Sheriff of Nottingham
The hatred between Robin Hood and the Sheriff forms a fundamental part of the tales. The Sheriff veers between serious and comedy roles. He's a seriously dangerous opponent in Robin Hood and the Monk who commands a powerful body of men to capture Robin at St Mary’s Church in Nottingham. Yet he's also a comic foil, often being humiliated as seen in Robin Hood and the Potter.
Sheriff's were powerful men in medieval society. They were the King’s representative in each county and were charged with keeping the peace and upholding the law. Outlaws were hunted down without mercy.
So who was the real Sheriff? Eustace of Lowdham, Sheriff of Yorkshire is the most likely candidate to form the basis of the Sheriff of Nottingham.He was the Sheriff of Yorkshire 1225-6, Forest Justice north of the Trent 1226, and Sheriff of Nottinghamshire 1232-3. He covered all the right jobs to trouble Robin. He also lived in the right time and place to deal with Robert Hode, our possible original Robin.
Guy of Gisborne
A bounty hunter, Guy has one of the original tales all to himself,Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne. Contrary to popular belief, Guy of Gisborne was not a knight working for the Sheriff.
Guy is Robin's enemy from the very start. Mainly because they're on opposite sides of the law. In a time when there wasn'tapolice force, the law needed all the help it could get. Often the Sheriff had to raise a temporary posse of armed men to enforce the law. He would've been glad to use freelance bounty hunters to capture outlaws and bandits 'dead or alive'.
He was not originally an evil knight who was particularly close to the Sheriff or Prince John. He was just a man making a living, who was of similar rank to Robin Hood. The fact that this involved hacking off the head of an outlaw resisting arrest - to prove that you had done your job - would not have bothered anybody at the time. The price received for their capture was the same as that for a dangerous wolf.'Wolfshead' became an alternative name for an outlaw.
Prince John
We now accept that Robin Hood lived at the time of Richard the Lionheart. And while the King was fighting in the crusades his wicked brother Prince John wreaked havoc at home taxing the people of England.
The modern tradition linking Robin with King Richard and Prince John comes thanks to a Scottish writer called John Major who wrote a History of Greater Britain in 1521. He claimed that Robin was active in 1193-4 when Richard had left the crusades and was being held prisoner in Germany.Modern historians on the trail of the original Robin are getting ever closer to the date Major claims for the legendary Robin, so he may be right after all.
Portrait images: Louis Rhead, 'Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band: Their Famous Exploits in Sherwood Forest'. New York: Blue Ribbon Books, 1912. Courtesy of The Robin Hood Project, The University of Rochester.
FAQs
According to the legend, the Sheriff of Nottingham was the arch enemy of Robin Hood. Portrayed on screen by Alan Rickman, Keith Allen and Matthew Macfadyen, to name but a few, the Sheriff veers between serious and comedy roles.
Did the Sheriff of Nottingham exist? ›
Nottingham's first appointed sheriff was recorded in 1449. Probably due to the recognised division of the city into two parts two sheriffs were appointed - William Sadler and Thomas Lyng and this tradition was upheld until the major changes in local government in 1835.
Who is the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood cartoon? ›
Character information
The Sheriff of Nottingham is the secondary antagonist of Disney's 1973 animated feature film Robin Hood. As his title would suggest, he is the "honorable" chief law enforcer of Nottingham, serving directly under Prince John.
What animal is the Sheriff of Nottingham? ›
The Sheriff of Nottingham was originally a goat, but was changed to a wolf as they seem better representing villains. The famous gap in Terry-Thomas' teeth was incorporated into the design of the character he voices, Sir Hiss (It makes a handy opening for his forked tongue to dart out.)
Who is the Sheriff of Nottingham George? ›
Sheriff George of Nottingham, otherwise better known as the Sheriff of Nottingham, is the main antagonist of the 1991 adventure-action film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He was portrayed by the late Alan Rickman, who also played Hans Gruber in Die Hard, Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film franchise, Joe in Help!
Who is Robin Hood's villain? ›
The Sheriff of Nottingham serves as Robin's chief antagonist. He is collecting the money for Prince John and was shown as ruthless in the case of caring for the poor.
Was there an evil Sheriff of Nottingham? ›
Some sheriffs like Sir Robert Ingram, a choice of Dobson and Taylor, were in league with outlaws. This sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire was an ally of the Coterel gang, notorious 14th century outlaws. Other sheriffs, like John de Oxenford, were outlawed themselves. Oxenford was the sheriff from 1334 to 1339.
Who is the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood with Kevin Costner? ›
Directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by Pen Densham and John Watson, the film stars Kevin Costner as Robin Hood, Morgan Freeman as Azeem, Christian Slater as Will Scarlett, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian, and Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham.
What is the meaning of Sheriff of Nottingham? ›
/ðə ˌʃerɪf əv ˈnɒtɪŋəm/ /ðə ˌʃerɪf əv ˈnɑːtɪŋəm/ (in old stories) the main enemy of Robin Hood. He was a cruel and dishonest government official responsible for the town Nottingham and the area around it.
What happened to the Sheriff in Robin Hood? ›
Ben Mendelsohn portrayed the Sheriff in the 2018 film Robin Hood. After the Sheriff is hanged by Robin during the film's climax, he is succeeded by Will "Scarlet" Tillman.
A ruthless, greedy, witty, determined, paranoid, driven, cruel, calculating, politically-minded, insecure, devious, intelligent, highly-strung strategist. The Sheriff's an ambitious, cunning, paranoid man who needs to be feared by his people.
Where is the Sheriff of Nottingham buried? ›
In the small village church of St Peter's church, Headon you will find a tomb slab depicting a knight in armour, which dates from about 1275. This tomb was for Simon de Headon, who was Sheriff of Nottingham in 1259. It is believed that this was the very Sheriff famed to be Robin Hood's arch enemy!
Who was the real Sheriff of Nottingham? ›
So who was the real Sheriff? Eustace of Lowdham, Sheriff of Yorkshire is the most likely candidate to form the basis of the Sheriff of Nottingham. He was the Sheriff of Yorkshire 1225-6, Forest Justice north of the Trent 1226, and Sheriff of Nottinghamshire 1232-3. He covered all the right jobs to trouble Robin.
Who is the enemy of the Sheriff of Nottingham? ›
Despite the Sheriff's position of power and his hatred of Robin Hood, he is afraid of the famous outlaw. Even when the Sheriff is brought to Robin's encampment in Sherwood Forest, he is too fearful of being robbed to do anything when directly presented with his nemesis.
Is Robin Hood a true story? ›
Robin Hood is an invented, archetypical hero, whose career encapsulates many of the popular frustrations and ambitions of his era.
Who is Robin Hood's opponent? ›
Robin Hood's greatest enemy was the sheriff of Nottingham. The sheriff tried by force and trickery to bring the outlaw to justice. He was always outwitted. He even announced a shooting match, feeling sure that Robin Hood would appear to show his skill as an archer.
Who was the sheriff in Robin Hood Men in Tights? ›
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) - Roger Rees as Sheriff of Rottingham - IMDb.
Who is the sheriff in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves? ›
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) - Alan Rickman as Sheriff of Nottingham - IMDb.
What did Robin Hood do to the sheriff? ›
Once safe in Nottingham, the sheriff went back to his scheming ways. He concocted an archery contest to lure Robin Hood into a trap. But Robin Hood escaped the sheriff's trap and killed the sheriff for breaking his word. Robin cut off the Sheriff of Nottingham's head.
