This old nursery rhyme celebrates the friendship of the legendary Robin Hood and Little John. There are many old rhymes and ballads about Robin Hood that were popular songs during the Middle Ages. The first surviving written reference to Robin Hood was made by William Langland in 1377 who wrote "The Vision of Piers Plowman". The story is not about our hero but refers to him in a verse in which a drunken chaplain berates himself for knowing the rhymes of Robin Hood better than he knows his prayers. These old rhymes about Robin Hood were clearly commonplace in the 1300's. Many of the Legends and Ballads were passed verbally and with the introduction of printing in the 1500's they were recounted in Chapbooks for the common, illiterate people of the Land.
A 15th Century manuscript in Lincoln Cathedral has the following reference: "Robyn Hode in Scherewod stod hodud and hathud, hosuf and schod ffour and thuyrti arowus he bar in his hondus"
The oldest recorded ballad is called the "Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode" of which only a fragment exists. The "Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode" appears to be a collection of stories which have been derived from much earlier sources. It was printed by Jan van Doesbroch in Antwerp in 1510 and is now in the National Library of Edinburgh in Scotland. |
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
Is in the mickle wood!
Little John, Little John,
He to the town is gone.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
Is telling his beads,
All in the greenwood,
Among the green weeds.
Little John, Little John,
If he comes no more,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood,
He will fret full sore! | 
Picture of Robin Hood and his Merry Men |
