Historians have combed through medieval records for centuries, but a single "true" Robin Hood remains elusive. The name was so popular that "Robinhood" or "Robehod" became a common or nickname for outlaws in the 13th and 14th centuries.
A contemporary of Simon de Montfort who led a band of outlaws in Sherwood and was hunted by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin Hood : myth, history and culture
While early ballads placed him in the 14th century during the reign of "King Edward," later history moved him back to the 12th-century reign of to heighten the drama of his conflict with Prince John. The Culture: An Outlaw for Every Age While early ballads placed him in the 14th
Several historical candidates have been proposed as the "seed" of the legend: The "steal from the rich and give to
The "original" Robin Hood would be nearly unrecognizable today. In the earliest 15th-century ballads like Robin Hood and the Monk , he was a rough-edged "yeoman"—a commoner, not a lord—who was often violent and quick-tempered.
The "steal from the rich and give to the poor" mantra wasn't even part of his earliest stories; instead, he was simply a champion of the common folk who stood against corrupt authority. Over centuries, the legend softened: