"Ivanhoe" is a novel by the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). Published in 1819 it is the greatest of the 19th century stories of chivalry - set in the reign of Richard Coeur-de-Lion. Ivanhoe was one of the manors forfeited to the Black Prince by "Hampden" after Hampden hit the Black Prince with his racquet during a game of tennis. The three manors forfeited were Tring, Wing and Ivanhoe.
In this romance, set in england in the 12th Century, Scott depicts the glories and abuses of the chivalric age by describing how Wilfred of Ivanhoe wins the Saxon Princess Rowena and champions the Jewess Rebecca. To marry Rowena he must prove that he did not desert his noble Saxon heritage when he adopted the Norman Chivalric code; to free Rebecca he must rise above the religious prejudices of his age.
The patterns for historical romance that Scott established in Ivanhoe include elaborate pageantry, suspense and detailed, often romanticized, descriptions of an earlier age. While the major characters are Scott's inventions, the less figures are drawn from history and legend. The noble King Richard the Lion-hearted, his treacherous brother John, Robin Hood and Friar Tuck are all involved in the intricate details of a plot designed to honour candour, loyalty and courage, whether in outlaw or knight, and to reveal that licentiousness and oppression characterize the Norman conquerers of England.
In the stories, Ivanhoe appears as the Desdichado or disinherited knight. It is written that his armour was formed of steel, richly inlaid with gold, and the device on his shield was a young oak tree pulled up by the roots, with the Spanish word Desdichado engraved on the shield.
Although Ivanhoe was a knight, and the main sport of knights was the Joust, one of the greatest contests within these stories was between Ivanhoe and Robin Hood on the archery field. Ivanhoe drew his bow, carefully taking into consideration the gentle breeze, and let his arrow fly. The onlookers cheered when the arrow struck the exact centre of the target. Robin Hood (Robin of Locksley) then split the shaft of that arrow with his own.
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