Robin Hood

image from here

Like King Arthur, I was captivated by Robin Hood during my time in Britain.  This page collects posts related to this prince of thieves.

I looked at who Robin Hood may have been in history and how we learned of him in literature.  Visit Sherwood Forest if you can, as it's a great day out.

Below are a selection of movies, games, and books pertaining to Robin.

Movies

Robin Hood movies are. . . not great, to be blunt.  I've seen almost all of the below, but need to review a few- check back for updates!

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Robin Hood (Disney cartoon) (1973)
Robin and Marian (1976)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
     I should add a travel post here . . . I've visited a few filming locations.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
Robin Hood (2010)

Games

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Books

Many quality books on Robin have been produced and are worthy of mention.  The below list is by no means exhaustive- it's a snapshot of the most important or popular works, separated into categories.  Dates of writing are given in parentheses after the work, and if I've read it, I link to my review of it.

Medieval

These selections are the basis for much of the Robin Hood literature that has followed.

Various Authors: The original ballads and plays (1450s-onwards)
        There are many- and they can be read here (numbers 117-154) or here

Michael Dacre: A Little Book of Robin Hood (2013)

        Dacre takes the earliest ballads and re-writes them in modern English.

Classics

If the classic “rob from the rich to give to the poor” outlaw and his merry band of men appeal to you, the following are the “classic” takes on the legend.  No attempt is made here to be historically accurate; these tales are for fun, with impossible feats and whimsical adventures.  Some are written with children in mind, though pay attention to the date of publication- what's considered a tale for children has varied considerably over time.

Thomas Love Peacock: Maid Marian (1822)
Alexandre Dumas: Robin Hood (1863)

Howard Pyle: The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883) 

J Walker McSpadden: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1891) 

Henry Gilbert: Robin Hood (1912) 

Rosemary Sutcliff: The Chronicles of Robin Hood (1950)

Roger Lancelyn Green: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956) 

Young Adult

A variety of fictional accounts intended for the young adult.  In some of these, Robin is a woman.

Michael Morpurgo: Outlaw (2012)

A.C. Gaughen: Scarlet (2012)
R.M. ArceJaeger: Robin: Lady of Legend (2013)

Michael Cadnum:  In a Dark Wood (1998)

Romance 

I guess the whole ‘outlaw in the forest’ thing really appeals to some in the romantic sense.  To that end, several authors have penned Robin Hood romances.  Notable ones include:

Marsha Canham: Through a Dark Mist, In the Shadow of Midnight, The Last Arrow (1991-7)

Jennifer Roberson: Lady of the Forest, Lady of Sherwood (1999)

Historical Fiction 

The titles in this section make some attempt to bring Robin within an appropriate historical context.

Sir Walter Scott: Ivanhoe (1819)
Angus Donald: The Outlaw Chronicles (2009-present)

Outlaw, Holy Warrior, King’s Man, Warlord, Grail Knight

Adam Thorpe: Hodd (2010)

Steven Lawhead: King Raven Trilogy; set in Wales (2006-9)

Hood, Scarlet, Tuck

Parke Godwin: Sherwood Series (1991-3)             

                Sherwood, Robin and the King

Robin McKinley: Outlaws of Sherwood (2002)
Steven McKay: Wolf's Head (2013)

History 

Read these if you want to learn more about who Robin may have been.  This is a good link to many historical works on the topic.

J.C. Holt: Robin Hood (2nd edition; 3rd edition)

John Paul Davis: Robin Hood- The Unknown Templar (2009)
Steven Knight: Robin Hood: a Complete Study of the English Outlaw (1994)

                         Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography (2009)
Nigel Cawthorne: Robin Hood: A Brief History (2010)
Jim Bradbury: Robin Hood (2010)
                        (quick review: I paged through this at my local library.  I wasn't impressed.)

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I hope you enjoy these merry adventures.