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. *** ISSUE #8 - October 1992 Happy 1st Birthday to Us! *** This Issue's Fun Word: WEDBEDRIP An agreement under which a feudal lord's tenant was bound to provide him, on request, with a day's reaping from the tenant's land. (Thanks to: Sharon Wells) *** LETTERS Pen [...has graciously sent along her list of...] Books of Interest Green, Miranda J. Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend. ISBN #0-500-01516-3 Campanelli, Pauline. Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life. ISBN #0-87542-091-5 Glass-Koentop, Pattalee. Year of Moons, Season of Trees. ISBN #0-87542-269-1 Lane, Edward William. Arabian Society in the Middle Ages. ISBN #0-7007-0195-8 *** Grace Meisel Dear Hilda (and other Happy Heathens), Hello, hello! Just got the latest Cousins. Hilda, I don't know how you can produce these so quickly... I still haven't read them all! Someday I may get up my nerve to participate in the discussions, but for now I don't feel qualified. Keep it up, Cousins, I'm learning a lot from you! It was wonderful getting together at Weekend. I now have some faces to attach to names, although when I got my photos back there were still numerous unidentified persons! Would anybody be willing to do a "Cousins Photo Gallery?" Instead of (or in addition to) names and addresses, maybe we could all contribute a Xerox-able snapshot. I can't be the only one who wanders around conventions reading name-tags and trying to remember faces! I must tell you how much Scott and I enjoyed the circle at Weekend. We are both what could be termed "intellectual wiccans": we agree with the concepts, but are not much for practicing ritual Craft. I was raised atheist, with Science and Technology as the highest powers. This was embodied as the sterile, nature-hating science of the 50's: the super- technology of early science fiction. I've come to realize that spirituality and science are NOT incompatible, and that many of the fundamental ideas behind modern biology/ chemistry/geology/physics are embodiments of the aspects of the Goddess. Some of us just anthropomorphize [gynopomorphize? -H] Her more than others. (Look up GAIA theory if you are interested. James Lovelock is the pioneer in this field. For the more mathematically inclined, check out nonlinear science, also known as chaos theory. Science is rapidly becoming multidisciplinary, with Nature gaining reverence once more.) Ironically, I spent the last evening of the con doing Tarot readings for some friends. I had never done readings for anyone, and considered it a way to focus on personal, subconscious conflicts. Much to my surprise, the readings were consistently accurate for five people! This is the sort of thing that troubles a former skeptic, believe me! Can anyone recommend good books on Tarot? My Borders Book Shop carries about 50 titles, and I haven't the time to read them all. So far my sources include Barbara Walker and Vicki Noble. After scanning through some letterzine back issues, I discovered a new project that I really would like to start: a complete bibliography of Robin Hood and related topics. As I work at Borders Book Shop, I have access to Books in Print on CD-ROM, so I can get complete topic or keyword listings of what is available. However, I am more interested in compiling the information that all of us have in our private collections. We are a highly literate group, and constantly make reference to this book or that. I would set the database up to include title/ author/publisher information, whether the book is in- or out-of- print, and any related topic information. We could include the growing base of Wiccan-related materials, historical texts, etc. I think that this would be an incredibly useful reference tool, enabling us to network the books that we find by accident. For example, Chris Haire mentioned Charles de Lint's Greenmantle as a new discovery for her, while I read it as a new release in 1988. With a combined database, we will be able to let everybody know what we have found, rather than having to trust in some higher power to help us locate them all. (Indeed, I have discovered many wonderful books because Borders customers have special-ordered them!) Most of all, a database would save the frantic searches for bibliographical information. ("I know I saw this book, but was it in Cousins, or On Target, or Herne's Stepchildren, or... and which issue was it??!") If any of you are interested, just send me a list of your books, along with any helpful tidbits about them. I can start cross-referencing with BIP (Books in Print) and getting it all on the computer. (This may take decades... be patient.) There's bound to be overlap, and I may include a category for "owner(s)," so that people wishing to copy/ borrow rare materials will know who to contact/grovel to. (The nicest thing about databases is that I don't have to decide the format ahead of time.) If you'd prefer listings alphabetical by author or title, or something else, let me know. A word here on unfinished projects. Some of you may remember "The Sherwood Network," which was intended as a database of RoS fans, along the lines of the mainstream SF "Fandom Directory." This project has been scuttled, due to the fact that only 25 people sent in forms. I guess we really are too specialized (translation: small) a fandom, and we already have plenty of contacts in Spirit of Sherwood, Friends of RoS, Herne's Stepchildren, Cousins, etc. My apologies to those who sent in forms and wondered if anything was ever done with them. (They ARE on my computer, if anyone is still interested.) A wonderful book I recently found is West Country Wicca by Rhiannon Ryall ($8.95 paperback; ISBN# 0-919345-98-0; Phoenix Publishing Inc.) It describes traditional English witchcraft, the hereditary sort that Kip referred to at Weekend. A great reference for fan fiction, and lovely reading. Another book for all of "us" is Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture by Henry Jenkins. Yes, someone has written a "scholarly" book about fans. Patti Heyes sent me the order form, and I have extra forms for any interested persons. The paperback version is $14.95 plus $2.50 shipping. I haven't seen a copy yet, but I am trying to get it for the store. If you are having trouble locating relevant books, feel free to contact me and I'll get them ordered from Borders. We can ship UPS from the store, and can get anything that is still in print. (I'll be glad to give my 25% employee discount for Cousins.) For those who like to browse, there are Borders Book Shops in Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Minnesota, Wisconsin (soon), Texas (soon), and Virginia. Rumor and several magazines insist that our next move will be to San Francisco. I'd also be happy to provide publisher addresses and phone numbers if you would prefer direct contact. (Keep in mind that some publishers will not deal with "the public" directly, while others prefer to.) I guess that's it for a while. School is starting soon, and I am tremendously excited to finally have a teaching position after two years of searching. Goddess Bless! *** Julie Phipps Dear Cousins, just thought I'd answer while the newsletter is still fresh in my mind. Firstly I'd like to announce that there is going to be a Greenwood 4 which is a Robin of Sherwood convention. It will be next August '93 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of RoS. It will be held at the Shepperton Moat House Hotel, Shepperton, which is just outside London. For further details and registration form please contact: Donna Lauchlan 16 Tonbridge Rd. West Molesby Surrey KT8 OEL ENGLAND Please enclose International Reply Coupons! [Available at the Post Office. -H] I attended the first 3 Greenwood cons and they were all very enjoyable. I hope to see some of you there!! Chris Haire: I finally received my photo of Michael and Jason. It's lovely, it has pride of place in my bedroom!! And also I got my membership kit for Spirit. I hear the convention went well. I wish I could have been there!! Sounds like you had a magical trip. I've just been to stay with my RoS friend in Wales. We visited Chepstow, which was used in The Inheritance, and we went to Kidwelly, which was Clun Castle in Herne's Son. Isn't Chepstow gorgeous!! Todd: I agree, Gizzy never gets any credit at all!! I mean, in Herne's Son, the Sheriff doesn't believe him when he states that Robert would give up the Earldom for Marion!! And in another episode he states that "Robin Hood and the Sheriff are two sides of the same coin!" Once again, he is laughed at. At Greenwood 3, when asked about Gisburne's actions in Time of the Teeth, Robert replied that Gisburne was on the brink of a nervous breakdown, which I suppose the Sheriff's constant jibes didn't help. I guess we would have found out more if there had been a fourth season. Linda Frankel: I take it you're a Gisburne fan!! Your stories sound interesting. I guess I'll have to buy No Holds Barred. Wyvern: Yes, I've heard of Elfquest. I've read some of them too. Great fun, aren't they? Are they still going? Julianne: Got your letter tape yesterday. I'll answer soon, I promise! I'd love some pics of your Elena cossie!! I've got a favour to ask about that one?? You also asked about The Seventh Sword. Do you want me to try and get it for you??? Who's it by?? [Andrew Collins. -H] It could be a Christmas pressie, if you like?? Janet R.: Hello! Thanks for the info on the books. Do you think you could bring them with you when you come over?? I'll have to try to get The Oxford Dictionary you mentioned. Ariel: So you're a Branagh fan too!! I'm hoping to go and see him live in Hamlet, all 4 hours of it!! HEAVEN!! He was so brilliant in Henry V live. I can't wait to see Hamlet. Have you seen Dead Again?? Silly question, I suppose, I've still not seen it!! Mary Ann McKinnon: Hello! Great to speak to you on the phone again. I'll work on my story for The Turn of the Wheel and send over details about my two new characters as soon as I can. I'm having great fun with this story. Tara: Hello! Mary Ann told me you'd be in contact soon. Hope the move went well!! Look forward to your letter. Hilda: Hiya! How's things? Hope your move went well. It's probably a good job Rob and I postponed our trip, bet things were a muddle. I don't think that there was ever a St. Julie. Does anyone know if there was? Do you think we'll be able to have a Cousins get-together when I come over next May? Just an idea. Well, I guess I'll close now, so take care, all. From your English Cousin: Julie. *** Linda Frankel I have just come across a book of meditations called The Golden Cauldron by Nicki Scully. It's pretty superficial and New Agey, but there are a couple of things in it of interest to the Cousins. Those of us who have a particular affinity for Herne as Lord of the Trees may be interested is Scully's idea of how to be healed by a tree. The tree must be your friend, and know you well. You must ask the tree to heal you first. Then place your hands on the trunk, and give it your pain, grief, or anger. Make certain to replace the energy you've given the tree by calling down a shaft of illumination. This is a wise idea. Nature does indeed abhor a vacuum. We would probably call on Lugh, the Shining One, to send us some of His light. Scully reminds us to leave an offering for the tree. Of course, if you've called on Lugh, you should also pay His fee too. Scully also has a section on the King Stag. To open the section there is a lovely Stag illustration with a raven in the foreground. In her first sentence she says that the Horned One serves the Lady. I believe strongly in this view. I feel that the Hooded Man is the servant of a servant. The meditation in this section is about becoming connected to ley lines. It involves visualizing yourself in a stone circle. We might be in Rhiannon's Wheel. There is a raven on your shoulder. The raven asks you if you are ready to undergo this initiation. The raven is sacred to a number of Celtic Goddesses and is associated with wisdom, so it is certainly an appropriate guide. If "your heart says yes," you are to lie down on the stone slab in the center of the circle. Such slabs were altars and places of sacrifice in ancient times, but Scully is too New Agey to make any mention of this. I think it's always a good idea to remember that if you've asked for something from the Gods, you will be called upon to pay for it. There is the implication of sacrifice in Scully's meditation because she says that you feel a blade on your throat which turns out to be carved from an antler. You look up into the God's face. He is a man whose face turns into that of a stag before your eyes. He raises you to your feet and you are to "feel how the energy is vibrating out along the lines, healing the land and its people." Then the Horned One takes you along the ley lines to a particular place of power where you experience the connection with the ley lines within yourself. The raven also accompanies you. Because Scully is Egyptian oriented, she wants you to discuss your journey with Thoth on your return, but you might want to talk to the raven about it. Re: places of power - when I was reading my story, The Successor, to my housemate, he criticized my naming of Sherwood as a place of power on the level of Stonehenge or Glastonbury. He said that I only did that because Robin Hood headquartered himself in Sherwood. I answered that Herne did too. His cave and His sacred lake were also in Sherwood, and if that didn't make Sherwood an important place of power, I don't know what would! Comments on #7: To Todd re: Marion finding a lover in the convent - You and other fans may be up in arms at this suggestion, but why would Marion's lover necessarily be a man? How about a nun? There have always been lesbians in convents, you know. I can even find a plausible motivation for Marion being more comfortable with a lesbian relationship. Marion may have told herself that she'd never love another man after Robin, but if her lover was a woman she'd be far less likely to feel unfaithful to Robin's memory. It would also be logistically easier to have a relationship with a nun in a convent. There are far more opportunities for meetings. Yes, but is it out of character? Well, there are numerous cases of women who were married and seemed to be completely heterosexual taking female sexual partners. It is possible that these women were bisexual and simply hadn't been aware of it. Who's to say that Marion isn't such a woman? Who's to say that any of the characters in RoS couldn't be bisexual? To Todd re: referring to Robert as Jason and Robin as Michael - I would never use the actors' names unless I'm discussing their performance. Calling the characters by the names of the actors could lead to confusion. Perhaps I feel that it's so important to clearly separate the characters from the actors because I write slash. Yet whether or not we are writing slash, we really should remember that neither Michael Praed nor Jason Connery are really Robin Hood. Robin Hood is a fictional character. Whatever we say in our discussions here, or whatever we write in our stories about either Robin or Robert, none of it has anything to do with the actual men who played these roles. We all know that intellectually, of course, but fans sometimes get swept away emotionally in the illusion of the actor's performance and forget the distinction between the characters and the actors. Apparently, some of the RoS actors also have difficulty making this separation, since they think slash fiction reflects on them. I am sorry for them, but slash has no more to do with them than any other idea that we might have about their characters. I think that as the years pass and they play other roles, their identification with those particular characters will lessen. If it doesn't, this unwillingness to separate themselves from a particular role could hamper their careers. Calling the characters by the names of the actors will not help them with such an identity problem. To Morgana re: Lilith coven - I am sorry to disappoint you, but there has never been any equivalent to Christian Satanism in the Jewish community. If there had been, I'm sure I would have heard about it from my teachers in Yeshiva (Jewish parochial school) as a notorious example of something to be avoided. In more recent times, I'm afraid that Lilith has been treated as a superstition. My maternal grandmother believed in Lilith, and gave us charms to protect us against her. She also did divination with chick peas and tea leaves. My grandfather looked down on her folk magic practices with the superior air of a scholar who knew better. The only worshippers of Lilith that I know about are modern day feminists who have adopted Lilith as a rebel against patriarchy. Instead of looking for Lilith covens, you might want to focus on a real phenomenon that was loosely contemporary with RoS. During that period, Jewish mysticism in the Kabala was being combined with Sufism, which is Islamic mysticism, along with a strong component of Christian mysticism and a healthy dash of the Pythagorean mysticism of the Greeks. This mixing together of different cultures was happening in Spain and during the Crusades. It was the Saracens and Jews who were making these inter-cultural connections, and passing on the knowledge they gained to open-minded Christians. Some of them were Norman Templars! The result of this syncretic project was what became known as Hermeticism. Hermeticism is the basis of modern ceremonial magic, and the Craft wouldn't be what it is today without it. I would like to emphasize that our knowledge of the Sufi element in the Craft is in its infancy, but I have been amazed to find out how many of our basic concepts come from Sufism. To Hilda re: Earl David's ethnic identity - This is the Scottish royal family we're talking about, so we needn't speculate about who and what they were. David of Huntingdon's background can be ferreted out with only a small amount of research. When I began writing The Successor, I started with the assumption that Robert's family was Scottish Celt. They couldn't be Saxon. The Saxons didn't settle in Scotland. My research confirmed that the Scottish royal line was originally Celt, but that was not the case later on. I stumbled on a book called The Normans in Scotland by Robert Lindsay Graeme Ritchie. There are several chapters on the life of the first David of Huntingdon in that book. (Robert's father is the second David of Huntingdon.) He acquired Huntingdon as the marriage portion of his Norman wife. He loved Norman culture, and was known for being more Norman than the Normans. It wasn't difficult to find scattered references to his son, Henry of Huntingdon, in books about the early Plantagenet period. He was equally Norman in his lifestyle, and he also married a Norman. So the second David of Huntingdon was primarily Norman by blood, thoroughly Norman in his outlook, and he would have been Norman-identified. You might as well call him a Norman. To Hilda re: Robert's practical, down to earth, worldly nature - Where do people get this impression? What causes anyone to think that a sheltered nobleman's son would have a good concept of what's going on in the world, particularly what's going on with peasants? Think about the romantic chivalry philosophy that Eleanor of Aquitaine perpetuated. Think about an impressionable young man with knightly training afire with the idea of righting all wrongs. Then look at what Robert did. It's practical and down to earth for a peasant like Robin to become Herne's Son. He knew the forest and what it took to live there. The people he dedicated himself to helping were his own. He understood them and their problems. He could tell you how many draft animals a village might need to plow, or when particular crops were best planted. Robert came into the situation blind. He didn't know the forest, and would have been unaccustomed to living that way. An ascetic tendency would help him in becoming accustomed to it, however. He could then tell himself that sleeping outdoors and doing without hot baths was good for his soul. He couldn't have very much knowledge of the peasants or their lifestyle either. A practical man would have evaluated these facts, and decided he'd be better off staying at Huntingdon, since very little of what he knew could possibly be useful in Sherwood. Instead he listened to a God's voice, rescued a damsel in distress, and left his heritage behind. None of this sounds very practical or down to earth to me. Robert is clearly an idealist devoted to lofty principles. In fact, I think that the adjectives "worldly" and "practical" suit Robin far better. Robin did have some far-sighted utopian ideals, but he was also fairly pragmatic about what was possible. Robert went well beyond what anyone would have thought was possible for a man of his background. Christianity would have been the religion of Robert's upbringing, and a desire to become like Christ would explain how he came to sacrifice so much. Another thing I remember is the enthusiasm that he priest at St. Ciricus' Church had for Robert. I got the impression that he might have had many more interactions with Robert than we saw in that episode. I have thought very seriously about writing RoS professionally. In order to make it original enough to sell, I'd have to write about a totally different Robin Hood in another historical period and drop Herne. Yet the stories I feel the need to write are about the characters in Richard Carpenter's series and about Herne. So far they're slash, but after I'm done with The Shadow Twin I have a few non- slash story ideas that will be making their way into the zines Cousins read. I guess you're stuck with me until I write Richard Carpenter's RoS out of my system. I don't think that's likely to happen for some time. To Hilda re: spiritual rigor in Neo-Paganism - I'm not talking about pain and sacrifice for its own sake. The idea of giving back to a deity when you ask for something is strange for many Neo-Pagans that I know. They've internalized the Christian idea of divine grace offered freely. The Pagan idea that everything is part of an interdependent web doesn't seem to be fully understood. They know they should re-cycle their cans for the purposes of ecological balance, but the idea of making an offering that's commensurate with what you want from the Gods is totally alien. I think that wanting our lives too pleasant and easy is what has gotten our planet into such a terrible state. We've all got to learn how to give, how to sacrifice before it's too late. It's RoS that has taught me this. To Hilda re: villains "giving life to a story" - Since I'm fond of complexity, whenever an author gives me a character who has no more motivation for his or her actions than that s/he's "evil," I'm bored silly. Please spare me any more stories about the evil de Rainault and evil Gisburne who never grow or change. Please spare me any more stories about de Belleme, Gulnar, the Abbess of Ravenscar, or any of their ilk. Surely someone can think of less predictable conflicts. To me, what gives life to a story are well-realized characters, vivid background details, and thought-provoking ideas. To Hilda re: religious sceptics hearing the voices of Gods - You can speak to someone who is deaf in sign language, but you can't make them hear. They live in a universe where there is no sound. A God could move someone who is a sceptic to act in a certain way, but it would be as if the sceptic had been shoved by an invisible force. If being a sceptic is important enough to him, he'll find a way to explain the invisible force that shoved him as something physical that has nothing to do with Gods. De Rainault is this sort of individual. Guy can see Herne shoving him, but never de Rainault. To him, the man who is Herne is an ordinary peasant. Judging from The Greatest Enemy, Robert accepted Herne's authority very quickly. A sceptic couldn't do that. Indeed, Robert seemed to me far more accepting about Herne than Robin was in the beginning of the series. To Hilda re: Robert going back to Huntingdon - I don't think you grasp the magnitude of what Robert had to do, and exactly how hard it had to be. The amazing thing is that he ever managed to get to Sherwood at all, and that bespeaks tremendous dedication. He loves his father despite the conflicts they've had, and he's leaving him in the lurch without an heir. Anyone brought up noble takes such a responsibility very seriously. He is his father's only son so far as he knows. Leaving him like this means the end of the House of Huntingdon. He's been brought up to believe that his family and heritage are very important. Knowing that he's destroying his house has to be torture to Robert. Not only this, but he's taking up the defense of his father's class enemies and rejecting everything that his father stands for. It's not just his class that Robert is betraying, but his people. When he becomes the Hooded Man he is essentially no longer a Norman - not in his heart and spirit. Someone who goes so far as to deny his own people in order to identify with another people has to be powerfully motivated. In order to do this he had to re-make his attitudes - uproot all the prejudices that he ever held about Saxons or peasants, then train himself to have the same values and priorities as Saxons and peasants. If he doesn't do this, then he could never serve them properly. Herne would never permit him to become Hooded Man if he's limited to the viewpoint of a Norman nobleman. And then, when Robert's finished doing all this - giving up everything he was and changing himself to become what Herne needs, he has to deal with the identity struggle over who he is now. When the band failed to accept him, Robert had to prove himself, and the only way he could prove himself is through service and further self-denial. I have thought deeply about Robert. He's my favorite RoS character. I say what I do about him not because I think it sounds good, but because it makes better sense to me than any other interpretation. Looking at RoS fan fiction, I think that the "Celtic twilight" theme explains many of the notions that fans seem to have about Robert. "Celtic twilight" is an idea that used to dominate in fantasy. It's the belief that magic is fading from the world. I doubt it ever did. What we call magic is the glue that holds the web of life together. So the "Celtic twilight" template doesn't work for me. If you don't believe in "Celtic twilight" you're free to look at Robert in a new way. I wish RoS fan fiction would dump its baggage. "Celtic twilight" is such a limiting perspective. Another long letter, and this is the self-edited version. You can certainly put part of it in Cousins #9. [Thank you, but continuity is turning into Job #1! -H] May Herne protect you and yours. *** Nancy Hutchins Dear Cousins, Hello, hello! Greetings from the Arctic Outpost of the Universe, aka Syracuse, NY. Well, fall is definitely here, football season is under way (rah rah rah), and I am swamped with work. I just wanted to commend Chris and Denise for doing such a fine job with Weekend in Sherwood. I truly enjoyed myself, although I got very little sleep (a measure of how much fun I'm having in and of itself!) It was great meeting old friends once again and getting to know new faces. During the "room party," I struck up an interesting conversation with someone about Michael Crichton's books, and now I can't even remember who it was (a memory lapse which I'm sure has something to do with not getting to sleep until 3 or 4 AM). If you're in these pages, please let me know who you are. I'd love to finish the conversation! For those of you Cousins who haven't yet seen the film The Wicker Man, I recommend it strongly. It's an excellent, thought-provoking movie. Well, I have to run and do some homework (*sigh*). Blessings to all. *** Janet Reedman Hello, Cousins! Chris: Isn't Charles de Lint good? He's one of a rare breed, too: a published fantasy writer living in Canada! His other works are worth reading, if you can find them. Your trip sounded lovely; your midnight foray reminded me of my own visit to Bamburgh. However, I got scared nearly witless when I saw something white and flimsy fluttering in the window of one of the towers one dark and misty eve... (It was the housekeeper's laundry!) Todd: Comparing actors is such a difficult thing, as everyone has their own style and preference, just as the viewers do. I think, though, that Michael may have had more personal feeling for the character he played; in conversation he actually said, "How would you resurrect me?" (Not Robin.) I get the impression he quite liked Loxley... There is a double standard where Marion is concerned. As Hilda stated later, this probably comes from the medieval idea of love-unto-death. I can understand how Marion's experiences might not make her want to get seriously (or even not so seriously) involved in another relationship. And I don't believe this would necessarily make her an emotional cripple, either. As for Robert's rompings - heck, he seems to have the most fun of anyone. What about Robin? Did anyone ever figure in his life before Marion? Of course, we don't want a bunch of dreaded Mary Sues tromping around... I also agree with you about Little John. He's a wonderful, warm character - so different from other screen interpretations that make him naught more than a mighty-thewed dunderhead. There needs to be more fanfic on this neglected character. (May have to write it myself...) Linda: Yes, I know about the Interdict. Actually, you've given me some fodder for a possible story... Mind you, I had a bit of trouble with the timeline In the Shadow... gave us. Wasn't Loxley supposed to die in 1202 in that? Well, that would mean Robert became the Hooded Man in 1203. Well, The Pretender episode just got killed then, as John married Isabella in 1200. (Mind you, The Pretender doesn't hold water anyway, as poor unfortunate Prince Arthur was only 12 when he disappeared, and that bloke definitely could not pass for 12!) I like to think Loxley died in 1199 or 1200, the turn of the century (auspicious): a change of kings, a change of forest kings... I realize that the whole timeline in RoS is a wee bit skewed (i.e. the Lionheart episode, which would have had to take place in 1194, but doesn't seem to) and always will be, but with a bit of juggling you can get it fairly close. I also have heard about the longbow being banned. It's a very ancient weapon in Britain; 6 foot bows have been discovered along the neolithic Sweet Track in Somerset. Back to William Rufus: he would seem to be an unworthy sacred king and a bad king in general. But when one relies on historians who were mainly churchmen it's hard to say for absolute certain. I mean, King Richard was not much better than John, but he was painted gold in some circles because of his 'valour.' And, in a much later time, look at Richard III. Till this century he was regarded as a child-murdering, hunchbacked monster, mainly due to Shakespeare's writings (made to please his Tudor patrons). I can't understand why tourists would be told that the Wakefield Robin is the 'real' Robin Hood. The names Hode, Hood, and even Robinhood were hardly uncommon in the Middle Ages, making identification of any one person nigh impossible. Recently I was kind of amused to read of two later medieval rebels called Robin of Holderness and Robin of Redesdale. In the case of Robin of Redesdale, the name was NOT his own; he was probably John Conyers, which certainly gives one the idea that Robin was a traditional name for outlaws and assumed by many over the years. Linda - I loved your proposed meeting of Tuck and the Dagda! Julie: HI. (I'll see you before this is printed, haha.) Don't worry about Michael's height making you feel like a dwarf. He makes even me, at nearly 5'6, feel like a semi-dwarf! And you're not the shortest person in fandom; one of my Dublin gang is your height! Ah, the Evil Express... how could I ever forget being stranded in Stratford by a nonexistent bus, fighting with a nonexistent emergency number, fighting with thick bus company employees, then riding (expense- free!) in a taxi for 1 1/2 hours! I like your Arrow/Grail comparison - are you going to write it? Wyvern: Re: stillborns. I'm not sure what happened to the bodies, but I'd surmise that these children are the 'unbaptised babes' whose spirits are said to wander earth for eternity as will o' the wisps or piskies. Back to my favorite :-) episode, Cromm Cruac, AGAIN: Cromm was described as a golden idol surrounded by a ring of standing stones. (I think I'd have liked the episode more if this were what we'd seen!) Anyway, children were said to be sacrificed to him, which would tally well with some of the rather grisly discoveries at sites of probable similar date which I mentioned last newsletter. Perhaps it is a surviving folk memory. Speaking of folk memory, there was a hill called Bryn Yr Ellylon, Mound of the Goblins, in Wales. Legend spoke of a knight in golden armour who circled the hill by night. Last century, the cairn was opened, and the skeleton of a late bronze age chieftain was found - clad in a beautiful cape of sheet gold. A similar story exists regarding a barrow on Bodmin Moor, where a ghostly old man was said to hand a cup to travelers. A golden rivetted beaker was found in a cist in the mount. (Both of these items actually do exist, and can be viewed in the British museum.) The Hood - you're right, you're right! Did you know that in one old English ritual there is a figure known as the Hoodener? Also the Hooden Horse, which is a kind of hobby horse. (And what does the word 'Hob' derive from? Guess.) Then there's the Haxey Hood game, where the participants fight over a Hood... Judi: I'm fairly convinced that Derbyshire's Nine Ladies must be RoS' Nine Maidens. It's geographically the closest stone circle. In fact, there are NO stone circles in Nottinghamshire at all; it was not a populous area in ancient times due to being heavily forested. I also wish they hadn't made Rhiannon's Wheel look like Stonehenge, which is a real oddity among stone circles... The nearest 'major' stone ring is Arbor Low in Derbyshire, a henge (ditched) complex sited near a neolithic tumulus known as Gib Hill. A later bronze age mound was inserted into the bank - maybe as a desecration of the earlier site. In the centre an extended (rather than the usual crouched) man's skeleton was found, possibly wearing the remains of a wooden mask. However, all of Arbor Low's stones have fallen today, and we have no way of knowing how long they've been recumbent. Julianne: You seem to be a good source of book info. Do you know anything about an old RH novel (50's-60's) in which there's an evil Baron Belesme of Belleme? Someone in Australia mentioned this to me. Catherine: I thought 'fionn' was Gaelic for 'white,' as in Fionn or Finn (white), Fionuala (white shoulders), Findabhair (white phantom), Finnbhennach (white horn). Mind you, I do vaguely remember some connection to wine, too, but not exactly what it was... Ariel: I like K. Branagh too! Henry V was fabulous. He was good when I saw him in Birmingham two years ago also. It seems like a lot of people thought that was Herne's voice at the end of The Enchantment. Umm... didn't he sound just a wee bit sinister? It might have made more SENSE if it was Herne (since we never saw Belleme again), but no, it was indeed the sorcerer... Laura: Buns? What's this about buns? I'm shocked!! No... ye Gods, don't let me get started on this subject! How about toes next, huh? Please? Please? (Inside joke) Hilda: As with Little John, I feel that Tuck is often misinterpreted and underutilized. Phil's portrayal is indeed the definitive one for me! I read the tale of the walled-up nun in a gazetteer of British ghosts. Can't remember where the convent was, though. I remember bits of the story (none very nice) in which the monk-lover is castrated, and she is tortured until she miscarries - then is walled up. Stories like this may have actually been invented to SCARE unruly novices, though! Am I the only person who DIDN'T like Persia Woolley's books? Guinevere was decently drawn, but I found the books too 'modern' for my taste. I realize that the author was trying for a tone acceptable to modern readers, but I couldn't swallow (pardon the pun) having 'tea' with the 'Queen Mother.' (I imagined having lunch in Buckingham Palace with the Queen Mum!) and when Guinevere took a tumble and Arthur asked if she was 'okay,' I thought I might actually fling the book across the room! (The editor should have caught that one, even if the author didn't.) Also, this stuff about 'we Celts' didn't ring true tome, as the Celts thought of themselves, first and foremost, as Briganti, Dumnonii, Atrabates, Iceni, etc. Their very divisiveness was their biggest downfall. Anyway, I must cease to rant and start to pack. England, here I come! Will the poor little island survive? *** Laura Woodswalker Todd Dear Cousins, not to be trite and mawkish, but I just want to say thanks to everyone for a great time at Weekend - it was wonderful seeing you all! Aside from that, I'm afraid I've run out of original pagan lore and witty things to discuss. So I'll just meander for a little while and shut up. About this "light and darkness" thing. Isn't it the "dark" stuff that really provides the power? It's those nasties like Baron Belleme and Phillip Mark that provide the grist for really "powerful" stories. It's those scenes of murder, mayhem, and torture that keep your readers/viewers riveted. Of course, this stuff is often overdone... when writers forget about balance. But... these are the stories we remember, aren't they? Also... my kids have gotten me into heavy metal/hard rock music. (That's right, blame the kids.) I'm kind of surprised myself; it's not what you'd expect from a "respectable Pagan." But after I looked past the negative "stereo"-types (groan) I found I responded to the power in it. It's the same feeling you'd get from standing in Circle and drumming until the power almost made your hair stand on end. My hard rock tapes are the only things that can raise enough power to get me off to work at 11 PM and keep me awake to drive home at 7 AM the next day. It's harsh, raw, and "nasty." But... heavy metal wouldn't have that power if it was "easy" and "relaxing." And what about the labels of being "satanic" and "evil?" Well, these groups have scary names and sing about hell and death a lot. Okay, maybe it's a refreshing change from a diet of syrupy love songs. How'd we get onto music criticism? Just an illustration of how Darkness is a necessary part of the Balance. On to another divergence: have any of you noticed the way some "literary" SF fans look down on fan fiction and especially media fanfiction? I started out as a lit fan and aspiring pro writer. Now whenever friends from my SF Writer's Workshop ask me "what are you writing these days?" and I tell them I'm writing RoS fanfiction... I have to brace myself for the inevitable condescending statement of "you can do better than that!" So I wrote a big letter to my general SF letterzine defending fanfiction: "Aren't we doing the same thing as those who write stories based on King Arthur, Greek myths or the folk legends of any culture? So what if a writer invents an 'original' universe... which is usually similar to a hundred other SF 'original' universes featuring spaceships, interstellar wars, or clich magical objects. What makes that writer any better than us?" I've seen some RoS fanfiction that's far superior to some of the "pro" fiction I've read. So there! Todd: Okay, we're back to comparing Robin and Robert. You mention Robert's "stilted" lines. Yes, that was a problem for me at first, but then I decided that maybe Robert's demeanor was "thoughtful" or "measured." Plus there was the fact that as one of the nobility he was probably schooled to impeccable diction and the habitual "poker face." Which made it interesting for me as a writer to try and figure out what was going on behind that perfect mask! And, to put him in situations where the mask slipped. I put Robert through a lot of suffering in my first few fan stories, mostly in an effort to break through that reserve and discover the humanity underneath. (These stories haven't seen print yet, but just you wait.) I don't quite see Robert as either a "saintly" ascetic or "worldly" as Hilda calls him. Perhaps he's idealistic, harboring an "Arthur complex" ('the ideal of the Noble Knight is to sacrifice himself to protect the weak': an ideal which the rest of the nobility have cynically consigned to fairy tales.) Plus I bet he is pretty confused, too, which accounts for what Todd calls his stilted delivery. Of course he doesn't have the conviction that Loxley has! He's been more or less yanked into the role of "Herne's son," and it's a pretty big break from what he was used to. I think that's what makes Robert appealing, he reacts just as I would: "what the hell am I doing here?" There, that was pretty short (?)! See you all later! *** Tara O'Shea Yay! My mom forwarded Cousins! I loveJgetting mail. For all of you what all don't know, I'm not only back in the States, but I'm in college in Illinois, and would welcome any and all correspondence. See Who We Are. For everyone who I promised my address to at Weekend, it's not that I didn't mean to get back to you, but Sunday happened before I was ready for it (Sundays seem to sneak up on me all the time) and if you know anyone who is looking for me, please pass me on. I think I promised everyone and his brother art for zines this year. I'm gonna have a real busy pencil. As it is I'm doing Todd's front and back covers, Mary Ann's covers for the next two years (I have never learnt to say no, because she would ask me in between compliments, and my head was so turned that I didn't notice the calendar screaming, "School! Remember school? Homework?" I ignored it. Homework is evil anyhow), Guardian of the Arrow's front and back... Which reminds me. Hilda, Bindings will come out whenever Paula Sanders and Amy Hull get enough submissions to fill up Guardian of the Arrow. Which, we are desperately hoping, will be sometime this decade. Todd, Janet, and I all have things in it, but if we print as is, we'll have a 40-page zine. This is a plug, in case no one noticed. Hilda, you left yourself wide open for that one, so I don't feel a bit bad about it. Hi, Julie. I wrote you a letter, but forgot to mail it. I swear it's coming, though. I bought Beginnings, read it, read it again, lost it, DESPERATELY WANT TO FIND IT so I can read it again. Wyvern: Yes, I have heard of Elfquest. I have not read it yet, because I cannot afford to pick up a new comic series, especially graphic novels, because I am fast approaching dead broke. I saw Wendy Pini's Beauty and the Beast one shot though, and the art was stunning. I can't remember if it was published by Donning, who are really scary abut things (just ask Coleen Doran). Morgana: Hi. I just remembered something about Lillith that I meant to mention, as the letter I wrote about last issue disappeared and thus never saw print. Neil Gaiman retold the Adam/Lillith/Eve story in Sandman Issue 40, "The Parliament of Rooks." Also, I heard about Jesus coming to England as part of the Joseph of Arimathea story in Arthurian legend/ Christian tradition concerning the founding of Glastonbury. Joseph was a merchant kinsman of Joseph the carpenter in Nazareth who took the child Jesus on trading trips to Roman Britain, and after his death, returned to England to plant a thorn from Christ's crown which grew into a tree on the site of Glastonbury abbey. I recognised the passage on Crom Crich from page 15 of Celtic Mysteries: The Ancient Religion by John Sharkey, a book I heartily recommend. I can't find an ISBN, but it was published by Thames and Hudson, 30 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3QP. I did know about St. Patrick getting rid of him. Busy lad, that Patrick. Have I ever mentioned that scholars were reporting that there were no snakes in Ireland before Paddy even arrived on Erin's shores? Janet V: In Guy Gavriel Kay's book Tigana, there is a group of warriors marked by the caul they were born in, bits of which they wear in a pouch about their neck to mark them. They fought the death that was overtaking the land in dreams, and this is a really cool book. I'd give an ISBN, but I don't have my copy on me a the moment. Plus I think I lent it to someone. In RoS, what if it's not Robert who gets poisoned in 1247, but whoever becomes Hood after him? Neat. Hi, Blythe! I'm so glad I met you. I think I may just write you now. I love your name. Woodswalker: I have seen The Venetian Woman. I spent the first hour and fifteen minutes saying, "Okay, Jason, take off the pants." After five minutes, "Okay, Jason, put them back on." Our Mr. Praed has better buns. I know Janet will agree with me. Let us all hope Mark and Kip never lend Michael or Jason their back issues. [Tara, you know I absolutely hate censorship, but you and I have got to talk... -H] Also, after Weekend, I came to the conclusion that so many people write Huntingdon stories because, and please don't maul me, Robert can be something of a blank slate, whereas Loxley has a definite defined character. I liked Robert only after I had written Robert, and I have come to the conclusion that I like my version of him, and this colours all thinking when I actually watch his episodes. I am no longer impartial. Welcome, Donna. I can't wait to hear more from you. Judi: yes! Another person who might understand what I'm talking about when I try to explain what moving to and from Madrid was like. The term "hell" does not begin to describe my experience, but how was your experience? Cool snake stuff. I have always believed that Paddy driving out the snakes was a metaphor. I never knew about the glyph; that's so neat! I wrote a story about de Rainault and magic, the aforementioned Bindings. Want to read a copy? I love feedback. Drop me a line. Congratulations on your wedding! How exciting! Catherine (I adore your name): I got "muin" as "vine" from A Dictionary of Irish Mythology by Peter Berresford Ellis, and I think D.J. Conway says the same, but I don't remember if it's mentioned in that book. I have a list of ogham that I keep in my computer, and I add to it whenever I find anything of interest. If anyone out there has a copy of The White Goddess, I have heard that there is an entire chapter on the tree alphabet, and I would die to read it. My cousin, Tara O'Shea from Bray (as opposed to the American Tara O'Shea, read: me) teaches Irish in Dublin, and I took the opportunity during her visit to Madrid to grill her as to why "tinne" is given in some books as meaning "fire" and "holly," and she said that the Irish for "fire" and "holly" are pronounced differently. I will have to scour through my books to see if I missed an accent, as that would effectively screw up the pronunciation. But as you studied, I do have a question to ask. While I have heard the name Caitlin pronounced "Kate-lynn," if it is Caitln, would it be pronounced "Kathleen?" I thought of this after seeing the accent (the name for which I can say, as Tara told me, but have no hope of spelling) on Caitln Matthews' books, and thought the "" would be long, like in "potn," but Mark pronounced it "Kate-lynn," so now I'm confused. I asked Janet R. over the phone, but if you, or any other Gaelic speakers (I should have thought to ask Blythe too at Weekend. Forgive, I have no brain) I would know for certain. Please don't be confused by this above paragraph. I have a third cousin who has the same first and surname. We are not one and the same. Julianne: I might just give an alternate Cromm Cruach a shot. It couldn't be any worse than what got aired. I came to Weekend. We met. I did not have a copy of my thus far epic thingie with me, as it is in the process of major rewrites, but once I finish some of the retooling, do you want a diskette of what I have so far? I could really use some constructive criticism. And to think I thought it was finished a year ago. Ha. About the Morningstar. It is then conceivable that Lucifer and God are halves of the same being, because Good and Evil cannot exist without each other, as they define each other, and therefore both would make up the whole, like a Great Ultimate symbol. Somehow I doubt this philosophy would go over well in the bible belt. Ah, witchburnings. Has everyone out there seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail? If she's made of wood, she's a witch. Hi, Janet. Findbhair means "fair eyebrows" (!??!) and she fell in love with Froach, recruited by her mother to fight Cuchulainn, and helped him kill a water daemon. Maybe she flung some holy water at him. That trick seems to work well on BBC cheesy latex sock puppets. I only have an excerpt from The Foresters in my Rhymes of Robin Hood book. Can I borrow yours one of these days? No, wait. I know how evil the Post Offal is to you. Maybe if we ever get to a con in the same state... scratch that, I might just have better chances with the mail... WHEN AM I EVER GOING TO GET TO MEET YOU? Okay, that was subtle. But I can't call Canada any more. Which reminds me, are you aware that Legend is listed in the 1991 Novel and Short Story Writers' Market under "Literary and Small Circulation Magazines?" I was looking for publishers who publish fantasy and don't pay in tribber copies (did I mention I need money?) and damn near had a heart attack. I wonder if Laura and Helen and Sandy Williams are listed. Must go back and check. A Welsh name for the Maiden. I have to think about this. Do you know that every time I get a Cousins issue I drag out all of my research books and keep them next to me while I read and type my replies? Also, I think that between the two of us, we must have every bit of Celtic myth ever published. Okay, Welsh Maidens. Rhiannon, to an extent, before she became a Mother. Creiddlylad, for certain. She was the prize in Winter and Summer's feud: Spring. King Lear's daughter, Cordelia, was known in an older myth as Creuddylad, daughter of Llyr (Lir in Irish), and can be seen as similar to Branwen (Bronwyn), daughter of Llyr in the Mabinogion, who could have been a Maid. No one knows about Fflur, whose name means "flower." Most likely she's a local Sovereignty. Looking through my Welsh mythology stuff, I just found a completely unrelated note, but one worthy of passing on: Goleuddydd, the mother of Culhwych, gave birth to him after running mad in the forest and being frightened by pigs. Ariel: I only counted six crossbows. I'd love to lend you Fortune Made His Sword, but I have no idea of where my copy is. I may have lent it to someone. I have a lousy memory (Does this mean I have a memory full of lice? Ick!) The last time I wrote about rape was Peace in Tree 3. I have no idea how people think I handled it, as I haven't seen any LoC's yet. I'm not going to tackle another story until I get a reaction. Before I got this issue, this morning in fact, I remarked to someone that The Inheritance would make perfect sense if the Agrivaine family was doing penance because of the wrong of the first Agrivaine. Synchronicity is a wondrous thing. I never realised that it might have been Herne who said that line in the end of The Enchantment. Gods, how cool... Hilda, Earl David was a Scot. We sorta know this. His brother was the king of Scotland. Also, we should ask Emma if Kenneth B. ever sleeps. I don't know if she'd answer us, of course... Okay, I've seen cows, horses, and dogs white with red ears in myths, but all the mention of Cats involve giant cats roaming Wales and Eire so heroes could fight them (instead of dragons). Also, there is a Scots group of some sort called the Catti, the cat people, who apparently have something to do with Caithness. I heard that "Patrick," as in the saint, came from a corruption of "patrician," as in the class of Romano-Britons to which Patrick belonged afore his kidnapping by pirates. The puns are evil. If Cailleach sounds like Kali, it means they probably came from the same thing. The Celts were Indo-Europeans that migrated westward, until they got to Ireland where most of them stopped except for Maddoc of Wales, who some say had some Sidhe hiding aboard... Please, by all means delete my little list if it will help. I think most of us here know who I am by now, as I am scary and tend to stick in people's memory. And if not, just ask around, anyone can tell you what I did to Mark Ryan at Weekend. Who woulda thought a piece of tin foil woulda gone for five bucks? Yes, I want a copy of D.J. Conway's book. [On the way! -H] I borrowed Tracy's and she's going to want it back one of these days, I'm sure. Quick note to M if she's reading. I wrote you a letter, and I think I mailed it, but if I didn't it's because I have no brain. Forgive please. Well, see you all two months from new. I love being a Cousin. It makes me so happy. Let's face, it, I love getting mail more than anything. And this is like getting twenty letters at once. I have sufficiently scared my roommate for the day. Blessings. *** Ariel Greetings, fellow Cousins! Merry meet, and I hope this issue finds everyone doing well. Hopefully I can get this letter to Hilda before the next deadline. Without further ado, I'll plunge right into the letters from Issue #7. Chris Haire: Hi! Sounds like you and Denise had a marvelous trip to England - lucky you! Todd Parrish: Hello there. Too bad about your disk crashing. I've had that happen before. Not fun. Regarding your comments on Jason's acting - well, I think you have a point to a certain extent. However, I'd like to add that Jason, like Michael, was fairly young when he took the part, and acting is a craft that takes years to develop. I also think that Jason's occasional awkwardness with the role actually suits the character he's playing. Robert, in a sense, is also stepping into a role that someone had held before him. As for Marion's sexual conduct - the way I see it, she is a married woman who seems to be very much in love with her husband. Even if she had the opportunity, would she really have wanted to be with anyone else? You never see Robin going off with another woman on-screen, and I don't think I've read any fanfic pieces about his being (willingly) unfaithful. Robin and Marion are kind of an ideally romantic couple, and casual infidelity would ruin that aspect of their relationship. As for Robert's enjoying the pleasures of a Beltaine celebration: why the heck shouldn't he? Unlike Robin and Marion, he is not married. I think most of the pieces you're referring to are post-Halstead, in which case Marion has left Robert, and he has no obligation to remain faithful to her. Just a nitpicking comment: could you please be more specific when you're talking about Jason and Michael as actors, and when you're talking about Robert and Robin the characters? During your letter, you used the actors' and characters' names interchangeably, and it did get confusing. I don't know that I'd call Scarlet the "comic relief" of RoS (except perhaps for the scene in Lichfield). Why do you despise him for being comical? Linda Frankel: Hello there. I think you may have unwittingly opened a real can of worms with some of your comments, so I'll take your letter one item at a time. First, your visualization using Robin and Robert is fascinating. If that imagery works for you, great. Some people, however, may feel uncomfortable with it. Your comments about Marion being in a convent under the jurisdiction of Abbot Hugo raise an extremely valid and logical point. If he and the sheriff did learn about Marion's taking sanctuary, I don't think they would hesitate a moment in devising some scheme to kidnap her and use her to blackmail the other outlaws. As for England being under interdict - well, I don't think that would matter much to Marion, who seems to have only gone into the convent seeking peace of mind. (Which raises an interesting historical question: would an interdict render church sanctuary null and void?) The timeline presented in Shadow of the Wheel was devised specifically for use in that story, and alternate timelines are equally feasible, particularly considering the often patchy "history" in the series itself. I'm pleased that you enjoyed my comments on Robert. I think your points about the longbow being banned, and Robert's being a rebel from early on in his life are interesting and believable. Your assessment of the Earl's character has a ring of truth about it, and it's very possible that Robert's rebellion might have been a reaction to what he perceived as his father's hypocrisy. However, I draw the line at the Earl's being a patron of astrologers and sorcerers, and Robert's becoming a devout Christian in response. Robert doesn't strike me as the type who would even consider the monastic life. Of course, this is only my opinion. I don't know enough about Hermetic magic to argue whether or not the Earl would have had a Moorish astrologer in his household. I'll leave that one to the experts. By the way, I believe the Earl is a Scot, not a Norman. Regarding the slash pieces you described: you may or may not be aware that Richard Carpenter has requested that fan writers not create homosexual situations using characters who are heterosexual in the TV stories. I feel that we are fortunate to have the series creator so actively involved in the fandom, and don't think it's unreasonable to honor this one request he's made. He also mentioned that homosexual relationships involving characters such as the sheriff, Philip Mark, Tom and Dickon - or your own original gay and lesbian characters - are fine by him. Personally, I have no objections to slash as an alternate universe in other types of fanfic. My only objection to it in RoS fanfic is, again, that Kip has asked us not to. He hasn't put any restrictions on other types of wildly out-of-character pieces (e.g., Guy turns good; the sheriff converts to Judaism; Robert breaks into Halstead, rapes Marion, then runs off to Scotland to become High Priest of the Loch Ness Monster Coven), which is why there are so many, as you aptly described them, lulus of stories out there. Regarding your thoughts on sacrifice being central to Pagan religions: I disagree with you utterly that this concept "has a great deal to teach us today." The world is too damned bloody and messed up as it is without complicating things with "ecstatic" sacrifices (and if we did, I don't think you would see a terribly long line of volunteers)! I personally subscribe to the Charge of the Goddess: "Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for I am the Mother of all living and my love is poured out upon the Earth." There are so many extremist religious groups in the world now that a "safe and moderate" belief system is a welcome relief. And I agree with Hilda that ecstasy can be achieved by other means than those involving pain and suffering. Regarding William Rufus and Thomas a Becket as sacred kings, see Margaret Murray's God of the Witches for her thesis on why the deaths of these two men might be considered sacrifices. You make an excellent point about Robin-coming-back-as-Herne stories needing to keep Robin's personality separate from the role of Herne. I think it's possible for Robert to be a skeptic and still hear Herne's calling. What I meant in my earlier letters is that Robert might have been skeptical about Christianity, particularly where abuses of power in the Church were concerned. He also might have had his doubts about the legitimacy of the "astrologers and sorcerers" to which you made reference. He accepts Herne's guidance, but Herne does appear to him in human form - a physical reality that Robert knows how to deal with. Perhaps Robert was willing to set aside whatever doubts he had about Herne's function as a pagan priest in order to respond to Herne's call to "defend the weak, protect the helpless, and fight against tyranny." Perhaps Robert's inexperience with magic is why he seems so powerless against Gulnar. But, on the other hand, Robin does not fight sorcery with magic of his own. He uses - or attempts to use - physical means. Robin's ostensibly Pagan upbringing scarcely seems to have prepared him for dealing with sorcery any more than Robert's Christian background. Loxley falls under Lilith's spell, he is attacked by Belleme in both The Sorcerer and The Enchantment, and his response to Lucifer is to try to run the devil through with Albion. I would like to point out that we never actually see Robin and Marion "fulfilling the Blessing" (as in a Great Rite or Great Marriage), nor is Robin's death ever referred to as a Sacrifice. Like the red garter, this might be something that fan writers have adopted from mythology, Craft practices, and/or have borrowed from novels such as Mists of Avalon and incorporated into the RoS universe. While I think this is a very creative leap of imagination - and perhaps filling in the blanks that couldn't be explicitly delineated on television - I don't think we should accept as canon that being chosen as Herne's Son would necessarily entail "presiding" over fertility rites at Beltaine and the other holidays. I think you misunderstood Raven's comments. She was referring to stories which make Robert look weak or indecisive (many of these pieces, I might add, have Robert repressing his feelings to a ludicrous extreme). I don't think she either stated or implied that repressing feelings makes a man more masculine. You speak of Robert's desire to "prove himself though sacrifice." Could you please expand on this idea a bit more, perhaps with specific examples? I loved your theory as to why the heirs of Agrivaine ended up with the Round Table. Over the centuries, perhaps what started out as a punishment came to be thought of as an honor. Excellent reasoning. Regarding your proposed outline in which Robert wishes to have a son with Marion to present to his father as an heir: while this is your story and you're free to write it as you wish, I'd like to point something out. I don't think that David of Huntingdon - a man who was also a potential successor to the Scottish throne - would accept as his heir the offspring of his disinherited wolfshead son and the disgraced daughter of a minor Saxon knight (who doubtless would have been regarded amongst the nobility as little better than a whore)! I'm sure Robert would realize this. I can see him planning to father children with Marion for some other reason, but I can't see him doing it only to present David (who, historically, already had an heir by Maud of Chester, his wife) with a grandson. As an aside, I can't see Marion as a Priestess of the Goddess, but this is just an opinion. I personally feel that Marion's death in The King's Fool was intended to punish Robin for following King Richard (and abandoning Herne, even after Herne sent him the warning arrow). Other interpretations, though, are equally valid. Julie Phipps: You got to stand next to Michael, Robert Addie, and Kenneth Branagh?? How did you manage that, you lucky devil, you? Morgana: Your thoughts about a bunch of rabbis getting together to worship Lilith in her primal state sounds like incredible fodder for a fan story. Wow! I hope someone takes this one and really does something nifty with it. Janet V.: Yes! Yes! The true symbol of Herne's Son is the Hood! Thanks for pointing that out so emphatically. The rest of the points you bring up in your letter are also excellent. I agree with you that white cats are creepier than black ones. I used to have a black cat, and he was the biggest mush on four paws. Most white cats I've known have had nasty dispositions. Laura W. Todd: Hello! Your letter was thoroughly amusing. You have a great sense of humor (I've noticed that in some of your pieces). Thanks for helping me clarify my thoughts on why so many Robin stories have him dealing with an external enemy, whereas Robert so often has to contend with "the demons within." It may be for precisely this reason that there are slightly more Robert stories. There are a lot of loose ends with the Robert half of the series. Some 'zines - issues #2 and #3 of Longbow come to mind - are almost 100% Huntingdon pieces. Now, on to the important question of who has the cutest tush. Hmm. Well, I'm biased, but if you happen to catch La Veneziana, I think you'll agree that Jason is quite pleasing in the posterior department. (And 100 times better than whoever stood in as Kevin Costner's "stunt tush" in Prince of Thieves!") Donna: Wow, a real nun (or former nun, as the case may be). I enjoyed reading your insights on whether Marion would have stayed in the convent. Judi K.: I loved your train of thought regarding the sheriff. He's one of my favorite characters. I'd love to read or write a piece dealing with his interest and/or fear of magic and the occult. Your musings on Marion's visions are right along what I'd been thinking. Also, thanks for the background on standing stone legends. Julianne: Hello, hello! Your mini-thesis on Lucifer's origins is fascinating. "Does Evil exist?" Welcome to Philosophy 101, folks! Personally, I think Evil is an abstract concept we've given to the rotten things people do. Yes, I can see why Owen might have raped Marion, then drugged her to make her "presentable" for the wedding. But on the other hand, he seems like the kind of creep who would enjoy showing off his unwilling "bride." Also, I think that if Marion had been raped on top of everything else she'd suffered following Robin's death, she would have cracked. She's a tough woman, but not that tough! I agree with you that rape as a "legal" form of marriage is absolutely sickening. Hilda: I loved reading your comments which were, as usual, funny, insightful, and informative. I'd like to comment on them in more depth, but it's midnight, and I'm incoherent and can barely keep my fingers on the right keys. I agreed with practically everything you said. "Dawn breaks on Marblehead." I've heard that one before - directed at me, sometimes! Well, I have to run. Hope I can put more time and thought into my next letter. Blessed be. *** Janet VanMeter Blessed Be! It was so great to see everyone at Weekend this year, even if we were all jammed together in a room for the circle! I thought it rather impressive the number of folk who came - it would have been rough to fit any more people in there. Too bad we had to lose Kip to a previous "official" engagement. Since we all are interested in finding the Paganish stuff in RoS and everywhere else, I want to mention a book I found recently that fits in rather nicely. It is Earth, Air, Fire, Water by Robin Skelton and Margaret Blackwood. The 'sub-title' is Pre-Christian and Pagan Elements in British Songs, Rhymes, and Ballads. This collection also includes notes at the end for explanation of certain elements in the songs. Mother Goose, Shakespeare, Keats, Jonson, and a host of others are given with topics ranging from the God and Goddess, Witches and Witchcraft, the Craft of Magic, Country Folk and Feasts, the World of Faery, and Visions and Transformations. Pretty nifty book. There is even a poem called In Sherwood by Robert Jones. I've also been raving about a set of cards called The Celtic Oracle by Nigel Pennick and Nigel Jackson. This is not just another tarot deck with new artwork. This is a nice combination of ogham and Celtic archetypes using a different system similar to runes. But whereas the runes usually seem to deal with a 'spiritual warrior' bent, this new set seems to add an artistic or inspirational side that I find appealing. So, has anyone else, besides the folks who heard me go on about this, seen or used this deck yet? I will be impressed if the Wildwood Tarot can improve upon it. Once again, it was terrific to meet the Cousins whom I only had a printed name for! Thanks, Hilda, for working so hard to make it happen. Herne Protect. *** Georgia Fleming Thank you SO MUCH for the back issues of Cousins - which prompted an immediate Fun Word... White Rabbit: Someone who comes on board so late that it's all but impossible to deal with, or even follow (-: (I'm a leftist Saxon scum) all the questions, issues, and streams of consciousness that flow through. (Also the title of my favorite Jefferson Airplane number). [Georgia also offered another Fun Word which was just too much fun to unwrap now - it's in the file for later. Ha ha! -H] I did indeed make this stationery. [My advice to those who haven't seen it: write to Georgia and beg. -H] My husband and I own a medium-sized commercial print shop. I am the (guffaw) graphic artist. I can't draw anything except swords. I do a LOT of cut and paste, tracing, and other forms of cheating. Printing is what he wanted to do, and when we first opened, about 9 years ago, we couldn't afford a real graphic artist, so I had to learn "on the job" what little I know. If I'd known, I'd have taken more than just Art Appreciation in college! B.A. in History and German, M.A. in History is what I have, with a concentration in ancient Britain. [More personal-letter type stuff here - it's been taken care of. If you haven't received what you requested, please holler. -H] I love the way you plug environmental issues and other good works in some issues. My current battle is me and one county commissioner vs. the city's herbicide truck. The very word "herbicide" sends shivers down my spine, and I don't shiver easily. This monstrosity sprays killer chemicals down the sides of streets and highways, supposedly to kill the "weeds." It also sprays all the cars behind it, your front lawn, your children, and anything else that gets in its way. Next comes the electric company, which sends a truck around to lop off any tree limbs that get near its precious power lines, without asking. (The property owner OR the tree!) One question - who out there, do you think would be willing to share (as in copy, or loan) the series tapes to poor me? RoS has never been shown here on any channel I could get. How annoying! any suggestion? I have the 4 movie-length videos, but so many things are mentioned in Cousins from shows I haven't seen. HELP!! What do you call us folk from Alabama? I very much prefer "Albion," thanks! Know any others in my area? Even close? How I got interested in RoS: My husband and I were in the video store one night and he picked up Swords of Wayland and said, "Babe, this is your kind of thing." It was. I'm a long time fan of Robinic things anyway... I even have the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks silent version, and quite a few of the old Richard Green TV shows - what a trip! [Sounds like some heavy trading leverage to me! -H] My kids love RoS best, and so do I. The kids show varying degrees of fandom - the most interest my almost-14-year-old has expressed is, "Michael Praed is fine. He is so-o-o fine." I am told this is a compliment. Her name is Victoria (the Princess Royal), she whose hands do no housework. Roxanne, who is 10, is "into it," but it's the very devil to watch the movies with her... "Why is he doing that?" "Why did she say that??" "Where did that come from?" - sounds almost like... YOU GUYS!! Then come my twin- fen, three-year-olds Joe and Virginia. Joe becomes Robin very easily. Actually, he becomes Robert. Joe is a perfect 10 on the Blond-O-Meter, and he wears his hair That Way. He has a stockpile of plastic swords, bows, etc. - he freaked his day care teacher by knowing the word "scabbard" - and proper period clothing. And I don't mean the Halloween costume variety. He informed me that the pattern for a child's Robin Hood outfit "looks like Peter Pan." Which it did. So now he has attire for both forest and earl's hall, even if Mom here did have to learn how to sew to produce them. His twin, Virginia, assumes she was born into the world just to be Marion. But I suspect she has something more up her sleeve. She's very fey. Ahh, paganism! If someone asked me my faith, I don't think I'd say, "I'm a pagan, Teutonic family, Saxon branch." As the Princess Royal puts it, "My father is a Presbyterian, and my mother is... something else." My husband is a devout Christian, in fact a theonomist Presbyterian (they uphold many laws of the Old Testament which other branches of Christianity say were eliminated by the New Covenant). You'd think we'd lock horns (guffaw) quite often, but I am constantly amazed at how our faiths blend. I've never known a Christian other than Brian (High King image!) whose mind was so open to different "faces of the divine," as he calls them. He refers to Yahweh and Herne/Woden as "our universal god." Amazing, isn't it? We are planning some rituals incorporating elements that appeal to both of us. Some of the kids are "combos" - Joe's table blessing is often "God is great, God is good... May Herne protect us!" So I can't really label what I am, other than to say it is of the Saxon persuasion. Well, somebody has to BALANCE (yes!) all you Celtophiles! Herne and Woden are one and the same to me, I forget who mentioned this parallel before. Woden actually led me to Herne, whom I call "Master" (as in, "of the Hunt"), to be my guide in this (my fifth) lifetime. Woden awakened me when I was 8 or 9 years old, and I took a very circuitous route (over a 30-year period) to get to where I am now, wherever that is. I have occasionally used both Robin and Robert as images in worship, because they seem to fit so well: Robin as Frei, who will die at Ragnarok because he gave up his magic sword for love of a woman... and Robert as Balder, who will survive and rule over the new world of peace. Keep going? How about Will as Thunar, and Nasir as Honir, the silent god? John is a good candidate for Tiw. My current obsession (and it is, ask Kate Raymond!) concerns the runic inscription on Albion. The one you can't get a real good look at, because it's always being whipped around somebody's head, or the sunlight decides to glint off it and obscure the runes, or you buy a poster of Robert holding it (just to copy the runes, I swear!) [You can swear here, but I'd prefer it to be a bit more convincing... -H] and find that some Norman decided to crop the photo close to the sword's hilt, then there's the 20 different versions I've seen in the zines... some of which are squigglies rather than runes (-: and so on and so on. Kate says it's supposed to say something like "I cannot slay Herne's son." In Swords of Wayland, somebody (Herne?) says that what is written on the swords are "words of power unspoken since Wayland made them," or something to that effect. How come there's been so little chatter about Wayland/Weland? I feel close to him because my mother was a Smith. Biologically, not professionally. My son thinks Wayland Smith is an uncle (why not? He has an Uncle Raymond Smith and an Uncle William Smith - which reminds me, in my mother's family, "Albia" is a traditional male first name. Coincidence? NOT! Albia Smith was my great-great-grandfather.) What was I on about? Albion. The runes. "I cannot slay Herne's son" in Anglo-Saxon would be something like "Ne maeg ic cwellan Hernes sunu." And in the Saxon rune system: (saxon runes can't be translated into ascii, sorry, Susan) But the inscription obviously isn't that long. Is it esoteric? Is it in some other language? Wayland, as Volund Waddason, would have written in Old Norse I reckon. Maybe it's in Gothic, or Indo-European (smile). Or Atlantean. Or Mu-an. Maybe it says "PROPS DEPARTMENT" in Etruscan! Help me, someone with quick eyes, before I go mad. Another Albion-related gripe. Maybe it's not really a gripe, just a "point" (laugh). It has a disc-shaped pommel, which really wasn't common until the 12th century. Before that, the shapes known as "tea- cosy" and "walnut" were used, and most early and late Saxon swords are one of those two. Maybe Herne accidentally hit it on the cave wall, knocking off the properly shaped pommel, and he had to put a new one on. What did he use, and what did he do with the old one? AND... is anyone curious as to where the names of the other swords came from? I haven't found Collins' The Seventh Sword. Those of you who have, how does he deal with the names? None of the ones in RoS rang any bells for me: Urias, Morax, etc. All great swords have names, like Beowulf's Naegling (made by Wayland) and Siegfried's Nothung. God, I luv swords! I personally think Gulnar was a renegade Saxon wicca. (Wicca is a masculine noun, meaning "wizard." The feminine counterpart would be "wicce.") Why? Because he uses the Saxon rune system in his divination. You can see them best on his circle, and he calls some of them out, e.g. lagu and daeg. If Gulnar were a Viking, wouldn't he use the Younger Futhorc? In which lagu is l