All I know is 25 is 6 to 4...

Took the opportunity to google around about Will Scarlet and learned a lot, leading me to think that Sawyer and he don't that much in common. Sawyer is a foil for Jack, as Will Scarlet was for Robin Hood, highlighting the attributes of leadership, but the similarities stop there. I don't believe we will soon see Sawyer and Jack closely allied, and that is a big element of the Robin and Will relationship.

I was flipping through an illustrated version last night. Will is his cousin in this one. I also came across the following bit, where Robin and Little John first come across Will in Sherwood, and there are some indications as to just why the band was known as the Merry Men.

Presently they heard someone coming up the road whistling gaily, as though he owned the whole world and 'twas made to whistle in.

"By my troth, a gay bird!" quoth Robin, raising up on his elbow. "Let us lie still, and trust that his purse is not as light as his heart."

So they lay still, and in a minute more up came a smart stranger dressed in scarlet and silk and wearing a jaunty hat with a curling cock feather in it. His whole costume was of scarlet, from the feather to the silk hosen of his legs. A goodly sword hung at his side, its scabbard all embossed with tilting knights and weeping ladies. His hair was long and yellow and hung clustering about his shoulders, for all the world like a schoolgirl's.

Little John clucked his teeth drolly at this sight. "By my troth, a gay bird!" he said, echoing the other's words—then added, "But not so bad a build for all his prettiness. Look you, those calves and thighs are well rounded and straight. The arms, for all that gold-wrought cloak, hang stoutly from full shoulders.

Here come the Sherwood slash.

My, my.

Also, since it's later in the eve, I'll do this here:

Happy Birthday, Daniel!

I'm sort of hoping it's hard to map these people neatly. I want some surprise and mystery. Which, so far, so good.

DX, who published that version of the tale? Tom of Finland?

Heh. Unicorn Publishing. It has illustrations by Greg Hildebrandt.

As someone who had reason to do a lot of Robin Hood research awhile back, and have collected a mort of versions of the tales, I have some knowledge of the legend.

Traditionally, Little John was Robin's staunchest friend and ally. Alan was the bard, and not too good at fighting. Whether Robin in the given version was the forester's son, or a nobleman, Scarlet was himself a nobleman, and much given to peacock clothes and airs and graces. He was, however, a good swordsman and as good as anyone (except Robin himself, of course) with a bow, and aquitted himself adequately with a quarterstaff. He was often, as DX(?) said, a foil for Robin. In some versions he set himself against Robin for leadership, whether in fact or just to test Robin's will, but he was never as unqualifiedly behind Robin as Little John, Tuck, Alan, or Much. And in many of the tales, Much was Robin's kinsman. Often it was not specified if he was brother or cousin, but cousin of some degree is assumed, as he was addressed as kinsman.

/end pedantage.

Hey, what's research for, if not to show it off once in a while?

The thing I noticed while flipping though last night is that virtually all of the Merry Men joined the band after first beating Robin in a fight. Little John beat him. Will beat him. Friar Tuck beat him. Robin is lucky to have survived.

Well, you know, back then, somebody didn't have to get beat into the ground to be "beaten," or bested. A couple raps on the knuckles with a quarterstaff, a lucky punch to the schnozz, and Hi there! Want to be a Merry Man?

Or, I suppose in the latter case, "Hi dere! Wahd do be uh berry bad?"