Matter of the Greenwood: The Sheriff of Nottingham - Evolution
We’ve looked at the possible historical origins of Robin Hood’s archenemy. What about his evolution in fiction? N.B. this post has been updated to take into account recent additions to the mythos. Content note: sexual assault. Before any surviving mention of Robin Hood, there were outlaw romances, in which various authority figures played the antagonist. Early examples – the Gesta Herewardi, Eustache le Moine, and Fouke le Fitz Waryn – were based on historical figures and eve
Matter of the Greenwood: The Sheriff of Nottingham - Origins
Content note: murder of hostages. Robin Hood’s most famous enemy has always been the Sheriff of Nottingham. In early sources, he is never given a name, instead known solely by his office. This has left the character open to a considerable degree of speculation, and several real sheriffs have been put forward as the original. But does any stand up to examination? The title is sometimes dismissed as anachronistic, on the grounds that the city of Nottingham had no sheriff of its
