Robin Hood?

Question

Any United Kingdom folk know how much of the Robin Hood legend is based on fact?

Answer 1

The following are snipits from an article i wrote some time ago.

"..scattered thru this response, you will find odd and varying spellings of the Name, These are NOT typo's. There are dozens of variations of reference.

There are as many versions to the History of Robin Hood; As there are Variations to the Spelling of the names of Key Players.
Some Believe he is Folklore. A Myth, handed down from Generation to generation. Other's believe he was simply the most famous of all Highwaymen; With his legend told and retold; each a bit grander and More Imaginative.
..And yet others believe that he is a God. A High Priest of Pagan faith. The "Witch Cult"

Even the Official World wide Robin Hood Society Can NOT give a definite statement regarding Origins Or Conclusions.

History has him active in years ranging between 1190 and 1307. It's not hard to imagine someone living to be 117 years old, but it is hard to imagine them in their "prime" for 117 years..
It is most commonly accepted that it is the sovereignty of the de Grey's, (John de Grey 1264 and Reginald de Grey 1266) as Sheriff of Nottingham, that caused Robin such Toil.

If we did go off the History dates for King Richard, the Sheriff would more likely be, Ralph Murdac, William Earl Ferrers or William Brewer.
King Richard I Coeur de Lion (the Lionheart, ruled 1189-1199 (born 1157-99) would spend most of his time keeping a promise to Maintain the 3rd Crusade in Recovering the Holy land from Moslem Turks. All the while his Brother Prince John was scheming to overthrow the Thrown. King Richard would learn of his Brothers plans and returned home. At that point he was imprisoned by Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI. Eventually released after a ransom was paid. One month later he would be Mortally wounded in Normandy.

The Sherwood Times, tells the story of When King Richard and Robin Hood meet, wherein Richard the Lionheart would Pardon Robyn and all his men.

In an article by Frank Dennett MBE Sheriff of Nottingham from 1980-81 and 1984-85 He gives quite a few facts:

Saxon Lord William Anschetil, rules the Kyme lands of Lincolnshire.
In 1086 Gilbert de Grant (Gaunt) "manages" as King. He dies.
Ralph Fitzooth (Knight) Begins Rule. He Marries and their Only Child, a Daughter Named Hawise Marries the Saxon Philip de Kyme.
Philip's son, Simon is the Sheriff of Lincoln. He Marries Rohese.
They in turn have a son named Phillip. He Marries Agnes Wells, Which brings about, Yet another Simon.
He marries Maud de Ferres, the Daughter of William de Ferres; Lord of Loxley.
Simon Dies in 1248, Rule would fall to His Brother William.
William Marries Rohese, they have a daughter Margaret and a son Robert de Kyme.
Rohese would pass away, and Lord William would take another Wife, Lucy.. (Daughter of William de Roos)
However when William dies, true Heir to the rule of lands of Lincolnshire should have fallen to Williams first son Robert de Kyme. Except - his Uprising against the King, would brandish Robert an outlaw and he changed his name to Robin Hood, then sought sanctuary in Sherwood forest.

We know that Robin of Loxley Was loyal to King Richard, and we also know that Robyn Hode Did NOT pay much attention to the Laws of the Land.
We also know that it was Illegal for anyone other than the King to Hunt Deer, and that Venison tended to be the Dinner of Choice among the Merry Men..
His Primary foe; William (Reginald?) de Grey, the Sheriff of Nottingham. (Born 1204 Of Sandiacre, Derbyshire, England) In "A Gest of Robyn Hode" Edited by Stephen Knight and Thomas H. Ohlgren, Robin is Credited as killing the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Those that believe Robin Hood to be Sacrificial King Believe (His cousin) the Abbess of Kirklees was only carrying out the ritual duty. To collect the blood of the Sacrificial King (who must not die of illness or old age) and pour it upon the Earth for "the good of the land"

None the less, Robin Hood died from Blood loss., somewhere between 1290 and 1295, He came to the Priory in Kirklees to seek treatment from the Abbess (Nun Mother.) A cleansing of sort, that involved purging blood from the system, in order to flush the impurities. The procedure failed. It is said that At the end of his life, Little John was right there, and Robin would take his bow and Shoot. Where it landed is where Robin was to be buried.

He lays to rest on the grounds of Kirklees Priory.
The Inscription reads:
"Here underneath dis laitl stean
Laz robert earl of Huntintun
Ne'er arcir ver as hie sa geud
An pipl kauld im robin heud
Sick utlawz as his as iz men
Vil england nivr si agen"
Obiit 24 Kal. Dekembris 1247"

Answer 2

While I'm not from the UK I believe Robin Hood was fictitious but his story may very well have been based on the exploits of several real people and events.

Answer 3

The simple answer is that like many legendary/mythic characters, he is a mix of several real people. There is even evidence that it became a title for someone who did that sort of thing. Doesn't mean there wasn't an original though! The same can be said for figures from Heracles and King Arthur to Sherlock Holms and James Bond. Even Tarzan was based on a few real stories!!!

Answer 4

Good sir, I am not from the United Kingdom, but I too have pondered this question before.

So I went online, and began my search for Robin and his band of merry men...

www.webspan.net/-amunno/rhtale.html

Answer 5

Some Candidates
for Robin Hood


In all the wealth of painstaking historical research, medieval detective work and, of course, the more speculative notions of well meaning enthusiasts, there is still no definitive answer to the question: who was Robin Hood?

That said, there have been several attempts to hunt down the actual historical figure behind the name. Some of these attempts and their conclusions are explored below.

Robert fitz Ooth - Earl of Huntingdon
Born 1160 - Died 1247

In 1746, Dr. William Stukeley put forward the theory that the true identity of Robin Hood was Robert fitz Odo (or Fitzooth). According to Stukeley, he was born at Loxley and lived for 87 years. Robert fitz ooth was outlawed in the 12th. Century with his lands being transferred to Ranulf, Earl of Chester, the name associated with Robin Hood in the "Vision of Piers the Plowman" ie "I do not know my paternoster prefectly as the priest sings it, but I know the rhymes of Robin Hood and Randolph, earl of Chester."

This theory has come in for strong criticism by Professor J.C. Holt who believes that Stukeley confused the whole family pedigree to fit his theory and arrived at a wholly ficticious and fanciful account of this particular claim to the identity of Robin Hood. However, this did not prevent another researcher called Jim Lees following up Stukeley's claims and providing a new candidate for Robin's identity. (See below).


Robert de Kyme
Born c1210 - Died c1285

The eldest son of William de Kyme, Robert de Kyme was of Saxon blood. He was outlawed in 1226 for robbery and disturbing the King's peace and pardoned in 1227. According to Nottingham author Jim Lees, events in de Kyme's life bear a resemblance to events in the "Little Geste" ballad including his return to the forest as an outlaw following his pardon.

According to Lees, Robert de Kyme had claim to the pretended earldom of Huntingdon through ownership of land. Lees gives credit to Stukeley for being on the right trail to the identity of Robin Hood but claims to have uncovered new evidence for the family pedigrees which points conclusively in Lees's opinion to the de Kyme connection rather than that of fitz Ooth.

Robin Hood of the Wakefield Rolls
Born 1290 - Died 1347


In 1852, Joseph Hunter's examination of historical documents led to the postulation that Robin Hood was actually Robert Hood who appeared in the Wakefield Court Rolls in 1316 and 1317. According to this theory, Robert Hood became an outlaw not through theft but through his support for Thomas, Earl of Lancaster who rebelled against King Edward 11 at the battle of Boroughbridge in 1322.



Robert Hood was born at Loxley near Sheffield and, at the age of fifteen, killed his stepfather with a scythe during an argument. He fled to Barnsdale and then on to Wakefield where he appears in court roll entries for a string of minor offences.

In 1317, the Earl of Lancaster began to form his own army gathered from tenants of the Manor of Wakefield to fight King Edward and his favoured nobles. In 1322, the army attacked Royalist forces at Boroughbridge and was defeated and consequently executed. All men loyal to Lancaster were stripped of their lands and possessions and those not present were declared to be outlaws. Thus were Robert Hood and a gathering of poverty stricken fellow men reduced to seeking subsistence and survival in nearby Barnsdale Forest. Could this have been the basis of the Robin Hood tales we know today?

Sir Robert Foliot and descendents
Born 1110 - died 1165

In a fascinating recent book, local author Tony Molyneux-Smith put forward a new theory about the origins of the Robin Hood legend. This new approach placed the outlaw firmly back in Nottinghamshire but broke with tradition regarding his true identity.

Molyneux-Smith's conclusion is that Robin Hood was a pseudonym used by succeding generations of a family named Foliot who held the Lordship of a place called Wellow through to the late 14th. Century.

The author believes that Wellow's proximity to Sherwood Forest, together with a range of historical and geographical clues provides ample evidence for his theory. Here, it is postulated that the Foliot family used the name of Robin Hood to hide their true identities as protection against the lawless society in which they lived. These clues, together with the family's strong belief in chivalry and fair play convinced the author that Wellow and the Foliot family held the key to uncovering the truth behind the Robin Hood legend.


Robert Hod - Hobbehod
Birth and death unknown

In 1936, L.V.D. Owen put forward another candidate for the identity of Robin Hood. This theory is based on records of the York assizes which, in 1226, included 32 shillings and 6 pence for the chattels of Robert Hod fugitive. The account occurred again the following year in which the name now appeared as "Hobbehod". Through notes in the margin it can be deduced that this Robert Hod was a tenant of the archbishopric

Whilst there is no other evidence for this Robin Hood candidate, he was clearly an outlaw who had fled the juristriction of the court and remains the earliest reference discovered to date who might just be the man who sparked the legend we know and love today.

http://www.robinhood.ltd.uk/robinhood/candidates.html

http://www.robinhood.ltd.uk/robinhood/factorfiction.html

Answer 6

Is it....it could be...but if you got your asnwer. holler at me am interested as well.