up the wax
practice tablet. "See? Even in our conversation, the quotation ends with
a period, but the sentence meanders on." the priest explained. "Now, try
this. Even when the quotation is a full declarative sentence, place a
comma rather than a period before the closing quote, and only use a
period at the end of the actual sentence," he said, scratching an
example in the wax and handing the tablet back to Tuck.
"You mean like this? It looks funny at first," Tuck commented, hurriedly
scrawling his own quote.
"There you go! That's it exactly. You'll be Secretary to the Bishop
before you know it," beamed the old priest.
"Thank you, Father Aloysius," smiled the cheerful boy. "Dear me, do I
smell apple cake?"
"If anyone could identify that scent, it would be you," chuckled his
teacher. "Now, recopy that last page of the Council proceedings,
correctly, and I'll meet you at supper. And don't worry," he smiled,
catching Tuck's crestfallen expression at the thought of being late for
supper, "I'll save you a piece of cake."
* * *
I guess this is the place to formally thank all of my personal
correspondents for your immense patience. I'll still keep up as best I
can; and if in the meantime you miss some of my raunchier jokes or
riskier speculations, call me up in your mind and talk with me face-to-
face. Physical distance is bunk. So say I, Hilda, in awe and gratitude
for the magic that your gentle hearts have wrought. If love isn't the
strongest thing in the world, I don't know what is. Blessed be.
