I kan noght parfitly my Paternoster as the preest it syngeth, In Langland’s work a poorly educated parson repents and confesses that he is ignorant of Latin: The first known reference in English verse to Robin Hood is found in The Vision of Piers Plowman, written by William Langland in the second part of the 14th century (shortly before Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales).
(See also: The hellish history of the devil: Satan in the Middle Ages.) Some theorize that they originally derived from troubadours’ songs that reported news and events. These three formats all grew out of an oral tradition. When historical records failed to yield a definitive personage behind the noble outlaw, scholars than turned to the popular culture of medieval England: folklore, poetry, and ballads. Instead, the moniker seems to have become a typical alias used by outlaws in various periods and locations across England. Because Hunter and other 19th-century historians discovered many different records attached to the name Robin Hood, most scholars came to agree that there was probably no single person in the historical record who inspired the popular stories. In 1354, farther north in Northamptonshire, there is a record of an imprisoned man named “Robin Hood” who was awaiting trial.
The previous year there had been a reference to “William, son of Robert le Fevere member of a band of outlaws”-believed to be the same person. In 1262, in southern England, there is a similar mention of a man called William Robehod in Berkshire. It cites the expropriation of the property of one Robin Hood, described as a fugitive. One of the oldest references he found is in a 1226 court register from Yorkshire, England. Historian and archivist Joseph Hunter discovered that many different Robin Hoods dotted the history of medieval England, often with variant spellings. Even so, the idea that he stole from the rich to give to the poor only becomes a character trait from the 16th century onward. (See also: Traveling through unfettered Yorkshire.)įrom the outset, Robin Hood was depicted as a rebel who pitted himself against authority. With each new iteration, the Robin Hood legend would absorb new characters, settings, and traits-evolving into the familiar legend of today. As the centuries passed, the tale of Robin Hood evolved as England evolved. The earliest versions would be almost unrecognizable when compared to the green-clad, bow-wielding Robin Hood of today. When the story is traced back to its 14th-century beginnings, the figure of Robin Hood changes with time. His name can be found all over the English map: Robin Hood’s Cave and Robin Hood’s Stoop in Derbyshire Robin Hood’s Well in Barnsdale Forest, Yorkshire and Robin Hood’s Bay, also in Yorkshire. Like the roots of Sherwood Forest, the origins of the Robin Hood story extend deep into English history.
(See also: Medieval cave tunnels revealed as never before.) The story has been around for centuries, but its most familiar elements are also the most recent additions. Set in England during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart, the adventures of Robin Hood follow the noble thief as he woos the beautiful Maid Marian and thwarts the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Stealing from the rich to give to the poor, Robin Hood and his Merry Men are a permanent part of popular culture.