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Monetising the Myth. (it burns, it burns)

31/10/2012

7 Comments

 
I just read this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-20146713 and was rendered speechless through a fog of confused and bemused rage.

 f you don't know, I used to work at Nottingham castle and on a frequent basis had people asking "Where's the castle?" as they expected the towers and turrets of Hollywood fiction. Also "Where did Marion/The Sherrif/Robin live?" and "Where are the dungeons where Robin was kept?" We would try and give a potted explanation that it's all a lot of stories and legends rolled together from different time periods, and if you really want a Robin Hood hat the gift shop is over there thankyuvermuch.

There are plans to revamp the castle, taking advantage of, and explaining (finally) all that stuff, and using it as a way to link from the legends into the real events and times that spawned and changed the myth (hating the Normans, mocking religious figures, viscous tax collecting needed for Richard's wars, etc). The castle really needs some TLC and this will tap into why a lot of people visit, while also steering them to discover and appreciate the genuine history and stories.

And now, plans near Sherwood Forest for... this!
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Go find out more: http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/robinhood/

Now call me a knee jerk reactionary, but this on first glance to me looks like a massive mash up of tourist pulling stereotypical ye medievale experiences, and even better they are working with "Discovery Attractions, whose senior management have experience with Madame Tussauds and Warwick Castle" So... Warwick Castle Dungeon, previously a moving experience, where you could see the carvings by the captives, but now someone in a costume jumps out and yells "boo". A group of Americans who visited Warwick recently told me it was "all a bit more Disney than we expected..." I read more, and felt that my reaction may be justified.

They do talk about bigging up Sherwood forest, and removing the currently badly placed visitor centre, so there are ecological awareness benefits too. "Sherwood Forest is one of the most famous forests in the world and Discovery Attractions' proposal will use a mix of indoor and outdoor experiences to keep families engaged for hours - whatever the weather." IT'S A FOREST. GO OUTSIDE. ENGAGE WITH NATURE. GET WET. PLAY IN MUD. 

OK, this proposal is a 'visitor attraction' and not a museum, historical building etc etc. Ted Cantle, who chairs the group working on Nottingham Castle, said: "Sherwood Forest will be much more 'Legend of Robin Hood' but our scheme in the castle, while bringing in Robin Hood, is going to be a much more serious, historical exposition." I get it, the two balance out. So why does the website keep talking about discovering "life in those times"  and that you'll be "transported back to 12th Century England"? Being on the site of  the renowned Sherwood Forest is a prime chance to tap into the Robin Hood trail without taking advantage of the visitors' assumptions and fuelling the fires of the falsehoods. Or if you want to be an attraction about  the storytelling and legend, go for that and clearly ramp up the legend away from the historical elements.

If you think I'm having a rant, perhaps missing the point of somewhere trying to use a popular cultural figure to attract visitors to an ancient woodland and inform them about life in medieval times; then I leave you with:

The Knight's School provides the opportunity to: 
  • Dress up in armour and try out jousting and archery
  • Train in poll arm fighting and swordsmanship
  • Ride the animatronic steed
  • Slay dragons and rescue damsels!

DRAGONS?! I missed that bit of medieval history. ffs.
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Edit: I’ve realised that the best way to describe my feelings on this is the difference between these two sentences:

“In the 12th century Robin Hood was the only man willing to take a stand against Prince John.”

“Legends set in the 12th century tell of a Robin Hood as the only man willing to take a stand against Prince John.”

The difference with the second sentence is a bit like the disclaimer on some reality type shows – “The following scenes have been created for your entertainment”. Hopefully this entertaining Robin Hood attraction will make it clear that it is a massive mix of fact and fiction, so you shouldn’t take it all at face value, and people will be given the information to help celebrate Robin Hood the myth away from forest outlaws the reality. 

7 Comments
NorthLass
31/10/2012 03:06:58 pm

Wow. I'm trying quite hard to be objective and fair minded, think about the benefit to local jobs, economy, finance for up keeping the forest. But this really does seem a bit cheesy and can seem to get a straight message. Is it an experience and entertainment, or education? You can mix both, but there's so much blurring of the lines here, it looked like a potential mess.

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NorthLass
31/10/2012 03:07:54 pm

*can't seem to get the message straight, sorry for typo!

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The Attendant
1/11/2012 05:40:42 am

Hallo again NorthLass,
You are right that it will create more jobs and hopefully increase local spend, but also right to ponder what cost that gain will come at. Will visitors receive suitable messages, or the local people see what many consider a part of local history and their folk hero converted to a cash generating cliche?

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Pete_K
1/11/2012 01:50:46 am

I've read and followed this site for a while and this is the first time I've felt compelled to comment.

Initially I thought you were being very negative about a potentially positive development that is lacking in Nottingham. Having visited a few years ago with family we were a little disappointed, as the children had expected a more magical experience in Sherwood Forest; being kept to only a few paths and the limited resources at the visitor centre made it a beautiful but short trip.

Reading through the details on the council website I can now see why you have such worries about this development, and as you’re a historian from Nottingham I can understand your strength of feeling. This does appear to be a few educational benefits bolted on to validate many instances of giving the public what they want, which are the parts the public will pay most for. Perhaps being more honest about what they are trying to achieve would work in their favour, and admitting they are essentially a theme park would work in their favour. If we have all misinterpreted their intent, then they certainly need to hire someone else to arrange their promotions/copywriting/website.

Robin Hood does need more coverage in Nottingham and money is needed to maintain Sherwood Forest, but this should work in concert with the forest and not detract or distract from it. I sincerely hope that if this goes ahead, the local schools etc are able to take advantage of the learning elements, and all visitors are encouraged to equally visit and value the forest as well as these ‘attractions’ (worryingly relegated to a corner of the map)

Do keep us informed of any news around this, as it may be interesting to see it as a forerunner for other, similar, venues.

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The Attendant
1/11/2012 05:51:56 am

Good to hear from you Pete,
Sorry that you had a mixed time here, if you plan to visit again do ask for some suggestions!

Thanks for the well thought through comment, your suggestion that it's the promotion is an interesting one. Perhaps we have all judged this wrongly, and their marketing should be better presented with a more coherent overall message. We'll see! I'll look out for more news as it comes.

(By the by I'm not from Nottingham originally, I work and live here!)

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rob link
1/11/2012 01:36:08 pm

Ok, so I know you might not agree with this Lise, since your background is in true curation and stewardship of museums, but I feel like I should play devil's advocate on behalf of this project. I've seen a lot of people slate it as a horrible pastiche of history, and indeed, they're right, it is.

I guess I've always looked at the Robin Hood legend as something of post-medieval pulp anyway. Being a folk legend with very limited factual basis, I preferred to look at it as a piece of collaborative fiction set in a true historical period, not unlike modern fiction such as Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter or any number of historically-set pieces of fiction that incorporate real-world characters into their mythos.

As such, I find it very difficult to oppose using medieval pastiche as a way of celebrating such a folk legend. In fact, I look at it in much the same way as I look at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - a gaudy, over-the-top spectacle deliberately designed to play up to what the public expect to see and to celebrate a piece of fiction.

To present a scholarly, intellectually rigorous Robin Hood exhibit would somewhat defeat the purpose for me, since I've found bth the pre-and post-19th century Robin Hood Legend to be sparsely supported by academic evidence at best (and downright contradictory in parts), and as such, I'd prefer it were celebrated as it was intended to be - a larger-than-life man who had far-fetched adventures that gave rise to tall tales of daring-do.

This attraction will do that. If nothing else, it'll give kids a reason to take an interest in folklore.

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The Attendant
4/11/2012 11:19:24 am

Rob, I think in an odd way we are on different parts of the same song sheet.

Looking at it as and celebrating it for being one of the most internationally renown parts of British folklore, an enduring figure with lasting appeal, is certainly a good thing. The Robin Hood legends have always grown and been reinvented through the years as society has developed, and are a fascinating way to draw parallels against popular perceptions at the time.

Many people already blur Robin Hood the folklore with John/Richard the fact and they honestly believe that he was real and that the stories are a historical fact. Trying to explain otherwise to encourage further interest in the development of folklore, or the comparison to real life events is already very hard. Sites like Harry Potter are exploring a known fictional tale, visitors know they are entering a fictional world. My worry with this attraction is that there will be a lack of clarity between the folklore and the harsh reality it grew from, and for many it will not encourage further thought or exploration, but just reinforce the men-in-tights dream as reality.

Robin Hood is a stunning tale, and one with so many facets to engage with. Being able to help people distinguish those facets is a tough tightrope, but one well worth treading to provide a genuinely more rewarding attraction.

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