In his 2004 book 'Robin Hood: The Real Story,' Brian Benison claims Robin Hood is actually a nickname similar to Billy the Kid and that a fellow named Roger Godberd is the man behind the mystery. According to Benison, Godberd lived in the 13th century and started off as a friend and hunting buddy of the sheriff of Nottingham, Reginald de Grey. In 1267, a man named Roger Godberd (who had been outlawed for fighting against the King during the Second Barons' War) took up residence in the Forest of Sherwood, along with a number of other outlaws of whom he was apparently the leader.

Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw and skilled archer in English folklore, known for the phrase 'robbing from the rich and giving to the poor'. While he is a completely fictional character, he is one of the most powerful, enduring legends of England.

Each generation grows up with their own imagery of Robin Hood, his followers and enemies, and what they stood for. His stories have inspired at least 12 novels, 8 stage adaptations, 7 TV series, 8 films plus 8 cartoon and 9 feature-length spoofs and 7 musicals – and probably more of each since this list was compiled. Up to a million people visit Sherwood Forest each year, and it seems safe to say that very few of them come primarily to see some ancient vegetation.

Understand[edit]

There are multiple theories about Robin Hood’s origins, which is another way of saying that no theory, and no historical figure, is convincing. The legend usually places him around the turn of the 12th / 13th Centuries, when King Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) was away fighting the crusades, and his younger brother Prince John had only unofficial power as heir presumptive. The Prince became King John in 1199 and in 1215 he signed Magna Carta to head off a revolt by his Barons – so the Robin Hood legend plays into the story of the foundations of English liberty. King John died at nearby Newark in 1216 and was succeeded by his son Henry III.

From 1261 onwards, magistrates began describing villains as “Robinhood” and suchlike. In 1265 Roger Godberd rebelled against King Henry III, was outlawed and fled to Sherwood Forest with his band of followers, and battled with the sheriff. So he’s a good candidate to be Robin Hood, but the name and legends may pre-date him. Ballads of the time recounted Robin’s valorous deeds, the first written throwaway mention being in Piers Plowman in 1377. Over the next 200-300 years the legend expanded to absorb other Robins (eg Robin of Wakefield) and other characters who now became his companions. Maid Marian, for instance, appears circa 1500 as a Shepherdess May Queen, with Robin morphing into her King of May Day Festivities. The legend was effectively re-launched in 1820 by Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe, which introduced Robin of Locksley.

The Sheriff of Nottingham is a real official, but in that era his correct title (as you’d do well to remember if you were at his mercy) was the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests. His chief duties were to ensure law and order and to collect taxes. The post was traditionally shared by two men, and held for one year only, but from 1208 to 1221 it was often held solely by Philip Marc. He was deeply unpopular – “collecting taxes” may for him have meant extorting protection money, and Item 50 of Magna Carta specifically called for his removal. (Like every other Item, once the deal was signed, this was roundly ignored by all sides.) So Marc fits well as a model for the villain of legend, but there’s no evidence he was much troubled by forest outlaws, unlike his successors of the 1260s.

From 1449 the duties were divided so the City of Nottingham thereafter had its own sheriff, again as a shared annual post, and from 1568 there were separate High Sheriffs for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. In the 19th C most of the sheriffs’ duties passed to the local authority, police etc, and in other cities the post was abolished, but Nottingham has kept it on for ceremonial and tourist purposes.

Historic locations[edit]

There are a number of locations associated with the legend in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

• 1Sherwood Forest. Sherwood Forest was a mediaeval hunting forest that stretched from Nottingham to York. Now it is reduced to an area of woodland in north Nottinghamshire, around Edwinstowe, that plays host to a number of leisure facilities.
• 2The Major Oak, near Edwinstowe. the legendary tree that sheltered Robin Hood and his band of outlaws.
• Nottingham
  • 3Nottingham Castle. (Warning: it is not a castle, but a small stately home with only the original gatehouse remaining from the castle.) Museum is a must-see and provides a fascinating insight into the history of Nottingham. The fine mansion also houses the country's first municipal art gallery and the beautifully maintained gardens are ideal for a lazy summer's day stroll. The walls around the 'castle' also offer spectacular views over the Trent valley. The famous Robin Hood statue is located just outside the castle walls.
  • Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Inn. Off Maid Marian Way - One of various pubs claiming to be the oldest pub in Britain, the 'Trip' traces its existence back over 800 years. Built into the sandstone caves under the castle, it is charming and well worth a visit if you happen to be in the city. It is located at the Brewhouse Yard, home to the Museum of Nottingham Life which shows the social change in Nottingham that has occurred over the last 300 years. Dates do not quite match for the legend but as close as you will get to a tavern of the era.
  • Robin Hood Statue (below the castle).
• 4Robin Hood's Grave, Kirklees Park Estate.
• 5Little John's Grave, St Michael and All Angels' Church (Hathersage).
• 6Loxley, South Yorkshire. a village and a suburb of the city of Sheffield, England, one of the locations claimed as the birthplace of Robin Hood
• 1Barnsdale (between Pontefract and Doncaster).
  • 7Robin Hood's Well.
  • 8Wentbridge. claim to be the original home of Robin Hood

Movies and TV locations[edit]

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves[edit]

The 1991 film starting Kevin Costner has a rather improbable journey to Loxley, crossing the English Channel in a rowing boat to Dover and walking in one day via a convoluted route that takes in the Seven Sister, Stonehenge and Hadrian's Wall.

Locations and attractions named after the legend[edit]

• 1Doncaster Sheffield Airport (Robin Hood Airport), Doncaster.
• 2Robin Hood Bay. small fishing village and a bay
• 3Robin Hood village. village in West Yorkshire, South Leeds
• 1Robin Hood Hills, Nottinghamshire. steep sided range of sandstone hills forming a natural amphitheatre surrounding the villages of Annesley and Newstead, near Kirkby-in-Ashfield
• Robin Hood Line. railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop
• Robin Hood (train). flagship named passenger train operated by East Midlands Trains.
• 1Robin Hood (roller coaster), Dronten. Wooden roller coaster at Walibi Holland

Sherwood Forest Roger Godberd Md

Literary references of Robin Hood -- beloved today as a vigilante outlaw and rebellious philanthropist -- stretch back to at least the 14th century. Retold in countless variations, Robin Hood's resume has been expanded and enriched extensively during the intervening centuries. Poets, playwrights and directors have all seized on the good outlaw theme and run with it, breathing new life into the legend again and again. This in turn has led many researchers to sort through the annals of the past, attempting to uncover the man behind the myth, the real Robin Hood who inspired such a devoted following.

But history is as murky as a forest blanketed in predawn fog. Discerning the truth through hundreds of years of repetitive studies and speculations is like trying to hit a target with an arrow while blindfolded. Plus any pertinent facts and public records, ones that could determine the verdict once and for all, likely either no longer exist or possibly never existed in the first place. But which is the case?

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Scholars and amateur enthusiasts have pored over scraps of such records and remnants of text trying to piece together the puzzle of one of history's most renowned characters. However, whether he was a character in the sense of an actual personage, or simply a character in the fictional sense, remains inconclusive.

On the next page, we'll take a look at some of the different attempts to dig deep into the past and pull a rogue with a heart of gold from the pages of history. We'll also discuss why any potential answers might not be as clear-cut as they seem initially.

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Sherwood Forest Roger Godberd Dds

While some historians claim Robin Hood is based on an actual historical person, most remain skeptical. Verifiable hard facts haven't been uncovered, so claims are based solely on peripheral data and interpretations of the earliest known surviving works that allude to him. These medieval literary pieces include the first passing mention of the hero in William Langland's 'Piers Plowman' circa 1377, as well as the first lengthy incarnation, a ballad whose title now ranges from 'A Lytyll Geste of Robyn Hode' all the way to the 'Gest of Robin Hood,' encompassing nearly every possible spelling in between. A trio of three other ballads round out the ranks of the early works: 'Robin Hood and the Monk,' 'Robin Hood and the Potter' and 'Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne.'

However, there has been little shortage of hypotheses that suggest potential candidates for the man behind the legend -- whether they match the narratives of the original stories or not. Some medieval chroniclers, such as Andrew of Wynton and Walter Bower, believed Robin Hood was a real person, but their claims are not accepted at face value nowadays.

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Sherwood Forest Roger Godberd King Of

Since then, many other names have been tossed into the ring. A Robyn Hod, a Robert (or Robertus) Hood and a Gilbert Robynhood have all been pulled out of the past and fleetingly cast in the spotlight as the inspiration for the Robin Hood story. Such names sounded promising until researchers started stumbling across a whole host of potential candidates with similar surnames like Robynhood, Robinhood and Robinhud. In at least one instance, a judge ordered a man's name changed to Robinhood to denote his outlaw status.

Still other candidates have been drawn from the shadows of history by scholars attempting to determine the identity of the real Robin Hood based on similar deeds rather than relatively close names. Hence, the unlikely monikered Fulk Fitz Warine (or possibly Warin or Waryn) has also been considered briefly, since his life story roughly matches that of the legend. Another man with a flickering glimpse of promise was Robert Fitz Odo, also known as Fitzooth. Sadly for Fitzooth, having a 'Fitz' in your name meant you were illegitimate. But if the Fitz is yanked out, you're left with Robert Odo. And that takes us right back to it -- a skewed spelling of 'Hood,' perhaps?

You get the idea -- the possibilities are endless, and the chances of coming to the end of the search seem unlikely. However, on the next page we'll take a closer look at one such attempt, and consider the overall implications for the modern version of Robin Hood.

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Surprisingly, contemporary enthusiasts still sometimes come out with claims that they've nabbed the elusive outlaw. Here's an example of one such candidate. In his 2004 book 'Robin Hood: The Real Story,' Brian Benison claims Robin Hood is actually a nickname similar to Billy the Kid and that a fellow named Roger Godberd is the man behind the mystery. According to Benison, Godberd lived in the 13th century and started off as a friend and hunting buddy of the sheriff of Nottingham, Reginald de Grey, until local politics forced the two into different camps. After four years as an outlaw (and sans a seductive Maid Marian) Godberd was finally captured, jailed and eventually pardoned. He returned to his farm and lived out his remaining days peacefully.

Whether or not Robin Hood really existed, one thing is for certain: The details of his life probably would have been vastly different from what is presented in movies, books and plays today. Many researchers have tracked the evolution of the Robin Hood saga over the centuries and the earliest known texts describing the outlaw do not closely resemble modern iterations. For example, early tales and ballads of Robin Hood did not take place during the rule of Richard the Lionheart, nor did they contain any mention of Maid Marian. The Gest ballad described only two grand gestures modestly resembling the altruism that later became a fundamental staple in the Robin Hood legend. Also, Robin Hood was a yeoman, not a fallen nobleman; and his main haunts were areas of Yorkshire as opposed to Nottinghamshire and Sherwood Forest. Those additions, seemingly so integral to the story today, were invented by later authors -- although that's not to say the original Robin Hood's traits don't pop up now and then, casting him in all his free-spirited outlaw glory.

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The living myth has evolved and expanded during the many intervening years in the hands of countless creative storytellers, so the Robin Hood we know today exists outside the realm of the original creation -- and apart from the man himself, if indeed he existed.

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Sources

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