Robin Hood
Legendary English outlaw and folk hero.
Robin Hood is a legendary outlaw from English folklore, later appearing in literature, theater, and film. He is known as a highly skilled archer and swordsman. Some versions of the story give him a noble birth, and modern retellings sometimes show him fighting in the Crusades and returning to find his lands seized by the Sheriff of Nottingham. However, the earliest known versions present him as a yeoman, a member of the common class. He is traditionally shown wearing Lincoln green. Today, he is most famous for "robbing the rich to give to the poor."
Over time, retellings and additions have created a set of familiar characters around him. These include his lover, Maid Marian; his band of outlaws, the Merry Men; and his main enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff is often shown helping Prince John steal the throne from the rightful but absent King Richard, to whom Robin Hood remains loyal. Robin Hood became a popular folk figure in the Late Middle Ages. His support for common people and his opposition to the Sheriff are among the earliest recorded parts of the legend, while his political interests and the Angevin-era setting developed later.
The earliest known ballads about him come from the 15th century. Since then, there have been many variations and adaptations, and the story continues to be widely adapted in literature, film, and television. Robin Hood is considered one of the best-known tales of English folklore. In popular culture, the term "Robin Hood" often describes a heroic outlaw or rebel against tyranny.
The origins and historical context of the legend have been debated for centuries. There are many references to historical figures with similar names that might suggest Robin Hood actually existed, some dating to the late 13th century. Historians and folklorists have proposed at least eight possible origins for the story, including the idea that "Robin Hood" was a common alias used by or for bandits in general.
The first clear mention of "rhymes of Robin Hood" appears in the poem *Piers Plowman*, thought to be from the 1370s. Soon after, a common proverb—"many men speak of Robin Hood and never shot his bow"—appears in *Friar Daw's Reply* (around 1402), and a complaint in *Dives and Pauper* (1405–1410) says people would rather hear "tales and songs of Robin Hood" than go to Mass. Robin Hood is also named in a Lollard tract from the first h
- field
- Folklore, legend
- nationality
- English
- known_for
- Legendary outlaw, skilled archer and swordsman, robbing the rich to give to the poor
- earliest_recorded_reference
- Late 13th century (proposed historical references); 1370s (Piers Plowman)
- earliest_surviving_ballad
- 15th century (Robin Hood and the Monk)
Lore & Background
Robin Hood became a popular folk figure in the Late Middle Ages. The earliest known ballads about him date from the 15th century. The first clear reference to 'rhymes of Robin Hood' occurs in the alliterative poem Piers Plowman, thought to have been composed in the 1370s. The earliest surviving copies of the narrative ballads themselves date to the second half of the 15th century or the first decade of the 16th century. In these early accounts, Robin Hood's partisanship of the lower classes, his devotion to the Virgin Mary, his outstanding skill as an archer, his anti-clericalism, and his particular animosity towards the Sheriff of Nottingham are already clear. They also feature Little John, Much the Miller's Son, and Will Scarlet, although not yet Maid Marian or Friar Tuck.
Reader's Guide
Robin Hood is considered one of the best-known tales of English folklore. Through retellings, additions, and variations, a body of familiar characters associated with Robin Hood has been created, including his lover Maid Marian, his band of outlaws the Merry Men, and his chief opponent the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff is often depicted as assisting Prince John in usurping the rightful but absent King Richard, to whom Robin Hood remains loyal. This view first gained currency in the 16th century although it is not supported by the earliest ballads. The origins and historical context of the legend have been debated for centuries, with at least eight plausible origins mooted by historians and folklorists, including suggestions that 'Robin Hood' was a stock alias used by or in reference to bandits generally. In popular culture, the term 'Robin Hood' is often used to describe a heroic outlaw or rebel against tyranny.
Did You Know?
- The earliest surviving text of a Robin Hood ballad is the 15th-century 'Robin Hood and the Monk'.
- The first printed version is 'A Gest of Robyn Hode' (c. 1500).
- The first record of a Robin Hood game was in 1426 in Exeter.
- The first explicit statement that Robin Hood habitually robbed from the rich to give to the poor appears in John Stow's Annales of England (1592).
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