The Fatal Betrayal: How the Legendary Robin Hood Met His End

The tale of Robin Hood, the noble outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor, is a cornerstone of English folklore. While his life in Sherwood Forest with his Merry Men is filled with daring adventures and defiance of the Sheriff of Nottingham, the story of his death is a somber tale of treachery, a final arrow, and a lasting mystery.

Dive into the traditional accounts of how the Prince of Thieves met his demise at Kirklees Priory.

The Traditional Account: A Healer's Betrayal

According to the most widely known ballads and legends, as Robin Hood grew older, he fell ill. Seeking a cure, he traveled to Kirklees Priory in West Yorkshire, where his kinswoman, an Abbess or Prioress, was known for her skill in medieval medicine, specifically bloodletting.

Tragically, the prioress had been persuaded by her lover, the villainous Sir Roger of Doncaster, to betray her cousin. Instead of a curative treatment, she deliberately opened a vein and allowed Robin to bleed uncontrollably, locking him in the room to ensure his slow demise.

The Final Arrow and Lasting Legacy

Sensing the treachery and his strength failing, the dying Robin managed to weakly blow his hunting horn three times, a final signal to his most loyal companion, Little John, who was waiting outside. Little John rushed in, smashing through the priory's locks, only to find Robin in a pool of his own blood.

Enraged, Little John wanted to burn the priory to the ground in vengeance, but Robin, adhering to his principles, forbade him from harming a woman. With his dying breath, Robin made a final request: he asked Little John to help him to the window and give him his trusty yew bow.

"Give me my bent bow in hand," Robin whispered, "And my broad arrows I'll let flee; And where this arrow is taken up, There shall my grave digged be."

Little John honored his friend's wish. Robin shot one final arrow into the air, and he was buried at the spot where it landed, on the grounds of the priory estate. A grave mound at Kirklees Park is still pointed out today as his final resting place, a testament to the enduring power of the English folklore hero.