17. From Robert Hod to the Legend of Robin Hood
Robin Hood was probably just a generic medieval English nickname for criminals. That makes the identification of the original even more difficult. In England, Robin was – and still is – a diminutive of the name Robert, which was a very common first name back then. Hood was also a common surname in Middle Ages England. As a result, to figure out just which criminals named Robin Hood or some variation thereof might have inspired the famous outlaw legend is particularly problematic. As a result, numerous candidates have been proposed over the years.
Earliest mentioned is a Robert Hod of York. He became an outlaw after his property, worth 32 shillings, was confiscated to pay a debt owed to a local church. The brothers Robert and John Deyville are two more possible inspirations. They fought in the Second Barons’ War (1264 – 1267), but their side was defeated. So the Deyvilles fled to the woods and became outlaws, until the records show that John, at least, was pardoned. However, the likeliest candidate seems to be Roger Godberd. He also fought in the Second Barons’ War, lost, and became an outlaw. What is known of Godberd’s activities led some historians to label him as “the prototype Robin Hood”.