Robin Hood

Robin Hood, an outlaw immortalised in English song and story, is supposed to have lived in the reign of Richard I., Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, being the scene of his chief exploits. The greatest doubt hangs over the story, and he is believed by the best antiquaries to have been a purely mythical character. A tombstone, which used to be at Kirklees, Yorkshire, was said to be his, and it records his death as having taken place in 1247, but it is now known to be a clumsy imposture. Tradition states that he was the rightful Earl of Huntingdon, and that his name was Robert Fitzooth; that he never plundered any but the rich, and gave the proceeds to the poor in most instances. He was famous in Scotland, and one Scottish historian terms him "the prince of thieves" and "the most gentle thief." His skill as an archer, and the frolics of his companions, Little John, Friar Tuck, and Maid Marian, are the theme of many a ballad and song. A collection of these was made by the antiquarian Ritson, and some will be found in the Percy Reliques.