History keeps references to a wide variety of famous thieves. Their fame is due to the fact that in folklore they often turned into real legends. The transformation from a real person into a fictional image usually took place after the death of the person mentioned. Not all of the characters were actually as meaningful, spiritual, or attractive as the storytellers portrayed them of their adventures and thefts. Moreover, some of the characters did not even exist in reality. So, here is a list of the ten most famous thieves in history.
Dismas and Gestas
There are quite unusual characters in religious stories. For example, these two are perhaps the most famous thieves in all of human history. These were the criminals who were crucified at the same moment as Jesus. One was on the right and the other was on the left. One of the criminals, Dismas, asked Jesus for forgiveness. He got what he asked for. Gestas was an atheist and denied any religion. So he ended up in hell. Of course, there is no historical evidence of their existence.
Prometheus
According to mythology, Prometheus was a titan who stole fire from the gods. He brought it to people to make their lives better. According to legend, it was thanks to him that people learned to cook and heat their homes. For this brave act that transformed life, Prometheus could be thanked every day. The gods were very angry at this, and therefore the titan was severely punished. Zeus ordered Prometheus to be chained to a huge stone, to which an eagle will fly every day and peck at the liver of the unfortunate - and so on for ages.
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Robin Hood
This is one of the most famous thieves in the world, and perhaps the most famous. Robin Hood is a fictional character who plays a very important role in English folklore. The existence of a prototype for this hero has not been proven, most likely, he is one hundred percent a product of the imagination. The history of Robin Hood and his associates is rooted in the distant past, it was invented in the thirteenth century! This does not make it less interesting - readers are still following the adventures of this character with interest, and films about him regularly appear on the screen, bringing a lot of money to the creators.
Black beard
Here's another incredibly famous, legendary thief who rivals Robin Hood. But there is a difference - this antihero was quite real, although various myths are associated with him. His true name is Edward Teach. He was a tough pirate, widely known for his sinister appearance and long bushy beard, which is the reason for the nickname. All his life he was a criminal and died fighting the soldiers sent to execute him. He was not yet forty then. Interestingly, Blackbeard was once pardoned, but did not want to lead an honest life. He chose to return to sea and continue his crimes.
Jesse James
This American criminal was capable of all kinds of thefts - he robbed trains, banks, carriages. No one could feel safe with Jesse James. He was a former partisan during the Civil War. Together with his brother Frank and the Young brothers, he formed a criminal gang that terrified the entire American South. He went down in history as a heroic criminal and his memory lives on to this day, although some facts are gradually being replaced by myths. There are many books and films about this criminal.
Baby Nelson
This thief did not wait to grow up to start a criminal path. He had stolen cars since childhood and by the age of fourteen was already a real expert in this matter. His nickname was due to his youthful appearance and small age. Besides his thefts, he is also known as the American citizen who has killed the most FBI agents. Nelson stopped at nothing in his crimes.
Bonnie and Clyde
This young couple of criminals became famous for committing bank robberies, murders and various other crimes. Their career was very short-lived. Bonnie and Clyde became one of the few thieves who managed to become famous during their lifetime, but after death they turned into a real legend - their story seemed very romantic to people. Their black and white photographs represent a young couple, partners are definitely in love and playfully pose with pistols. These photos were found by the police when Bonnie and Clyde were forced to flee. These pictures were quite shocking and made the couple even more famous. The sinister couple's story is constantly inspiring new films, songs and books.
Ma Barker
One of the most unusual and famous criminals of all time is Ma Barker. She herself was a delinquent, but became famous for being the mother of a number of mobsters who formed the Barker gang. However, some believe that this is an FBI fabricated charge. Such people are convinced that Ma was an elderly woman who knew about her children's crimes but never intervened. Her partner's son noted that she could not even think about participating in crimes, all discussions of new thefts took place without her - Ma was specially sent for a walk or to the cinema. It turns out that the myth of her brilliant mind and ability to plan theft was invented? It is impossible to find out the truth! Either way, this is definitely one of the most intriguing female figures in crime history.
Dick Turpin
If you ask an Englishman to name the most famous British bandit, most likely he will say - Dick Turpin. This man began by stealing horses, but later became a murderer. However, his brilliant criminal career was fabricated by the writer William Harrison Ainworth. He created the Dick Turpin myth from scratch. In fact, this criminal was the most common thief, he was not a gentleman and did not ride a big black horse. In addition, he never had to ride overnight from Essex to York - and it is because of this myth that Dick is considered one of the most famous criminals.
Francois Villon
François Villon was a French thief, but he also became famous for his poetry. He was favorably treated at court. The Duke of Orleans himself, a connoisseur of his poetry, stood up for François when he committed the next crime. Villon was simply not able to lead an honest lifestyle and decided to steal after steal. He was sentenced to death, but then he managed to escape the sentence - he was released and sent into ten-year exile. After that, no one heard anything about him.
Conclusion
All of these characters were famous thieves, but each of them was driven by different motives. It does not matter, from evil or noble motives, the very fact of violation of the law always attracts the attention of the public. It is interesting to know about such people, but you definitely shouldn't be inspired by their behavior.
Marina Ilyushenko
