Much the Miller's Son

Much
Name	Much the Miller's Son / Nick
First Appearance	folklore
Family	the Miller
About
Religion	Catholic
Allies	Robin Hood, Little John, Alan a Dale, Maid Marian, Marian's Maid, Richard at the Lee, Merry Men
Antagonists	Sheriff of Nottingham, Dickon Malbete
Profession	Miller
Skills	Hunting, milling
Weapons	Bow, knife
Iconic Items	bag of flour
Other Names and Epithets	Midge, Much, Nick, Nicholas

Origin

One of the earliest named of Robin's Merry Men, Much's first appearance is one which starkly reminds the reader of the more violent nature of the original tales when he murders a page to keep him silent after the page overhears his master's confession to Much and Little John and witnesses John kill the corrupt monk.

Name

In most surviving ballads Much is called Much the Miller's son but in the ballad Robin Hood and Queen Katherine he is called Midge the Miller's son and he is given the name Nick in a single ballad. Whether this means he is the son of a Much the Miller or that he is called Much and is the son of a miller is variable. When the reason behind Much's name is addressed it is often an amusing reference to his size like Little John's own name can be though Little John's name may also be referring to his cleverness due to an older use for the word little.

Early Life

Much was born to a miller and, according at least one ballad, named Nicholas. At some point he gained the nickname Much or Midge and became an outlaw, in several versions including 1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood Much turned outlaw after being caught poaching to try to feed himself, a crime punishable by death, and being saved by Robin.

Later Life

He was pardoned when the king returned alongside the rest of the Merry Men.

Later Adaptations

Much is often used as the youngest of the Merry Men and the catalyst to Robin's outlawry as saving him from punishment after Much is caught poaching a deer has become a popular way to start Robin down the road to becoming the outlaw leader of Sherwood forest. When he is not used as either of those things but still appears in a modern work he tends to be little more than a named extra such as in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves where his modern role of youngest caught poaching and saved by Robin is given to Little John's son Wulf.

Appearances in Media

Ballads:

• A Gest of Robyn Hode
• Robin Hood and the Monk
• Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar
• Robin Hood and Allin a Dale
• Robin Hood and Queen Catherin

Theater:

• 1593 George a Greene the Pinner of Wakefield by Anonymous
• 2017 Marian or The True Tale of Robin Hood by Adam Szymkowicz

Literature:

• 1883 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Comics:

• "Much the Miller's Son" by Steve LeCouilliard

Character Filmography

Film:

• Robin Hood (1922) played by
• 1938 The Adventures of Robin Hood played by Herbert Mundin
• The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) played by
• 1991 Robin Hood (1991) played by Daniel Webb
• 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves played by Jack Wild

Television:

• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956) ? episodes
• Robin of Sherwood (1984 - 1986) 24 episodes
  • "Robin Hood and the Sorcerer" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
  • "Seven Poor Knights from Acre" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
  • "The Greatest Enemy" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
  • "Cromm Cruac" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
  • "Adam Bell" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
• Robin Hood (2006-2009)
  • "" played by Sam Troughton

Gallery

Illustration of Much about to throw flour into his attempted robbers' faces by Howard Pyle from his The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown, in Nottinghamshire (1883)

Much from the Typhoo Tea Paper Doll Card series (1928).

Herbert Mundin as Much the Miller's Son and Una O'Connor as Bess in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Peter Llewellyn Williams as Much the Miller's Son in Robin of Sherwood

Much as drawn in "Much the Miller's Son" by Steve LeCouilliard

External links

• Wikipedia
• Robin of Sherwood Wiki