Robin Hood is an archetypal figure in English folklore, whose story originates from medieval times but who remains significant in popular culture where he is painted as a man known for robbing the rich to give to the poor and fighting against injustice and tyranny. An archetype ( pronounced: /ˈɑːkɪtaɪp/ (Brit or /ˈɑrkɪtaɪp/ (Amer England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological His band consists of a "seven score" group of fellow outlawed yeomen – called his "Merry Men". "Twenty" redirects here For the village in England, see Twenty Lincolnshire. An outlaw or bandit is a person living the lifestyle of outlawry; the word literally means "outside the Law " by folk-etymology from the original Yeoman is noun used to indicate a variety of positions or Social classes In the 16th century a yeoman was also a Farmer of middling social status who owned The Merry Men are the group of Outlaws who follow Robin Hood, according to English folklore ^[1] He has been the subject of numerous movies, television series, books, comics, and plays. There is no consensus as to whether or not Robin Hood is based on an historical figure.

In popular culture Robin Hood and his band are usually seen as living in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the Legend of Robin Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire Much of the action of the early ballads does take place in Nottinghamshire, and the very earliest known ballad does show the outlaws operating in Sherwood Forest ^[2]. However, the weight of evidence from the early ballads ^[3] show Robin Hood based in the Barnsdale area of what is now South Yorkshire (which borders Nottinghamshire), and other traditions also point to Yorkshire ^[4][5]His birthplace is said to be Loxley in South Yorkshire,^[6] while his grave has been claimed to be at Kirklees Priory in West Yorkshire on the basis of the names Robard Hude, William Goldburgh and Thomas (the latter two not appearing in the ballads), a dubious epitaph and a gravestone covering nothing. Barnsdale, or Barnsdale Forest, is a relatively small area of South Yorkshire, England which has a rich history and the region is steeped in Folklore Divisions and environs South Yorkshire is divided into four local government districts they are the City of Sheffield, the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain. Stannington Ward &mdashwhich includes the districts of Loxley, Stannington, and Worrall, and also the small villages of Dungworth Divisions and environs South Yorkshire is divided into four local government districts they are the City of Sheffield, the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster Kirklees was a medieval village north of Mirfield, in what is now West Yorkshire, and close to the current site of the M62 motorway. West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of ^[7]

The first clear reference to "rhymes of Robin Hood" is from the 14th century poem Piers Plowman, but the earliest surviving copies of the narrative ballads which tell his story have been dated to the 15th century or the first decade of the 16th century. Piers Plowman (written ca 1360 &ndash 1399) or Visio Willelmi de Petro Ploughman ( William's Vision of Piers Plowman) is the title In these early accounts Robin Hood's partisanship of the lower classes, his Marianism and associated special regard for women, his outstanding skill as an archer, his anti-clericalism and his particular animus towards the Sheriff of Nottingham are already clear. See also The Sheriff of Nottingham in classic stories The Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham ^[8] Little John, Much the Miller's Son and Will Scarlet (as Will "Scarlok" or "Scathelocke") all appear, although not yet Maid Marian or Friar Tuck. Little John was a fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men. Much the Miller's Son was in the tales of Robin Hood, one of his Merry Men. Will Scarlet (also Scarlett Scarlock Scadlock Scatheloke and Scathelocke was a prominent member of Robin Hood 's Merry Men. Maid Marian (short for maiden usually named Lady Marian Fitzwalter of Leaford (first mentioned c Friar Tuck is a companion to Robin Hood in the legends about that character It is not certain what should be made of these latter two absences as it is known that Friar Tuck for one was part of the legend since at least the later 15th century. ^[9]

In the oldest surviving accounts a particular reason for the outlaw's hostility to the sheriff is not given ^[10] but in later versions the sheriff is despotic and gravely abuses his position, appropriating land, levying excessive taxation, and persecuting the poor. In some later tales the antagonist is Prince John, based on the historical John of England, who is seen as the unjust usurper of his pious brother Richard the Lionheart. John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death In spiritual terminology piety is a Virtue. While different people may understand its meaning differently it is generally used to refer either to religious devotion Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death In the oldest versions surviving, Robin Hood is a yeoman, but in some later versions he is described as a nobleman, Earl of Huntingdon or Lord of the Manor of Loxley (or Locksley), usually designated Robin of Loxley, who was unjustly deprived of his lands. Yeoman is noun used to indicate a variety of positions or Social classes In the 16th century a yeoman was also a Farmer of middling social status who owned Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title of Lord of the Manor arose in the English mediaeval system of Manorialism following the Norman Conquest. Stannington Ward &mdashwhich includes the districts of Loxley, Stannington, and Worrall, and also the small villages of Dungworth ^[11]

The early ballads link Robin Hood to identifiable real places and many are convinced that he was a real person, more or less accurately portrayed. A number of theories as to the identity of "the real Robin Hood" have their supporters. Some of these theories posit that "Robin Hood" or "Robert Hood" or the like was his actual name; others suggest that this may have been merely a nick-name disguising a medieval bandit perhaps known to history under another name. ^[12]

Contents 1 Early references 2 Sources 3 Ballads and tales 4 Connections to existing locations 5 List of traditional ballads 5.1 Early ballads (ie surviving in 15th or early 16th century copies) 5.2 Ballads appearing in 17th century Percy Folio 5.3 Other ballads 6 Popular culture 7 Robin Hood (adaption) 7.1 Musical 8 Bibliography 9 Notes 10 See also 11 External links

Early references

The oldest references to Robin Hood are not historical records, or even ballads recounting his exploits, but hints and allusions found in various works. From 1228 onwards the names 'Robinhood', 'Robehod' or 'Hobbehod' occur in the rolls of several English Justices. The majority of these references date from the late 13th century. Between 1261 and 1300 there are at least eight references to 'Rabunhod' in various regions across England, from Berkshire in the south to York in the north. Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. ^[13]

The term seems to be applied as a form of shorthand to any fugitive or outlaw. An outlaw or bandit is a person living the lifestyle of outlawry; the word literally means "outside the Law " by folk-etymology from the original Even at this early stage, the name Robin Hood is used as that of an archetypal criminal. This usage continues throughout the medieval period. In a petition presented to Parliament in 1439, the name is again used to describe an itinerant felon. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories For the word itinerant used to describe electrons from free-electron metals see Jellium. The petition cites one Piers Venables of Aston, Derbyshire, "who having no liflode, ne sufficeante of goodes, gadered and assembled unto him many misdoers, beynge of his clothynge, and, in manere of insurrection, wente into the wodes in that countrie, like as it hadde be Robyn Hude and his meyne. History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle "^[14] The name was still used to describe sedition and treachery in 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his associates were branded "Robin Hoods" by Robert Cecil. Guy Fawkes ( 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606) sometimes known as Guido Fawkes, was a member of a group of English Robert Cecil 1st Earl of Salisbury, KG, PC ( 1 June 1563 &ndash 24 May 1612) son of William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley

The first allusion to a literary tradition of Robin Hood tales occurs in William Langland's Piers Plowman (c. William Langland (ca 1332 - ca 1386 is the conjectured Author of the 14th-century English Dream-vision Piers Plowman. Piers Plowman (written ca 1360 &ndash 1399) or Visio Willelmi de Petro Ploughman ( William's Vision of Piers Plowman) is the title 1362–c. 1386) in which Sloth, the lazy priest, confesses: "I kan [know] not parfitly [perfectly] my Paternoster as the preest it singeth,/ But I kan rymes of Robyn Hood". ^[15]

The first mention of a quasi-historical Robin Hood is given in Andrew of Wyntoun's Orygynale Chronicle, written about 1420. Andrew Wyntoun, known as Andrew of Wyntoun (c 1350 &ndash c 1423 was a Scottish poet a canon and Prior of Loch Leven on St Serf's The following lines occur with little contextualisation under the year 1283:

Lytil Jhon and Robyne Hude

Wayth-men ware commendyd gude

In Yngil-wode and Barnysdale

Thai oysyd all this tyme thare trawale. Inglewood Forest is the name now given on maps to a large tract of mainly arable and dairy farm land with a few small woodland areas between Carlisle and Penrith in

The next notice is a statement in the Scotichronicon, composed by John Fordun between 1377 and 1384, and revised by Walter Bower in about 1440. The Scotichronicon is a 15th century work of literature which has been described by the National Library of Scotland as "probably the most important John of Fordun (d c 1384 was a Scottish Chronicler. It is generally stated that he was born at Fordoun, Mearns. Walter Bower or' Bowmaker' (1385 &ndash December 24 1449) Scottish Chronicler, was born about 1385 at Haddington, Among Bower's many interpolations is a passage which directly refers to Robin. It is inserted after Fordun's account of the defeat of Simon de Montfort and the punishment of his adherents. Simon de Montfort 6th Earl of Leicester (1208 – August 4, 1265) was the principal leader of the Baronial opposition to King Henry III of England Robin is represented as a fighter for de Montford's cause. ^[16]This was in fact true of the historical outlaw of Sherwood Forest Roger Godberd, whose points of similarity to the Robin Hood of the ballads have often been noted ^{[17] [18]}

Bower writes:

Then [c. Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the Legend of Robin 1266] arose the famous murderer, Robert Hood, as well as Little John, together with their accomplices from among the disinherited, whom the foolish populace are so inordinately fond of celebrating both in tragedies and comedies, and about whom they are delighted to hear the jesters and minstrels sing above all other ballads.

Despite Bower's reference to Robin as a 'murderer', his account is followed by a brief tale in which Robin becomes a symbol of piety, gaining a decisive victory after hearing the Mass. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church.

One more example given sometime in the late 1500 is in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, by Shakespeare. This play is known to be one of his first. Valentine a main character is banished from Milan. Upon going through the forest, he is approached by outlaws. Upon meeting Valentine they desire him to be their leader. The quote is, "By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar, This fellow were a king for our wild faction!" Thus the outlaws living in the forest imply that they are similar to the Robin Hood story.

Another reference is provided by Thomas Gale, Dean of York (c. Thomas Gale (1635/1636? &ndash 1702 English classical scholar and antiquarian was born at Scruton Yorkshire. The Dean of York is the member of the Clergy who is responsible for the running of the York Minster cathedral 1635–1702),^[19] but this comes nearly four hundred years after the events it describes:

[Robin Hood's] death is stated by Ritson to have taken place on the 18th of November, 1247, about the eighty-seventh year of his age; but according to the following inscription found among the papers of the Dean of York…the death occurred a month later. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull In this inscription, which bears evidence of high antiquity, Robin Hood is described as Earl of Huntington — his claim to which title has been as hotly contested as any disputed peerage upon record. Earl was the Anglo-Saxon form and jarl the Scandinavian form of a title meaning " Chieftain " and referring especially to chieftains

Hear undernead dis laitl stean

Lais Robert Earl of Huntingun

Near arcir der as hie sa geud

An pipl kauld im Robin Heud

Sic utlaws as hi an is men

Vil England nivr si agen.

Obiit 24 Kal Dekembris 1247

This inscription also appears on a grave in the grounds of Kirklees Priory near Kirklees Hall (see below). Kirklees was a medieval village north of Mirfield, in what is now West Yorkshire, and close to the current site of the M62 motorway. Kirklees Hall is a 16th century Grade I listed Jacobean hall close to the English village of Clifton in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. Despite appearances, and the author's assurance of 'high antiquity', there is little reason to give the stone any credence. It certainly cannot date from the 13th century; notwithstanding the implausibility of a 13th century funeral monument being composed in English, the language of the inscription is highly suspect. Its orthography does not correspond to the written forms of Middle English at all: there are no inflected '—e's, the plural accusative pronoun 'hi' is used as a singular nominative, and the singular present indicative verb 'lais' is formed without the Middle English '—th' ending. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of In Linguistics and Grammar, a pronoun is a Pro-form that substitutes for a (including a noun phrase consisting of a single Noun) with or For English usage of verbs see the wiki article English verbs. Overall, the epitaph more closely resembles modern English written in a deliberately 'archaic' style. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Furthermore, the reference to Huntingdon is anachronistic: the first recorded mention of the title in the context of Robin Hood occurs in the 1598 play The Downfall of Robert, Earl of Huntington by Anthony Munday. An anachronism (from the Greek "ana" " ανά " "against anti-" and "chronos" " χρόνος " Anthony Munday (or Monday) (1560? &ndash August 10, 1633) was an English Dramatist and miscellaneous writer The monument can only be a 17th century forgery. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar

Therefore Robert is largely fictional by this time. The Gale note is inaccurate. The medieval texts do not refer to him directly, but mediate their allusions through a body of accounts and reports: for Langland Robin exists principally in "rimes", for Bower "comedies and tragedies", while for Wyntoun he is "commendyd gude". Even in a legal context, where one would expect to find verifiable references to Robert, he is primarily a symbol, a generalised outlaw-figure rather than an individual. Consequently, in the medieval period itself, Robin Hood already belongs more to literature than to history. In fact, in an anonymous carol of c. 1450, he is treated in precisely this manner — as a joke, a figure that the audience will instantly recognise as imaginary: "He that made this songe full good,/ Came of the northe and the sothern blode,/ And somewhat kyne to Robert Hoad". ^[20]

Sources

On the other hand, even though clearly fictitious, the tales of Robin do not appear to have stemmed from mythology or folklore. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological While there are occasional efforts to trace the figure to fairies (such as Puck under the alias Robin Goodfellow) or other mythological origins, good evidence for this has not been found, and when Robin Hood has been connected to such folklore, it is a later development. Puck is a mythological Fairy or mischievous Nature Spirit. Puck is also a generalised personification of land spirits Puck is a mythological Fairy or mischievous Nature Spirit. Puck is also a generalised personification of land spirits ^[21] While Robin Hood and his men often show improbable skill in archery, swordplay, and disguise, they are no more exaggerated than those characters in other ballads, such as Kinmont Willie, which were based on historical events. William Armstrong of Kinmont or Kinmont Willie was a border reiver and Outlaw active in the Anglo - Scottish Border country ^[22] The origin of the legend is claimed by some to have stemmed from actual outlaws, or from tales of outlaws, such as Hereward the Wake, Eustace the Monk, and Fulk FitzWarin. This page is on Eustace the Black Monk For another Eustace the Monk also known as Eustace of Luxeuil see Eustace of Luxeuil. Fulk FitzWarin (also called Fulke or Fouke FitzWaryn or FitzWarren was a medieval landed gentleman turned Outlaw, from Whittington Castle in the English ^[23]

There are many Robin Hood tales, The prince of thieves is one of his many, featuring both historical and fictitious outlaws. Hereward appears in a ballad much like Robin Hood and the Potter, and as the Hereward ballad is older, it appears to be the source. The ballad Adam Bell, Clym of the Cloughe and Wyllyam of Cloudeslee runs parallel to Robin Hood and the Monk, but it is not clear whether either one is the source for the other, or whether they merely show that such tales were told of outlaws. Adam Bell was a legendary English Outlaw. He and his companions William of Cloudsley and Clym of the Clough lived in Inglewood Forest near Carlisle ^[24] Some early Robin Hood stories appear to be unique, such as the story where Robin gives a knight, generally called Richard at the Lee, money to pay off his mortgage to an abbot, but this may merely indicate that no parallels have survived. Richard at the Lee (also referred to as Rychard at the Lea and' Sir Richard of Verysdale') was a major character in the early medieval ballads of Robin Hood ^[25]

Ballads and tales

The earliest surviving Robin Hood text is "Robin Hood and the Monk". Robin Hood and the Monk is Child ballad 119 and among the oldest existing ballads of Robin Hood, existing in manuscript from about 1450 AD ^[26] This is preserved in Cambridge University manuscript Ff. 5. 48, which was written shortly after 1450. ^[27] It contains many of the elements still associated with the legend, from the Nottingham setting to the bitter enmity between Robin and the local sheriff.

The first printed version is A Gest of Robyn Hode (c. " A Gest of Robyn Hode " is Child Ballad 117 it is also called A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode in one of the two oldest manuscripts of it 1475), a collection of separate stories which attempts to unite the episodes into a single continuous narrative. ^[28] After this comes "Robin Hood and the Potter",^[29] contained in a manuscript of c. Robin Hood and the Potter is Child ballad 121 and among the oldest existing tales of Robin Hood. 1503. "The Potter" is markedly different in tone from "The Monk": whereas the earlier tale is 'a thriller'^[30] the latter is more comic, its plot involving trickery and cunning rather than straightforward force. The difference between the two texts recalls Bower's claim that Robin-tales may be both 'comedies and tragedies'. Other early texts are dramatic pieces such as the fragmentary Robyn Hod and the Shryff off Notyngham^[31] (c. 1472). These are particularly noteworthy as they show Robin's integration into May Day rituals towards the end of the Middle Ages. May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several Public holidays In many countries May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour

The plots of neither "the Monk" nor "the Potter" are included in the Gest; and neither is the plot of Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne which is probably at least as early as those two ballads although preserved in a more recent copy. Child Ballad 118 part of the Percy collection It introduces and disposes of Guy of Gisbourne who remains next to the Sheriff of Nottingham the chief villain of the Robin Each of these three ballads survived in a single copy; this should serve as a warning that we do not know how much of the medieval legend has survived, and what has survived is not necessarily typical of the medieval legend. It has been argued that the fact that the surviving ballads were preserved in written form in itself makes it unlikely they were typical. ^[32]

The character of Robin in these first texts is rougher edged than in his later incarnations. In Robin Hood and the Monk, for example, he is shown as quick tempered and violent, assaulting Little John for defeating him in an archery contest; in the same ballad Much the Miller's Son casually kills a "little page" in the course of rescuing Robin Hood from prison. Robin Hood and the Monk is Child ballad 119 and among the oldest existing ballads of Robin Hood, existing in manuscript from about 1450 AD Much the Miller's Son was in the tales of Robin Hood, one of his Merry Men. ^[33] No extant ballad actually shows Robin Hood 'giving to the poor', although in a A Gest of Robyn Hode Robin does make a large loan to an unfortunate knight which he does not in the end require to be repaid. " A Gest of Robyn Hode " is Child Ballad 117 it is also called A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode in one of the two oldest manuscripts of it A loan is a type of Debt. This article focuses exclusively on monetary loans although in practice any material object might be lent Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. ^[34]; and later in the same ballad Robin Hood states his intention of giving money to the next traveller to come down the road if he happens to be poor. As it happens the next traveller is not poor, but it seems in context that Robin Hood is stating a general policy. From the beginning Robin Hood is on the side of the poor; the Gest quotes Robin Hood as instructing his men that when they rob:

"loke ye do no husbonde harme

That tilleth with his ploughe.

No more ye shall no gode yeman

That walketh by gren-wode shawe;

Ne no knyght ne no squyer

That wol be a gode felawe. " ^[35]

And the Gest sums up:

"he was a good outlawe,

And dyde pore men moch god".

Within Robin Hood's band medieval forms of courtesy rather than modern ideals of equality are generally in evidence. In the early ballads Robin's men usually kneel before him in strict obedience: in A Gest of Robyn Hode the king even observes that "His men are more at his byddynge/Then my men be at myn". Their social status, as yeomen, is shown by their weapons; they use swords rather than quarterstaffs. A quarterstaff is a medieval English Weapon, consisting of a shaft of hardwood, sometimes with metal-reinforced tips The only character to use a quarterstaff in the early ballads is the potter, and Robin Hood does not take to a staff until the eighteenth century Robin Hood and Little John. ^[36]

While he is sometimes described as a figure of peasant revolt, the details of his legends do not match this. He is not a peasant but an archer, and his tales make no mention of the complaints of the peasants, such as oppressive taxes. ^[37] He appears not so much as a revolt against societal standards as an embodiment of them, being generous, pious, and courteous, opposed to stingy, worldly, and churlish foes. His tales glorified violence, but did so in a violent era. ^[38]

Although the term "Merry Men" belongs to a later period, the ballads do name several of Robin's companions. ^[39] These include Will Scarlet (or Scathlock), Much the Miller's Son, and Little John — who was called "little" as a joke, as he was quite the opposite. Will Scarlet (also Scarlett Scarlock Scadlock Scatheloke and Scathelocke was a prominent member of Robin Hood 's Merry Men. Much the Miller's Son was in the tales of Robin Hood, one of his Merry Men. Little John was a fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men. ^[40] Even though the band is regularly described as being over a hundred men, usually only three or four are specified. Some appear only once or twice in a ballad: Will Stutly in Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly and Robin Hood and Little John; David of Doncaster in Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow; Gilbert with the White Hand in A Gest of Robyn Hode; and Arthur a Bland in Robin Hood and the Tanner. Will Stutely or Will Stutly is in English Folklore a prominent member of Robin Hood 's Merry Men. Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly is Child ballad 141 about Robin Hood. David of Doncaster is a member of Robin Hood 's Merry Men in English Folklore. Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow is Child ballad 152 Synopsis The sheriff of Nottingham complains to King Richard of Robin Gilbert Whitehand (also Gilbert with the White Hand) is in English Folklore a less prominent member of Robin Hood 's merry men " A Gest of Robyn Hode " is Child Ballad 117 it is also called A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode in one of the two oldest manuscripts of it Arthur a Bland is in English Folklore, a member of Robin Hood 's Merry Men, though his chief appearance is in the Ballad in which Robin Hood and the Tanner is Child ballad 126 Synopsis A tanner, Arthur a Bland, goes to Sherwood ^[41] Many later adapters developed these characters. Guy of Gisbourne also appeared in the legend at this point, as was another outlaw Richard the Divine who was hired by the sheriff to hunt Robin Hood, and who dies at Robin's hand. Sir Guy of Gisbourne (also spelled Gisburne, Gisborne, Gysborne, or Gisborn) is a fictional character in the Robin Hood legends ^[42]

Printed versions of the Robin Hood ballads, generally based on the Gest, appear in the early 16th century, shortly after the introduction of printing in England. Printing is a process for reproducing text and image typically with ink on Paper using a printing press Later that century Robin is promoted to the level of nobleman: he is styled Earl of Huntington, Robert of Locksley, or Robert Fitz Ooth. Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Robert Earl of Huntingdon or Robert Fitz Ooth - to give him his full name – allegedly lived from 1160 to 1247. In the early ballads, by contrast, he was a member of the yeoman classes, a common freeholder possessing a small landed estate. Yeoman is noun used to indicate a variety of positions or Social classes In the 16th century a yeoman was also a Farmer of middling social status who owned ^[43]

In the fifteenth century, Robin Hood became associated with May Day celebrations; people would dress as Robin or as other members of his band for the festivities. May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several Public holidays In many countries May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour This was not practiced throughout England, but in regions where it was practiced, lasted until Elizabethean times, and during the reign of Henry VIII, was briefly popular at court. ^[44] This often put the figure in the role of a May King, presiding over games and processions, but plays were also performed with the characters in the roles. ^[45] These plays could be enacted at "church ales", a means by which churches raised funds. ^[46] A complaint of 1492, brought to the Star Chamber, accuses men of acting riotously by coming to a fair as Robin Hood and his men; the accused defended themselves on the grounds that the practice was a long-standing custom to raise money for churches, and they had not acted riotously but peaceably. For the online trading card game see Star Chamber The Harbinger Saga. ^[47]

It is from this association that Robin's romantic attachment to Maid Marian (or Marion) stems. Maid Marian (short for maiden usually named Lady Marian Fitzwalter of Leaford (first mentioned c The naming of Marian may have come from the French pastoral play of c. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. 1280, the Jeu de Robin et Marion, although this play is unrelated to the English legends. The Jeu de Robin et Marion is reputedly the earliest French secular play with music and is the most famous work of Adam de la Halle. ^[48] Both Robin and Marian were certainly associated with May Day festivities in England (as was Friar Tuck), but these were originally two distinct types of performance — Alexander Barclay, writing in c. May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several Public holidays In many countries May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Friar Tuck is a companion to Robin Hood in the legends about that character Dr Alexander Barclay (c 1476 &ndash 10 June 1552 English / Scottish Poet, was born about 1476 1500, refers to "some merry fytte of Maid Marian or else of Robin Hood" — but the characters were brought together. ^[49] Marian did not immediately gain the unquestioned role; in Robin Hood's Birth, Breeding, Valor and Marriage, his sweetheart is 'Clorinda the Queen of the Shepherdesses'. Robin Hood's Birth Breeding Valor and Marriage is Child ballad 149 ^[50] Clorinda survives in some later stories as an alias of Marian. ^[51]

The first allusions to Robin Hood as stealing from the rich and giving to the poor appear in the 16th century. However, they still play a minor role in the legend; Robin still is prone to waylaying poor men, such as tinkers and beggars. Robin Hood and the Tinker is Child Ballad 127 Synopsis Robin Hood meets with a tinker and tells him that two tinkers were put in the stocks for " Robin Hood and the Beggar II " is Child Ballad number 134 ^[52]

In the 16th century, Robin Hood is given a specific historical setting. Up until this point there was little interest in exactly when Robin's adventures took place. The original ballads refer at various points to 'King Edward', without stipulating whether this is Edward I, Edward II, or Edward III. Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost For the play see Edward II (play. For the film see Edward II (film. Edward III (13 November 1312 &ndash 21 June 1377 was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. ^[53] Hood may thus have been active at any point between 1272 and 1377. However, during the 16th century the stories become fixed to the 1190s, the period in which King Richard was absent from his throne, fighting in the crusades. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death The Third Crusade (1189&ndash1192 also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin ^[54] This date is first proposed by John Mair in his Historia Majoris Britanniæ (1521), and gains popular acceptance by the end of the century. John Mair or John Major (also known in Latin as Joannes Majoris and Haddingtonus Scotus) (1467-1550 was a Scottish Philosopher

Giving Robin an aristocratic title and female love interest, and placing him in the historical context of the true king's absence, all represent moves to domesticate his legend and reconcile it to ruling powers. A title is a prefix or suffix added to a person's name to signify either veneration an official position or a professional or academic qualification In this, his legend is similar to that of King Arthur, which morphed from a dangerous male-centered story to a more comfortable, chivalrous romance under the troubadours serving Eleanor of Aquitaine. King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders For other Eleanors of England see Eleanor of England (disambiguation Eleanor Duchess of Aquitaine (1122&ndash1 April 1204 From the 16th century on, the legend of Robin Hood is often used to promote the hereditary ruling class, romance, and religious piety. The term ruling class refers to the Social class of a given society that decides upon and sets that society's political policy NOTICE TO WOULD-BE-ROMEOS*************** In spiritual terminology piety is a Virtue. While different people may understand its meaning differently it is generally used to refer either to religious devotion The "criminal" element is retained to provide dramatic colour, rather than as a real challenge to convention. ^[55]

In 1601 the story appears in a rare historical play chronicling the late twelfth century: "The Downfall of Robert, Earl of Huntingdon, afterwards called Robin Hood of merrie Sherwoode; with his love to chaste Matilda, the Lord Fitz-Walter's daughter, afterwards his fair Maid Marian. " ^[56] The seventeenth century introduced the minstrel Alan-a-Dale. Alan-a-Dale (also spelled Allen-a-Dale, Allan-a-Dale, Allin-a-Dale, etc He first appeared in a seventeenth century broadside ballad, and unlike many of the characters thus associated, managed to adhere to the legend. A ballad is a Poem usually set to Music; thus it often is a story told in a Song. ^[57] This is also the era in which the character of Robin became fixed as stealing from the rich to give to the poor. ^[58]

In the eighteenth century, the stories become even more conservative, and develop a slightly more farcical vein. A farce is a Comedy written for the stage or film which aims to Entertain the audience by means of unlikely extravagant and improbable situations disguise and mistaken From this period there are a number of ballads in which Robin is severely "drubbed" by a succession of professionals including a tanner, a tinker and a ranger. Robin Hood and the Tanner is Child ballad 126 Synopsis A tanner, Arthur a Bland, goes to Sherwood Robin Hood and the Tinker is Child Ballad 127 Synopsis Robin Hood meets with a tinker and tells him that two tinkers were put in the stocks for Robin Hood and the Ranger is Child ballad 131 Synopsis Robin Hood, going out to hunt deer meets a forester who forbids him ^[59] In fact, the only character who does not get the better of Hood is the luckless Sheriff. Yet even in these ballads Robin is more than a mere simpleton: on the contrary, he often acts with great shrewdness. The tinker, setting out to capture Robin, only manages to fight with him after he has been cheated out of his money and the arrest warrant he is carrying. An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state which authorizes the Arrest and detention of an individual In Robin Hood's Golden Prize, Robin disguises himself as a friar and cheats two priests out of their cash. Robin Hood’s Golden Prize is Child ballad 147 Synopsis Robin Hood disguises himself as a Friar and begged from two priests A Friar is a member of one of the Mendicant orders. Friars and monks Friars differ from Monks in that they are called to a life of poverty in service Even when Robin is defeated, he usually tricks his foe into letting him sound his horn, summoning the Merry Men to his aid. When his enemies do not fall for this ruse, he persuades them to drink with him instead. Robin Hood's Delight is Child ballad 136 Synopsis Robin Hood, Will Scarlock, and Little John are walking in the forest

The continued popularity of the Robin Hood tales is attested by a number of literary references. In As You Like It, the exiled duke and his men "live like the old Robin Hood of England", while Ben Jonson produced the (incomplete) masque The Sad Shepheard, or a Tale of Robin Hood^[60] as a satire on Puritanism. As You Like It is a Pastoral Comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published Benjamin Jonson ( c 11 June 1572 &ndash 6 August 1637) was an English Renaissance Dramatist A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of Worship and Doctrine, Somewhat later, the Romantic poet John Keats composed Robin Hood. Romanticism largely began as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day To A Friend^[61] and Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote a play The Foresters, or Robin Hood and Maid Marian,^[62] which was presented with incidental music by Sir Arthur Sullivan in 1892. Alfred Tennyson 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892 was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and remains one of the most popular English poets The Foresters is a set of Incidental music in nine movements composed in 1891 by Arthur Sullivan for a play written by Alfred Tennyson called Incidental music is Music in a play, Television program Radio program Video game, film or some other form not primarily musical Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic Later still, T. H. White featured Robin and his band in The Sword in the Stone — anachronistically, since the novel's chief theme is the childhood of King Arthur. Terence Hanbury White ( 29 May 1906 &ndash 17 January 1964) was an English Author best known for his sequence of Arthurian The Sword in the Stone is a novel by T H White, published in 1938, initially a stand-alone work but now the first part of a tetralogy The Once An anachronism (from the Greek "ana" " ανά " "against anti-" and "chronos" " χρόνος " King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders ^[63]

The Victorian^[64] era generated its own distinct versions of Robin Hood. The traditional tales were often adapted for children, most notably in Howard Pyle's Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Howard Pyle ( March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American Illustrator and writer primarily of books for young audiences These versions firmly stamp Robin as a staunch philanthropist, a man who takes from the rich to give to the poor. Nevertheless, the adventures are still more local than national in scope: while Richard's participation in the Crusades is mentioned in passing, Robin takes no stand against Prince John, and plays no part in raising the ransom to free Richard. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death The Third Crusade (1189&ndash1192 also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death These developments are part of the 20th century Robin Hood myth. The idea of Robin Hood as a high-minded Saxon fighting Norman Lords also originates in the 19th century. The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. The most notable contributions to this idea of Robin are Thierry's Histoire de la Conquête de l'Angleterre par les Normands (1825), and Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (1819). Augustin Thierry (or Jacques Nicolas Augustin Thierry May 10, 1795 - May 22, 1856) was a French Historian. Sir Walter Scott 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 &ndash 21 September 1832 was a prolific Scottish Historical novelist and Poet popular throughout Ivanhoe is a Novel by Sir Walter Scott. It was written in 1819 and set in 12th century England, an example of Historical fiction In this last work in particular, the modern Robin Hood — "King of Outlaws and prince of good fellows!" as Richard the Lionheart calls him — makes his début. ^[65]

The 20th century has grafted still further details on to the original legends. The movie The Adventures of Robin Hood portrayed Robin as a hero on a national scale, leading the oppressed Saxons in revolt against their Norman overlords while Richard the Lion-Hearted fought in the Crusades; this movie established itself so definitively that many studios resorted to movies about his son (invented for that purpose) rather than compete with the image of this one. The Adventures of Robin Hood is an American swashbuckler film released in 1938 and directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley ^[66]

Since the 1980s, it has become commonplace to include a Saracen among the Merry Men, a trend which began with the character Nasir in the Robin of Sherwood television series. Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. Nasir, full name Nasir Malik Kemal Inal Ibrahim Shams ad-Dualla Wattab ibn Mahmud, is a character played by Mark Ryan in the British 1980s adventure series Robin of Sherwood, retitled Robin Hood in the US was an acclaimed 1980s British Television series, based on the legend of Later versions of the story have followed suit: the 1991 movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and 2006 BBC TV series Robin Hood each contain equivalents of Nasir, in the figures of Azeem and Djaq respectively. Robin Hood Prince of Thieves is a 1991 Adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Robin Hood is a British television programme produced by independent production company Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC One, with co-funding Robin Hood is a British television drama series produced by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC One, which debuted in October 2006 ^[66]

The Robin Hood legend has thus been subject to numerous shifts and mutations throughout its history. Robin himself has evolved from a yeoman bandit to a national hero of epic proportions, who not only supports the poor by taking from the rich, but heroically defends the throne of England itself from unworthy and venal claimants. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death

Connections to existing locations

In modern versions of the legend, Robin Hood is said to have taken up residence in the verdant Sherwood Forest in the county of Nottinghamshire. The Major Oak is a huge Oak tree near the Village of Edwinstowe in the heart of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the Legend of Robin A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the Legend of Robin Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire For this reason the people of present-day Nottinghamshire have a special affinity with Robin Hood, often claiming him as the symbol of their county. A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. For example, major road signs entering the shire depict Robin Hood with his bow and arrow, welcoming people to 'Robin Hood County. A bow is a Weapon that projects arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow ' BBC Radio Nottingham also uses the phrase 'Robin Hood County' on its regular programmes. The Robin Hood Way runs through Nottinghamshire. The Robin Hood Way is a waymarked Long-distance footpath in northern England in the United Kingdom. Specific sites linked to Robin Hood include the Major Oak tree, claimed to have been used by him as a hideout. The Major Oak is a huge Oak tree near the Village of Edwinstowe in the heart of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England ^[67] Nottingham Forest F.C. are often thought to have their name derive from Sherwood Forest and the legend of Robin Hood, when in fact it comes from an area they played on called the Forest Recreation Ground. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham The Forest Recreation Ground is a Recreation ground in Nottingham, England, approximately one mile north of the city centre However, the Nottingham setting is a matter of some contention. While the Sheriff of Nottingham and the town itself appear in early ballads, and Sherwood is specifically mentioned in the early ballad Robin Hood and the Monk, many of the original ballads (even those with Nottingham references) locate Robin in Barnsdale (the area between Pontefract and Doncaster), some fifty miles north of Sherwood in the county of Yorkshire; furthermore, the ballads placed in this area are far more geographically specific and accurate. Barnsdale, or Barnsdale Forest, is a relatively small area of South Yorkshire, England which has a rich history and the region is steeped in Folklore Pontefract is a Market town in West Yorkshire, England near the A1 (or Great North Road the M62 motorway, and Castleford. Doncaster is a large town in South Yorkshire, England and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain. ^[68] This is reinforced for some by the similarity of Locksley to the area of Loxley in Sheffield, where in nearby Tideswell, which was the "Kings Larder" in the Royal Forest of the Peak, a record of Robert de Lockesly in court is found, perhaps in his retirement years in 1245. Stannington Ward &mdashwhich includes the districts of Loxley, Stannington, and Worrall, and also the small villages of Dungworth Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England Tideswell is a Village in the Derbyshire Peak District, England ( location map Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely Although it cannot be proven that this is the man himself, it is believed he had a brother called Thomas, which gives credence to the following reference:

24) No. 389, f0- 78. Ascension Day, 29 H. III. , Nic Meverill, with John Kantia, on the one part, and Henry de Leke. Henry released to Nicholas and John 5 m. rent, which he received from Nicolas and John and Robert de Lockesly for his life from the lands of Gellery, in consideration of receiving from each of them 2M (2 marks). only, the said Henry to live at table with one of them and to receive 2M. annually from the other. T. , Sampson de Leke, Magister Peter Meverill, Roger de Lockesly, John de Leke, Robert fil Umfred, Rico de Newland, Richard Meverill. (25) No. 402, p. 80 b. Thomas de Lockesly bound himself that he would not sell his lands at Leke, which Nicolas Meveril had rendered to him, under a penalty of L40 (40 pounds).

A pound was 240 silver pence, and a mark was 160 silver pence (i. e. , 13 shillings and fourpence).

In Barnsdale Forest there is at least one Robin Hood's Well (by the side of the Great North Road), one Little John's Well (near Hampole) and a Robin Hood's stream (in Highfields Wood at Woodlands). Barnsdale, or Barnsdale Forest, is a relatively small area of South Yorkshire, England which has a rich history and the region is steeped in Folklore This Robin Hood's Well is at Skellow, by the old Great North Road, in what was known as Barnsdale or Barnsdale Forest. The Little John's Well is situated near to the A638 at Hampole, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in what was known as Barnsdale Forest Hampole is a small village and a Civil parish in the metropolitan borough of Doncaster (part of South Yorkshire, England) on the border with Highfields is a former Coal mining village located south of the Model village of Woodlands, in the English county of South Yorkshire

There is something of a modern movement amongst Yorkshire residents to reclaim the legend of Robin Hood, to the extent that South Yorkshire's new airport, on the site of the redeveloped RAF Finningley airbase near Doncaster, although ironically in the historic county of Nottinghamshire, has been given the name Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield. Divisions and environs South Yorkshire is divided into four local government districts they are the City of Sheffield, the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster RAF Finningley was a Royal Air Force station near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire Doncaster is a large town in South Yorkshire, England and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield is an international Airport located at the former RAF Finningley airbase in Finningley, South Yorkshire

There has long been a pub in the village of Hatfield Woodhouse, quite close to the airport, which is known as The Robin Hood and Little John. Hatfield is a Civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. Centuries ago, a variant of 'as plain as the nose on your face' was 'Robin Hood in Barnesdale stood. '

There have been further claims made that he is from Swannington in Leicestershire. Swannington is a former mining village in Leicestershire, England. Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics [5]

This debate is hardly surprising, given the considerable value that the Robin Hood legend has for local tourism. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel One of Nottinghamshire's biggest tourist attractions is the Major Oak, a tree that local folklore claims was the home of the legendary outlaw. The Major Oak is a huge Oak tree near the Village of Edwinstowe in the heart of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England The age of the tree disproves this myth as it would have been a sapling in the days of Robin Hood. ^[69] The Sheriff of Nottingham also had jurisdiction in Derbyshire that was known as the "Shire of the Deer", and this is where the Royal Forest of the Peak is found, which roughly corresponds to today's Peak District National Park. The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater The Royal Forest included Bakewell, Tideswell, Castleton, Ladybower and the Derwent Valley near Loxley. Bakewell is a small Market town in Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Badeca's Well' Tideswell is a Village in the Derbyshire Peak District, England ( location map This article is about the English village in Derbyshire For other uses see Castleton. Ladybower Reservoir is a large Y-shaped reservoir, the lowest of three in the Upper Derwent Valley in Derbyshire, England. For other rivers called Derwent see River Derwent. The Derwent is a River in the County of Derbyshire The Sheriff of Nottingham possessed property near Loxley, including Hazlebadge Hall, Peveril Castle and Haddon Hall. Peveril Castle (also Castleton Castle) is a Castle in Castleton, Derbyshire, England ( Haddon Hall is an English Country house on the River Wye at Bakewell, Derbyshire, one of the seats of the Duke of Rutland, occupied Mercia, to which Nottingham belonged, came to within three miles of Sheffield City Centre. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England The supposed grave of Little John can be found in Hathersage, also in the Peak District. Hathersage (from heather's edge) is a Village in the Derbyshire Peak District, in England.

Robin Hood himself is reputed to be buried in the grounds of Kirklees Priory between Brighouse and Mirfield in West Yorkshire. Kirklees was a medieval village north of Mirfield, in what is now West Yorkshire, and close to the current site of the M62 motorway. Brighouse is the second largest town in the metropolitan district of Calderdale in the County of West Yorkshire, England. Mirfield is a small town and Civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of There is an elaborate grave there with the inscription referred to above. The story is that the Prioress was a relative of Robin's. Robin was ill and staying at the Priory where the Prioress was supposedly caring for him. However, she betrayed him, his health worsened, and he eventually died there.

Before he died, he told Little John (or possibly another of his Merry Men) where to bury him. He shot an arrow from the Priory window, and where the arrow landed was to be the site of his grave. The actual grave is within sight of the ruins of the Priory, corresponding to the story. It is behind the Three Nuns pub in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. The nuns supposedly cared for him when he was ill.

The grave can be visited on occasional organised walks, organised by Calderdale Council Tourist Information office. The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale is a Metropolitan borough of the Metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England, through which the

Further indications of the legend's connection with West Yorkshire (and particularly Calderdale) are noted in the fact that there are pubs called the Robin Hood in both nearby Brighouse and at Cragg Vale; higher up in the Pennines beyond Halifax, where Robin Hood Rocks can also be found. West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of Brighouse is the second largest town in the metropolitan district of Calderdale in the County of West Yorkshire, England. Cragg Vale is a village in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England, located south of Mytholmroyd on the B6138 road which joins the A58 Halifax is a large Market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England, with a population of 82056 in the Robin Hood Hill is near Outwood, West Yorkshire, not far from Lofthouse. Outwood is a district to the north of Wakefield, a city in West Yorkshire, England. Lofthouse is a village in West Yorkshire, England between the cities of Wakefield and Leeds. There is a village in West Yorkshire called Robin Hood, on the A61 between Leeds and Wakefield and close to Rothwell and Lofthouse. A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a Town or City. Robin Hood is a village in West Yorkshire, England, within the City of Leeds Metropolitan borough, with Wakefield WF3 postcodes The A61 is a major Trunk road in England. It runs from Derby to Thirsk in North Yorkshire. Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England Wakefield lies at the heart of the City of Wakefield, a Metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. Rothwell is a Market town in the south east of the City of Leeds Metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, situated between Oulton Lofthouse is a village in West Yorkshire, England between the cities of Wakefield and Leeds. With all these references to Robin Hood, it is not surprising that the people of both South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire lay some claim to Robin Hood, who, if he existed, could easily have roamed between Nottingham, Lincoln, Doncaster and right into West Yorkshire. Divisions and environs South Yorkshire is divided into four local government districts they are the City of Sheffield, the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Lincoln (ˈlɪŋkən is a Cathedral city and County town of Lincolnshire, England. Doncaster is a large town in South Yorkshire, England and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of In those days, Sherwood Forest and Barnsdale Forest were probably all one vast forest affording plenty of cover for a band of outlaws. Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the Legend of Robin Barnsdale, or Barnsdale Forest, is a relatively small area of South Yorkshire, England which has a rich history and the region is steeped in Folklore

A British Army Territorial (reserves) battalion formed in Nottingham in 1859 was known as the The Robin Hood Battalion through various reorganisations until the "Robin Hood" name finally disappeared in 1992. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Territorial Army ( TA) is the principal and Volunteer reserve force of the British Army, the land armed forces branch of the United Kingdom Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Robin Hood (T Battalion was a unit of the British Territorial Army. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) With the 1881 Childers reforms that linked regular and reserve units into regimental families ,the Robin Hood Battalion became part of The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Childers Reforms restructured the Infantry Regiments of the British army. The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment was formed during the Childers Reforms in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 45th (Nottinghamshire [6]

A Neolithic causewayed enclosure on Salisbury Plain has acquired the name Robin Hood's Ball, although had Robin Hood existed it is doubtful that he would have travelled so far south. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Causewayed enclosures are a type of large prehistoric earthworks common to the early Neolithic Europe. Salisbury Plain is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England covering. Robin Hood’s Ball is a Neolithic Causewayed enclosure located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England.

List of traditional ballads

Ballads are the oldest existing form of the Robin Hood legends, although none of them are recorded at the time of the first allusions to him, and many are much later. They evince many common features, often opening with praise of the greenwood and relying heavily on disguise as a plot device, but include a wide variation in tone and plot. A plot device is an element introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot of the story ^[70] The ballads below are sorted into three groups,very roughly according to date of first known free-standing copy. Ballads whose first recorded version appears (usually incomplete) in the Percy Folio may appear in later versions ^[71] and may be much older than the mid 17th century when the Folio was compiled. The Percy Folio is a folio book of English Ballads used by Thomas Percy to compile his Reliques of Ancient Poetry. Any ballad may be older than the oldest copy which happens to survive, or descended from a lost older ballad. For example, the plot of Robin Hood's Death, found in the Percy Folio, is summarized in the 15th century A Gest of Robin Hood, and it also appears in an 18th century version. Robin Hood's Death is Child ballad 120 The fragmentary Percy Folio version of it appears to be one of the oldest existing tales of Robin Hood; there is The Percy Folio is a folio book of English Ballads used by Thomas Percy to compile his Reliques of Ancient Poetry. " A Gest of Robyn Hode " is Child Ballad 117 it is also called A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode in one of the two oldest manuscripts of it ^[72] For more information the article on each ballad should be consulted.

Early ballads (ie surviving in 15th or early 16th century copies)

• A Gest of Robyn Hode
• Robin Hood and the Monk
• Robin Hood and the Potter

Ballads appearing in 17th century Percy Folio

• Robin Hood's Death
• Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne
• Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar
• Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly
• Robin Hood and the Butcher
• Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires
• The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield
• Little John and the Four Beggars
• Robin Hood and Queen Katherine

Other ballads

• A True Tale of Robin Hood
• Robin Hood and the Bishop
• Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford
• Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow
• Robin Hood and the Newly Revived
• Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon
• Robin Hood and the Ranger
• Robin Hood and the Scotchman
• Robin Hood and the Tanner
• Robin Hood and the Tinker
• Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight
• Robin Hood's Birth, Breeding, Valor and Marriage
• Robin Hood's Chase
• Robin Hood's Delight
• Robin Hood's Golden Prize
• Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham
• The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood
• The King's Disguise, and Friendship with Robin Hood
• The Noble Fisherman

Some ballads, such as Erlinton, feature Robin Hood in some variants, where the folk hero appears to be added to a ballad pre-existing him and in which he does not fit very well. " A Gest of Robyn Hode " is Child Ballad 117 it is also called A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode in one of the two oldest manuscripts of it Robin Hood and the Monk is Child ballad 119 and among the oldest existing ballads of Robin Hood, existing in manuscript from about 1450 AD Robin Hood and the Potter is Child ballad 121 and among the oldest existing tales of Robin Hood. The Percy Folio is a folio book of English Ballads used by Thomas Percy to compile his Reliques of Ancient Poetry. Robin Hood's Death is Child ballad 120 The fragmentary Percy Folio version of it appears to be one of the oldest existing tales of Robin Hood; there is Child Ballad 118 part of the Percy collection It introduces and disposes of Guy of Gisbourne who remains next to the Sheriff of Nottingham the chief villain of the Robin Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar is Child ballad number 123 about Robin Hood. Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly is Child ballad 141 about Robin Hood. Robin Hood and the Butcher is Child ballad 122 It may have been derived from the similar Robin Hood and the Potter. Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires or Robin Hood and the Widow's Three Sons is Child ballad 140 about Robin Hood. The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield is Child ballad 124 about Robin Hood. Robin Hood and Queen Katherine is Child ballad 145 Robin Hood's Chase, Child ballad 146 takes up after it A True Tale of Robin Hood is Child ballad 154 featuring Robin Hood and indeed presents a full account of his life from before his becoming an outlaw to his death Robin Hood and the Bishop is number 143 in Francis James Child 's collection of Child ballads and describes an adventure of Robin Hood. Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford is Child ballad 144 Synopsis Robin Hood, knowing the bishop is coming has his men kill a deer Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow is Child ballad 152 Synopsis The sheriff of Nottingham complains to King Richard of Robin Robin Hood Newly Revived is Child ballad 128 and an origin story for Will Scarlett Synopsis Robin Hood and Little John Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon is Child ballad 129 Showing more imagination than fidelity to tradition it catches up Robin Hood into a tale of chivalrous Robin Hood and the Ranger is Child ballad 131 Synopsis Robin Hood, going out to hunt deer meets a forester who forbids him Robin Hood and the Scotchman is Child ballad 130 Synopsis Robin Hood goes north and meets with a Scot who wishes to enter his service Robin Hood and the Tanner is Child ballad 126 Synopsis A tanner, Arthur a Bland, goes to Sherwood Robin Hood and the Tinker is Child Ballad 127 Synopsis Robin Hood meets with a tinker and tells him that two tinkers were put in the stocks for Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight is Child ballad 153 Synopsis The king and nobles meet to consider Robin Hood. Robin Hood's Birth Breeding Valor and Marriage is Child ballad 149 Robin Hood's Chase is Child ballad 146 and a sequel to Child ballad 145 Robin Hood and Queen Katherine. Robin Hood's Delight is Child ballad 136 Synopsis Robin Hood, Will Scarlock, and Little John are walking in the forest Robin Hood’s Golden Prize is Child ballad 147 Synopsis Robin Hood disguises himself as a Friar and begged from two priests Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham is Child ballad 139 a Robin Hood ballad and in fact an original story The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood is Child ballad 132 featuring Robin Hood. The King’s Disguise and Friendship with Robin Hood is Child ballad 151 The Noble Fisherman or Robin Hood's Preferment is Child ballad 148 a tale of Robin Hood. "Erlinton" is Child ballad 8 One variant features Robin Hood, but this variant forces the folk hero into a ballad structure where he does not fit ^[73] He was added to one variant of Rose Red and the White Lily, apparently on no more connection than that one hero of the other variants is named "Brown Robin. Rose Red and the White Lily is Child ballad number 103 Synopsis Rose the Red and White Lily had lost their mother and their father had remarried an evil "^[74] Francis James Child indeed retitled Child ballad 102; though it was titled The Birth of Robin Hood, its clear lack of connection with the Robin Hood cycle (and connection with other, unrelated ballads) led him to title it Willie and Earl Richard's Daughter in his collection. Francis James Child ( February 1, 1825 &ndash September 11, 1896) was an American scholar educationist and folklorist, The Child Ballads are a collection of 305 Ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants collected by Francis James Child Willie and Earl Richard's Daughter is Child ballad 102 It recounts the birth of Robin Hood, but is not part of the Robin Hood cycle Francis James Child ^[75]

Popular culture

Main article: Robin Hood in popular culture

Songs, plays, games, and later novels, musicals, films, and TV series have developed Robin Hood and company according to the needs of their times, and the myth has been subject to extensive ideological manipulation. The folkloric hero Robin Hood has appeared many times in many different variations in popular modern works. See also Mythology Myth is derived from the Greek word μύθος mythos, which simply means 'story'

Robin Hood has become shorthand for a good-hearted bandit who steals from the rich to give to the poor. It is also a proverbial expression for somebody who takes other people's giveaways and gives them to people he or she knows who could use them. This can be called "Robin Hood giving. " Many countries and situations boast their own Robin Hood characters; the Category:Robin Hood page tracks them.

• The BBC has recently released the second series of Robin Hood starring Jonas Armstrong in the eponymous role. Robin Hood is a British television programme produced by independent production company Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC One, with co-funding Jonas Armstrong (born 1 January 1981) is an Irish born English actor raised in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire best known Three series (or seasons, as they are known elsewhere) have completed or are in production.

• In 2007, the University of Nottingham offered a MA course on the subject of Robin Hood. The University of Nottingham is a Public, Co-educational institution of Higher learning in the city of Nottingham, England. A Master of Arts ( Latin: Magister Artium) is a Postgraduate academic Master's degree awarded by universities in a large ^[76]

• Robin Hood became the official mascot of Nottingham Forest Football Club at the beginning of the 2007-08 football season, replacing Sherwood the Bear. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham ^[77]

Robin Hood (adaption)

Musical

• Robin Hood - Ein Abenteuer mit Musik (1995) - Festspiele Balver Höhle

Bibliography

• Barry, Edward (1832). Festspiele Balver Höhle is an arts festival featuring musical and theatrical performances in Balve, Germany. Sur les vicissitudes et les transformations du cycle populaire de Robin Hood. Rignoux.  
• Blamires, David (1998). Robin Hood: A Hero for All Times. J. Rylands Univ. Lib. of Manchester. ISBN 0-86373-136-8.  
• Coghlan, Ronan (2003). The Robin Hood Companion. Xiphos Books. ISBN 0-9544936-0-5.  
• Deitweiler, Laurie, Coleman, Diane (2004). Robin Hood Comprehension Guide. Veritas Pr Inc. ISBN 1-930710-77-1.  
• Dixon-Kennedy, Mike (2006). The Robin Hood Handbook. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3977-X.  
• Doel, Fran, Doel, Geoff (2000). Robin Hood: Outlaw and Greenwood Myth. Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7524-1479-8.  
• Hahn, Thomas (2000). Robin Hood in Popular Culture: Violence, Transgression and Justice. D. S. Brewer. ISBN 0-85991-564-6.  
• Harris, P. V. (1978). Truth About Robin Hood. Linney. ISBN 0-900525-16-9.  
• Hilton, R. H. , The Origins of Robin Hood, Past and Present, No. 14. (Nov. , 1958), pp. 30-44. Available online at JSTOR. JSTOR (short for Journal Storage) is a United States -based online system for archiving Academic journals founded in 1995
• Holt, J. C. (1982). Professor Sir James Clarke Holt FBA (b 26 April 1922) is an English medieval Historian and was the third Master Robin Hood. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27541-6.  
• Knight, Stephen T. (1994). Robin Hood: A Complete Study of the English Outlaw. Blackwell Publishers. ISBN 0-631-19486-X.  
• Knight, Stephen T. (2005). Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography. Four Courts Press. ISBN 1-85182-931-8.  
• Phillips, Helen (2003). Robin Hood: Medieval and Post-medieval. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-3885-3.  
• Pollard, A. J. (2004). Anthony James Pollard (b 1941) is a British medieval historian specialising in North-Eastern England during the Wars of the Roses. Imagining Robin Hood: The Late Medieval Stories in Historical Context. Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Ltd. ISBN 0-415-22308-3.  
• Potter, Lewis (1998). Playing Robin Hood: The Legend as Performance in Five Centuries. University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0-87413-663-6.  
• Pringle, Patrick (1991). Stand and Deliver: Highway Men from Robin Hood to Dick Turpin. Dorset Press. ISBN 0-88029-698-4.  
• Rutherford-Moore, Richard (1999). The Legend of Robin Hood. Capall Bann Publishing. ISBN 1-86163-069-7.  
• Rutherford-Moore, Richard (2002). Robin Hood: On the Outlaw Trail. Capall Bann Publishing. ISBN 1-86163-177-4.  
• Vahimagi, Tise (1994). British Television: An Illustrated Guide. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-818336-4.  
• Wright, Thomas (1847). Songs and Carols, now first imprinted. Percy Society.  

Notes

See also

• Basil Fool for Christ, a Russian saint with similar behaviour
• Eustace Folville
• Folk hero
• Hong Gil-dong
• Ishikawa Goemon, semi-legendary Japanese ninja and philanthropist
• Juraj Jánošík, Slavik outlaw with similar behaviour
• Lampião, outlaw with similar behaviour from northeast Brazil
• Maid Marian
• Nezumi Kozō
• Rummu Jüri
• Ustym Karmaliuk, a Ukrainian peasant outlaw who became a folk hero
• Robin Hood Way
• Salvatore Giuliano
• Sherwood Forest
• Trysting Tree, frequently mentioned as meeting place for the "Merry Men"
• Verysdale
• Vigilante
• William de Wendenal
• Woodwose, also known as the "wild man," a tradition in which Robin Hood legend takes part

External links

• Historical details on The Real Sherwood Forest
• BBC History: Robin Hood and his Historical Context
• Robin Hood: Bold Outlaw of Barnsdale and Sherwood, contains ballads, information on the development of the legend, and interviews with scholars and authors. Saint Basil or Vasily (known also as Vasily Blazhenny, Basil Fool for Christ, Basil the Blessed, Basil the Blessed Wonderworker of Eustace Folville (d1346 was the leader of a robber band active in Leicestershire and Derbyshire in the first half of the 14th century A folk hero is type of Hero, real or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name personality Hong Gildong is a fictitious character in an old Korean novel The story of Hong Gildong ( written in the Joseon Dynasty. was a legendary Ninja warrior and bandit hero who stole gold and valuables and gave them to the poor Juraj Jánošík (first name also Juro or Jurko, modern pronunciation /'juraj 'jaːnɔʃiːk/ modern pronunciation /'jɛʒɨ ja'nɔɕik/ György Lampião ("Oil Lamp" in Portuguese was the Nickname of "Captain" Virgulino Ferreira da Silva Maid Marian (short for maiden usually named Lady Marian Fitzwalter of Leaford (first mentioned c Nezumi Kozō (鼠小僧 was the nickname of one Jirokichi (次郎吉 1797 - 1832 a Japanese thief who lived in Edo (present-day Tokyo) during Rummu Jüri ( Jüri Rummo; 2 August (21 July 1856 is the archetypical Estonian folk Hero, an Outlaw who stole from the Ustym Yakymovych Karmаliuk (Устим Якимович Кармалюк March 10 1787- October 22 1835 was a Ukrainian peasant outlaw who became a folk hero The Robin Hood Way is a waymarked Long-distance footpath in northern England in the United Kingdom. Salvatore Giuliano ( Montelepre, November 16, 1922 &ndash Castelvetrano, July 5, 1950) was a Sicilian Peasant Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the Legend of Robin Origins of the name A 'Tryst' is a time and a place for a meeting especially of lovers Verysdale is a part of Medieval England which is mentioned in the early ballads of Robin Hood (especially the ballad A Gest of Robyn Hode, in A vigilante is a person who ignores Due process of law and enacts their own form of Justice in response to a perception of insufficient response by the William de Wendenal (also William de Wendeval) was a Norman Baron probably born during the mid-12th century The Woodwose ( Old English: wuduwasa) or Wildman of the Woods is a mythological figure that appears in the artwork and literature of medieval Europe
• Ben Turner's Robin Hood site - one of the first on the web
• The Robin Hood Project at the University of Rochester - Houses a large collection of Robin Hood text and art.
• "Robin Hood – the greatest of English myths" on BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time featuring Stephen Knight, Thomas Hahn and Dr Juliette Wood

In Our Time is a discussion programme hosted by Melvyn Bragg on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.

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