Alan-a-Dale (first recorded as Allen a Dale; variously spelled ''Allen-a-Dale'', ''Allan-a-Dale'', ''Allin-a-Dale'', ''Allan A'Dayle'' etc.) is a figure in the

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

legend. According to the stories, he was a wandering

minstrel A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer who ...

who became a member of Robin's band of

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...

s, the "

Merry Men The Merry Men are the group of Outlaw (stock character), outlaws who follow Robin Hood in English literature and folklore. The group appears in the earliest ballads about Robin Hood and remains popular in modern adaptations. History The Merr ...

". He is a relatively late addition to the legend; he first appeared in a 17th-century broadside ballad,

Child Ballad The Child Ballads are 305 traditional ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, anthologized by Francis James Child during the second half of the 19th century. Their lyrics and Child's studies of them were published as '' ...

138, " Robin Hood and Allan-a-Dale", and, unlike many of the characters thus associated, managed to adhere to the legend. In this tale, Robin rescues Alan's sweetheart from an unwanted marriage to an old knight. They stop the bishop from proceeding with the ceremony, and Robin Hood, dressed in the bishop's robes, marries Alan to his bride. In other versions it is

Little John Little John is a companion of Robin Hood who serves as his chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men. He is one of only a handful of consistently named characters who relate to Robin Hood and one of the two oldest Merry Men, alo ...

Friar Tuck Friar Tuck is one of the legendary Merry Men, the band of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood. History The figure of the jovial friar was common in the May Games festivals of England and Scotland during the 15th through 17th centur ...

who performs the ceremony.Holt, J. C. ''Robin Hood'' p 165 (1982) Thames & Hudson. Another variant appears in which the hero is not Alan but

Will Scarlet Scarlet (also Scarlett, Scarlock, Scadlock, Scatheloke, Scathelocke and Shacklock) is a prominent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men. He is present in the earliest ballads along with Little John and Much the Miller's Son. The confusion of surnam ...

, but Alan has taken over the role completely.

Howard Pyle Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy. In 1894, he began ...

uses this tale in his book ''

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire'' is an 1883 novel by the American illustrator and writer Howard Pyle. Pyle compiled the traditional Robin Hood ballads as a series of episodes of a coherent narrative. For ...

'', but changes several details. He gives Alan's sweetheart the name Ellen, and introduces Friar Tuck into the story; Tuck is sought out specifically as the only priest who will perform the wedding in defiance of the bishop, and therefore, this tale is combined with that of ''

Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar "Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar" is Child Ballad number 123, about Robin Hood. Synopsis This ballad is one of those appearing in later and later versions, the earlier one appearing in damaged form in the Percy manuscript but, as with Robin Hood a ...

''. In

Pierce Egan the Younger Pierce Egan the Younger (1814 – 6 July 1880) was an English journalist and novelist. The son of Pierce Egan, the author of '' Life in London'', he associated with his father in several of his works. Early life He was born in London, and his mo ...

's story ''Robin Hood and Little John'', Alan is given the name Sir Allan Clare; he is an armed knight, not a minstrel, and he is the brother of the

Maid Marian Maid Marian is the heroine of the Robin Hood legend in English folklore, often taken to be his lover. She is not mentioned in the early, medieval versions of the legend, but was the subject of at least two plays by 1600. Her history and circums ...

. His sweetheart is Lady Christabel, the daughter of the

Sheriff of Nottingham The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, ...

, who wants to give her to an old knight friend of his. The "Allan-a-Dale" name is given to his estates in

Sherwood Forest Sherwood Forest is a royal forest in Nottinghamshire, England, famous because of its historic association with the legend of Robin Hood. The area has been wooded since the end of the Last Glacial Period (as attested by pollen sampling cores ...

; he is not given a major role after he and Christabel are married by Little John (who takes the place of the

Bishop of Hereford The Bishop of Hereford is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury. The episcopal see is centred in the Hereford, City of Hereford where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is in the Hereford Cathedr ...

), though he helps the Merry Men from time to time.Pierce Egan the Younger "Robin Hood and Little John of the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest", Alan plays a prominent role in some later plays, children's novels, films, and television shows.

Modern incarnations

Florence Wickham Florence Pauline Wickham Lueder (1880October 20, 1962) was an American contralto who made an international career at major opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. After retiring from the stage, she composed several ballets an ...

and

Louise Le Baron Louise Le Baron (1874–1918) was an American contralto singer who performed in opera and musical theatre during the early years of the twentieth century. Biography Louise Le Baron (née Shepherd) was born in Winchester, Massachusetts in 1874, ...

shared the role of Alan-a-Dale in the comic opera ''Robin Hood'' by Reginald De Koven and Harry B. Smith (1913). *Alan-a-Dale was played by Lloyd Talman in ''

'' (1922). *Alan-a-Dale is absent from ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de H ...

'' (1938) but is merged with the character

portrayed by

Patric Knowles Reginald Lawrence Knowles (11 November 1911 – 23 December 1995), better known as Patric Knowles, was an English film actor. Born in Horsforth, West Riding of Yorkshire, he made his film debut in 1932, and played either first or second fi ...

. *Alan-a-Dale was played by Leslie Denison in ''

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest ''The Bandit of Sherwood Forest'' is a 1946 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Henry Levin & George Sherman and starring Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise, Jill Esmond and Edgar Buchanan. Plot Robin Hood's son (Cornel Wilde) returns to ...

'' (1946). *Alan-a-Dale was played by

Lester Matthews Arthur Lester Matthews (6 June 1900 – 5 June 1975) was an English actor. In his career, the handsome Englishman made more than 180 appearances in film and on television. He was erroneously credited in later years as Les Matthews. Matthews pla ...

in ''

Rogues of Sherwood Forest ''Rogues of Sherwood Forest'' is a 1950 Technicolor adventure film from Columbia Pictures, directed by Gordon Douglas, and starring John Derek as Robin, the Earl of Huntingdon, the son of Robin Hood, Diana Lynn as Lady Marianne, and Alan Hale, S ...

'' (1950). *Alan-a-Dale is played by

Elton Hayes Elton Hayes (16 February 1915 – 23 September 2001) was a British actor and guitarist. Life and career Elton Hayes was born in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, England. Both his parents were actors and he made his first stage appearance aged nine ...

in the 1952 film ''

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men ''The Story of Robin Hood'' is a 1952 action-adventure film produced by RKO- Walt Disney British Productions, based on the Robin Hood legend, made in Technicolor and filmed in Buckinghamshire, England. It was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin and ...

''. *Alan-a-Dale was played by

John Schlesinger John Richard Schlesinger (; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film and stage director. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''Midnight Cowboy'', and was nominated for the same award for two other films ('' Darling'' an ...

in two episodes of ''

'' (1956). *Alan-a-Dale is the musical narrator of

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's 1973 animated Robin Hood film. He is depicted as a

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...

-playing

rooster The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

voiced by country singer

Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller Sr. (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping Country music, country and pop hits "King of the Road (song), Ki ...

and played the role of both narrator and minor ally to Robin Hood and Little John. The songs are "Whistle Stop", "

Oo-De-Lally ''Robin Hood'' is a 1973 American animated musical adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution, based on the English folk tale of the same name with the characters reimagined as anthrop ...

", and " Not in Nottingham". *Alan Dale is the main character in

Angus Donald Angus Donald (born 1965 in China) is a British writer of historical fiction. As of 2020, he has released ten novels and three novellas that loosely follow the story of Alan-a-Dale. Biography Donald's parents being British diplomats, much of h ...

's novels ''

Outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...

'', ''

Holy Warrior ''Holy Warrior'' is the second novel of the eight-part ''Outlaw Chronicles'' series by British people, British writer of historical fiction, Angus Donald, released on 22 July 2010 through Little, Brown and Company. The novel was well received. ...

'' and ''

King's Man ''King's Man'' is the third novel of the eight-part ''Outlaw Chronicles'' series by British writer of historical fiction Angus Donald, released on 21 July 2011 through Little, Brown and Company. Plot summary This novel continues the story of ...

''. *Alan-a-Dale was played by

Elric Hooper Elric James Hooper (born 1936) is a New Zealand director and actor. He was the artistic director of the Court Theatre in Christchurch from 1979 to 2000. Education Hooper was educated at Wharenui Primary School, followed by Christchurch Boys' ...

Lionel Bart Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's "Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical '' Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his work ...

's ill-fated musical, ''

Twang!! ''Twang!!'' is a musical with music and lyrics written by Lionel Bart and a book by Bart and Harvey Orkin, with assistance from Burt Shevelove. The piece, a spoof of the character and legend of Robin Hood, was a disastrous box-office failure an ...

'' (1965). The show was revived in 2018 at the

Union Theatre, London The Union Theatre is a fringe theatre situated in the borough of Southwark in London, England. It was established in 1998 by Sasha Regan, and has a reputation for staging musicals. Original premises In 1998, Sasha Regan took the initiative to c ...

, with James Hudson in the role. *Alan A 'Dale was the subject of a comic song performed on

Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...

and

Peter Cook Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, comedian, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishme ...

's show, '' Not Only But Also'' in 1965. The lyrics consisted of little more than a repetition of his name. Along with Cook and Moore, the performers were

Joe Melia Joe Melia ( Giovanni Philip William Melia; 23 January 1935, Camden Town, Camden, London - 20 October 2012, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire) was a UK, British actor. Educated at the City of Leicester College, City of Leicester Boys' Grammar Sch ...

Bill Wallis William Wallis (20 November 1936 – 6 September 2013) was a British character actor and comedian who appeared in numerous radio and television roles, as well as in the theatre. Biography Wallis was born in Guildford in Surrey, the only son of A ...

and John Wells. *He was played by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

in the rat pack film ''

Robin and the 7 Hoods ''Robin and the 7 Hoods'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Bing Crosby. The picture features Peter Falk, Barbara Rush, and an uncredited Edward G. Rob ...

''. *

Robert O. Cornthwaite Robert Rae Cornthwaite (April 28, 1917 – July 20, 2006) was an American film and television character actor. Biography Cornthwaite was born in Saint Helens, Oregon. He said that his interest in acting began in his early teens, when he was forc ...

played Allan A. Dale, an accomplice to the supervillain The Archer, in season 2 of Batman (

Shoot a Crooked Arrow "Shoot a Crooked Arrow" is the 35th episode of the ''Batman (TV series), Batman'' television series. It was the series' second season opener on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, originally airing on September 7, 1966 (with a repeat taking place ...

and

Walk the Straight and Narrow "Walk the Straight and Narrow" is the 36th episode in the ''Batman (TV series), Batman'' television series' second season, originally airing on American Broadcasting Company, ABC September 8, 1966 (the same evening which saw the debut of ''Star Tr ...

, 1966). *He was played by Peter Hutchinson in the 1984 British television series ''

Robin of Sherwood ''Robin of Sherwood'' is 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 28 April 1984 to 28 June 1986 on the ITV network. In the ...

'', appearing in the fifth episode, entitled " Alan A Dale". In this version, Alan's sweetheart is named Mildred and is to be married to the

weds Alan and Mildred. *In the animated series

Young Robin Hood ''Young Robin Hood'' is an animated series produced for television by Hanna-Barbera, CINAR and France Animation and aired in syndication from 1991 to 1992. It ran for two seasons as part of the Sunday-morning programming block, ''The Funtastic W ...

, Alan-a-Dale (Voiced by Michael O'Reilly) is a very young, romantic minstrel and good friend of Robin. *In the 2002 video game '' Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood'', Allan appears briefly to disguise himself as Prince John's man Guillame de Longchamps to deliver the ransom to save King Richard. *

LeVar Burton Levar Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is an American actor, director, and television host, best known for playing Geordi La Forge in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994). He also played Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries ''Root ...

's character

Geordi La Forge Geordi La Forge ( ) is a fictional character who appeared in all seven seasons of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and its four feature films. Portrayed by LeVar Burton, he served as helmsman o ...

was cast as Alan-a-Dale in a Robin Hood fantasy episode of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. * Allan A Dale is played by Joe Armstrong in the 2006

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

production of ''

''. Here he is portrayed as an expert pickpocket and a compulsive liar with a sarcastic nature and no musical ability, but at the same time is a skilled swordsman and fighter. After being charged and sentenced to death for hunting a deer in the King's forest, Allan is one of four people rescued by Robin in his first demonstration of defiance against the Sheriff of Nottingham. Upon their escape, Allan joins Robin's band of outlaws and helps them aid the poor. After being captured by Gisborne he sells him information. When Robin finds out that he has turned traitor, Allan goes to work for Gisborne, but he later reconciles with Robin and returns to the band of outlaws and tries to help them defeat the Sheriff of Nottingham. *

Alan Doyle Alan Thomas Doyle (born May 17, 1969) is a Canadian musician and actor, best known as the lead singer of the Canadian folk rock band Great Big Sea. Life and career Alan Doyle was born and raised in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, in a Roman Cath ...

of the band

Great Big Sea Great Big Sea was a Canadian folk rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year Irish, Scot ...

is cast as Alan-a-Dale in the

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

production of ''

'' starring

Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...

and

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received nu ...

, released in 2010. He is a war veteran who goes home with Robin Longstride and seems to have some musical talent. *Alan O'Dell is the name of the character who takes on the identity of Rob Hood in "Robin Hood in the Wild West" and is played by the character of Bobby in Kander and Ebb's musical ''

Curtains A curtain is a piece of cloth or other material intended to block or obscure light, air drafts, or (in the case of a shower curtain), water. A curtain is also the movable screen or drape in a theatre that separates the stage from the auditorium ...

''. *Alan-a-Dale is played by

Ian Hallard Ian Christopher Hallard (born 9 November 1974) is an English actor and writer. His work includes acting roles in the West End, including the lead role of Michael in a revival of Mart Crowley's '' The Boys in the Band''; at the National Theatre ...

in the third episode of the eighth series of the hit

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' entitled ''

Robot of Sherwood "Robot of Sherwood" is the third episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme '' Doctor Who''. It was written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Paul Murphy, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 6 September 2014. ...

''.

References

External links

''Robin Hood and Allen a Dale''
* ttps://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/robinhood/characters/allan.shtml Allan A Dale character guide(on the official BBC site for the series), BBC Online, 2006
Guide to the 1984 Alan A Dale episode
Richard Carpenter {{Francis James Child Fictional characters introduced in the 17th century Child Ballads Fictional string musicians Merry Men