One element of the outlaw hero tradition that contributes greatly to the ambivalence of noble robber figures is its ability to inhabit the opposing realms of myth and reality. A few outlaw heroes are totally fictional figures, but the majority are historical persons. In the case of these historical outlaw hero traditions the actual events of their lives rapidly turn into legend. The legends then feed on whatever outlaw scripts exist in the cultures that produce and sustain them. As time goes by it becomes increasingly difficult, sometimes impossible, to separate fact and folklore as they twine with each other into thickets and even forests of myth. In the often complex legends of outlaw lives we can also trace the influence of other heroic types who populate the folk traditions of the world. These include warriors, tricksters, shape-shifters, great thieves, magicians and even saints. While these figures inhabit the fictional, even fabulous, domains of the human imaginary they nevertheless impact on the historical activities of many outlaw heroes. The permeability of the barriers between factual and fictional outlaw heroes is fundamental to their usually contested reputations, in life and after.

Warriors

The individual who bears arms against enemies – either human, animal or supernatural – is found in all cultures, in all times and in all places.