Thomas H. Ohlgren

May 26, 2024 | d.lib.rochester.edu | Stephen Knight |Thomas H. Ohlgren

1 somer. The season is said in lines 9-10 to be Whitsuntide in May. Whitsun usually falls in late May, by which time many wild flowers are in bloom (hence the name "White" Sunday). Although many commentators link Robin Hood plays and games with May Day, the earliest references make it clear that late May, and so early summer, is the time when Robin Hood rituals occurred (Knight, 1994, pp. 103-04).