Little John
Encyclopedia
Little John was a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood
, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men
.
in about 1420 and by Walter Bower
in about 1440, neither of whom refers to any other of the Merry Men, suggesting that Little John was particularly associated with him.
In the early tales, Little John is shown to be intelligent and highly capable. In A Gest of Robyn Hode
, he captures the sorrowful knight and, when Robin Hood decides to pay the knight's mortgage for him, accompanies him as a servant. In Robin Hood's Death
, he is the only one of the Merry Men that Robin takes with him.
He is also known to have disagreements with Robin Hood. In the 15th-century ballad most commonly called "Robin Hood and the Monk
", after being ill-treated by Robin, Little John leaves in anger. When Robin Hood is captured, it is Little John who plans his leader's rescue. In thanks, Robin offers Little John leadership of the band, but John refuses. Later depictions of Little John portray him as somewhat less cunning than his medieval incarnation.
The earliest ballads do not feature an origin story for this character, but one was soon to follow. According to a 17th-century ballad, he was a giant of a man (at least seven feet tall) who was named John Little. Robin Hood first encountered him when he tried to prevent Robin from crossing a narrow bridge. The two men then fought with quarterstaves
, and Robin was knocked into the river. Despite having won the duel, John agreed to join his band and fight alongside him. He was baptised by the Merry Men and then called Little John, as he most certainly was not Little. This scene is almost always re-enacted in movie
and television
versions of the story. In some modern film versions, Little John loses the duel to Robin.
Starting from the ballad tradition, Little John is commonly shown to be the only Merry Man present at Robin Hood's death.
Despite a lack of historical evidence for his existence, Little John is reputed to be buried in a churchyard in the village of Hathersage
, Derbyshire
. A modern tombstone marks the supposed location of his grave, which lies under an old yew tree. This grave was owned by the Nailor/Naylor family, and sometimes some variation of "Nailer" is given as being John's surname. In other versions of the legends his name is given as John Little, enhancing the irony of his nickname.
In Dublin, there is a local legend that suggests that Little John visited the city in the 12th century and perhaps was even hanged there.
Little John was also a figure in the Robin Hood plays or games during the 15th to 17th centuries, particularly those held in Scotland
.
There are many historical figures named Little John and John Little, but it is debatable which – if any – are the inspiration for the legendary character.
played the role of Little John in three movies. He first played Little John as a young squire in 1922's Robin Hood
starring Douglas Fairbanks
. He reprised the role opposite Errol Flynn
's Robin in 1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood
. And finally, he played an older Little John opposite John Derek
, as Robin's son, in Rogues of Sherwood Forest
from 1951.
Other notable film and TV Little Johns include Archie Duncan
in the 1950s TV series, Nicol Williamson
in Robin and Marian
, Clive Mantle
in the 1980s TV series Robin of Sherwood
, Phil Harris
as the voice of Little John the Bear
in the 1973 Disney animated film Robin Hood
, David Morrissey
in Robin Hood and Nick Brimble
in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
- both in 1991, and Eric Allan Kramer
in 1993's Robin Hood: Men in Tights
.
Kevin Durand
plays John in 2010's Robin Hood
In this incarnation, he was a Scottish Foot Soldier in the Crusades and fought Robin over a lost bet, claiming he was cheating, then joined Robin, Will, and Alan when the King was killed. His quarterstaff
has a blade fixed to one end, similar to a splitting maul.
In the BBC's 2006 version of the tale, Robin Hood, Little John is played by Gordon Kennedy
. John meets Robin when his band of outlaws tie up and steal from Robin's band. He dislikes Robin immediately, but soon accepts that Robin is trying to help the people of Nottingham and joins with him. John also has a wife called Alice and a son, both of whom believe he is dead until late in the first series. John is the oldest of the outlaws, and fights with a quarterstaff.
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode "Qpid", Little John is portrayed by Commander William Riker
, as part of Q's
recreated fantasy of Robin Hood.
In the Dick King-Smith
novel Dragon Boy
, looking at the adventures of a boy called John as he is raised by dragon
s after the death of his parents, it is implied that John- whose full name is John Little- will become the Little John of the Robin Hood mythos, the novel noting at one point that 'Little John' will become a giant of a man in future thanks to his healthy meals at the dragons' table.
It is a well documented fact that Lil' John has taken his stage name as a derivative to honor this well known literature figure.
Disputed/alleged burial locations:
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men
Merry Men
The Merry Men are the group of outlaws who followed Robin Hood, according to English folklore. An early use of the phrase "merry men" occurs in the oldest known Robin Hood ballad, "Robin Hood and the Monk", which survives in a manuscript completed around 1450. The word "merry" in this and other...
.
Folklore
He appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories. He also appears in the earliest chronicle references to Robin Hood, by Andrew of WyntounAndrew of Wyntoun
Andrew Wyntoun, known as Andrew of Wyntoun was a Scottish poet, a canon and prior of Loch Leven on St Serf's Inch and later, a canon of St...
in about 1420 and by Walter Bower
Walter Bower
Walter Bower , Scottish chronicler, was born about 1385 at Haddington, East Lothian.He was abbot of Inchcolm Abbey from 1418, was one of the commissioners for the collection of the ransom of James I, King of Scots, in 1423 and 1424, and in 1433 one of the embassy to Paris on the business of the...
in about 1440, neither of whom refers to any other of the Merry Men, suggesting that Little John was particularly associated with him.
In the early tales, Little John is shown to be intelligent and highly capable. In A Gest of Robyn Hode
A Gest of Robyn Hode
"A Gest of Robyn Hode" is Child Ballad 117; it is also called A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode in one of the two oldest books that contain it....
, he captures the sorrowful knight and, when Robin Hood decides to pay the knight's mortgage for him, accompanies him as a servant. In Robin Hood's Death
Robin Hood's Death
Robin Hood's Death is the 120th ballad of the Child ballads collection published by Houghton Mifflin. The fragmentary Percy Folio version of it appears to be one of the oldest existing tales of Robin Hood; there is a synopsis of the story in the fifteenth century A Gest of Robyn Hode...
, he is the only one of the Merry Men that Robin takes with him.
He is also known to have disagreements with Robin Hood. In the 15th-century ballad most commonly called "Robin Hood and the Monk
Robin Hood and the Monk
Robin Hood and the Monk is Child ballad 119, and among the oldest existing ballads of Robin Hood, existing in manuscript from about 1450 AD.It may have been originally recited rather than sung; it refers to itself as a "talking" in its last verse:...
", after being ill-treated by Robin, Little John leaves in anger. When Robin Hood is captured, it is Little John who plans his leader's rescue. In thanks, Robin offers Little John leadership of the band, but John refuses. Later depictions of Little John portray him as somewhat less cunning than his medieval incarnation.
The earliest ballads do not feature an origin story for this character, but one was soon to follow. According to a 17th-century ballad, he was a giant of a man (at least seven feet tall) who was named John Little. Robin Hood first encountered him when he tried to prevent Robin from crossing a narrow bridge. The two men then fought with quarterstaves
Quarterstaff
A quarterstaff , also short staff or simply staff is a traditional European pole weapon and a technique of stick fighting, especially as in use in England during the Early Modern period....
, and Robin was knocked into the river. Despite having won the duel, John agreed to join his band and fight alongside him. He was baptised by the Merry Men and then called Little John, as he most certainly was not Little. This scene is almost always re-enacted in movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
versions of the story. In some modern film versions, Little John loses the duel to Robin.
Despite a lack of historical evidence for his existence, Little John is reputed to be buried in a churchyard in the village of Hathersage
Hathersage
Hathersage is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, in England. It lies on the north bank of the River Derwent, approximately 10 miles west of Sheffield...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. A modern tombstone marks the supposed location of his grave, which lies under an old yew tree. This grave was owned by the Nailor/Naylor family, and sometimes some variation of "Nailer" is given as being John's surname. In other versions of the legends his name is given as John Little, enhancing the irony of his nickname.
In Dublin, there is a local legend that suggests that Little John visited the city in the 12th century and perhaps was even hanged there.
Little John was also a figure in the Robin Hood plays or games during the 15th to 17th centuries, particularly those held in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
There are many historical figures named Little John and John Little, but it is debatable which – if any – are the inspiration for the legendary character.
Appearances in other media
Alan Hale, Sr.Alan Hale, Sr.
Alan Hale, Sr. was an American movie actor and director, most widely remembered for his many supporting character roles, in particular as frequent sidekick of Errol Flynn. His wife of over thirty years was Gretchen Hartman , a child actress and silent film player and mother of their three children...
played the role of Little John in three movies. He first played Little John as a young squire in 1922's Robin Hood
Robin Hood (1922 film)
Robin Hood is the first motion picture ever to have a Hollywood premiere, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. The movie's full title, under which it was copyrighted, is Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood, as shown in the illustration at right...
starring Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
. He reprised the role opposite Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
's Robin in 1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American swashbuckler film directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. Filmed in Technicolor, the picture stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains.-Plot:...
. And finally, he played an older Little John opposite John Derek
John Derek
John Derek was an American actor, director and photographer.-Career:His matinee-idol good looks quickly got him supporting roles, most notably as Broderick Crawford's son in All the King's Men , but he also enjoyed leads such as "Nick Romano" in Knock on Any Door opposite Humphrey Bogart John...
, as Robin's son, in Rogues of Sherwood Forest
Rogues of Sherwood Forest
Rogues of Sherwood Forest is a 1950 Technicolor Columbia Pictures film directed by Gordon Douglas and featuring John Derek as Robin the Earl of Huntingdon, the son of Robin Hood, Diana Lynn as Lady Marianne, and the late Alan Hale, Sr...
from 1951.
Other notable film and TV Little Johns include Archie Duncan
Archie Duncan (actor)
Archie Duncan was a Scottish actor born in Glasgow.Duncan's father was a Regimental Sergeant Major in the army and his mother a postmistress...
in the 1950s TV series, Nicol Williamson
Nicol Williamson
Nicol Williamson is a Scottish-born English actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
in Robin and Marian
Robin and Marian
Robin and Marian is a 1976 British/American co-produced romantic adventure period film filmed in Pamplona, Spain starring Sean Connery as Robin Hood, Audrey Hepburn as Lady Marian, Nicol Williamson as Little John, Robert Shaw as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Richard Harris as King Richard. It also...
, Clive Mantle
Clive Mantle
-Early life and education:Mantle was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire. He was a pupil at Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire and a chorister in St John's College Choir for four years...
in the 1980s TV series Robin of Sherwood
Robin of Sherwood
Robin of Sherwood , was a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. In America it was retitled Robin Hood and shown on the premium cable TV channel...
, Phil Harris
Phil Harris
Harris and Faye married in 1941; it was a second marriage for both and lasted 54 years, until Harris's death. Harris engaged in a fistfight at the Trocadero nightclub in 1938 with RKO studio mogul Bob Stevens; the cause was reported to be over Faye after Stevens and Faye had ended a romantic...
as the voice of Little John the Bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
in the 1973 Disney animated film Robin Hood
Robin Hood (1973 film)
Robin Hood is an 1973 American animated film produced by the Walt Disney Productions, first released in the United States on November 8, 1973...
, David Morrissey
David Morrissey
David Mark Morrissey is an English actor and director. Morrissey grew up in the Kensington and Knotty Ash areas of Liverpool, and learned to act at the city's Everyman Youth Theatre. At the age of 18, he was cast in the television series One Summer , which won him recognition throughout the country...
in Robin Hood and Nick Brimble
Nick Brimble
Nick Brimble , is an English actor known for his performance as Little John in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and his appearances on various television shows....
in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood...
- both in 1991, and Eric Allan Kramer
Eric Allan Kramer
Eric Allan Kramer is an American actor, perhaps best known as Little John in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, as Thor in The Incredible Hulk Returns, as Whitey van de Bunt in Bob and as Dave Rogers in The Hughleys...
in 1993's Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a 1993 French-American adventure comedy film and a parody of the Robin Hood story. Produced and directed by Mel Brooks, the film stars Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, and Dave Chappelle in his film debut...
.
Kevin Durand
Kevin Durand
Kevin Serge Durand is a Canadian actor known for his roles as Joshua in Dark Angel, Martin Keamy in Lost, Fred J. Dukes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Archangel Gabriel in Legion, and Little John in Robin Hood....
plays John in 2010's Robin Hood
Robin Hood (2010 film)
Robin Hood is a 2010 British/American adventure film based on the Robin Hood legend, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett...
In this incarnation, he was a Scottish Foot Soldier in the Crusades and fought Robin over a lost bet, claiming he was cheating, then joined Robin, Will, and Alan when the King was killed. His quarterstaff
Quarterstaff
A quarterstaff , also short staff or simply staff is a traditional European pole weapon and a technique of stick fighting, especially as in use in England during the Early Modern period....
has a blade fixed to one end, similar to a splitting maul.
In the BBC's 2006 version of the tale, Robin Hood, Little John is played by Gordon Kennedy
Gordon Kennedy (actor)
Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh...
. John meets Robin when his band of outlaws tie up and steal from Robin's band. He dislikes Robin immediately, but soon accepts that Robin is trying to help the people of Nottingham and joins with him. John also has a wife called Alice and a son, both of whom believe he is dead until late in the first series. John is the oldest of the outlaws, and fights with a quarterstaff.
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "Qpid", Little John is portrayed by Commander William Riker
William Riker
William Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
, as part of Q's
Q (Star Trek)
Q is a fictional character who appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, as well as in related products. In all of these programs, he is played by John de Lancie....
recreated fantasy of Robin Hood.
In the Dick King-Smith
Dick King-Smith
Ronald Gordon King-Smith OBE, Hon.M.Ed. , better known by his pen name Dick King-Smith, was a prolific English children's author, best known for writing The Sheep-Pig, retitled in the United States as Babe the Gallant Pig, on which the movie Babe was based...
novel Dragon Boy
Dragon Boy (book)
Dragon Boy is a book written by British author Dick King-Smith in 1993. It looks at the life of John, a young orphan in the Middle Ages who is adopted by dragons.-Plot summary:...
, looking at the adventures of a boy called John as he is raised by dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s after the death of his parents, it is implied that John- whose full name is John Little- will become the Little John of the Robin Hood mythos, the novel noting at one point that 'Little John' will become a giant of a man in future thanks to his healthy meals at the dragons' table.
Other references
"Little John" used as term of endearment for person with qualities related to that of being "little". Definition is fluid, but assigning the title "little" typically relates to a person who expresses kindness, compassion, empathy, and a certain level of optimism and joy toward life and other people. It also functions as an ironic name in this case, due to John being physically enormous, however that is not the original reasoning behind the naming of Robin Hood's "Little John."It is a well documented fact that Lil' John has taken his stage name as a derivative to honor this well known literature figure.
External links
- Robin Hood and Little John, a 17th-century ballad with additional information
- Robin Hood and the Monk: An Introduction, Information presented before a 15th century Robin Hood ballad that features Little John in a prominent role. Edited by Stephen Knight and Thomas H. Ohlgren
- Little John and Dublin: Exploring that claims that Little John visited Dublin after Robin Hood's death
Disputed/alleged burial locations: