Romanticised outlaws are
stock characters found in a number of fictional settings.
This was particularly so in the United States, where
outlaws were popular subjects of newspaper coverage and stories in the 19th century, and 20th century fiction and
Western films. Thus, "outlaw" is still commonly used to mean those violating the law[1] or, by extension, those living that lifestyle, whether actual criminals evading the law or those merely opposed to "
law-and-order" notions of
conformity and
authority (such as the "
outlaw country" music movement in the 1970s).
The colloquial sense of an outlaw as bandit or brigand is the subject of a monograph by British author
Eric Hobsbawm:[2] Hobsbawm's book discusses the bandit as a symbol, and mediated idea, and many of the outlaws he refers to, such as
Ned Kelly, Mr. Dick Turpin, and Billy the Kid, are also listed below.
The point about
social bandits is that they are peasant outlaws whom the lord and state regard as criminals, but who remain within peasant society, and are considered by their people as heroes, as champions, avengers, fighters for justice, perhaps even leaders of liberation, and in any case as men to be admired, helped and supported. This relation between the ordinary peasant and the rebel, outlaw and robber is what makes social banditry interesting and significant ... Social banditry of this kind is one of the most universal social phenomena known to history.
The outlaw is familiar to contemporary readers as an archetype in
Western films, depicting the lawless
expansionism period of the United States in the late 19th century. The Western outlaw is typically a
criminal who operates from a base in the
wilderness, and opposes, attacks or disrupts the fragile institutions of new settlements. By the time of the Western frontier, many jurisdictions had abolished the process of outlawry, and the term was used in its more popular meaning. Some Old West outlaws, such as
Billy the Kid and
Jesse James, became legendary figures in Western lore both in their own lifetime and long after their deaths.
Ken Leishman – In 1966 he managed to hijack $383,497 worth of gold from the Winnipeg International Airport, amounting to the largest gold heist in Canadian history.
El Guapo
Andalusian (born 1546) who is reputed to be the source for part one chapter 22 of Don Quixote by Cervantes.
Eleuterio Sánchez Rodríguez (born April 15, 1942), known as El Lute, was at one time listed as Spain's "Most Wanted" criminal and later became a published writer.
In Australia two gangs of
bushrangers have been made outlaws – that is they were declared to have no legal rights and anybody was empowered to shoot them without the need for an arrest followed by a trial.
Ben Hall – the New South Wales colonial government passed a law in 1865 which outlawed the gang (Hall,
John Gilbert and
John Dunn) and made it possible for anyone to shoot them. There was no need for the outlaws to be arrested and for there to be a trial — the law was essentially a
bill of attainder.[4]
Ned Kelly – The Victorian colonial government passed a law on October 30, 1878, to make the Kelly gang outlaws: they no longer had any legal rights and they could be shot by anyone. The law was modelled on the 1865 legislation passed against the gang of Ben Hall. As well as Ned Kelly, his brother
Dan Kelly was subject to the warrant as well as
Joe Byrne and
Steve Hart.[5]
Dulla Bhatti – was a
Punjabi who led a rebellion against the Mughal emperor
Akbar. His act of helping a poor peasant's daughter to get married led to a famous folk take which is still recited every year on the festival of
Lohri by Punjabis.
Saradiel – Known as the Robin Hood of
Sri Lanka for his exploits under British Colonial rule.
Shiv Kumar Patel – led one of the few remaining bands of outlaws that have roamed central India for centuries.[7]
Thuggee –
Indian network of secret fraternities engaged in murdering and robbing travellers.[8]
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Kayamkulam Kochunni a heroic outlaw from
Kayamkulam who lived during the late 19th century. He was active in the
Travancore area in the present-day Kerala, India. He is said to have stolen from the rich and given to the poor. Legends on his life are part of the folklore of
Keralam.
Middle East
Hashshashin – militant
Ismaili Muslim sect, active from the 8th to the 14th centuries.