Robin Hood in popular culture Robin Hood novel, standing at almost half-a-million words, is Pierce Egan the Younger's "Robin Hood and Little John; or, The Merrie Men of Sherwood Forest" (serialised 1838-1840). As in "Ivanhoe", Robin is a Saxon, although he is not actually outlawed in the novel until nearly the end of the first book. The novel traces Robin's life from birth to death. Egan's text was translated into two French books, "Le prince des voleurs (The Prince of Thieves)," and "Robin Hood le proscrit (Robin Hood the Outlaw)", by Alexandre Dumas, between 1863–64. Dumas' works were then retranslated back into English by Alfred
Merry Men Andrew of Wyntoun's "Orygynale Chronicle" of around 1420 and Walter Bower's expansion of the "Scotichronicon", completed around 1440. Later ballads name additional Merry Men, some of whom appear in only one or two ballads, while others, like the minstrel Alan-a-Dale and the jovial Friar Tuck, became fully attached to the legend. Several of the Robin Hood ballads tell the story of how individual Merry Men join the group; this is frequently accomplished by defeating Robin in a duel. The phrase "merry man" was originally a generic term for any follower or companion of an outlaw, knight, or similar leader. Robin's