Was Robin Hood Gay?
When I first began planning the ‘Outlaw’s Legacy’ series, I was intrigued by the idea of adding the theme of homosexuality. My original intention was for Robin’s friend to be gay and suffer an unrequited passion for him, while Robin pursued his relationship with Marion. However, I quickly found this wasn’t working as an idea. Part of the problem was that I never liked being the same as everyone else, and almost every version of ‘Robin Hood’ you read has him getting the girl. Also, I’ve never liked Marion much as a character. Then, one day, I tried writing a romance scene between Robin and his male friend. It instantly felt right, and from there, the tone of the series changed. I didn’t want to abandon Marion as a character entirely, so decided in the end to make Robin bisexual, allowing me to explore his relationships with both men and women.
I would like to say the concept of a gay Robin Hood was wholly my own, but that would be a lie. I am certainly not the first one to bring Robin’s sexuality into question. Professor Stephen Thomas Knight caused something of a stir when he suggested the legend of Robin Hood carried homosexual overtones. In fact, when you really explore the story of Robin Hood, one thing becomes astoundingly obvious. There have been many interpretations of the legend over the centuries, but what never varies is the camaraderie between Robin Hood and his men. It’s hardly surprising that a band of outlaws forced to join together for their own survival would become close, but there is a lot of physical affection between Robin and his men.
In Howard Pyle’s novel, ‘The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood’, Robin and his men hug and kiss frequently. When Robin first encounters his nemesis Gisborne in the ballad ‘Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne’, he is merely friendly to him, but when Howard Pyle tells the story, he describes Robin as being captivated by the sight of Gisborne, and there is something distinctly flirtatious about Robin’s initial behaviour. Robin also declares he loves Little John, his right-hand man, better than anyone else in the world. Most scenes depicting Robin’s death have him dying cradled in Little John’s arms.
As there is no proof Robin Hood even existed, we can never know for certain where his true sexual orientation lay, but it is open to interpretation, and I for one have enjoyed putting my own spin on the story.
Title: Heir of Locksley
Series: Outlaw’s Legacy, Book 1
Author: N.B. Dixon
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Release Date: December 1st, 2016
Genre(s): Historical, M/M
Words: 108,000
Blurb:
Robin of Locksley is a rebel, more comfortable roaming Sherwood Forest with his longbow and courting the village girls than learning how to run a manor.
An innocent flirtation with a peasant girl soon lands Robin in trouble, and worse, he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Will Scathelock, his best friend since childhood. Robin must decide whether to follow the rules of society or his own conscience.
Meanwhile, his neighbour, Guy of Gisborne, is anxious to get his hands on the Locksley estate and he will do anything to make it happen – even murder.
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N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician.
She began work on the *Outlaw’s Legacy* Series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. *Outlaw’s Legacy* is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.
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Three lucky winners will receive an e-copy of Heir of Locksley,, the first in the Outlaw’s Legacy series by N.B. Dixon, a highly original retelling of the Robin Hood legend. To be in with a chance, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on May 6 and is open to entrants worldwide.
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I love the story of Robin Hood and his Merry men. Interesting to read that he might have had homosexual tendencies. Looking forward to reading this book.
Gosh, the more I think about it, the more I really like this idea. Robin Hood as bisexual just really really works for me. I look forward to reading your take on this idea!
Congrats and thanks for the background on Robin’s sexuality. As a boy I got into Robin Hood and Swashbucklers, and much later I started reading gay fiction. What better marriage is there, than exploring bisexuality with a legend from my childhood.