Robin Hood's Grave facts for kids
Robin Hood's Grave is a special monument located in the Kirklees Park Estate in West Yorkshire, England. Many people believe this is where the legendary outlaw Robin Hood was buried.
According to old stories, Robin Hood was sadly bled to death by the prioress (the head nun) of Kirklees Priory. However, historians aren't sure exactly who this prioress was or the exact date Robin Hood might have died.
The first time this gravestone was mentioned in writing was in 1610. This was in an English book called Britannia, translated by Philemon Holland. Later, in the 1700s, a man named Thomas Gale, who was a Dean in York, said he found a poem on the grave. This poem claimed Robin Hood died on November 8, 1247. The language of the poem is very old English, different from what we speak today. The grave itself was fixed up in 1850.
The old poem on the stone reads:
- Hear underneath dis laitl stean
- Laz robert earl of Huntingtun
- Ne’er arcir ver as hie sa geud
- An pipl kauld im robin heud
- Sick utlawz as he an iz men
- Vil england nivr si agen
- Obiit 24 kal: Dekembris, 1247.
This can be understood as:
- Here underneath this little stone
- Lies Robert Earl of Huntingdon
- Never archer was as he so good
- And people called him Robin Hood
- Such outlaws as he and his men
- Will England never see again
- He died on the 24th of December, 1247.
Today, the site of Robin Hood's Grave is on private land.
What Did Investigations Find?
In recent years, a TV show called Expedition Unknown used special equipment to look under the ground at the grave site. They used something called Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). This equipment helps scientists see what's underground without digging.
The GPR investigation found no signs that the ground had been disturbed, which usually happens when someone is buried. They also didn't find any evidence of a body at this spot. This suggests that Robin Hood might not actually be buried there.
Where is Little John's Grave?
Robin Hood's loyal friend, Little John, is also said to have a grave. It's located in the churchyard of St. Michael's Church in Hathersage, Derbyshire. His grave is under an old yew tree.
The inscription on Little John's grave says:
- Here Lies Buried Little John The Friend & Lieutenant of Robin Hood
- He Died In A Cottage (Now Destroyed)
- To The East of The Churchyard
- The Grave Is Marked By
- This Old Headstone & Footstone
- And Is Underneath The Old Yew
In 1784, a man named Captain James Shuttleworth dug up the grave. He claimed to find the bones of a very tall man, over seven feet!
Images for kids
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Stone and inscription
