Alan-a-Dale

 was a human musician and an outlaw in the 12th century. He belonged to Robin Hood's band, the Merry Men, settled in the Sherwood Forest.

Robin Hood described him as "a master of the lute and with the voice of an angel." He used to improvise songs about their adventures.

Along with his fellows, he encountered the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald in 1190. The Time Lord extracted a little gizmo from Alan's arm and examined his blood, to evaluate if he were human or not. He found him infected with several diseases, leading to a prognosis of six months of life expectancy. (TV: Robot of Sherwood)