A man dressed as Robin Hood, an archetypal figure in English folklore whose story originates from medieval times.
The origin of much folklore in the area which is now called England pre-dates the Anglo-Saxon invasions.[153][154] The Matter of Britain contains much folklore, which is shared with the British Isles in general and Welsh mythology in particular. Most famous of all are the stories of Arthurian legend surrounding King Arthur, Camelot, Excalibur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table like Lancelot and Tristan.[155] These stories are most centrally brought together within Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. Another early figure from Brythonic times is King Cole based on a historical figure who ruled much of what would become northern England in the post-Roman period. Pixies, giants, elfs, ogres, bogeymen, trolls, hobgoblins and dwarf are mythological creatures which run through many stories. Brutus of Troy a legendary descendent of Aeneas is said to have founded London as a "New Troy".[156] Other legends developed after the Norman invasion; Robin Hood is perhaps the best known, he "stole from the rich to give to the poor", his Merry Men, Sherwood Forest and the Sheriff of Nottingham feature prominently.[157]
Maypole dance, a form of English folk dance
Many folkish figures are based on semi-historical people whose story has been passed down centuries; Lady Godiva for instance was said to have rode naked on horseback through Coventry, Hereward the Wake was a heroic English figure resisting the Norman invasion, Herne the Hunter is an equestrian ghost associated with
Windsor Forest and Great Park and Mother Shipton is the archetypal witch. On 5 November people make bonfires, set off fireworks and eat toffee apples in commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot centred around Guy Fawkes. The chivalrous bandit is a reacurring character such as Dick Turpin, while Blackbeard is the archetypal pirate. There are various national folk traditions such as Morris dancing, Maypole dancing, Rapper sword in the North East, Long Sword dance in Yorkshire, Mummers Plays, bottle-kicking in Leicestershire and cheese-rolling at Cooper's Hill.[159] There is no official national costume, but a few are well established such as the Pearly Kings and Queens associated with cockneys, the Royal Guard and Beefeaters.
