Friar Tuck is one of the Merry Men, the band of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood.
Figure of Friar Tuck, Scott Monument, Edinburgh, by George Clark Stanton
Friar Tuck meets the disguised Richard the Lionheart in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe.
Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depicted as being of noble birth, and in modern retellings he is sometimes depicted as having fought in the Crusades before returning to England to find his lands taken by the Sheriff. In the oldest known versions, he is instead a member of the yeoman class. Traditionally depicted dressed in Lincoln green, he is most famous for his attribute of stealing from the rich to give to the poor.
Robin Hood on horse back from a 15th century print. Referred to as "Robyn Hode"
Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne, woodcut print, Thomas Bewick, 1832
Douglas Fairbanks as Robin Hood; the sword he is depicted with was common in the oldest ballads
Artist's impression of Robin Hood and Maid Marian