“The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood”

Description

Robin Hood and Little John meet a pedlar. Neither Robin nor John can out-wrestle the pedlar. They exchange names, and the pedlar (Gamble Gold, a murderer) proves to be Robin's cousin. They celebrate the reunion in a tavern

Notes

For background on the Robin Hood legend, see the notes on "A Gest of Robyn Hode" [Child 117].

Fully half the Robin Hood ballads in the Child collection (numbers (121 -- the earliest and most basic example of the type), 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 130, 131, 132, (133), (134), (135), (136), (137), (150)) share all or part of the theme of a stranger meeting and defeating Robin, and being invited to join his band. Most of these are late, but it makes one wonder if Robin ever won a battle.

Child considered this a variation of "Robin Hood Newly Revived," but Bronson argues that this is not so. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "Jock the Leg and the Merry Merchant" [Child 282] (plot)
• cf. "Robin Hood Newly Revived" [Child 128] (theme)

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 11(381), "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood," J. Catnach (London), 1813-1838; also Harding B 11(380), Harding B 11(382), "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood"
• Murray, Mu23-y4:007, "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood," J. Catnach (London), 1813-1838

References

1. Child 132, "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood" (1 text)
2. Bronson 132, "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood" (14 versions+ 2 in addenda)
3. BarryEckstormSmyth pp. 457-461, "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood" (1 songster text plus extensive notes)
4. Flanders/Brown, pp. 217-218, "Bold Robing Hood" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #14}
5. Flanders/Olney, pp. 67-69, "Bold Robin Hood and the Pedlar" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #3}
6. Flanders-Ancient3, pp. 101-106, "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood" (2 texts plus a fragment, 2 tunes) {Bronson's #3, #14}
7. Creighton/Senior, pp. 67-69, "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #7}
8. Creighton-NovaScotia 6, "Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood" (1 text, called "Pedlar Bold" by the singer, 1 tune) {Bronson's #12}
9. Leach, pp. 383-385, "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood" (1 text)
10. Niles 46, "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood" (1 text, 1 tune)
11. Vaughan Williams/Lloyd, p. 88, "Robin Hood and the Pedlar" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #5, emended}
12. DT 132, RHPEDLAR* RHDPDLR2
13. Roud #333
14. BI, C132