The Outlaw King

Justice, Jesus, and Robin Hood

And mony ane sings o’ grass, o’ grass

And mony ane sings o’ corn,

And mony ane sings o’ Robin Hood

Kens little where he was born.

Re-encountering Robin

I will shamelessly admit that my first encounter with Robin Hood came through the classic Disney rendition. Although I liked the talking animals and catchy songs well enough, there was something about the story that rendered it different from other Disney movies. It was as if the original tale was reaching through the filmy veil to grab hold of me at that young age. In response, I did what any homeschooled kid would do. I hunted down a copy of the book and immersed myself fully in the world of Sherwood Forest.

Early historical records from England suggest that there was no one man to whom we can trace these stories. They suggest that the Robin Hood we know and love today is likely a fictional combination of multiple real men who fought against injustice in the early days of England.¹ These scant historical records, far from dousing my interest in the character, only raised it. However, it was only when I revisited the book with my literature students a couple of years ago that I realized how deep the themes of this story run.

My class read Roger Lancelyn Green’s version of the tale. Green preserves the major themes that have stayed consistent throughout Robin Hood’s literary history. He raises important questions about the true meaning of justice and mercy. But more than this, he honors the character of Robin himself. Green’s Robin Hood reveals what it means to be a hero when goodness is criminalized. Green takes these various themes and unites them all under a single banner: that of “Christ-figure.” Yes, Green’s Robin Hood is a Christ figure, but not in the sense that we usually think of “Christ-figures” in fiction.

A Sign of Contradiction

Like Christ, Robin Hood is a sign of contradiction. Born to a Norman father and a Saxon mother (representative of the feuding factions within England at the time), Robin’s very birth causes scandal. He does not belong fully to either side, but in him the ancestral roots of a divided kingdom are united. He is a cause of division but also of unity. He is a sign of contradiction.

As an adult, Robin is increasingly appalled at the injustices being committed in the absence of King Richard. He takes a stand against Prince John and as punishment for his rebellion, the prince outlaws him. He casts Robin out from society, strips him of his title, and forces him to flee to the forest. Robin Hood finds himself in yet another contradiction. Only by acting outside the law is he able to remain faithful to the one who created it.

Robin’s discernment brings to mind St. Thomas Aquinas’ distinction regarding justice and law. Since laws are by nature broad, intended to cover the majority of circumstances, they necessarily won’t be able to account for every situation. From this observation Aquinas concludes that citizens may at times be faced with the obligation to obey the “spirit of the law” over the the law itself.² This is especially true when faced with unjust laws, or circumstances that do not fall neatly within the guidelines of legal prescriptions.

In his fight against Prince John, Robin Hood embodies the image of prudence presiding over justice. He is a lover of his country, even if that means disobeying the letter of the law. He does the right thing, even when the right thing is criminalized. He is an outlaw, but also a patriot. He is a sign of contradiction.

Feed My Sheep

The key to unlocking the meaning of Robin’s character lies in his relationship with King Richard. Robin Hood stands in as a proxy leader in King Richard’s absence. Like Christ, his entire campaign points to the king. His efforts are aimed at preserving and fulfilling the glory of the Kingdom. However, Robin is persistent in communicating to his men that he is not to take the place of their exiled king. His character is marked by humility. He wants to serve his king, but he asks for nothing in return.

This provides the necessary clue to understand Green’s interpretation of Robin Hood. Robin is not the king, nor does he try to be. Rather, he is the unworthy servant, the criminal tasked with preserving the values of the kingdom in the absence of the King. His job is to care for the flock. Christ himself appointed such leaders to watch over his Church in his absence. The first of these was St. Peter, another self-professed criminal and the first Pope.

At the end of the story, when Robin’s life is again in danger, he flees to a small village. There, he meets an old woman who asks for his name. He tells her that he is called “Simon” and that he is a fisherman. Those who know their Bible stories will immediately recognize the reference.

Green shows us that Robin Hood is undoubtedly a Christ figure, but not in the sense of being a literal stand in for Christ. Rather, he is a Christ figure in the sense that St. Peter was (and in the sense that every Christian is called to be). He is a model of what it looks like to stand in the gap for Christ, to be a soldier of the faith and a guardian of the faithful, while waiting with hope for the return of our true King.

Outlaw and King

We are all “criminals” like Robin; and yet we have been entrusted with preserving the values of our homeland while we await the coming of our King. Like Robin, we might be criminalized for our good deeds. There is a fair chance we will be chased down, hunted, and in some cases killed for doing what is right. But in the end we will be pardoned by the only one who has the power to pardon the crimes of his citizens: the King himself.

Robin Hood’s story ends with what looks like defeat. But those of us who have walked the path of Christ know that Robin gained a prize more worthy than all the legal vindications of the earth. He fought for his homeland, he paid the price with his blood, and we can assume that what he lost in this world he gained tenfold in the kingdom of heaven. In staying true to his King, Robin Hood ran the race; he fought the good fight; he kept the faith. For his reward he gained the title that our Lord sanctified once and for all, that of both outlaw and king.

1. Dan Jones does a great job of outlining the historical roots of Robin Hood’s character in this Substack post.

2. Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae, I-II, q. 96, a. 6, at Isidore, www.isidore.co/aquinas/.