 |
|
|
 | | |  |
Your Story: The Arms of Dunstable and The Legend of Dunne The Robber |
 |
This version of the legend is a full-length romance and adventure story. Alicia’s grandfather had been a famous Norman knight and her father was in charge of a nearby castle. Following the early death of her mother, her father had sent her for protection to ‘the crafty’ Abbot of St Albans who intended tricking her into becoming a nun and taking her fortune for himself. However, Dunne discovers that Alicia wants to marry her childhood sweetheart Wilfred, who [surprisingly] is the son of Hereward the Wake!
Dunne returns Alicia to her father but in this sort of story true love never runs smoothly. Wilfred gets unintentionally involved with the outlaws, Alicia’s father falls out with the Abbot, servants of the abbey are attacked in the forest, the castle is burnt down, and everyone blames Dunne and the outlaws.
Alicia is thought to have died in the fire but we know that she has been rescued by Dunne’s men and is living safely in the caves at Totternhoe. Various minor characters appear including: a rascally publican, a malevolent Saxon priest, a wicked friar and a helpful prophetess called Gulhatha. During most of the story King Henry is in France but [c1106] he is safely back in London and agrees to come himself to St Albans Abbey and direct operations to catch the infamous robbers. This is more difficult than he expects because while he is feasting at the abbey, Dunne and his friends are safely hidden in the Totternhoe caves.
Eventually a document was sent to Dunne ‘In ye name of Henrie; by ye grace of God our sovereygne lorde’. It set out the crimes of which Dunne was accused, for which he would be hung, but then stated that he was aware of the damage done by his forebears and that he had in his treasury a ring once owned by Dunne’s family. He intended that ‘ye sedde ringe shall be appendante hunge to a lofty poull, reared at ye crossways i’ ye forest’. He then stated that, if they surrendered, Dunne and his men would receive a full pardon. Dunne wanted to believe this offer but decided not to risk it. Cleverly he tricked the guards, pulled the ring off the post and, hotly pursued by Henry’s soldiers, rode off at great speed.
Words: Vivienne Evans
Your comments
| |
 Print this page |
|
Archive
Look back into the past using the Legacies' archives. Find nearly 200 tales from around the country in our collection.
Read more > |
| | |
 |
|
| The 成人快手 is not responsible for the content of external Web sites. |
| | | |
| | |
| |
|
