Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne
Encyclopedia
Child Ballad 118, part of the Percy collection. It introduces and disposes of Guy of Gisborne who remains next to the Sheriff of Nottingham
the chief villain of the Robin Hood
legend. This ballad survives in a single seventeenth century copy but has always been recognized as much older in content, possibly older than Robin Hood and the Monk
. A play with a similar plot survives in a copy dated to 1475.
This ballad has been much admired, the Oxford Companion to English Literature 4th Ed, describes it as the best of the Robin Hood ballads. But it is also the most often cited, along with Robin Hood and the Monk
, for excessive brutality. Guy comes to Barnesdale to capture Robin Hood, but Robin kills and beheads him. Meanwhile Little John has been captured by the Sheriff, but Robin rescues him by impersonating Guy of Gisborne.
Sheriff of Nottingham
The Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. For years the post has been directly appointed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and in modern times, with the existence of the police force, the position is...
the chief villain of the Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
legend. This ballad survives in a single seventeenth century copy but has always been recognized as much older in content, possibly older than Robin Hood and the Monk
Robin Hood and the Monk
Robin Hood and the Monk is Child ballad 119, and among the oldest existing ballads of Robin Hood, existing in manuscript from about 1450 AD.It may have been originally recited rather than sung; it refers to itself as a "talking" in its last verse:...
. A play with a similar plot survives in a copy dated to 1475.
This ballad has been much admired, the Oxford Companion to English Literature 4th Ed, describes it as the best of the Robin Hood ballads. But it is also the most often cited, along with Robin Hood and the Monk
Robin Hood and the Monk
Robin Hood and the Monk is Child ballad 119, and among the oldest existing ballads of Robin Hood, existing in manuscript from about 1450 AD.It may have been originally recited rather than sung; it refers to itself as a "talking" in its last verse:...
, for excessive brutality. Guy comes to Barnesdale to capture Robin Hood, but Robin kills and beheads him. Meanwhile Little John has been captured by the Sheriff, but Robin rescues him by impersonating Guy of Gisborne.