A Real Robin?
The entire idea of there being a real Robin Hood is mostly wishful thinking. But many wish to speculate over the idea of there possibly being a real man who inspired the tales.
Pinning down a real Robin Hood based on name is a problem. Robin, typically derived from the name Robert, is not that unusual of a name in 14th century England. The last name Hood, or Hode, is also a popular surname. There have been several Robin and Robert Hoods and Hodes around the time Robin was rumoured to have lived. Some that were even listed as bandits. However, a big problem comes in attributing one to being the real Robin.
Many outlaws would claim to be Robin Hood or Little John in order to use the name to further their criminal career and strike fear into weaker opponents. So tracing criminal records of Robin Hoods also becomes a mess.
Going on geography alone also causes problems. Many places want to claim to have been home to Robin Hood. A most popular belief is that he was born in Locksley *also known as Loxley*. Other people currently makes claims based on tales that he was from Barnsdale, England. While more want to say he was from Nottingham. All of these places want to stake their claim to Robin based on metions in popular Robin Hood tales. It should be mentioned that no one location has been able to lock down a definite claim on being home to Robin Hood; furthermore, such claims based on stories alone can not be assumed as fact since alterations to Robin Hood tales have been made many times in their 700+ years of existence.
The only known markers of Robin Hood existence relate to his death. The Robin Hood myth, appropriately named 'The Death of Robin Hood', states that Robin dies after being over-bled. In his final moments, he shoots an arrow out the window for the room he's lying in, and tells Little John that where ever the arrow falls is where he wants to be buried.
The above spot in Kirklees, England claims to be the resting place of Robin Hood, where his arrow finally fell. I am unaware of whether anyone has ever tried to exhume the spot to see if there is a body buried there. This lies on private property now; however, many are still allowed to visit it to pay their respects.
Such a marker helps keep the Robin Hood legend attached to the present and ties the past to the future.
There are many modern interpretations of the Robin Hood legends that can be still seen today!
Robin Hood's Presence