Robin’s FAQ
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Chapter 1 — ABC
“…she should know, since she is a wise woman.” What’s a wise woman?
A wise woman was a healer, knowledgeable about herbs and remedies. She may also have been a midwife, who helped women during childbirth. Sometimes wise women were unfairly suspected of witchcraft, because their knowledge was associated with the “old ways” passed down since pre-Christian times.
“Almost every Sunday, my godmother Grimwig visits our cottage to tutor me in godly ways…” Why is Robin’s godmother such a busybody?
Being a godparent in medieval England was a very big deal. Godparents were present at the child’s baptism, and they took on the responsibility of helping with the child’s upbringing. This included teaching them the basic prayers and preparing them for confirmation, as well as caring for their physical needs.
“Grimwig lifts her gaze toward the vent-hole in our ceiling, where the hearth’s smoke rises Heavenward to make the angels weep.” Why is there a vent-hole in the ceiling?
Robin and his mother live in a simple one-room cottage with wattle-and-daub walls and an earthen floor. The fireplace is in the center of the room, so there is a vent-hole in the ceiling to let the smoke out. Ventilation is poor, however, and the air inside can be smoky and unhealthy.
“Christ’s cross be my speed, and Saint Nicholas!” Why does Robin say “Christ’s Cross be my speed!”
“Christ’s Cross be my speed!” was a phrase chanted by schoolboys before reciting their ABCs. It was very much associated with learning and school. Robin repeats the phrase for good luck before other difficult tasks, such as reciting the Seven Sacraments.
Chapter 2 — Sowing
“By St. Gregory’s gums, a curse on all crows!” Why does John keep swearing on saints’ body parts?
Swearing on a saint’s body part was common in medieval times. “By St. Cuthbert’s teeth” was one of the more popular oaths. Needless to say, such swearing was frowned upon—but that was the whole point.
“Seed-bandit, steal instead the wind…” What’s with the weird poems?
Robin’s songs are based loosely on an Old English poetry form that relied on alliteration instead of rhyme, and featured the use of “kennings.” A kenning is a metaphor formed of two nouns, like “seed-bandit,” which in this case stands for “crow.”
“Widdershins, widdershins, around we go…” What does “widdershins” mean?
Widdershins means “in a direction opposite the sun’s course,” or counter-clockwise. It was considered unlucky, and was sometimes used in magic spells.
Chapter 3 — Trial by Combat
“The boy was a ward of the King, but now the wardship has been sold. And the boy, and the land, and all the rest of us, sold along with it.” What is wardship?
When a knight died, leaving an heir who was still a minor child, the mother could not legally take custody. Instead, the heir (usually the oldest boy) would be placed under the care of his feudal lord, along with all the family’s land. The lord would then have control of all the family’s assets until the boy reached maturity. Wardships of noble children were highly prized, because they could be very lucrative for the guardian. Wardships could even be sold, which led to heartache and abuse, with mothers being forcibly separated from their sons.
“They say his steward is a cruel man.” What did a steward do?
A steward was an upper-class official who managed all the lord’s property. As such, he would have been a very powerful person, with authority over the tenants and servants.
“…a voice that sounds half-French.” Why does the lordling George speak with a French accent?
The young lord George is descended from Norman French noblemen who conquered England in 1066. French is his mother tongue.
“And you, villein, are poaching on my family’s land.” What is a villein?
A villein was a lower class tenant farmer, completely subject to the lord of the manor. Villeins were loaned a small piece of land, in return for which they had to pay the lord a portion of their crops. They also owed the lord their services.
“And so I grant you a trial… a trial by combat!” What is trial by combat?
In trial by combat, two opposing parties settle their differences with a fight to the death. The victor is believed to be innocent. Trial by combat was not an Anglo-Saxon tradition, but was introduced in England after the Norman conquest.
Chapter 4 — A Visit from the Reeve
“There at the cottage door stands Wulfric the Reeve…” What is a reeve?
“Reeve” was a general term that could apply to a number of administrative positions. Here the reeve is man of low rank, in charge of overseeing the peasants.
“And now I must ask your blessing, Mother.” Why does Robin kneel for a blessing?
Parents could bless their children, similar to the way a priest would. Children were expected to kneel for the blessing, as if they were in church. (See Orme, Medieval Children, p. 84.)
Chapter 5 — The Shepherd
“… the stars bring me to the edge of a fallow field.” What is a fallow field?
In medieval crop rotation, a field was left unsown (fallow) every third year, to rest and renew the soil. Sheep could be grazed on the weeds, and their manure would help replenish the soil with nutrients.
Chapter 9 — Hue and Cry
“But straightaway I’m seized by a dozen grasping hands.” What is the hue and cry?
In medieval times, the “hue and cry” was a human-powered alarm system. When a criminal was caught in the act of committing a crime, villagers were summoned to help arrest the fugitive.
Chapter 11 — The Manor Court
“…he might get half a shilling for you.” Could children be sold?
Orphaned children of tenants became the responsibility of the lord. The right of “wardship” might be sold to a new guardian, who would then have control of the child and their land until they reached maturity.
“A farthing.” What is a farthing?
A farthing was one quarter of a penny. In the 12th century, a farthing was actually a piece of a penny that had been cut into four parts.
“All grain is to be taken to the Lord’s mill, and the correct toll will be paid.” Why can’t the villagers grind their own grain?
The lord had a monopoly on milling. He was within his rights to insist that the villagers use his mill. This caused a lot of friction between the lord and his tenants on some estates. There were incidents of open rebellion, when tenants boycotted the lord’s mill, risking serious repercussions.
Chapter 13 — Good Sprite
“Today is a boon day…” What is a boon day?
In return for the use of land, tenants owed services to the lord, in addition to a portion of their crops. On a boon day, the entire village might be called upon to work the lord’s land—for instance, at harvest time.
Chapter 14 — Mowing
“How many miles to Beverlyham?” Why are they chanting these rhymes?
This was a rhyme chanted as part of a game called “Bases.” Each player claims a physical object (such as a tree) as their base, or safety zone. The player who is “It” tries to tag the Not-It player when they run between the bases.
Chapter 19 — A Boy Named Not
“You liver-eating loiter-sack!” Where do these insults come from?
William Shakespeare’s plays! Shakespeare was well-known for his creative use of insults. Today there are whole books and websites devoted to collecting and collating them. Strictly speaking, Shakespearean insults aren’t medieval, but they’re still fun.
Chapter 24 — The Baron
“They forget their place in God’s design, and cannot be ruled.” What is “God’s design?”
The King ruled by “divine right,” which basically means that God put him in charge. Thus, the whole feudal hierarchy, from the King down to the lowliest peasant, was designed by God. Peasants were supposed to know their place. The nobility ruled over them because God had planned it that way.
Chapter 25 — Born Again
“Sanctuary, Father!” What is sanctuary?
The church was sacred ground, and anyone on the run from the law could claim the right of “sanctuary” within its walls. This meant that fugitives couldn’t be arrested or harmed by the authorities, as long as they stayed within the church’s bounds.
“Though the wafer is only small, it is Jesus’s whole body, bones and all.” How can a wafer be Jesus’s body?
According to church teachings, the wafer and wine of the Eucharist quite literally change into the body and blood of Christ during mass.
Chapter 26 — The Haystack
“For you are an outlaw.” What is an outlaw?
In the middle ages, being declared an “outlaw” meant that you were cast outside the protection of the law. Anyone could beat, rob, or even kill you, and the authorities wouldn’t do anything to help you.
Chapter 27 — The Lady
“Everywhere I look, there are more frightful scenes.” Why are the paintings on the church walls so horrific?
Much of medieval art could be gruesome, especially paintings of the crucifixion. The pictures described in this chapter are based on the paintings inside St. Botolph’s Church at Botolphs, West Sussex, England.
Chapter 30 — The Wooden Horse
“A monstrous long fence of spiked wooden poles…” What kind of castle is this?
The castle described in this chapter is a motte-and-bailey castle, which had a wooden “keep” (tower) situated on top of a mound called the “motte.” The castle courtyard would be surrounded by a ditch and a palisade of spiked wooden poles.
Chapter 32 — The Tower
“A bowl of pottage.” What is pottage?
Pottage was soup or stew. It might be made from scraps or leftovers, and was considered humble food.
“You must become my liege man.” What is a liege man?
A liege man was a vassal who owed loyalty and services to a lord. Usually he was from the upper classes (a knight, for instance) and held land granted to him by the lord in return for his allegiance. A liege man would swear an oath of loyalty to his lord in a ceremony similar to the one acted out by George and Robin.
Chapter 36 — Agnus Dei
“But I have a writ… a writ from the King?” What is a writ?
A royal writ was a written proclamation from the King, which had the force of law.