Part of the Royal Mint's 2024 "Tales of the Forest" series celebrating Robin Hood folklore, this piece honors Little John — the outlawed giant of Sherwood whose real name, according to several early ballads, was John Little, the "Little" applied as a joke. The legend's roots in medieval English social tension, specifically resentment toward forest law under Norman governance, gave it unusual staying power across centuries of popular retelling.
Part of the Royal Mint's 2024 "Tales of the Forest" series celebrating Robin Hood folklore, this piece honors Little John — the outlawed giant of Sherwood whose real name, according to several early ballads, was John Little, the "Little" applied as a joke. The legend's roots in medieval English social tension, specifically resentment toward forest law under Norman governance, gave it unusual staying power across centuries of popular retelling.