The Grey Goose Feather


*Somtyme I was an archere good,

A styffe and eke a stronge;

I was compted the best archere

That was in mery Englonde.


*A Gest of Robyn Hode



It was during the last quarter of the thirteenth century that the longbow man became recognised as an effective part of the English army. Richard I (1189-1199) preferred crossbowmen on foot in conjunction with cavalry, but during Edward I’s (1272-1307) Welsh wars he discovered the true value of a skilled archer and laid the foundation of the longbow as a military weapon, that was to shock the French between the 1340’s and 1420’s.
Gerald of Wales had recorded, in about 1188 its deadly uses by the men of South Wales, during the Norman invasion of Ireland.


William de Braose also testifies that, in the war against the Welsh, one of his men-at-arms was struck by an arrow shot at him by a Welshman. It went right through his thigh, high up, where it was protected outside and inside the leg by his iron thigh armour, and then through the skirt of his leather tunic; next it penetrated that part of the saddle which is called the alva or seat; and finally it lodged in his horse, driving it so deep it killed the animal.


Quickly realising its potential, Edward I started by combining Welsh and English bowman with awesome effect against the Scots at Falkirk in 1298.


A landmark in the history of archery had been reached in 1252 with Henry III’s Assize of Arms. It confirmed the recognition of the bow by the English and its importance in warfare. And declared that in a time of emergency (posse comittatus) commissioners were to select as paid soldiers, citizens with chattels worth more than nine marks and less than twenty. They should be armed with bow, arrows and a sword. A special clause was included for poor men with less than this who could bring bows and arrows if they owned them. But those living within or near a Royal Forest had to keep their arrows blunt.


There are no surviving bows from the early Middle Ages and only five from the Renaissance, but they are similar in construction. All five are ‘self bows’, that is made from a single stave of wood, shaped in order to use the centre and sap wood and symmetrically tapered. The favourite wood was Spanish Yew or Wych Elm, Elm or Ash. Because of our wetter climate English Yew was courser grained and therefore not as popular.

Bows were made by a craftsman called a Bowyer. First, logs of yew were cut into thin sections called ‘bow staves’. These were then stored for three to four years to ‘season’, before being ready for the bowyer to shape into slender bows. The bow stave is cut from the radius of the tree so that the sapwood (on the outside of the tree) becomes the back and the heartwood becomes the belly. The lighter sapwood (on the outside curve, facing the target) would aid spring, whilst the darker heartwood (on the inside) would aid compression.

The bow strings were made of twine, which in turn, was made from hemp and flax plants. Ash was a popular wood for arrows, although most wood was suitable and the feathers, usually from the grey goose, were stuck on with glue made from bluebell bulbs.

In 1285 Edward I re-enacted the Assize of Arms with his Statute of Winchester ordering that, every man shall have in his house equipment for keeping the peace, according to the ancient assize; that is to say, every man between 15 and 60 years of age shall be assessed and obliged to have arms according to the quality of his lands and goods.

Edward’s Assize ordered that archery should be practised on Sundays and Holidays and thirteen years later, King Edward’s archers concentrated hails of arrows with devastating effect on the Scots during the Battle of Falkirk. In this same year an incident recorded in the “De Banco Roll” gives an excellent description of a bow and arrow used in a murder. A Simon de Skeffington had been shot and killed by a barbed arrow. The wound measured three inches long by two inches wide and was six inches deep. It had been caused by:

….an arrow from a bow, the arrow being barbed with an iron arrow-head 3 inches long and 2 inches broad, the arrow was almost 34 inches long of Ash…….feathered with peacock feathers and the bow being of yew and the bowstring of hemp, the length of the bow being one ell and a half in gross circumference (five feet seven inches long).

In ‘A Gest of Robyn Hode,’ one of the earliest surviving ballads about the outlaw, a knight re-pays Robin a debt:

An every arowe an elle longe,

With pecok wel idyght,

Worked all with white silver;

It was a seemly sight.

* A Gest of Robyn Hode


The advantage of the bow or longbow, as the military version became known, was its relative cheap construction and expandability. Its problem was the training involved to make it an effective killing instrument on the battlefield. So boys from about the age of ten, spent hours in their local churchyard practising at the butts after Mass on Sundays. This compulsory training was essential as the art of drawing a bow took years to perfect. The lightest bow had draw weights of around 100 pounds, the heaviest about 175 pounds, with the bow drawn 'to the ear' (rather than to the corner of the mouth as is common in modern archery). The attachment points for the string were protected by horn ‘nocks’. There was no arrow rest on the handle as on modern bows, with the arrow resting on the index finger. The longbow, often as tall as its owner (sometimes well over 5 ft.), could loose an arrow 180 metres and the best archers could accurately draw and discharge between ten to twelve arrows a minute.


Ascham in ‘Toxophilus’ (1545) wrote, ‘ a perfyte archer must firste learne to knowe the sure flyghte of his shaftes, that he may be boulde always, to trust them.


In 1466 an Act ordered all Englishman, with the exception of judges and clerics, to keep a longbow of their own height and further decreed that every town and village must erect butts at which the citizens were to shoot on Sundays and feast-days, or face a fine of one halfpenny for each failure to do so.


There were three main marks for the archer. The first was the ‘rover’, used in shooting over open ground at uncertain distances. Secondly, the ‘prick’ or ‘clout’ was a small canvas mark with a white circle painted on it and a wooden peg in the centre of the ring. Usually set at distances from 160 to 240 yards ‘prick-shooting’ was intended to teach the archer to be able to shoot as often as necessary over the same distance. The third mark were the ‘Butts’, earthen turfed mounds on which paper discs marked with circles were fixed. They were erected at the public cost in every village up and down the English countryside and their use was frequently enforced to encourage the use of the weapon that brought astonishing victories at Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt.


Bishop Latimer (1485-1555) was the son of a yeoman, who as a child had been taught how to use a longbow:


In my time my poor father was as delighted to teach me to shoot as to learn any other thing; and so I think, other men did their children; he taught me how to draw, how to lay my body and my bow, and not to draw with strength of arm as other nations do but with strength of body. I had my bow bought me according to my age and strength; as I increased in them, so my bows were made bigger and bigger; for men will never shoot well, except they be brought up to it. It is a goodly art, a wholesome kind of exercise, and, much commended as physic.


But archery practice became a duty that undoubtedly many tried to evade in one way or another, so to raise the enthusiasm, private matches were set up and archery pageants were organised in local villages. These competitions and games soon became linked with the bold outlaw who became synonymous with accurate shooting of a bow and arrow, Robin Hood.


Philip Stubbs (f. 1583-91) explains how the Summer games incorporated the practice of archery:


Myself remembreth of a childe, in contreye native mine,
A May Game was of Robyn Hood, and of his train, that time,
To train up young men striplings and each other younger childe,
In shooting; yearly this with solemn feast was by the guylde,

Or brotherhood of townsmen.



So the archery practice linked with the summer games and festivals insured the continuing popularity of the outlaw hero.



*Thryce Robyn shot about,
And Always he slist the wand,
And so dyde good Gylberte,
With the wyte hande.



Lytell Johan and good Gylberte,
Were archers good and fre;
Lytell Much and good Reynolde,
The worste they wolde not be.


* A Gest of Robyn Hode


© Clement of the Glen 2006-2007

The Magic of Ellenshaw

Walt Disney with Peter Ellenshaw

Amongst the credits for Walt Disney’s ‘Story of Robin Hood’ is the name of Peter Ellenshaw, Matte Artist. So what is a Matte Artist?

Born in Britain in 1913 Peter Ellenshaw’s artistic talents were discovered by Percy Day, a pioneering visual effects

specialist and ingenious trick photographer. 'Poppa’ Day had learned his trade and magic from the great French illusionist George Melies. Poppa took Ellenshaw under his wing and guided him not only with his painting on canvas but also on glass, for creating matte background for film.

Matte paintings are usually paintings made on glass, fixed to the camera. There are certain holes left in the painting so the camera can see through the glass and into the set, thus creating the illusion that the set and the painting are one and the same.

After a brief period with MGM, Ellenshaw was noticed by an Art Director involved in the pre-planning stages of ‘Treasure Island’ for Walt Disney. So in 1947 Ellenshaw began a partnership with the Disney organisation that would last over thirty years. He painted twelve matte shots for Robin Hood and went on to create seventy-five for Disney’s ‘Sword and the Rose.’

Peter Ellenshaw has left us with a legacy of memorable images from those Live-action films. Apart from his work in ‘The Story of Robin Hood’, who can forget the beginning of Mary Poppins as the camera pans over London at dusk and then zooms onto Mary sitting on a cloud? The atmospheric image of the masts of the ships in the harbour, from '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’ or even his earlier work, creating the Roman cities in ‘Spartacus’.

For his 102 different evocative mattes of Edwardian London in Disney’s groundbreaking ‘Mary Poppins,’ Ellenshaw won a well deserved Academy Award and Walt Disney became a close personal friend.

“Walt,” he said,” was the dominant figure in my life for all those years. He talked to me as a father would, I cherished our relationship.”
When Disney died in 1968, Ellenshaw said that, “making movies wasn’t the same any more. I ceased to be interested in film making.”


© Clement of the Glen 2006-2007

A 'Different' Robin Hood Film

From 'The Disney Films' By Leonard Maltin:

'Having formed RKO-Walt Disney British Productions Ltd and succeeded in filming a most creditable live-action feature, Walt Disney decided to continue making films in England, with Perce Pearce as his producer. They decided to continue in the action-adventure genre and chose Robin Hood.

This time out, in addition to using an all-British crew, Disney hired a British director as well, a young man who had made an impressive start at Rank studios with such films as 'Trio' and 'Quartet', Ken Annakin. At the time he joined the production, some prepatory work had already been done by Disney and Pearce with their cameraman Guy Green and art director, Carmen Dillon. As on 'Treasure Island' three seperate shooting units were established, one doing action work on exterior location and two doing interiors at Denham Studios. Disney spent part of the summer in England working closely with Annakin. The director recalls
"I remember talking about the original Errol Flynn 'Robin Hood' and I looked at it, just to get an idea what had been done before, because I never like to do anything twice. Walt didn't seem very worried about seeing the original and in fact I doubt he ever did. His approach is always that the film is a Disney picture and therefore, because of his attitudes and his approach, the picture is bound to be different from anything else made on that subject before."

That is exactly what happened of course, the Disney film adheres to the Robin Hood legend, yet it is a work unto itself. One is hard pressed to make comparisons between the Disney Robin Hood and earlier versions, not because one is better than another, but simply each one is different.
This is an extremely 'good looking' film as well. The locations are beautiful with lush green countrysides, the sets are truly formidable and realistic. The seemingly effortless pacing and knowing use of camera angles and cutting is doubly impressive when one considers certain background facts. For instance, Annakin has vivd memories of the difficulties in shooting Technicolor at that time.

"It was the very elaborate three-strip system with a very immobile camera. When you wanted to reload the camera in it's very heavy blimp, you had to have it lifted on chains and it took the first-class technicolor crew a minimum of eleven minutes to reload the camera. After every single shot the camera had to be opened and the gate had to be examined; the prism was the great thing because this was the light splitter which gave the registrations on the three strips. For this reason, if you were making a big picture like 'Robin Hood' you had to be very certain you were not wasting set-ups or wasting shots because it was a big industrial process every time to set up your camera"

The use of story boards was new to Annakin, "but it appealed to my logical brain very, very much" and prompted ingenious scenes such as the first meeting between Prince John and the Sheriff after King Richard has lefy, played on the balcony of the castle against a brilliant but ominous orange sky at sundown.
Time has been kind to the film, as so many inferior films in this genre have followed it: today it seems better than ever.

Disney's 'Robin Hood' strikes a happy medium, leaning heavily on strong characterisations but placing them against a colorful and sumptuous tableau that gives the film a fine period flavor.'

7. Marian Presents The Prize


“Good bowman,” said Queen Eleanor, “step forward.”

“My lady paramount,” said Hugh Fitzooth, “I beg a favour, let the golden arrow be given to him whose arrow hit the mark first and no less truly than mine.”

“Well said yeoman,” said Queen Eleanor smiling her approval.

Robin hesitantly moved forward to receive the golden prize from the Queen, then stepped to the side to where Maid Marian sat and offered her the arrow.

“Your archery has vastly improved,” she said blushing slightly.

“There was no one, this time, to meddle with my target,” said Robin.
Marian laughed, “thank you Robin,” she said, “it will remind me of this day where ever I may go.”

“You leave Nottingham?” Robin asked.

“Today, replied Maid Marian. “I journey with the Queen to London.”

“God keep you!” Said Robin.

The Queen rose and Marian turned to attend her. Robin rejoined his father and Prince John lent over and began whispering to his new Sheriff of Nottingham.

6. Robin Splits The Arrow


There were three archers left, including Red Gill, in the service of the Sheriff.

“The crowd is not cheering your bowman, De Lacy,” said Prince John, giving him an awkward glance.


“My men have been gathering some small part of the new taxes, my lord,” he answered, “Red Gill will win for us.”


Red Gill stood by his marker peg and took aim, then sent an arrow that whizzed through the air and pierced the outer edge of the inner circle. There was a generous amount of applause for the Sheriff’s bully and he stood back and confidently said to Robin, “can your tuppenny bow do better than that my beardless whelp.”


Robin ignored him and quickly sent an arrow into the dead centre of the inner circle, sending a deafening din from the crowd.
“Forgive me sir,” said Robin to his father, “if beating this man, I have robbed you of your chance to win!”
“Lad, no man is beat till he admits it,” said Robin’s father.


Calmly Hugh Fitzooth put his toe to the marking peg and took aim, then let fly. TWANG! Hugh’s arrow had split Robin’s arrow down the middle. As the crowd roared, Red Gill slunk away.

5. The Archery Contest

The shooting match was held on the outskirts of Nottingham. The area was surrounded by long lines of stalls and booths, where groups of commoners were gathered, waiting for the contest to begin. The butts were roped off in a long green meadow where amongst a group of men, stood the minstrel Allan A Dale plucking his lute. His keen eyes espied a group of local archers whom he softly warned.

“Beware, O ye archers of Nottingham Fair,

Of our new Sheriff’s hirelings beware-oh,

Since they levy a tax on thy chattels elsewhere,

They may here tax thy bow and thine arrow.”


From miles around, sunburnt bowmen had gathered to shoot for the prize of a golden arrow to be presented by Queen Eleanor.


One by one the independent archers were beaten by the Sheriff’s men, until only Hugh Fitzooth and his son Robin remained to challenge De Lacy’s men.


“You have done well,” said Prince John to the Sheriff, as he watched from the Royal Box.
To the gasp of the many hundreds of spectators, the Marker called that the final match would be shot at a distance of six score yards.


“My Lords!” He called. The upshot is: Tepus out! Clifton Out! Adam of Leslie out!”

4. The Plans of Prince John



Prince John stood on the battlements of Nottingham Castle and watched as the Crusading army’s rearguard disappeared into the sunset.

“De Lacy!”

A bearded attendant stepped out of the shadows and stood alongside the king’s brother.

“My Prince?”

“Kings have died on Crusades,” Prince John murmured. “The Prince in the line of succession needs trustworthy men about him. How say you?”

“My lord,” replied the rather sullen faced De Lacy. “I am yours as the blade of my sword is to the hilt.”

“Good, You shall be my new Sheriff of Nottingham,” promised John as the two men stood together.

“As Sheriff,” the Prince went on, “you shall enforce the trespass laws in Sherwood Forest, not with Richard’s lenient hand, but to the very letter of those laws. For such a task we’ll need a larger force.”

“We’ll need an army,” the new sheriff amended quickly.

“Aye an army!” The Prince agreed, “an army of hard shooters, who can feather their arrows at nine score yards, should their prince so much as whisper his command.”

But De Lacy looked worried.

“Can your estates support so large a force?”

“There will be new taxes,” the Prince replied.

“My lord,” De Lacy said, “You have a kingly mind.”

Prince John smiled.

“Bestir yourself, I shall expect to see the finest bowman in the Kingdom wearing the sheriff’s livery.

“Give me but a fortnight Sir and I’ll have such men as you wish enlisted.”

“Good,” replied the Prince. “You shall show me what they can do at Nottingham Fair.

The Earl of Huntingdon





In Disney’s ‘Story of Robin Hood’, the Earl of Huntingdon is Maid Marian’s father and in many Hollywood movies Robin has links with that title. But there is no historical evidence to suggest a connection with the Earldom of Huntingdon and the legendry outlaw. The Earldom of Huntington/Huntingdon was a fief belonging to the Scottish royal house. David (abt. 1144-1219) the brother of William the Lion of Scotland was confirmed in the Honour of Huntingdon by Richard I in 1190. David married Maud, sister of Ranulf of Chester on 26th August 1190 and carried one of the three swords, with golden sheaths described in the ‘Deeds of Richard’ at the king’s coronation. David helped to suppress Richard’s brother Prince John in 1194. The Honour of Huntingdon covered eleven counties.

Huntingdon's connection with the legend of Robin Hood comes from the popularity of two plays, ‘The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington’ and ‘The Death of Robert Earl of Huntington’ written by the prolific Tudor political spy and playwright Anthony Munday in about 1600. The hero of both plays is Robert Earl of Huntington, betrothed to the daughter of Lord Fitzwalter, the beautiful Matilda. Robert is betrayed and wrongly disinherited by his evil uncle, the Prior of York, so the couple take refuge in Sherwood Forest and change there names to Robin and Marian. Both plays were as popular at the time as any of Shakespear’s works and ensured the survival of the legend.

Robin (Robert Earl of Huntington) dies in the first act of the second play and Marian (Matilda) is pursued by King John to Dunmow Priory, where she is eventually poisoned.

These two Tudor plays left a lasting impression on the legend and it appears that the plot to both Anthony Munday’s productions had political ends. Munday was a fanatical anti-Catholic and Huntington was part of the estate of the most powerful Catholic family in England, that of Henry Percy, Earl of Nothumberland. The chief villain of the play, Robert’s uncle, the treacherous Gilbert de Hood, Prior of York is probably based on Percy himself, who was later imprisoned in the Tower of London for his suspected association with the Gunpowder Plot.

From Act 1

(Enter Robert Earl of Huntington, leading Marian & c)

“This youth that leads yon virgin by the hand

(As doth the sunne, the morning richly clad)

Is our Earle Robert, or your Robin Hoode,

That in those daies, was Earle of Huntington.

The ill-fac’t miser, brib’d in either hand,

Is Warman, once the Steward of his house,

Who, Judas like, betraies his liberall lord

Into the hands of that relentlesse Prior,

Calde Gilbert Hoode, uncle to Huntington.”

It has been suggested by some scholars that by Munday omitting the Yorkshire Robin Hood settings from his hugely popular plays, due to his puritanical Protestantism, Sherwood became the common backdrop to all subsequent versions of the legend.


© Clement of the Glen 2006-2007