of the most popular characters in English folklore of the
last thousand years has been the faerie, goblin, devil or
imp known by the name of Puck or Robin Goodfellow. The connection
with Robin Hood is still strong.
Puck shows up as a silent and cryptic figure in Clayton
Emery's 1988 novel Tales of Robin Hood, now retitled The
Beasts of Sherwood. And in Parke Godwin's Sherwood, Robin
takes his name from the forest sprite. His mother even calls
The Welsh called him Pwca, which is pronounced the same
as his Irish incarnation Phouka, Pooka or Puca. These are
far from his only names.
A Midsummer Night's Dream remains one of Shakespeare's most
performed plays. Perfect for a forest-like setting, this
classic is performed every summer in parks around the world
All text and images Copyright© 2004
Allen W. Wright