Origin []
Gilbert with the White Hand was a Merry Man named in the early ballad A Gest of Robyn Hode as an archer who was, alongside Robin Hood, one of the best archers in England.
Archery Competition[]
In the earliest surviving version of the archery competition from Robin Hood lore in A Gest of Robyn Hode Gilbert takes part in the competition alongside several other Merry Men and Robin himself. Gil proves to be the only one who is a possible equal to the leader of their band at archery, and is implied to be hiding his identity as "the stranger in blue". The group is however discovered by the Sheriff of Nottingham and flee to the castle at Lee which is owned by their friends Richard at the Lee and the Lady of Verysdale.
The Disguised King[]
When the English King disguises himself as a monk in order to find and capture the outlaws Gilbert is said to be among those present when the King reveals his identity to them. The king in "Gest" is presumably King Edward III as the ballad appears to be set during his reign, although the ballads were not historically consistent and the unnamed king went on to be portrayed as King Richard in later adaptations.
Names[]
It is unknown why Gilbert was termed the Whitehand in the original ballad though when he is included in later adaptations care is generally given to an explanation. While it has been theorized his name referenced a deformity or disfigurement of at least one of his hands whatever the source it could not have been very restrictive as he and Robin are claimed to be the best archers in all of England and his actions prove he is indeed more than competent at using a bow. His given name is Gilbert and he was given no surname just his nickname of the Whitehand.
Later Adaptations[]
In 1840 & 1872 Pierce Egan the Younger and Alexandre Dumas made Gilbert a much more integral part of their version of the Robin Hood tale. The archer was given a wife named Margaret and the pair was made Robin's foster parents. Their book turned Gilbert into the man who taught Robin the use of his signature weapon the longbow. The Robin in their tale was a noble and his true father was the Earl of Huntingdon.
Howard Pyle gave his name to the King's best archer when he adapted the ballad of Robin Hood and Queen Katherine for his book The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood in 1883. He made the queen of the tale Eleanor of Aquitaine to fit the time period in which he had set his story.
In 1905 Elinor Mead Buckingham gave Gilbert some skill as a cook and explained his nickname as coming from having flour on his hands regularly. In 1988 Clayton Emery turned Gilbert into a knight who had fought in the crusades and gained his nickname due to having his right hand withered by a fire and teaching himself to use his left to hold his sword. Notably Emery changed Gilbert to primarily a swordsman as opposed to his traditional state as an expert marksman with a bow which allowed for this deformity to be the explanation behind his nickname.
Possible Historical Figure[]
A Gilbert Wythehonde found in the Wakefield Court Rolls is thought to have been a possible origin for this one of Robin's outlaws.
Appearances in Media[]
Ballads:
- A Gest of Robyn Hode
Literature:
- 1840 Robin Hood by Pierce Egan the Younger and Alexandre Dumas
- 1883 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
- 1905 The Tale of Robin Hood and His Merry Men by Elinor Mead Buckingham
- 1912 Bold Robin Hood-And His Outlaw Band by Louis Rhead
- 1988 Tales of Robin Hood by Clayton Emery
Comics:
Board Games:
Character Filmography[]
Film:
Television:
Gallery[]
