A hero who takes away from those who hoard the most for themselves
Robin Hood is a hero from the Medieval World, based, apparently, on an archetype and outlaw from medieval human folklore. Inspired by Ghino di Tacco (historical Italian thief whose fame led him to be mentioned in the Divine Comedy and the Decameron), his character is a man named Robin Longstride or Robin of Locksley (or Loxley), who would be big-hearted and live outside of the law, hidden in the woods near the city of Nottingham, and would later move to Nothing-Ham Forest in the Real World. He is the best archer toy known, defender of the despised and oppressed.
According to human legends, he fought against the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John Landless, who used public force to illegitimately monopolize the wealth of the nobles who opposed them. In human medieval age, any individual who opposed royal edicts was considered an outlaw.
In English, Robin Hood means “Robin of the Woods”. In human legend he is “Robin’s Hood”, being a “robin” a bird-like animal from the Real World, but also “Robin the Rogue”. The translation “Robin of the Woods” is an error that surely comes from the confusion between hood (“hood” or “truhan”) and its paronym wood (“wood”). It can be specified that hood, which could mean “truhan” in English, Robin Hood could originally be “Robin the truhan” and not “Robin of the Woods”. The famous hood, a distinctive element of the character, could be an element added a posteriori by the Anglo-Saxon legend in order to explain the name by the hat and no longer associate it with his criminal side.
According to human legends, Robin Hood was about to marry the beautiful Marian Gilewater, daughter of the Baron of Arlongford. But the ceremony is interrupted by a band of Prince John’s soldiers, who burst into the chapel and declare Robin Hood “an outlaw.” He manages to flee with his faithful friends and companions and takes refuge in Sherwood Forest, thus becoming the prince of thieves.
Marian, locked up with her own father, escapes from him and reunites with her boyfriend, followed by the priest-confessor, Brother Miguel, who will change his name after her to “Little Juan.”
Meanwhile, Prince John falls in love with Marian, desperately searches for her and burns her father’s castle. After a thousand adventures in the forest, Robin Hood and his friends encounter an unknown knight: King Arthur, returning from the Holy Land. He returns his noble titles to Robin and the other persecuted people and he can finally marry his beloved.
Popular culture hero:
The figure of Robin Hood has been, among humans and toys, popularly described as someone who “takes money from the rich and gives it to the poor” or dismissing the “legality” of collecting taxes or any other action of the political power; that is, someone who justifies an immoral act with legal arguments.
Although popularly in all worlds its interpretation has changed over time, from dismissing political power for the collection of taxes through the use of force, to personifying the incarnated figure of justice that redistributes resources fairly, taking away from those who hoard the most for themselves, without any justification and out of simple meanness.
Robin Today
Nowadays Robin Hood is more like a modern superhero, who distributes justice in all worlds, appearing where he is most needed. Its equipment, weapons and protection are modern and powerful.