Not Straight as an Arrow

In early tales of Robin Hood,
He hardly comes across as good.
He didn’t always help the poor
Or fight in any holy war.
His Merry Men, in verse or prose,
Would mutilate defeated foes
And even kill a kid one time.
(Remember, they were known for crime.)
He also wasn’t dispossessed,
Just yeoman born, as sometimes stressed.
It isn’t clear which real-life man
Was how the legend first began
Or even in which century.
The name was used quite frequently
For petty crooks, who were adored
For countering despotic lords.
We know no more of Little John,
Will Scarlett, or the miller’s son.
The rest of them were added late,
As writers like to deviate.
Maid Marian, in fact, debuted
In separate ballads, while our dude
Was never shown to be in love;
The Virgin Mary seemed enough.
The legend that we know today
Is pretty recent, I must say.