Myth of the Month 18: Robin Hood – pt. 1: The Master of the Forest (Episode #139)

In the first installment on the Robin Hood mythos, we consider how the legend of Robin Hood has evolved from a series of brutal tales of a medieval outlaw bandit in the fifteenth century to that of the swashbuckling champion of the poor of modern pop culture, and how he picked up sidekicks like Friar Tuck and Maid Marion along the way; we consider the literary significance of the early stories as as an expression of the frustrations and aspirations of the yeoman class.

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Also see UNLOCKED: Myth of the Month 18: Robin Hood – pt. 2: Capturing the Fugitive

Suggested further reading: Maurice Keen, “The Outlaws of Medieval Legend”; J. C. Holt, “Robin Hood”; A. J. Pollard, “Imagining Robin Hood.”

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