Robin Hood

Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw from English folklore. He is known as a very skilled archer and swordsman. In some stories, he was born into a noble family, while in others he was a yeoman. He is often shown wearing Lincoln green clothes.

15th-century print of Robin Hood on horseback

Robin Hood is famous for taking from the rich and giving to the poor. He had a group of friends called the Merry Men, and his main enemy was the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff sometimes worked with Prince John against King Richard, but Robin Hood always stayed loyal to the king.

The story of Robin Hood became popular in the Late Middle Ages. Many ballads about him were written in the 15th century. Since then, the tale has been told in many ways through books, plays, movies, and TV shows. Today, "Robin Hood" is used to describe anyone who stands up for the common people against unfair rulers.

Ballads and tales

Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne. Woodcut print by Thomas Bewick, 1832

The legend of Robin Hood first appears in old English poems and stories. One of the earliest mentions is in the poem Piers Plowman, thought to have been written in the 1370s. Other early writings, like Friar Daw's Reply and Dives and Pauper, also talk about Robin Hood. These stories show Robin as a skilled archer who supports the poor and opposes unfair rulers, especially the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The oldest surviving tales about Robin Hood come from the 15th and early 16th centuries. These stories include characters like Little John, Much the Miller’s Son, and Will Scarlet. They describe Robin’s devotion to the Virgin Mary, his skill with a bow, and his dislike of unfair treatment by church leaders. Over time, Robin Hood’s story grew, with new characters like Maid Marian and Friar Tuck being added. The tales often show Robin as a champion of the common people against rich and powerful foes.

Historicity

The story of Robin Hood has been talked about for many years, and people wonder if he was a real person. It’s hard to know for sure because the name Robert was very common in medieval England, and “Robin” was a popular nickname. The name “Hood” could mean someone who made hoods or someone who wore one. Because of this, many people in old records were called “Robert Hood” or “Robin Hood,” and some were even known criminals.

One idea is that “hood” might really mean “wood,” like in the name “Robin Wood.” There are old references calling him “Robin Wood” from the 1500s and 1600s, with the earliest one from 1518 in Somerset.

The oldest hints about Robin Hood are not from history books but from old stories and mentions in other writings. Starting in 1261, there are names like “Robinhood” or “Robbehod” in court records, calling them outlaws. In 1420, a writer named Andrew of Wyntoun wrote about “Lytil Jhon and Robyne Hude” as good men in Yngil-wode and Barnysdale. In 1439, a paper to Parliament used the name to describe a criminal who hid in the woods like “Robyn Hude and his men.”

Another old story from around 1440 by Walter Bower talks about a fighter named Robin Hood who stood up for a leader named Simon de Montfort. This might match a real outlaw named Roger Godberd from that time.

1912 illustration of Robin dueling with Guy of Gisbourne

A note written around 1460 says Robin Hood and his friends were robbing people in Sherwood and other parts of England. Later writers, like John Major in 1521, said Robin only stole from rich people and didn’t hurt anyone. Some even thought he was a noble person who lost his lands.

The earliest legal record of someone named Robin Hood is from 1226 in York. This person, Robert Hod, had his belongings taken because he was an outlaw. Some think this could be the real Robin Hood, but there is no proof he was a thief.

Historian Oscar de Ville talked about two brothers, John and Robert Deyville, who fought with a leader named Simon de Montfort. They hideout in a place called Ely and had homes in areas like Barnsdale, which are places linked to Robin Hood stories.

Some believe Robin Hood was really Roger Godberd, a follower of Simon de Montfort from the 1260s. While there are similarities, there is no proof Godberd was ever called Robin Hood, and the old Robin Hood stories don’t mention things specific to Montfort’s fights.

In the 1800s, a writer named Joseph Hunter thought Robin Hood lived in Wakefield in the early 1300s. He pointed to a man named Robert Hood and another called “Robyn Hode” who worked for King Edward II in 1323. Hunter thought Robert Hood was a rebel who later became the king’s guard. But newer research shows this “Robyn Hode” was already working for the king before 1323, so Hunter’s idea has problems.

Some think “Robin Hood” was a common fake name used by thieves. The first known use of “Robin Hood” this way was in 1262 in Berkshire, where a man called “Robehod” got the name because he was an outlaw. This could mean either that the Robin Hood story was already popular, or that the name “Robin Hood” was used for outlaws before the legends began.

Mythology

There is little support for the idea that stories about Robin Hood come from ancient myths or fairy tales. Some people long ago thought he might be linked to old German folklore or fairy characters, but historians today don’t agree with this. Robin Hood is known for his skills with a bow and sword, but his adventures are similar to those in other old tales based on real events.

Some have also tried to connect Robin Hood to old religious ideas, but these claims are not accepted by most scholars today.

Associated locations

Sherwood Forest

Old stories connect Robin Hood to real places. In popular tales, Robin Hood and his friends, the Merry Men, are said to have lived in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. The Lincoln Cathedral Manuscript, one of the oldest Robin Hood songs from around 1420, mentions Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest.

Nottinghamshire

The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest

Places in Nottinghamshire are closely linked to the Robin Hood story. These include Robin Hood's Well near Newstead Abbey in Sherwood Forest, the Church of St. Mary in Edwinstowe village, and the Major Oak tree, also in Edwinstowe. People believe the Merry Men used the Major Oak as a hiding place, though tree experts say it was too young in Robin’s time to be useful for that.

Yorkshire

Nottinghamshire’s claim to Robin Hood is contested by people from Yorkshire. Historian J. C. Holt pointed out that while Sherwood Forest appears in one Robin Hood story, there is little description of the area, suggesting Robin’s ties to Nottinghamshire came through the city’s sheriff. Linguist Lister Matheson noted that the language of one key Robin Hood story shows a strong Yorkshire dialect. Because of this, many historians think the Robin Hood legend began in Yorkshire. The story often features St Mary's Abbey in York, where Robin helps a poor knight who owes money to the abbot.

Barnsdale

An old tradition, dating back to the 1500s, says Robin Hood was born in Loxley, Sheffield, in South Yorkshire. The early stories are set in the medieval forest of Barnsdale. Barnsdale was a wooded area covering about 30 square miles, stretching six miles from north to south. The River Went near Wentbridge formed its northern edge, with villages like Skelbrooke and Hampole on the southern end. From east to west, the forest spanned about five miles, from Askern to Badsworth. Wentbridge was sometimes called Barnsdale because it was the main village in the forest. The story Robin Hood and the Potter mentions Wentbridge. Another story, A Gest of Robyn Hode, includes a clue about Wentbridge when a poor knight tells Robin he “went at a bridge” for a wrestling match. A blue plaque now marks the bridge over the River Went in Wakefield City Council.

Saylis

The story Gest mentions a place called the Saylis at Wentbridge. Joseph Hunter identified this site, which once offered views over the Went Valley and the Great North Road. Records show the Saylis helped support King Edward III in 1346–47. Later, an acre of land called “Sailes Close” was listed in a record from 1688. This is believed to be the same Saylis known to Robin Hood, now called Sayles Plantation, giving a clue to Robin Hood’s Yorkshire roots.

Church of Saint Mary Magdalene at Campsall

Historian John Paul Davis linked Robin Hood to the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene at Campsall in South Yorkshire. The story A Gest of Robyn Hode says Robin built a chapel in Barnsdale dedicated to Mary Magdalene. Davis notes that Campsall is the only church dedicated to Mary Magdalene in the medieval Barnsdale forest. The church was built in the early 1100s by Robert de Lacy, the 2nd Baron of Pontefract. Local legend says Robin Hood and Maid Marion were married there.

Blue Plaque commemorating Wentbridge's Robin Hood connections

Grave at Kirklees

At Kirklees Priory in West Yorkshire stands a grave with an old inscription about Robin Hood. The stories say that before he died, Robin told Little John where to bury him. He shot an arrow from the priory window, and where it landed marked his grave. The story says the prioress was related to Robin. When he was ill and staying at the priory, she betrayed him, his health got worse, and he died there. The inscription on the grave is written in a mix of old and modern styles and gives an incorrect date. The grave likely dates to the late 1700s. Though local stories say Robin is buried at Kirklees Priory, historians now doubt this.

All Saints' Church at Pontefract

Another theory says Robin Hood died at Kirkby, Pontefract. A poem from 1622 called Poly-Olbion by Michael Drayton states Robin died at ‘Kirkby’. This fits with the idea that Robin operated in the Went Valley, three miles southeast of Pontefract. Kirkby was home to All Saints’ Church, which had a priory hospital. Historian Richard Grafton wrote that the prioress who betrayed Robin buried him by the road where he used to rob travelers, so they would feel safer passing by.

The site of the Saylis at Wentbridge

Place-name locations

Near Wentbridge are several places linked to Robin Hood. A document from 1422 mentions Robin Hood’s Stone near the Great North Road. Over time, places like Robin Hood’s Bay near Whitby, Robin Hood’s Butts in Cumbria, and Robin Hood’s Walk in Surrey were named after him. The earliest place-names connected to Robin Hood appeared in West Yorkshire, which historians see as a clue that the legend began there. The stories and early references suggest Robin Hood was based in the Barnsdale area of what is now South Yorkshire, next to Nottinghamshire.

Other place-names and references

The Sheriff of Nottingham also had power in Derbyshire, known as the “Shire of the Deer”, which included the Peak District National Park today. This area includes Bakewell, Tideswell, Castleton, Ladybower, and the Derwent Valley near Loxley. The Sheriff owned property near Loxley and in many other places. Mercia, where Nottingham was located, nearly reached Sheffield City Centre. Before Norman rule, the Danelaw area had free peasants who resisted Norman forest laws, possibly creating outlaws like Robin Hood. Little John’s supposed grave is in Hathersage in the Peak District.

West Yorkshire, especially Calderdale, also shows Robin Hood connections. There are pubs named Robin Hood in Brighouse and Cragg Vale. Robin Hood Rocks can be found above Halifax, and Robin Hood Hill is near Outwood, West Yorkshire, close to Lofthouse. There is a village called Robin Hood between Leeds and Wakefield, near Rothwell and Lofthouse. With so many Robin Hood references, both South and West Yorkshire claim ties to the legend, who may have traveled between Nottingham, Lincoln, Doncaster, and West Yorkshire.

A British Army reserve battalion formed in Nottingham in 1859 was called The Robin Hood Battalion until 1992. After reforms in 1881, it became part of The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment).

A Neolithic enclosure on Salisbury Plain is called Robin Hood’s Ball, though if Robin Hood existed, he likely never traveled that far south.

List of traditional ballads

Ballads from the 15th century are the oldest stories about Robin Hood. These stories often start with praise for the forest and use tricks as part of the tale. They vary in style and story, and some might be much older than the copies we have today.

Some ballads were first written down in the 1600s in a book called the Percy Folio, while others come from a different book called the Forresters Manuscript. Many of these stories include Robin Hood and his friends, like Little John, in fun adventures.

In 15th- or early 16th-century copies

A Gest of Robyn Hode (Child Ballad 117)
Robin Hood and the Monk (Child Ballad 119)
Robin Hood and the Potter (Child Ballad 121)

In 17th-century Percy Folio

Robin Hood's Death (Child Ballad 120)
Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne (Child Ballad 118)
*Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar (Child Ballad 123,in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the Fryer)
*Robin Hood and the Butcher (Child Ballad 122)
*Little John a Begging (Child Ballad 142, in Forresters titled Little Johns Begging)
Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires (Child Ballad 140)
*The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield (Child Ballad 124, two versions in Forresters, titled there Robin Hood and the Pinder of Wakefield)
*Robin Hood and Queen Katherine (Child Ballad 145)

In 17th-century Forresters Manuscript

Robin Hood and the Tinker (Child Ballad 127)
Robin Hood and the Beggar, I (Child Ballad 133)
Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham (Child Ballad 139,in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the Forresters I)
Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly (Child Ballad 141, in Forresters titled Robin Hood and Will Scathlock)
Robin Hood and the Bishop (Child Ballad 143, in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the Old Wife)
Robin Hood's Chase (Child Ballad 146)
The Noble Fisherman (Child Ballad 148, in Forresters titled Robin Hood's Fishing)
Robin Hood and the Tanner (Child Ballad 126)
Robin Hood and the Shepherd (Child Ballad 135)
Robin Hood's Delight (Child Ballad 136, in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the Forresters II)
Robin Hood's Golden Prize (Child Ballad 147, in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the Preists)
Robin Hood Newly Revived (Child Ballad 128, in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the Stranger)
*Robin Hood and Allan-a-Dale (Child Ballad 138, in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the Bride)
*Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford (Child Ballad 144, in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the Bishopp)
*Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow (Child Ballad 152, in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the Sheriffe)
*The King's Disguise, and Friendship with Robin Hood (Child Ballad 151, in Forresters titled Robin Hood and the King)