I have a thing for women with bows

[bedlamsbard]

I am in the process of reading Lady of the Forest (mostly eh, but I didn't hallucinate the parts that I remembered from it), and I have decided that what would be an awesome retelling of the Robin Hood legend would be CROSS-DRESSING LADY CRUSADER ROBIN. I can't decide if I'd want to genderswap Marian too or keep her a lady and have it be LESBIAN ROBIN HOOD. Also possibly have a slightly sympathetic Prince John, because I have a soft spot for him.

Genderswapped Robin Hood y/n?

ETA: Hmm, the problem with actually writing genderswap Robin Hood is that that period of English history isn't one I'm really all that interested in. I'd rather go earlier or later. (See, this is why I don't write historical fiction.)

ETA2: I am torn between actual historical accuracy and totally not-historical at all kickassitude. I am leaning towards the latter, because ladies kicking ass is always awesome, and apparently I am a terrible, terrible historian. Also, I should probably read something about the Crusades and also about cross-dressing women in medieval armies? Because the Crusades are not really within my area of interest (unless we're talking about Spain and OH MY GOD POOR CONSTANTINOPLE that one I know a lot about), and I don't know much about the other. Also...the Robin Hood legend. Because I have not read about it in a while, and I can't remember who's who. (Clearly I should be taking my Chaucer prof's Robin Hood seminar.) Also, I think I want to give her two living parents in a functional relationship. SHOCK AND HORROR.

Robin of Locksley had gone to the Holy Land a girl following a boy, but she came back to England a woman in men's clothing, a knight's shield on her back and a sword on her hip. To the naked eye she was no different than any other knight lucky enough to return home from Crusade.

Comments

[cofax7]

YES.

[resolute]

Yes.

[darklyndsea]

YES!

[sara]

ANOTHER VOTE FOR YES.

(Did you ever read the Robin McKinley version? That was pretty good, and there was crossdressing.)

[bedlamsbard]

I haven't! I own it, but it is one of the few McKinley books I have not read.

[harpers_child]

Yes! with lesbians!

[cursor_mundi]

Re: concerns with history. Free your mind from worry! During the actual Middle Ages, the Robin Hood tradition was set in a nebulous past (only one king ever named, and that name...was Edward); it wasn't until the end of Elizabeth's reign (1598 to be exact) that anyone thought to put the tradition into the reign of John, and after that it slowly inched backwards until Sir Walter Scott enshrined it in the reign of "good" King Richard I, once and for all. In other words, the whole point of the Robin Hood tradition is to be handwavy and provide a backdrop for awesome people kicking ass and taking names and doing rather selfish things. So, as a Robin Hood expert, I say: thumbs up to ass-kicking Marian (or fem!Robin), and I laugh at the idea of historical accuracy, because, really? Fictional character, sliding timescale, and it's truly a matter of whatever floats your boat. Set it in a period you're comfortable with; you won't be the first (see Stephen Lawhead and Parke Godwin).

And for cross-dressing women...consider using Joan of Arc as your model. ;) Lots of good material out there. But I also agree with the commenter who mentioned McKinley's The Outlaws of Sherwood: it is an awesome book, both with the crossdressing and with a Robin who's a bit crap at it all and cannot comprehend why people follow him into the forest when they could be doing other things.

And, um, I have online resources if you need them, but telling you why these resources are good in a public post would reveal my ID, so...if you want them, email me!

[bedlamsbard]

See, that makes me want to set it during the Norman Conquest, where, I don't know, Harold Godwinsson survived Hastings and is running a resistance movement or something. (I like Harold Godwinsson. He's sassy.) *cough*

Hmm, I may take you up on that if I decide that I am actually invested in this -- right now, I'm still trying to reconcile the fact that I don't care one way or another about the legend or the time period with the concept. (WOW. I am really selling my interest in this thing, aren't I?)

*ponders*