Robin Hood and the Monk in the Early Ballads
A record in The Hawthorn Archive, preserving folklore with its place, type and source context attached.
Robin Hood and the Monk is preserved in a fifteenth-century manuscript and is often discussed among the earliest surviving Robin Hood narratives. Its plot takes Robin to Nottingham and places him in danger, prompting action by his companions.
The episode is significant because it gives the outlaw band an active role. Robin’s companions are more than background figures: loyalty and initiative become essential to the course of the story.
As with other ballads, the manuscript is evidence of literary transmission rather than a verified historical incident. Evidence: medieval ballad text. Source trail: Cambridge University Library manuscript collections; Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads.