Robin Hood

A Mediated History
Robin Hood: Timeline of a Legend
Early Mentions, 14th-15th Centuries
Langland, Piers Plowman (1376-79)
Polychronicon (1340s): Marginal
commentary mentioning Robin Hood
(1460s)
Wyntoun, The Orygynale Cronykil of
Scotland (1420)
Earliest reference to a Robin Hood
Play (1426-7)
(Selected) Mentions in Early Print
Culture, 16th Century:
Major, Historia Majoris Britanniae
(1521)
First to locate Robin Hood in 12th
Century
Barnes, A Supplication (1531)
Erasmus, Apophthegmes (1542)
Hall, The Union of the Two Noble and
Illustrious Families of Lancaster and York
(1548)
Grafton, A Chronicle At Large and
meere History of the affayres of
England; and Kings of the Same.
Early ballads an Plays, 15th Century
Robin Hood and the Monk (1450)
Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne
(1475-1506)
Robyn Hod and the Shryff off
Notyngham (1475-6)
Early Printed Renditions, 16th Century:
A lytell geste of Robyn hode (1500,
1506, 1509)
A mery geste of Robyn Hoode and of hys lyfe
(1560)
Munday, The Downfall of Robert, Earle of
Huntington (1598)
(Selected) Broadside Ballads, 17th-
18th
Centuries:
Robin Hood’s Fishing (1631) Robin
Hood and the Bishop (1650) Robin
Hood and Queen Catherin
(1655?)
Robin Hood and Little John (1680)
Robin Hood
How We Read and How that Impacts What
We Read, from Manuscript to Animation
Disney’s Robin Hood (1978)
• Robin Hood stories are inherently nostalgic
• King Richard I: 1189-1199
• King John: 1199-1216
• First evidence of Robin Hood: 1377
• Almost 200 years later
Early Multiforms?
Robin et Marion, 1283
Adam de la Halle
French pastoral play
The shepardess Marion resists the advances of a knight and
remains loyal to her lover Robin

Mirour de l’ omme, 1376-79

John Gower
Long poem (in French, though Gower was English)
Robin and Marion “participating in rustic revelry”

French and English incorporation of Robin and Marion

(Marian) into May Day festivities
English include a Friar
 Adam de la Halle
Robin et Marion,
1283
Jeu de Robin et Marion: Bibliothèque Méjanes Ms. 166
(Rés Ms 14)
http://toisondor.byu.edu/dscriptorium/aix166/index2.html
Adam de la
Halle Robin et
Marion, 1283
Jeu de Robin et Marion: Bibliothèque Méjanes
Ms. 166 (Rés Ms 14)
Evidence of Oral Tradition
Langland, Piers Plowman (1376-79)

Polychronicon (1340s)
Marginal commentary mentioning Robin Hood
(1460s)

Robin Hood and the Monk (1450)

Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne (1475-1506)

A Gest of Robin Hood (1500)

Chronicle of England (1580)

Sloane Manuscript (1600)

Polychronicon
(1340s)
 Commentary, 1420-70
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne
ws/article-
1161809/Discovered-The-
13th-Century-manuscript-
shows-Robin-Hood-Merry-
Men-werent-popular-all.html
Robin Hood
and the
Monk (1450)
Cambridge University manuscript
Ff.5.48
Robin Hood and
the Printing Press
A Geste of Robin Hood and Early Print Culture
Willia
Caxton
m
Recuyell of
the Historyes
of Troye
[Bruges : Printed by William Caxton
and, probably, Colard Mansion, 1473 or
1474]
STC 15375
Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery
 Presented to Margaret, Duchess of
Burgundy
 sister of then-king of England,
Richard III
A little gest
of Robin
Hood
[London: Richard Pynson,
1500?]
STC 13688
Library of Congress and Cambridge
University Library
 A little gest
of Robin
Hood
[London: Richard Pynson,
1500?]
STC 13688
Folger Shakespeare Library

Notice the handwriting

(paper was expensive).
 Here begynneth
a lytell geste of
Robyn
[Enprented at Londonhode
: In fletestrete at the
sygne of the sone by Wynkyn deWorde,
[1506?]]
STC 13689
Cambridge University Library
Here begynneth a lytell geste
of Robyn hode
[Enprented at London : In fletestrete at the sygne of the sone by
Wynkyn deWorde, [1506?]]
STC 13689
Cambridge University Library Sig.
A2, D6
[Her
begynneth
e
a lytell
geste of
Robyn
hode]
[York : Hugh Goes, not after
1509]
STC 13689.3
Bodleian Library
Sig. A3r
A mery geste of Robyn
Hoode and of hys lyfe,
wyth a newe playe for
to be played in Maye
games very pleasaunt
and full of pastyme.
[Imprinted at London : Vpon
the thre Crane wharfe by
wyllyam Copland, [1560?]]
STC 13691
British Library
A mery geste of
Robyn Hoode and
of hys lyfe, wyth a
newe playe.

[Imprinted at
London : Vpon the
thre Crane wharfe by
wyllyam Copland,
[1560?]]
A mery geste of Robyn Hoode and of
hys lyfe, wyth a newe playe for to be
played in Maye games very pleasaunt
and full of pastyme.
[Imprinted at London : Vpon the thre Crane wharfe by wyllyam
Copland, [1560?]]
STC 13691
British Library
The Ballads of Robin
Hood
Seventeenth-Century Re-Imaginings of Re-Imagined Tales
Robin Hoods
Garland
Containing his merry exploits, and
the several fights which he, Little
John, and Will. Scarlet had, upon
several occasions. Some of them
never before printed.
Entered according to order.
[London] : Printed for F. Coles, T.
Vere, & J. Wright, 1670.
Wing: R1638
Bodleian Library
Robin Hood and the
Bishop
shewing how Robin Hood went to anold woman's house and changed
cloaths with her to escape from the bishop; and how he robbed him of all
his gold, and made himsing mass. To the tune of, Robin Hood and the
stranger, [et]c.
London : printed by and for W.O. and are to be sold by the bookseller of Pye-
corner and London-bridge, [1700?]
Wing: R1628D
British Library
Robin Hood and Little
John,
being an account of their first meeting, and fierce encounter.
Likewise their friendly agreement, and how hecame to be call'd
Little John.
[London] : Printed and sold in Bow-Church-Yard, London, [1720?]
BL: Roxburghe ballads / Rox.III.728
British Library
The noble
fisherma Renowned
n:
or, Robin Hood's preferment. Tune Robin
H o,rohios adQueen
exploitsbefore rc:herytruly related, in
Catherine.
of, In summer time. his
[London] : Printed and sold by L. How, London : Printed by L. How in
in Petticoat Lane., [1750?] Petticoat Lane, [1750?]
Roxburghe ballads / Rox.III.524 Roxburghe ballads / Rox.III.450 British
British Library Library
Robin Hood in
Tudor History
Fact/Fiction in Sixteenth-Century Chronicles
Edward Hall
The Union of the Two
Noble and Illustrious
Families of Lancaster
and York
beeyng long in continual discension for
the croune of this noble realme with all
the actes done in bothe the tymes of the
princes, bothe of the one linage and of
the other, beginnyng at the tyme of kyng
Henry the fowerth, the firstaucthor of
this deuision, and so successiuely
proceadyng to the reigne of the high and
prudent prince kyng Henry the eight, the
vndubitate flower and very heire of both
the sayd linages.
[Londini : In officina Richardi Graftoni
typis impress.], 1548.
STC 12722
Henry E. Huntington Library and Art
Gallery
Edward
The
Hall Union of the Two
Noble and Illustrious
Families of Lancaster
and York (1548)
“After that the duke of Suffolke had receaued the Frenche
quene with her dower apoynted, & all her apparell, iuels and
housholde stuffe deliuered, he with y^ quene toke their
leaue of the Fre~che kyng, leauing doctor West, nominate
bishop of Ely, for the conclusion of the newe league to be
made betwene the kyng of Englande, & the newe Frenche
kynge called Fraunces the first, and so passed thorough
Fraunce to Caleys, where she was honorably enterteined.
And after with great honour maried to lord Charles
Brandon, duke of Suffolke openly: howbeit, some sayd he
was maryed priuely before at Parys, in the house of Cluigny.
Against this mariage many men grudged & sayd that it was
a great losse to the realme that she was not maryed to the
prynce of Castell: but the wisest sorte was content,
consideryng that if she had ben maryed agayn out of the
realm, she should haue caried much riches with her, & now
she brought euery yere into the realme .ix. or .x.M. markes:
but whatsoeuer the rude people said, ye duke behaued him
selfe so, that he had both the fauour of the kyng and of the
people, hys wytte and demeanour was suche.“
Edward
The
Hall Union of the Two
Noble and Illustrious
Families of Lancaster
and York (1548)
“The king & the quene accompanyed with
many lordes & ladyes roade to the high
ground of shoters hil to take the open ayre,
and as thei pas|sed by the waye, they
espied a company of tall yomen,
clothed all in grene with grene
whodes & bowes & arrowes, to the
number of [200]. Then one of them,
which called him selfe Robyn hood, came to
the kyng, desyring him to se his men shoote,
& the kyng was content. Then he whisteled,
& al the [200] archers shot & losed at once,
& then he whisteled agayne, & they likewyse
shot agayne, their arrowes whisteled by
crafte of the head, so that the noyes was
straunge and great, & muche pleased the
kynge the quene and all the company. All
these archers were of the kynges
garde and had thus appareled them
selues to
 Edward Hall
The Union of the Two Noble and
Illustrious Families of Lancaster and
York (1548)
“Then Robyn hood desyred the kynge and quene to come into the grene wood, & to s how
the outlawes lyue. The kyng demaunded of y^ quene & her ladyes, if they durst aduenture
to go into the wood with so many outlawes. Then the quene sayde, that if it pleased him,
she was con|tent, then the hornes blewe tyl they came to the wood vnder shoters hil, and
there was an Arber made of boowes with a hal, and a great chamber and an inner chamber
very well made & couered with & swete herbes, whiche the kyng muche praysed.”
 Edward Hall
The Union of the Two Noble and
Illustrious Families of Lancaster and
York (1548)
“Then sayde Robyn hood, Sir Outlawes brekefastes is venyson, and therefore you must be
contente with suche fare as we vse. Then the kyng and quene sate doune, & were serued
with venyson and wyne by Robyn hood and hys men, too theyr great contentacion. Then
the kyng departed and hys company, & Ro|byn hood and hys men them conducted”
 Edward Hall
The Union of the Two Noble and
Illustrious Families of Lancaster and
York (1548)
“. . . and as they were returnynge, there met with them .ii. ladyes in a ryche chariot
drawen with .v. horses and euery horse had hys name on his head, and on euery horse sate
a la|dye wt her name writen. On the fir[...]coursr called Cawde, sate humidite, or humide. On
the .ii. courser called Memen, roade lady vert. On the iii. called pheron sate lady vegtaue.
On the .iiii. called Rimphon sate lady pleasaunce. On the .v. calledlampace, sate swete
odour, and in the Chayre sate the lady May, accompanyed with lady Flora, rychely appa|
reled”
 Edward Hall
The Union of the Two Noble and
Illustrious Families of Lancaster and
York (1548)
“and they saluted the kinge with diuerse goodly songes, & so bro|ught hym to Grenewyche. At this Maiyng
was a great numbre of peo|ple to beholde to their great solace and confort. The same after none, the king, y^
duke of Suffolke, y^ Marques dor|set, & the erle of Essex, their bardes & bases of grene veluet and cloth of
golde, came into the felde on great coursers, on whome wayted diuerse gentlemen in sylke of thesame
colour. On the other side entred .xvi. lordes & gentlemen, al appareyled richely after their deuises, & so
they ranne their courses appointed: & after y^ they rane volant one as as he might ouertake another, which
was a goodly [...]ght to se: & when al was done they departed, and went to a goodly banquet.”
Robin Hood in
the Reformation
Allusions in Reformist and Humanist Texts,

1531-[1568]
Robert
Barnes, A
Supplication
A supplicatyon made by Robert Barnes doctoure in
diuinitie, vnto the most excellent and redoubted prince
kinge henrye the eyght. The articles for which this
forsayde doctoure Barnes was condemned of our
spiritualtye, areconfirmed by the Scripture, doctoures
and their awne lawe. After that he disputeth certayne
comon places which also he confermeth with the
Scripture, holye doctoures and their awne lawe
[Antwerp : S. Cock, 1531?]
STC 1470
Cambridge University Library Sig.
L2r
Robert Barnes, A Supplication
“ . . . was it not a holly covnselle / of the chanseler of london to con|
selle a sertyn merchant / to by Robyn hoode for his seruantes to rede?
what shulde they do with vitas patryn / and with bokes of holy scriptur?”
“O lorde god where arte thou why slepist thou? why sufferst thou this
blasphemy? Thov hast defencded thy prophetes with wilde fier form
heuen / And wylte thov suffer thy wonly sone and thy heuynly worde /
thus to be dyspysyd? and to be rekenyd but as a story of
Desiderius
Erasmus,
Apophthegmes
Apophthegmes that is to saie, prompte,
quicke, wittie and sentencious saiynges,
of certain emperours, kynges,
capitaines, philosophiers and oratours,
as well Grekes, as Romaines, bothe
veraye pleasaunt [et] profitable to
reade, partely for all maner of
persones, [et] especially
gentlemen. First gathered and
compiled in Latine by the ryght famous
clerke Maister Erasmus of Roterodame.
And now translated into Englyshe by
Nicolas
V d a ll .
[L o n d on] : Excusum typis
Ricardi Grafton, 1542 [September]
Cumpriuilegio ad imprimendum
solum.
STC 10443
British Library
Desiderius
Erasmus,
Apophthegmes
“And this one thyng will I saie more. In
sermones percase it is not conueniente
to miengle iestyng saiynges of mortall
menne with the holy scriptures of God,
but yet might thesame muche more
excusably bee vsed, to quicken suche as
at sermones been euer noddyng, then
olde wiues foolyshe ta|les of Robyn
Hoode & suche others, whiche many
preachers haue in tymes past cu|
stomably vsed to bryng in, taken out
euen of the veraye botome and grossest
parte of the dreggues of the commen
peoples foo|lyshe talkyng.”
Edward Dering
A sparing restraint,
of many
lauishe vntruthes
Imprinted at London : By Henry
Denham, for Humfrey
Toy,dwelling in Poules Church
yarde, at the signe of the Helmet,
[1568]
STC 6725
British Library
 “ . tha Ro n Hoode Gui of Warwick and Beuis be
mp|ton & such like shoul had of he people in en ou
ers, But the mister s redemption, & he glorio
A sparing restraint, of many
tiding the death of Christ were in nge figures, & for
ha|sarde of deuotion they might not be made common.”
lauishe
vntruthes,
which M. Doctor Harding do the chalenge, in the first article of my
Lorde of Sarisburies replie. By Edward Dering student in Diuinitie.
With ananswere vnto that long, and vncourteous epistle, entituled to M.
Juel, and set before M. Hardings Reioinder [1568]
STC 6725
British Library