While early ballads placed him in the 14th century during the reign of "King Edward," later history moved him back to the 12th-century reign of to heighten the drama of his conflict with Prince John. The Culture: An Outlaw for Every Age
A fugitive from Yorkshire whose property was seized by the Sheriff. Robin Hood : myth, history and culture
Historians have combed through medieval records for centuries, but a single "true" Robin Hood remains elusive. The name was so popular that "Robinhood" or "Robehod" became a common or nickname for outlaws in the 13th and 14th centuries. While early ballads placed him in the 14th
Works like Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe and Howard Pyle's children's stories finalized the image of the selfless philanthropist we know today. The History: Searching for the "Real" Robin The name was so popular that "Robinhood" or
The "original" Robin Hood would be nearly unrecognizable today. In the earliest 15th-century ballads like Robin Hood and the Monk , he was a rough-edged "yeoman"—a commoner, not a lord—who was often violent and quick-tempered.