Gilbert Whitehand (also Gilbert with the White Hand) is a member of

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 ...

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 ...

about whom next to nothing is known. It is possible that he is a character known from oral literature, with only allusions remaining in written literature. He is present twice in ''

A Gest of Robyn Hode ''A Gest of Robyn Hode'' (also known as ''A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode'', and hereafter referred to as ''Gest'') is one of the earliest surviving texts of the Robin Hood tales. ''Gest'' (which meant tale or adventure) is a compilation of vari ...

'', an early Robin Hood

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

from the

late medieval period The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

, where he is the only one whose archery skills match those of Robin. In the ballad he appears along with other Merry Men during the shooting match for the gold and silver arrow, and again in

Barnsdale Forest Barnsdale, or Barnsdale Forest, is an area of South and West Yorkshire, England. The area falls within the modern-day districts of Doncaster and Wakefield. Barnsdale was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Barnsdale lies in th ...

during a visit by the disguised king. It is unknown why he was referred to as having 'white hands'. It is thought that Gilbert of the Whitehand developed from Gilbert Wythehonde, a second name found in the Wakefield Court Rolls. Some have suggested it was because he had a withered hand, among other reasons. However, this is speculation and it is not specifically stated why. Gilbert clearly had no physical hindrance—it is stated that he is Robin's equal in

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

, and together they were the best archers in all England.

Other appearances

Gavin Douglas Gavin Douglas (c. 1474 – September 1522) was a Scottish bishop, makar and translator. Although he had an important political career, he is chiefly remembered for his poetry. His main pioneering achievement was the ''Eneados'', a full and fai ...

mentions him alongside Robin in his ''Palice of Honure'' (1501). *In the 1840 story ''Robin Hood and Little John'' by

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 ...

(translated into French, divided into two parts and resumed by

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

, published posthumously in 1872) Gilbert and his wife Margaret are Robin's foster parents (his real father according to the Egan/Dumas storyline was the Earl of Huntingdon), and Gilbert taught Robin how to use the bow. *In ''

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 ...

'' (1883) by

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 ...

, Gilbert of the White Hand appears not as one of Robin's band but as an archer of the king. In an archery contest he was the one set against Robin Hood, and although at their first shooting Robin was slightly better, a second shot was required to give Robin a clear victory. *In ''The Tale of Robin Hood and His Merry Men'' (1905) by Elinor Mead Buckingham, Gilbert is a cook who worked for 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, ...

before he joined the Merry Men. He was given the name White Hands because he had lived in town for so long that his skin had not yet turned brown from exposure to the sun and weather. * In the 1912 novel ''Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band'' by

Louis Rhead Louis John Rhead (November 6, 1857 – July 29, 1926) was an English-born American artist, illustrator, author and angler who was born in Etruria, Staffordshire, England. He emigrated to the United States at the age of twenty-four. Early life T ...

, Gilbert of the White Hands is a cook whose hands are whitened by flour. * In the 1956 ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' by

Roger Lancelyn Green Roger Gilbert Lancelyn Green (2 November 1918 – 8 October 1987) was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. ...

, Gilbert of the White Hand suffered injury to his hand as punishment for poaching deer. *In

Clayton Emery Clayton Emery (born December 26, 1953 in Bethesda, Maryland) is a mystery and fantasy author and a screenwriter. Works Clayton Emery has been a blacksmith, dishwasher, schoolteacher in Australia, carpenter, zookeeper, farmhand, land surveyor, vol ...

's ''Tales of Robin Hood'' (1988), Gilbert of the White Hand has a right hand withered by fire. He learned to swordfight with his left hand, which discomfits his opponents, and was knighted in the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitehand, Gilbert Merry Men Robin Hood characters