Much, the Miller's Son is one of the

Merry Men The Merry Men are the group of Outlaw (stock character), outlaws who follow Robin Hood in English literature and folklore. The members of the group appear both collectively and individually in the earliest ballads about Robin Hood and remain ...

in the tales of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, 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 o ...

. He appears in some of the oldest

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

s, '' A Gest of Robyn Hode'' and '' Robin Hood and the Monk'', as one of the company.

History

In '' A Gest of Robyn Hode'', he helps capture Richard at the Lee, and when Robin lends that knight money to pay off his debts, he is one of the Merry Men who insist on giving him a horse and clothing appropriate to his station. In '' Robin Hood and the Monk'', he is one of the rescuers of the captive Robin. In this brutal ballad, Moche kills a page boy so the boy cannot bear word that the outlaws killed the monk of the title. He then disguises himself as the page and Little John disguises himself as the monk. The implication that Much is of small stature is not made explicit. In other tales, he was known as Midge, the Miller's Son, the name by which he is known in '' Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar'' and '' Robin Hood and Queen Katherine'' (version 145B). It is also the name used by

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

for the character in his '' Merry Adventures of Robin Hood''. This is in further contrast to the ballad '' Robin Hood and Allan-a-Dale'' where he is known as Nick, the Miller's Son.

Appearances in other media

Much plays a notable role in the 1938 film ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'', played by

Herbert Mundin Herbert Thomas Mundin (21 August 1898 – 5 March 1939) was an English character actor. He was frequently typecast in 1930s Hollywood films like ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' as an older cheeky eccentric, a type helped by his jowled featur ...

. After nearly being executed for

poaching Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the huntin ...

, he is rescued by Robin Hood, and soon joins up with the Merry Men. Much helps to recruit men to join their band. Later using information relayed to him by Lady Marian's nursemaid, Bess, he warns the Merry Men that Prince John intends to locate and kill

King Richard King Richard normally refers to the three English monarchs. English monarchs *Richard I of England or Richard the Lionheart (1157–1199) *Richard II of England (1367–1400) *Richard III of England (1452–1485) Although no monarch has assumed th ...

before the rest of England can learn of his return. Much is the main character in a

Xeric award The Xeric Foundation is a private, non-profit corporation based in Northampton, Massachusetts, which for twenty years awarded self-publishing grants to comic book creators, as well as qualified charitable and nonprofit organizations. The Xeric Fo ...

-winning webcomic, ''Much the Miller's Son'' by Steve LeCouilliard. This comedy series loosely follows the legend of Robin Hood (drawing heavily from the Errol Flynn version) from the point of view of Much.

BBC series

Much is also a major character in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

television series ''

'' (2006–2009), but he is no longer a miller's son; in the second episode, he claims to have no family at all. Instead, he is Robin's former manservant, comrade-in-arms, and best friend from the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt led by King Philip II of France, King Richard I of England and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by the Ayyubid sultan Saladin in 1187. F ...

, who has been given his freedom as a result of his services there, but finds himself outlawed with Robin upon their return home. In this version, he is the gang's cook and immensely loyal to Robin; he is often seen to be jealous of the attention Robin gives to others, especially Marian. In the series, Much was played by

Sam Troughton Sam John Troughton (born 21 March 1977) is an English actor who has made appearances in ''Robin Hood'' (2006–2009), '' Alien vs. Predator'' (2004), ''Hex'' (2005), ''The Town'' (2012), ''The Hollow Crown'' (2016), '' The Ritual'' (2017), ' ...

, grandson of

Patrick Troughton Patrick George Troughton (; 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor. He became best known for his roles in television, most notably starring as the Second Doctor, second incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the lo ...

, the first actor to play Robin Hood on British television. The role of Much as a cook has some literary precedent in J. Walker McSpadden's ''Stories of Robin Hood and His Merry Outlaws'' (1904). In this collection of Robin Hood tales, Much (who is still the son of a miller) is living in the household 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, ...

and serving as his cook until he meets Robin and Little John and joins the Merry Men. He is portrayed as a "stout man and bold" and a highly skilled swordsman.McSpadden, J. Walker (1904). ''Stories of Robin Hood and His Merry Outlaws''. Thomas Y. Crowell & Company. pp. 53–56.

References

{{Authority control English outlaws Merry Men Robin Hood characters