Sir Guy of Gisburne (also spelled Gisbourne, Gysborne or Gisborn) is a villain in the Robin Hood legends. In The Ballad of Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne, in which Robin kills him and cuts off his head, he is described so:
- There were they ware of a wight yemàn, [wight = sturdy]
- His body lean’d to a tree.
- A sword and a dagger he wore by his side,
- Of manye a man the bane;
- And he was clad in his capull-hyde [capull-hyde = horse-hide]
- Topp and tayll and mayne
- [...]
- ‘I dwell by dale and downe,’ quoth hee,
- ‘And Robin to take I’me sworne;
- And when I am callèd by my right name
- I am Guy of good Gisborne.’