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Article: Robin Hood
- Article from:
- Myths and Legends of the World
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Macmillan Reference, USA. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Robin Hood
Robin Hood was the legendary bandit of England who stole from the rich to help the poor. The stories about Robin appealed to common folk because he stood up against
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and frequently outwitted
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people in power. Furthermore, his life in the forest
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hunting and feasting with his fellow outlaws, coming to the assistance of those in need
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seemed like a great and noble adventure.
Early Sources.
The earliest known mention of Robin Hood is in William Langland's 1377 work called
Piers Plowman,
in which a character mentions that he knows "rimes of Robin Hood." This and other references from the late 1300s suggest that Robin Hood was well established as a ...