Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents new work in an emerging line of inquiry: modern outlaw narratives and the textual and cultural relevance of food and feasting. Food, its preparation, and its consumption are presented in outlaw narratives as central points of human interaction, community, conflict, and fellowship, providing readers with opportunities to examine and analyze agricultural practices as well as trade, economics, and social standing of its producers and consumers. One of the more common greenwood themes of the medieval tradition is the importance of food and feasting. Robin Hood and his merry men poach deer and other highly prized game, and they often dine on high-end fare in a ceremonial, quasi-Second Estate atmosphere. Outlaws, food, diets, food production, and societal manners are all in flux. And while food patterns and attitudes shift over time, the symbolic and ritualistic nature of food cannot be underestimated.