3. Why did the Prioress hurt Robin?
Answers
Answer:
Introduction
The earliest version of this tale is a few verses at the end of the longest and one of the earliest ballads called A Gest of Robyn Hode. An earlier version of the full tale of Robin's death was found in the famous Percy folio, but because its language is more medieval and the text is fragmented, I have decided to put a later version up first on my site. However, I have also included the older and better version at the bottom of this page along with the segment of the Gest that deals with Robin's demise.
In the earlier version of the tale, after the Prioress bled Robin Hood, he was stabbed by her lover Sir Roger of Doncaster or Red Roger. The well-known tale of Robin launching his final arrow to mark his grave was not in the earlier version. I should probably note that having iron rods stuck into your arms and being drained of some (although not too much, hence the Prioress's treachery) blood was a common medieval healing techinque. The wicked prioress was not a vampire, as some modern supernaturalists have claimed.
In another ballad, A True Tale of Robin Hood, a "faithless friar" is said to have killed Robin Hood, and in Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight, it is a monk who did the dirty deed. But the story of prioress is the oldest and longest lasting tradition of Robin Hood's death. While this story rarely appears in film, it does make an unhappy ending to many Robin Hood children's books. (The 1976 movie Robin and Marian, starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn is an obvious exception. In this film, Marian is the abbess, and she poisons Robin and herself out of love.)
The priory has been called in various ballads Kyrkesly, Church Lees, Kirkly and even Bricklies or Bircklies. A gravestone can be found on the site of the old Kirklees priory in Yorkshire, almost certainly the intended location. The current stone is more recent than the first ballad references to it. This gravesite is on private property, although the owner of the property has been known to very occasionally allow visitors if you ask nicely.