Chris Wood
Chris curates the Ickeny Collection (a developing East Anglian Museum of Magic and Mythology: www.ickeny.co.uk) and is currently Interim Chair of the Religion, Collections & Heritage Group (a UK-based, international museums and heritage subject specialist network: https://religioncollections.wordpress.com). He has helped run Norwich Pagan Moot (www.norwichmoot.co.uk) since the mid-1990s and serves on the committee of Norwich InterFaith Link (www.norwichinterfaith.co.uk). Chris is an independent researcher on mythology, magic and the land, writing regularly for Quest magazine. Current, on-going research and writing projects include the evolution of deities, animist Paganism and re-indigenisation, Pagan perspectives on ‘Seahenge’ (the Bronze Age timber circle controversially excavated in NW Norfolk in 1999), the use of the X as an apotropaic sign, past responses to climate and environmental change through the lens of mythology, and the common basis of consecration and ensoulment rituals in responses to human birth and death.
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Papers by Chris Wood
Robin Hood has had many faces, many adventures, and many explanations. He is the archetypal Noble Outlawnoble as in honourable and, since the 19 th century, of noble birth. Some people have looked for a real, historical man as the origin of the legend. Others have made Robin a figurehead of political campaigns, whether radical socialist, conservative, or green. Some have seen a mythic origin and found a Pagan, magical inspiration in the tales. And most people have been happy to enjoy the slapstick humour, swashbuckling derring-do, and feel-good heroics. There are many books available that try to trace the 'original' Robin Hood. They dig through the layers of accretions trying to find a core historical story that is not there. In the process they discard the far more interesting and inspiring layers that have built up the legend that is known and enjoyed worldwide in the 21 st century. Indeed, the Robin Hood legend is recreated afresh in successive generations, according to the needs of the times.
Whilst I personally feel Edward Colston's time had come, most people commemorated by statues had good and bad points. What we need to do is talk about these people, their stories and what they stood for. Then perhaps we will be better able to understand our history and the meaning of the images we display. That is actually so much easier if the statue is in plain sight!
Furthermore, perhaps it’s O.K. to have statues of people, some of whose aspects we find difficult, if we have others to present different characteristics, not just to provide a balance, but a dynamic creative tension.