Interlude, author commentary

Since the original Song of Sherwood Trilogy ends in the early 1260's and this blog resumes the action in 1492, you may be wondering what happened during the 230+ years in between. Part of the explanation exists in two books that follow the original Trilogy, making it actually a Pentalogy. In book four, "The Ends of the Earth," the great-grandson of Robin Hood, Samuel of Locksley, sets out on a mission to reach the fabled court of Kublai Khan at Xanadu. In book five, "Knight of Sorrows," Samuel's son, Robert of Locksley, joins the Knights Templar at the beginning of the 1300's. This is bad timing for Robert, as the Templars were crushed and persecuted by the Pope and company beginning in 1307. That is when, according to me, the noble Locksley name began to recede into the mists of legend. Books four and five are currently unavailable to the public.

The other part of the explanation for the time gap is history itself. Frankly, the 1300's and 1400's were pretty dark times. This was the height of the Black Death. There was essentially non-stop war between England and France. The Turks continued to chip away at what remained of the Byzantine Empire, and good times like the Renaissance and Reformation were still in the works. But in 1492 a couple of interesting things happened. First, after over 700 years of fighting, the Spanish finally succeeded in driving the Moorish invaders back to Africa. Second (you may have heard about this) a Genoese merchant named Christopher Columbus set sail trying to find a western sea route for reaching China and India. Of course, he failed to reach his goal, but he did find something else even better. Both the Reconquista and the voyages of Christopher Columbus offer a great backdrop for adventure and intrigue.

So, what about Robert Locke anyway? Is he a direct descendant of Robin Hood? Yes. Basically, the Locksley estate was confiscated by the Church after the persecution of the Templars. Generations of offspring continued (even to this day), but the title of nobility was lost with the lands. And after years on the run from Inquisitors and bounty-hunters, the name Locksley was modified to Locke in order to help avoid the authorities. In later New World Chronicles, you may even see the name shortened again to Lock.

Can a complete, unbroken genealogy be established descending from Robin Hood? No, and that was never the point. The point in all of these stories, booked or blogged, is about the spirit of Sherwood. This is not something carried in DNA. It's the ideals that matter: courage, chivalry, helping the poor, using skill and cleverness to overcome a more powerful foe. These ideals are available for anyone to adopt. Pedigree is meaningless. Words and actions, choices and commitments; these are what make us who we are.