Reading Notes: Robin Hood, Part B


Robin Hood is in disguise once again, this time as a shepherd. Barnsdale is a real place in South Yorkshire, England, and its association with the Robin Hood legend is one of its claims to fame.

To disguise himself as a beggar, Little John needs "palmer's weed." The word "palmer" refers to a pilgrim who had visited the holy places of the Middle East and brought back a palm leaf as a token of the pilgrimage. Meanwhile, the word "weed" here refers to clothing, as in the phrase "widow's weeds." The word comes from the Old English waed, meaning "garment." You will also see the word "carel" (carril, carl) in this ballad, which means a low-born person.

Bibliography: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child (1882-1898).

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