Robin

Robin is the sidekick of Batman in the DC Comics series, as one half of the Dynamic Duo, aka the Caped Crusaders. Robin made his debut a year after Batman, being introduced in Detective Comics #38 in 1940. Obviously inspired by the legend of Robin Hood, young Robin has the look of the medieval character as depicted by artist N. C. Wyeth. As Batman is the alter ego of Bruce Wayne, so Robin is that of Dick Grayson (among many others); he is the child of circus performers who were killed when their trapeze was tampered with. Wayne takes the young boy in and trains him to be his loyal assistant. The Robin character goes through many incarnations over the years and different media (he is even a girl in “The Dark Knight Returns”), but our favorite is that of Dick Grayson, the Boy Wonder who plays the ever eager Dr. Watson to Bruce Wayne’s Batman.

Robin Goodfellow is actually an alias for a “puck”, a mischievous woodland spirit (and, in fact, the word “pixie” is a diminutive of puck). Pucks specialize in minor crimes, such as making milk go sour, or blowing out candles in the dark so they can kiss the girls, or making you lose your way – “Robin Goodfellow has been with you tonight”. At the same time, however, Robin Goodfellow is just as capable of being a good fellow; he will keep you out of harm’s way and help with the household chores, as long as he is treated well. Mr. Shakespeare went a long way toward popularizing pucks with his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and “Puck” took off as personal name as well as a name for a group of beings. At any rate, personal or impersonal, we like the “puckish” image of our Robin Goodfellow.

Robin Hood is one of the most famous characters in English folklore. Although we know him today as the merry archer and swordsman who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, his genesis did not exactly include that altruistic behavior. The oldest references to Robin Hood as a popular figure in the 13th century paint him as a yeoman, or commoner, and an outlaw without any particular allegiances. Later, in the 16th century, Robin Hood’s legend has fleshed out to have him as a disaffected member of the aristocracy, beholden to King Richard the Lionheart over his brother, Prince John. He is a champion of women, a debunker of the Church and a leader of a “merry” band of men in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. Toward the 19th century, Robin has acquired his defining characteristic, that of blue-blooded champion of the poor. He took on a romantic companion as well, the lovely Maid Marian, and was portrayed as a noble Saxon defying the Normans. Robin Hood’s popularity grows out of the attention paid to him by such literary eminences as Sir Walter Scott, Keats, Tennyson and T. H. White, while later adaptation of the legend for children cemented Robin Hood’s place in the public consciousness. To this day, the legend of Robin Hood is kept alive by movies, television, books, toys and games.

Maid Marian is the traditional companion of the legendary Robin Hood of medieval lore. Marian has been a highly popular fictional character, having been depicted in various guises down through the years. Some depictions have Marian cast as a demure young maiden, patiently pining after Robin Hood, but eschewing his wayward ways. Others have her as a bold and fully vested member of the Merry “Men”, wielding a bow and arrow with the best of them. She can match Robin Hood parry for thrust, and she is his equal partner in love and war. This Marian has no problems with robbing from the rich (we’re just not sure if she gives it to the poor). You can imagine to which Marian we throw our support!

Christopher Robin is the main character in A. A. Milne’s popular series of books about Winnie-the-Pooh, which were also adapted to films, radio, television, cartoons and toys, most notably by the Disney Corporation. Christopher is the young boy who “owns” Winnie-the-Pooh, and who is friends with all the other delightful creatures, such as Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger. Christopher, of course, is based upon A. A. Milne’s own son, Christopher Robin Milne, who cheerily adapted to his fame while a young tad. Upon going off to boarding school, however, he grew less enamored of his special status when his schoolmates taunted him with: "Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares! Christopher Robin is saying his prayers." Well, who can blame him!? Nonetheless, young Christopher’s embarrassment notwithstanding, his namesake has provided years and years of entertainment for children and adults alike. Long live Christopher Robin!

Will Scarlet is one of Robin Hood’s band of Merry Men, those stalwart fellows of Sherwood Forest who stole from the rich to give to the poor, or so legend from the fifteenth century onward would have it. Will Scarlet was an early and very important member of the “gang”. Many stories of origin posit him as a nephew to Robin Hood. Will is often characterized as a young, hot-headed and impulsive teen, with a tendency to be an elegant dandy (he likes to wear red silk). He is also a fine swordsman and a dashing ladies’ man. All in all, an upstanding member of a revered group, second in importance to Robin only after Little John.