By what name was the band of outlaws who accompanied Robin Hood on his many capers commonly known?
Robin Hood poor. Through retellings, additions, and variations a body of familiar characters associated with Robin Hood have been created. These include his lover, Maid Marian, his band of outlaws, the Merry Men, and his chief opponent, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff is often depicted as assisting Prince John in usurping the rightful but absent King Richard, to whom Robin Hood remains loyal. A common theme of the story is that Robin is a champion of the common people fighting against injustice, whilst remaining loyal to the rightful ruler. He became a popular folk figure in the Late Middle Ages, and
Robin Hood casting doubt on this Robyn Hood's supposed earlier career as outlaw and rebel. It has long been suggested, notably by John Maddicott, that "Robin Hood" was a stock alias used by thieves. What appears to be the first known example of "Robin Hood" as stock name for an outlaw dates to 1262 in Berkshire, where the surname "Robehod" was applied to a man apparently because he had been outlawed. This could suggest two main possibilities: either that an early form of the Robin Hood legend was already well established in the mid-13th century; or alternatively that the name "Robin Hood"