Robin Hood is a legendary English outlaw who lived in Sherwood Forest with his Merry Men and fought against the Sheriff of Nottingham. His origins are unknown, but he has been a popular subject in literature and folklore since the 13th century. Over time, he has transformed from a cruel trickster to a hero who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. He is often associated with Maid Marian and has become a symbol of justice and egalitarianism. His popularity continues to this day in literature, theater, and film.
Robin Hood is an English folk hero of the Middle Ages. According to most legends, he lived and worked in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire with his band of Merry Men. The Sheriff of Nottingham is traditionally his nemesis. He is an archetypal outlaw figure, though he has transformed over the centuries from a fierce rebel to a justice-seeking vigilante and champion of the poor. No historical Robin Hood has ever been identified, but even if one existed, the mythical version has surely become an important entity in its own right.
The earliest recorded references to Robin Hood, or an outlaw of a similar name, appear in legal documents from the 13th century. The name appears to have been a generic term for an outlaw and his origins are unknown. Literary sources from the medieval period suggest that the character was a popular subject in minstrel ballads and something of a hero to the common people, if a bane for law enforcement. Written stories and plays specifically about him did not appear until the 15th century, but the stories undoubtedly predated that era in oral tradition.
In the early stories, Robin Hood is cruel and selfish and holds complete control over his followers. However, he was still a hero and a trickster figure, and people often dressed up like him during May Day celebrations. It may be because of this lore that Robin’s romantic interest is Maid Marian, a mythological figure associated with May Day, in many stories.
Beginning in the 16th century, tales of Robin Hood mention his stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, and the figure has become increasingly gentrified and conservative as the centuries have passed. He became a knight, although earlier stories identify him as a farmer, and Maid Marian became the object of his courtly love. Though still an outlaw, he was also a moral figure, fighting against the usurper of the throne, Prince John, and his friend, the Sheriff of Nottingham, while King Richard the Lionheart was away fighting the Crusades. . This detail places Robin Hood in the late 12th century, although earlier legends are not specific as to when he was active. Legends around the character have also changed over the years to portray the Merry Men gang as an egalitarian group motivated by justice rather than self-interest.
The character’s popularity as a subject for literature, theater and film continues to the present day. A BBC mini-series called Robin Hood aired in Britain in late 2006 and began airing on BBC America on 3 March 2007. The University of Nottingham began offering a Masters in Robin Hood Scholarship in 2007.
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