Robin Hood fans have been quizzing British experts to find out how the famous figure met his end.

Facebook followers from the US have used Nottinghamshire County Council’s publicity campaign for the 2013 Robin Hood Festival to discover that the outlaw was killed by his cousin.

The legend explains that in 1247 Robin, who was old and ill, went with Little John to see Robin’s cousin Elizabeth de’Staynton, who was the Prioress of Kirklees in Yorkshire.

It was a holy house for women, so Little John had to stay outside while Elizabeth took Robin to the Gate House Tower. She said she would “bleed” him to remove the bad blood she said was causing his illness.

It was a common practice, but Robin did not know that Elizabeth was jealous of him and was the lover of Red Roger of Doncaster, one of Robin’s greatest enemies.

She cut into a vein deeply with a knife and left him to it. Robin grew weak and realised what was happening. He was too weak to get up and reached for his hunting horn and blew a note, which Little John heard and smashed his way in.

The legend says Little John told him it was too late to save him and said: “My friend, this evil woman has murdered you. I must beg a boon (favour). Let me kill her and burn this place down.”

Robin replied: “No, our code is we never hurt a woman and we are not breaking that now – let God punish her.”

He asked Little John to pass his bow and arrow and shot an arrow out of the window then died in Little John’s arms.

Legend has it that where the arrow landed is Robin’s resting place.

The Nottinghamshire County Council’s Festival Folk Facebook campaign, which at present has around 500 “likes”, has received interest from the Robin Hood Festival of Sherwood Oregon.

American followers had the legend explained to them by “medieval medic Sir Ralph of Epperstone”, who studied archives relating to Robin Hood’s death.