There is practically no accurate information about the life and identity of Robin Hood (Robin of Loxley), as the ballads dedicated to the noble outlaw were recorded much later and contradict each other when it comes to specifics.
Walter Scott, who popularized this character, portrayed him as a contemporary of King Richard the Lionheart (1157–1199). The historic period was chosen based on the theory of the Scottish historian John Major, which was subsequently disproved, since archery competitions known from the book came up a century later.
Robert de Kyme, illegally deprived of the count’s title; Roger Godberd, a former liege of the rebellious Count of Montfort; and the illegitimate child of Count Ranulf de Blondeville of Chester are cited as possible prototypes of the character. All of them lived in the 13th century during the rule of Henry III. In the middle of the 19th century, another contender for this role arose — Robert Hood, who lived during the reign of Edward II (the turn of the 14th century). Robin Hood is often referred to as the “good yeoman”, that is, a free landowner.
According to the popular version, the image of Robin was collective: in the 13th–14th centuries there were many yeomen who lost their property as a result of feuds and unfair courts. Literary critic Mikhail Mikhailovich Morozov considered the image of the Sherwood Forest as the embodiment of the people’s dream of freedom and brotherhood to be equally generalized.
Robin Hoods of various versions also share common features: they were noblemen, illegally deprived of possessions, leaders of the “forest brotherhood”, scourges to the rich and unjust, defenders of the oppressed and skilled archers. The yew bow was the main weapon of the noble outlaw, but in serious bouts Robin Hood also used a sword.
One can get an idea of what the sword of the legendary character looked like from descriptions of medieval weapons in historical sources, museum exhibits (including ones in the British Museum in London and the Royal Armories in Leeds) and wall images in ancient churches.
The sword on display is a souvenir. The stainless steel blade is not sharpened. A longitudinal groove called a fuller is featured along the entire length of the blade with mirror polishing. The massive head on the pommel (upper part) of the handle served as a counterweight to a fairly heavy blade. In the center of the crosspiece, or the guard, is an image of a lion — one of the oldest and most famous heraldic symbols, meaning strength, power, valor and bravery of the sword’s owner.
