No account of medieval literature ought to omit a
reference to Reynard the Fox. This is a long poem, first written in
Latin, and then turned into the chief languages of Europe. The characters are
animals: Reynard, cunning and audacious, who outwits all his foes; Chanticleer
the cock; Bruin the Bear; Isengrim the Wolf; and many others. But they are
animals in name only. We see them worship like Christians, go to Mass, ride on
horseback, debate in councils, and amuse themselves with hawking and hunting.
Satire often creeps in, as when the villainous Fox confesses his sins to the
Badger or vows that he will go to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage. The special
interest of this work lies in the fact that it expressed the feelings of the
common people, groaning under the oppression of feudal lords.
THE ROBIN HOOD BALLADS
The same democratic spirit breathes in the old English
ballads of the outlaw Robin Hood. According to some accounts he flourished in
the second half of the twelfth century, when Henry II and Richard the
Lion-hearted reigned over England. Robin Hood, with his merry men, leads an
adventurous life in Sherwood Forest, engaging in feats of strength and hunting
the king's tall deer. Bishops, sheriffs, and gamekeepers are his only enemies.
For the common people he has the greatest pity, and robs the rich to endow the
poor. Courtesy, generosity, and love of fair play are some of the
characteristics which made him a popular hero. If King Arthur was the ideal
knight, Robin Hood was the ideal yeoman. The ballads about him were sung by
country folk for hundreds of years.
