Kai Roberts

Grave Concerns: the Follies and Folklore of Robin Hood's Final Resting Place Kai Roberts

In the modern era, the narrative of Robin Hood's death is increasingly one of the least familiar aspects of the outlaw's legend. Whilst the icon of Robin himself still shines brightly in the psyche of this nation and many others, his story has always been adapted to reflect the dominant concerns and modes of transmission of the era. It is all too commonly assumed that as Robin Hood is a legendary hero in the vein of King Arthur or Finn MacCooill, there must be numerous sites that claim to be his final resting place. Yet this is not the case. Kirklees Priory in Yorkshire is the only place that has been repeatedly associated with the outlaw's grave, in terms of both documentary sources and material remains, over several hundred years. Studying Kirklees and the various legends to have grown up around it allows us an insight into the reciprocal relationship between people and place. Of particular interest is the extent to which the state of Robin Hood's grave in the modern era and all the associated disputes have determined the interpretation of the paranormal phenomena witnessed in the vicinity of the site today. In this regard, it is a study in modern myth-making.