Zé Maria da Fortaleza’s Adventures of Robin Hood (2007) presents a lively Brazilian verse adaptation of the English outlaw legend, retelling the familiar narrative in the style of twentieth-century literatura de cordel. Written in accessible stanzas with strong narrative momentum, the poem traces Robin Hood’s transformation from skilled young archer to leader of a woodland brotherhood, concluding with royal reconciliation and marriage to Marian. Zé Maria’s version blends medieval English material with the performative cadence and moral clarity characteristic of north-eastern Brazilian popular print culture.

To read my the translation of this late addition to the corpus of Robin Hood ballads and poems, download the PDF below:

The poem opens with Robin’s fateful killing of a royal deer, an act that brings him into conflict with the Sheriff of Nottingham. When violence ensues and a guard is killed, Robin is declared an outlaw and flees to Sherwood Forest. There he gathers around him men who have likewise suffered injustice—peasants, craftsmen, and debtors oppressed by taxation and harsh authority. In Zé Maria’s telling, Robin’s band explicitly pledges to rob only corrupt nobles and to assist the poor, reinforcing the social-justice emphasis that has long accompanied popular retellings of the legend.

Key traditional episodes follow in swift succession. Robin’s quarterstaff combat on a narrow bridge leads to the recruitment of João Pequeno (Little John), whose strength and loyalty become central to the brotherhood. Will Scarlet and Friar Tuck also join the band, each bringing distinct skills and personality to the growing woodland community. The Sheriff attempts to capture Robin through deception, staging an archery contest with a golden arrow as prize. Disguised as a beggar, Robin wins the contest and escapes, humiliating his adversary and reinforcing his reputation for cunning and skill.

Parallel to the outlaw narrative runs the romantic development between Robin and Marian. Zé Maria grants Marian perceptiveness and agency: she recognises Robin beneath his disguise and comes to sympathise with his cause. The woodland settlement expands into a quasi-organised community, complete with defensive strategies, tactical planning, and communal labour. Conflict escalates into open warfare between the Sheriff’s forces and Robin’s men, portrayed almost as a disciplined insurgent army.

The climax arrives with the revelation that one hooded commander is King Richard the Lionheart, returned from the Crusades. Recognising Robin’s justice and condemning corruption, the king promises reform and reconciliation. The poem concludes with Robin’s marriage to Marian in Sherwood Forest, officiated by Friar Tuck, and a brief acknowledgement of Robin’s later death, leaving the legend open for continuation.

Formally, Zé Maria da Fortaleza’s adaptation bears notable resemblance to seventeenth-century English Robin Hood chapbooks. Like those inexpensive printed booklets, it condenses sprawling ballad traditions into brisk, episodic narratives emphasising action, moral clarity, and popular accessibility. Dialogue is direct, villains sharply drawn, and scenes resolved decisively. At the same time, its verse structure and rhythmic drive reflect the performative qualities of Brazilian cordel poetry, traditionally printed in small pamphlets and intended for public recitation. In both traditions—early modern English chapbook and modern Brazilian cordel—the outlaw hero becomes a champion of the common people, reshaped to speak to contemporary social concerns.

Zé Maria’s Adventures of Robin Hood thus stands as a compelling example of transnational popular print culture, demonstrating how the medieval English outlaw continues to find new voice in global poetic traditions.