Since the 13th century the legend of Robin Hood has featured in folk songs, tavern stories, pageants, and royal festivals — even Henry VIII once dressed up as him. But what lies behind the legend? And what do our stories of robbing from the rich tell us about life in medieval England?
In this episode Chloe Lee speaks to Kathryn Maude, a medieval specialist, and Sean Cunningham, head of medieval records, both at The National Archives. Join them on a journey through a forest of medieval historical records, and perhaps even discover the ‘real’ Robin Hood.
Download the full episode transcript here.
Documents from The National Archives used in this episode: NSC 5/1054, SP 2/A, E 159/8, E 372/70. For more information about the records covered in this episode, look at our research guide to Outlaws and outlawry in medieval and early modern England. For help navigating our catalogue, you can watch our top-level tips on using Discovery.
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