The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood first published by Scribner's in 1883, and met with immediate success, ushering in a new era of Robin Hood stories. It helped solidify the image of a heroic Robin Hood, which had begun in earlier works such as Walter Scott's 1819 novel "Ivanhoe". In Pyle's wake, Robin Hood has become a staunch philanthropist protecting innocents against increasingly aggressive villains. Along with the publication of the Child Ballads by Francis James Child, which included most of the surviving Robin Hood ballads, Pyle's novel helped increase the popularity of the Robin Hood legend in the United States. "The Merry Adventures" also had
Robin Hood in popular culture titled "Robin Hood" starred Russell Crowe as the main character. Directed by Ridley Scott, it was considered the most discussed and shared movie of 2010. The character of Robin Hood appears, either as a playable character or as a major supporting character, in the following games: Robin Hood in popular culture The folkloric hero Robin Hood has appeared many times, in many different variations, in popular modern works. Robin Hood has appeared in a number of plays throughout the medieval, early modern and modern periods. The first record of a Robin Hood play being performed is in Exeter in 1426-27.