For an archer as skilled as Robin Hood himself (and let’s be clear, that’s a big deal), it’s downright bizarre how little we know about Gilbert Whitehand. He pops up in the medieval ballad A Gest of Robyn Hode, casually matching Robin’s legendary skill during a shooting match and later hanging out in Barnsdale Forest when the king shows up in disguise.

Why was he called "Whitehand"? No one knows. Flour from cooking? A withered hand? A court record from Wakefield mentions a “Gilbert Wythehonde,” so maybe he was real—or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

Over the centuries, storytellers have tried to fill in the blanks, turning him into everything from Robin’s foster father to a crusader-turned-swordsman. But in the end, Gilbert remains an enigma wrapped in arrows, flour, and pure speculation.