Robin Hood is one of those larger-than-life characters, immortalized in literature, songs, films, and other media. The whole "steal from the rich, give to the poor" thing is easy to latch onto, whether you first read it in a book, or got it from Disney's well-known take on the classic. Real or not (it's up for debate), Robin Hood captures the imaginations and attention of many, including world-renowned scholars.

Some of those enthusiasts hit the University of Rochester this week, when the school (which houses the Robin Hood Project, an electronic collection of texts, images, bibliographies, and other Hood-related information) hosts an international conference titled "Robin Hood: Media Creature." It's a five-day series of workshops, lectures, films, and concerts. These include an exhibit called "The Americanization of Robin Hood, 1883-1923," "An Impression of the Middle Ages," (an exhibit that draws from Eastman House negatives), an operetta, a concert of early lute music, and the East Coast premiere of the earliest-surviving film featuring Robin Hood (a still from the film is pictured above.)

Many of the events are free and open to the public. Go to rochester.edu/robinhood or email IARHS.Conference@gmail.com for details and a schedule of events.