Often symbolised in
May Day rituals and festivals in Lancashire, Robin Hood was
a very popular folk hero and was often used as a character
in pageants and country dances.
In the early 16th century,
figures dressed as Robin Hood and Maid Marian were the Lord
and Lady of the May in celebrations held around Manchester
Collegiate Church (now Manchester Cathedral) and in the
1580s Puritans in Burnley did their very best to suppress
the Robin Hood revelry that took place on May Day.
In fact, a Burnley gentleman, one Edward
Assheton, complained about "Robin Hood and the May Games"
which he refered to as "lewd sports tending to no other end
but to stir up our frail natures to wantonness, embracings,
kissings and unchaste beholdings of each other. The
clean-living Mr Assheton also accused Burnley folk of
"marching and walking together in the night time".
So there it is, the next time you turn on
the TV to be presented with a Hollywood style portrayal of
Robin Hood, you'll know it was much more fun in Burnley.
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