Robin Hood is 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."

In popular culture, Robin Hood and his band of merry men (and women) are usually portrayed as living in Sherwood Forest,

where much of the action in the early ballads takes place. In popular culture Robin Hood is typically seen as a

contemporary and supporter of the late 12th century King Richard the Lionheart, Robin being driven to outlawry

during the misrule of Richard's evil brother John while Richard was away at the Third Crusade.

Going back to the beginnings of the Robin Hood stories, however, one finds that he was not always depicted

as a good guy. Like King Arthur and many other legends, what is considered canonical today is often discovered

to be very different at the roots. There are, however, a number of elements that seem to crop up in any modern

telling of the Robin Hood story. His band on Merry Men, though not always called by that name, always seem

to number more than a hundred, although only a few are mentioned by name. Those few, Little John, Friar Tuck,

Alan-a-Dale and William Scarlet, are most often present in any Robin Hood tale. His love for the Maid Marian

was a latter addition but a popular one. His enmity with the Sheriff of Nottingham, his skill with a bow, and the fact

that he was a wanted man living in the forest, are all fairly standard items of lore.