Two Medieval Outlaws

Eustace the Monk and Fouke Fitz Waryn III are part of the great tradition of medieval outlaws and numerous aspects of their lives are reflected in the life of Robin Hood himself. Both Eustace [d. 1217] and Fouke [d. ca. 1258] inspired verse romances to be written about their activities [the verse tale of Fouke and his adventures is lost but we have a prose version composed in the first half of the fourteenth century]. The present volume provides an English translation of these vernacular romances together with a detailed survey of the historical background. Each romance contains historically verifiable facts information that rings true although it cannot be proved and a certain amount of imaginary material drawing on stock motifs which surface again in later outlaw tales. Eustace and Fouke are also both outlaws and tricksters who use a variety of ruses to escape capture at the hands of their overlords respectively the Count of Boulogne and King John.