The legendary hero Robin Hood is a popular figure from English folklore. According to the stories about him, he led a band of outlaws called the Merry Men, who robbed from the rich to give to the poor. English ballads tell the story of the outlaw Robin Hood, who lived in Englands Sherwood Forest. No one knows for sure if Robin Hood existed, but the ballads about him give valuable information about English society in the late 14th and early 15th century. Statue of Robin Hood

Sherwood forest in central England was formerly a royal forest. It is famous as the hideout of legendary English outlaw Robin Hood during the late-14th or early-15th century. Sherwood Forest, stretch of hilly country, Nottinghamshire, central England, lying between Nottingham and Worksop, extending about 32 km (about 20 mi) from north to south and 8 to 14 km (5 to 9 mi) from east to west. Ancient Oak Tree The stories of Robin Hood are typically set in England between the 1100s and the 1400s. Most of the events take place in or near Sherwood Forest.

In the first stories about him, Robin appears as a simple highway robber trying to avoid capture. Later tales present him as a man wrongfully denied his noble title. The stories about Robin celebrate his courage, generosity, skill in archery, and comic flair. He does not hesitate to fight and steal from his enemies, but he always shows compassion for the poor, protects women and children, and offers assistance to anyone of honor. The key members of the Merry Men are an enormous man jokingly known as Little John, a traveling priest named Friar Tuck, and the outlaw Will Scarlet. In many versions of the legend, Robin falls in love with a spirited young woman named Maid Marian. The main enemy of Robins band is the Sheriff of Nottingham, a dastardly and greedy law officer. The band clashes with dishonest local abbots as well.

Although Robin fights to overturn the power of rich landowners, church leaders, and government representatives, he and his band respect the authority of the ruling king, who in most stories is Richard I. In many stories, the king disguises himself and joins the Merry Men, intending to capture Robin. But the king then discovers Robins honorable ways and pardons him. Errol Flynn In 1938 Australian-born motion-picture actor Errol Flynn won the heart of Maid Marian and defeated his evil foes as Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Englands King Richard I, Lion-Hearted (shown here), along with Frances King Philip II Augustus, and the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I Barbarossa, led the Third Crusade ( ). Although the crusaders failed to defeat the Muslims, Richard I negotiated a treaty granting Christian pilgrims free access to Jerusalem. Richard I