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Robin of Locksley is a historical figure who was the Earl of Huntington. Robin Locksley's grave is often referred to locally as the grave of Robin Hood. But there are some problems with this theory. Locksley was from Yorkshire and not in Nottinghamshire, the setting of Robin's legend. Additionally, there is entirely no evidence that the Earl was an outlaw or bandit.<ref>Kennedy, p 412</ref> Moreover, it is highly unlikely that an aristocratic figure such as Locksley would ever have used a bow and arrow. The bow was a weapon that was used primarily by soldiers who were yeomen, not nobiles. Furthermore, in the earliest ballads, the hero is referred to as a commoner and most definitely not a noble, like the Earl of Huntingdon.
====Other Who are other candidates for the real Robin Hood==? ==
There was an outlaw called Robin Hood who had been outlawed in Yorkshire and not in Nottingham. He was known as Robin Hood of York. There are many references to him in local court records. However, this figure was not a great archer, and he did not steal from the rich and gave it to the poor. In reality, this Robin was outlawed because he owed money to the Church.
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Another theory is that Robin de Deyville (or De Vile) was the real Robin Hood. He was an adherent of Simon de Montfort, an aristocratic rebel who sought to curb royal power. After Montfort’s defeat at the Battle of Evesham, de Deyville fled to the forests and became a bandit. There are some similarities between this historical figure and the legendary outlaw, and some Early Modern writers believed that he was the historical character upon which the outlaw was based.
Another potential candidate to be the ‘real’ Robin Hood is Roger Godberd. He was from the Nottingham area and lived in the 13th century. He was initially a friend of the Sheriff of Nottingham, but the two fell out after a local power struggle. Godberd was prosecuted by the Sherriff and took to the forests, and lived a life outside of the law. After a series of adventures as a bandit and robber, he was eventually pardoned by the King and became a local landowner. However, while there are undoubtedly similarities between Godberd and the Nottingham banditRobin Hood's well-known adventures, but there is no evidence to suggest that he was ever known as Robin Hood.
====Robin Hood as a mythological figure====
