Becoming an outlaw in Medieval Europe was much different than being a criminal today. An outlaw in the Middle Ages outlaw was literally 'outside' the protection of the law. You might be familiar with the legendary ideal of outlaws like Robin Hood: living on the outskirts of English society, robbing from the wealthy and giving to the poor. Based on such tales, one might assume being an outlaw in the medieval age was synonymous with being a criminal, but this is far from the case. If you were a medieval era outlaw and someone were to murder you, that person wouldn’t face legal consequences. In short, it was almost like The Purge, but only applied to you. Dangers of Outlawry Roman Outlaws Other Outlaws Eric the Red Outlawry Today