Was Robin Hood a Real Person?

Any modern audience could probably retell the story of Robin Hood. A wronged nobleman, Robin finds himself in Sherwood Forest where he recruits a band of Merry Men. They live in the forest, rob the rich, give to the poor, and fight valiantly against the evil Sheriff and Prince John. Aside from the outlaw aspects of the legend, however, nearly all of that is material added centuries after the original events would have occurred. The historic facts are much sparser than the legendary ones.

History

The core historical element to the Robin Hood legend involves the reign of Prince John while King Richard I was off fighting the Crusades in the twelfth century. This part is based in fact, as King Richard I was off fighting in the Crusades, and while he was gone Prince John ruled in Richard's absence. Also in keeping with the legends, Prince John's rule was not terribly popular. Eventually Richard did return from the Crusades, as in the legends. However, upon Richard's death, John became King of England as there were no other heirs. It should be noted that Richard's historical reputation largely rests on his participation in the Crusades, and neither his domestic leadership, nor John's, set them much apart from their contemporaries.

Features

Historical evidence for other characters in the Robin Hood legend is much less reliable. There was a Sheriff of Nottingham, of course, as that was a public position. There were certainly outlaws who robbed the wealthy. The key aspect of Robin Hood's story is the famous ideal of "robbing from the rich to give to the poor." In the original ballads, this is a stand-in for actual feelings of rebellion against government authority. Peasants in the countryside were resentful of the efforts of the citied noblemen, like the Sheriff, to impose restrictions on their livelihoods. The other cast of characters--Guy of Gisborne, Little John, Will Scarlett--do appear in the original tales of Robin Hood, but there is nothing to tie them to historical individuals.

Considerations

Part of the historical problem stems from there being no single source for the Robin Hood legends. They were popular stories of their time and those original ballads contained many of the core familiar elements. Other aspects were only added by later authors. For example, English writer Sir William Scott was one of the people who made the association between Robin Hood and the absence of King Richard during the Crusades. Maid Marion appears to have been a later addition as well, perhaps to enhance the romantic aspects of the story. Later efforts also somewhat cleaned up the originals, as Robin Hood had traditionally not been above using murder to help reallocate wealth.

Misconceptions

Many of the familiar aspects to the legend, and the ones that would seem most to lend them some historical accuracy, were not included in the original ballads. Thus most of what a modern audience would be familiar with were elements added much after the fact, even centuries later. Perhaps most misunderstood is the idea of Robin Hood being a wronged nobleman who goes on to lead the peasants. In the ballads, Robin Hood is a member of the same social class he fights for--the peasantry. If there was a real Robin Hood, he would have been both an outlaw and a peasant and there would have been few historical records kept of his existence, if any.

Significance

Regardless of his not having been a historical reality, Robin Hood's real importance comes from the cultural impact of his legend. Much like King Arthur, the historical Robin Hood has been idealized by writers who came along after the fact. This does not diminish the social lesson the tales impart. Much like the Arthurian legends, the legend of Robin Hood has been periodically reshaped to reflect issues of the times. For example, modern incarnations have often stressed the socio-environmental message and the conflict between the rural and the urban. So while there was very likely no real person, Robin Hood still remains a key cultural figure.

Resources

• A scholarly but accessible look at Robin Hood
• The Robin Hood Project