I've heard of Sherwood forest only in legend. Just wonderind if it ever or still does exist and is it really haunted or was that also a myth?

Sherwood Forest does indeed exist, in the midlands of Britain. It used to stretch much further during the 12th century, which is the time period of much of the Robin Hood legends.

Yup, robin of sherwood. Now as to whether robin hood existed...

Robin Hood is no different than Sherlock Homes and Peter Pan.

Someone wrote about them, brought characters to life.
But the actual locations i believe are real and the story is based around some actual characters and events.

Robin Hood probably did exist, and the stories place him in England during the crusades. How close the individual was to the legends, mind you, is another matter. Although neither he nor his followers had American accents. Kevin Gitface Costner, take note.

And in case anyone was wondering, both Sherlock Holmes and Peter Pan are 100% fiction, and have never existed, so don't ask.

Hey Saucy,

As a Nottingham girl, I can catergorically assure you that Sherwood Forest does exist. Cufflink's right about it being much smaller now though, but it's still big enough.

I've heard a couple of ghost stories relating to it, some people reckon to have seen people riding through the forest at night, and I remember hearing a legend about Major Oak, the tree where Robin and his gang allegedly met, which is still standing (just about), as being haunted, but I can't find any details.

There are a couple of other places in the area, which are haunted, Newstead abbey is supposed to be packed with ghosts and the 'Trip to Jerusalem' pub, which was there at the time of Robin Hood has a model ship, which is supposed to be cursed, plus various ghosts.

Sorry I couldn't give you anymore info on the ghosts in Sherwood forest.

Fairie

Saucy Pan...I like it!

And his dad was Frying....a distant relative of Friar Tuck.

Saucy don't listen to Cuffy. Peter Pan was and is still very much ALIVE!!!!. you can see glimpses of him flying through the tree's....god help us all...

Don't be making fun of grandpa bed pan. He had a little saucy in him!

I have two images and neither are very wholesome.

My guess is that Robin Hood is an amalgamation of a few different characters, brought together into one to provide a good hero for a tale with a moral message: Share and share alike.

Myths tend to be very preachy...

there was something on BBC1 recently about this, i forget exactly...the programme was really tongue in cheek and made a lot of corny jokes (but was funny all the same) and it offered a few candidates for Robin also stating he was an amalgam of a few characters...
iirc there was a guy called Robin (or Robert) DeWoad who seemed to be the main candidate (i cant remember exactly it was over a month ago)...
it also said the merry men were also made up several folklore chars who never met each other...

sorry i cant be more specific

There are loads of different legends about who Robin Hood was, I watched that programme too, it wasn't that funny. The most well known is that he was someone called Robert, or Robin, of Loxley, who was outlawed. Loxley hall is in Staffordshire, and the family goes back to medieval times. But I find it unlikely that any Robin of Loxley would travel across two counties to live in a forest when he has a perfectly good one, in Chartley moss, just a couple of miles away. There is also a village called Loxley in either Lancashire or Warwickshire (I know nothing about geography), which also claims to be the source of the legend, so it gets pretty confusing.

But the TV show believed that the legend of Robin Hood came from a fugitive in the 13th century called William Robehod, who was immortalised in poems and songs and mutated over the years into Robin Hood, a hero of the people.

As far as I'm concerned though, Robin Hood was a real bloke who pranced around in tights and Lincoln Green tunics with a band of Merry men, renegade priests and 'maid' Marian. (But he certainly didn't look anything like Kevin Costner, who would pick him over Alan Rickman?)

Some more
Here

Ghosties too!

Yeah the forest does exist and its somewhere in the midlands

Sherwood Forest is actually a real place..It is located in Nottingham. That is in the middle of England. Also, it has been said that their is the actual tree that they sat around and slept in and stuff. It is a couple hundred thousand years old and is held up by planks/scaffolding. The base of the trunk is pretty fat..I wish I could guess how much feet it is around. Nobody is allowed to touch the tree. But..yes..Sherwood forest does exist and is open for tourists(sp) and the public.

Fantastic picture Lottie!
But I always liked the story of Robin Hood of course they were cartoons made by Disney though.

The disney version is actually the most realistic version in one respect, it is the only Robin Hood film where Nottingham castle is shown on a hill. In terms of history, the main strategic advantage of Nottigham castle was its situtaion on the sandstone cliffs. Therefore, disney rules! Plus it has one of the best lines in any film ever, 'seize the fat one!'

Some people do believe Robin Hood existed- on TV one time, I saw this clip of a place where Robin hood was supposedldy jailed; they said they found tunnels under it which could have been escape routes for Robin and his gang.

For a little more on Robin Hood see my post in Mtyhs and Legends forum...


Did Robin Hood really exist?

Teddy. xx

i think maybe there is some truth behind the tales of robin hood

oh any you guys. dont be mean to grandpa Bed Pan, people or always taking the p*ss out of him!