The latest results from the National Folklore Survey for England indicate how important folkloric figures continue to be for people living in England today, and how some of the most recognised folk figures have evolved and adapted to remain relevant, as contemporary audiences continue to enjoy stories that celebrate the underdog and the bogeyman.
The Survey gave participants a list of figures from English myth and legend and asked which, if any, they had heard of.
Almost 90% of respondents were familiar with Robin Hood, the English outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor, a figure popularised in multiple films and TV series.
Two thirds had heard of St George, the dragon-slaying patron saint of England, Georgia and other nations. And 84% were familiar with King Arthur, depicted in legend as a victorious leader who established the Knights of the Round Table, and again popularised in multiple film adaptations.
According to the results, familiarity with both St George and Robin Hood cut across all regions of the country.
“Stories about rebel underdogs have always been popular, none more so than Robin Hood,” says Dr David Clarke, Project Lead from Sheffield Hallam University. “His legacy seems more relevant than ever today as the divide between rich and poor grows ever larger. The debate about whether Robin and his merry men really existed as historical figures is never likely to be resolved.
“But our survey results reveal that Robin Hood remains the quintessential English hero for ordinary folk. I believe he remains so popular because he was the original exponent of what we today call ‘levelling up’ or wealth redistribution.
“The legacy of St George is a little more curious. He never visited England and was born in modern-day Turkey, but medieval English monarchs took his stories to heart, making his feast day, the 23rd of April, a holiday in England in the 13th century when the story he is best known for, slaying the dragon, first appeared. Our survey found that awareness of St George defies county boundaries but increases with age, with the 55-75 age bracket most likely to be aware of St George.”
Some of the most recognised folk figures, such as Robin Hood and King Arthur, continue to evolve through film and TV series. Evolving their stories and bringing them to an international audience.
“The lives and adventures of Robin Hood and King Arthur make for hugely popular material for filmmakers,” says Ceri Houlbrook, project co-lead and Senior Lecturer in Folklore and History at the University of Hertfordshire. “The historical murkiness of the legends and associated figures is liberating for filmmakers, who can cherry-pick which of the many conflicting sources to draw from, interpreting and adapting them to suit their creative and commercial aims.”
To illustrate the point, a new Robin Hood film, The Death of Robin Hood, starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer is out in June 2026.
The National Folklore Survey for England also highlights figures which are better known in some regions than others, with many being malevolent or ‘bogeymen’, such as:
- Herne the Hunter - A ghost associated with Windsor Forest, a malevolent spirit and protector of the land.
- Jenny Greenteeth - A river hag, particularly known to those in Lancashire and Liverpool, who lives in bodies of water and drags children and the elderly to their death.
- Black Shuck - A ghostly black dog from East Anglia. Seeing Black Shuck is often considered an omen of death.
- Spring Heeled Jack - A Victorian 'bogeyman' and urban legend, described as a devil-like man who could leap over rooftops and would assault people in the street. The story of Spring-Heeled Jack originated in London and spread across areas of England.
Dr Diane A. Rodgers, co-lead on the National Folklore Survey from Sheffield Hallam University, said: “England’s stories are peppered with ghosts, hauntings and spirits who ostensibly like to cause more harm than good, these are tropes which in fact draw from folklore from beyond our shores such as Scandinavia. Many of these figures serve as warnings, stay out of the water, keep away from darkened streets at night, but some are pure entertainment.
“There’s nothing more exciting, I think, than a scary story shared by folks at night. Whether around a campfire or in front of the telly. That’s inevitably a contributing factor to the recent popularity of the folk horror genre; our survey found that 34% of people living in England today know something about folk horror, and I suspect we’ll continue to see lots more folk horror film, television and literature.”
Led by academics from Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Hertfordshire, and Chapman University, USA, the survey captures an accurate snapshot of contemporary folk culture in England, more than 60 years after the last Survey of English Language and Folklore, that was launched in 1964.
