Robin Hood stole from the rich to feed the poor. He lived in Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham in the centre of England, and his merry band of followers included Little John (a giant of a man), Friar Tuck (a jolly monk), and the beautiful Maid Marian.
Their exploits were related in countless mediaeval ballads. They represented the ideals of the common man in the face of oppressive authority.
Before the Norman conquest at the end of the 11th century, the vast tract of woodland that stretched to the north of the city of Nottingham, was used for hunting by the people of the region, or 'shire' . (In fact the name Sherwood is derived from this Old English word for 'region' - It was the Shire Wood.)
The Norman Kings passed strict laws giving sole use of the forest to their feudal barrons. The common people resented this oppression.
Robin Hood's sworn enemy was the Sheriff of Nottingham, one of the king's men. His title, too, is derived from the Old English word shire; as head man of the region, he was the Shire-reeve.
The shires of England became know as counties under the Normans (the French word is comte). But the word shire still exists in county names like Hampshire, Yorkshire and of course Nottinghamshire.
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