Who was Friar Tuck?
Friar Tuck is a considered to be a main member of Robin Hood’s legendary band of outlaws. Although not mentioned in the earliest surviving stories, the friar has become an integral part of Robin Hood Lore. He is often represented as a nature loving man who could not survive the rigors and rules of life in a monastery. The introduction of Friar Tuck into the historical legends is tricky, as the time period of Robin Hood is believed to predate the arrival of friars into England. Only one surviving ballad of Robin Hood mentions the friar. In Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar, Robin does battle with him until the friar summons wild dogs to help him fend off Robin’s outlaws. At a stalemate, Robin invites him into the band. In later tales, Will Scarlet introduces Friar Tuck to Robin when the band helps a bard rescue his sweetheart and needs a religious man to marry them.
