The Story of Maid Marian Beautifully Told

The Story of Maid Marian Beautifully Told

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The Story of Maid Marian Beautifully Told

The 3rd August 2020 – 3rd August 2021 was Stephen and Yhana‘s first year on YouTube – To celebrate they are sharing one video a day across all of their favourite social media platforms – Facebook Page, Twitter and Website, as well as a daily shout out on their youtube community page. – So please check often incase you missed any of their videos during that first year.

They have also published their very first youtube almanac – Which was released 3rd august 2021.

The book will be available to buy via Amazon shortly – Although you can get a free signed copy by signing up and supporting their journey on Patreon

All Patreon‘s will get a regular mention on YouTube and on their channel publications – As your support is very much appreciated and will help to purchase filming equipment and trips to historical sites, so they can keep their films coming.

Stephen and Yhana - History and Adventure Hunters Almanac - OUT NOW
Stephen and Yhana – History and Adventure Hunters Almanac – OUT NOW

The Story of Maid Marian Beautifully Told

13 Terrifying True Stories For Halloween | Story Eight | The Murder Of Maid Marian

The Real story of Maid Marian

The golden bracelet was encrusted with semi-precious stones and lined with purple velvet, a colour so rare and so expensive to make that Matilda was overcome by such an extravagant gift.

It was presented to her on her 18th birthday by an admirer she cared little for.

The King of England

He had already requested her on many occasions to attend his rooms at Beaumont Palace, but she always refused him. It is not good to refuse a King of England, especially King John.

His desire turned to hate.

Matilda Fitz Walter was born c.1195 some believe in Maldon, Essex she was daughter of a wealthy Baron Robert Fitz Walter “Lord of Dunmow Castle” (1162 – 1235) and Gunnor de Valognes (1169 – 1203),

She was Murdered with a poisoned golden bracelet not long after her 18th year and now lies buried in the Priory Church of Little Dunmow.

Welcome to the 8th of our 13 terrifying stories for Halloween, today we are going to take a deep dive into the legendary life and tragic murder of Maid Marion

This is a true story, and makes up just one of the dark and twisted tales that exist in my family history.

Yhana and I would like to thank everyone for watching, every time someone views our videos you give us both encouragement to do what we love, let us know how we are doing, drop us a comment and for more upcoming episodes please subscribe to the channel. From Yhana and I, we hope you Enjoy the story.

One bright and beautiful morning at the latter end of October, 2020, that I set out from the town of Dunmow, in quest to visit Dunmow Church, I had one inducement to lead me there,

it is here that the fair Matilda lies buried, who, better known by the name of Maid Marian, shared the fortunes of Robin Hood. the name Marian was originally assumed by a ” lady of high degree’ who was murdered at Dunmow priory.

I unlocked the nail-studded door, and entered the church. The sunbeams, which streamed through the delicate tracery-work of three lofty windows, shed a mild radiance upon the surrounding objects, and the serenity which pervaded the whole scene, so different from the turmoil of the world right now, I stood in none other than the house of God.” A beautiful airy screen of dark oak, curiously carved, and probably coeval with the pile itself, separates the body of the church from the chancel; on the left side of which, between two pillars of the Tuscan order, I found, as I expected, the fair alabaster Effigy of the celebrated Matilda. The face, although much disfigured, bears traces of former beauty : her hands are clasped as in prayer. On the head, which reposes upon a cushion, is a covering like a woollen night-cap. She has a collar of SS; a necklace of pendents falling from a rich embroidered neckerchief; a rich girdle, and long robes, the sleeves are close to the wrists. Her fingers are loaded with rings, there being two on several of them. Her face is round and full, but rather inexpressive. At her head were two angels, now mutilated, and a dog on each side her feet. According to the ” Chronicle of Dunmow,”, she was buried between two columns in the south part of the choir ; but her effigy, with its slab, is now placed upon a gray altar tomb in the position it is now. The tomb is decorated with shields in quatrefoil, parted by pairs of arches, and evidently of a more modern style than the incumbent figures. This lady’s history is briefly as follows : —

Matilda Fitz Walter

Fair Matilda / Fair Maid / Fair Marian

Maid Marian

1195 – 1213

She was the daughter of Robert, Baron Fitz-walter, proprietor of Castle Baynard, who is distinguished in English History, as the ‘Marshal of the Army of God, and Holy Church ;” and the leader of the illustrious barons, who extorted Magna Charta from King John. Upon her entering her eighteenth year, he invited the neighbouring nobles to a costly banquet. For three days, jousts and tourneys delighted the assembled guests, and won honour and lady’s love for many a new-made knight. On the fourth, a strange warrior, cased in mail, entered the lists, and vanquished the bravest of the combatants; his gallant bearing and handsome features enamoured the fair young queen of that high festival, and she blushed deeply when she hung the golden chain around the victor’s neck, and kissed his lofly fore head. His countenance was clouded with sorrow, and as he came, so too he departed, History would know this handsome man as the legendary hero Robin Hood.

But there was another man at that festival, Prince John, who had honoured the castle with his presence, became smitten by the charms of the high-born maiden, and basely endeavoured to obtain her for a mistress. The Baron Fitz-walter, her father, treated his proposals with just and natural indignation, which so enraged the headstrong prince, that (taking advantage of his brother’s absence in Palestine, where the greater part of his followers were likewise fighting) he immediately attacked Castle Baynard, and slew its owner: but Matilda fled away to the green forest, and there, on the day following, was again met by the stranger knight; his burnished steel was laid aside, and he was clad in Lincoln green, the archer’s garb. He told the lady that he was Robin Hood, the outlawed Earl of Huntingdon and that he would shield her innocence from the fierce and cruel ravisher. The prince discovered her retreat, and attacked the foresters;, during which it is said that John and the lady (who was then in male attire) met and fought. Neither won and John eventually withdrew from the ungallant contest. She afterwards married Robin Hood, and when king Richard restored him his earldom and estates, she became Countess of Huntingdon : when her husband was again outlawed by King John, she shared his misfortunes, and, at his death, took refuge in Dunmow Priory (which appears to have been enriched by some members of her family), trusting to spend the residue of her days in peace. The tyrant, however, who had never forgotten her bravery in Sherwood forest, dispatched a gallant knight, one Robert de Medewe, with a token to the fair recluse, — a poisoned bracelet. Ignorant of the accursed deed he went to perform, Sir Robert arrived at the priory, and was respectfully and cordially received. Matilda had lost the bloom and vivacity of youth, but her mien was stately, and her person still imposing. The rough warrior felt the flame of lore kindling in his bosom, but he strove to stifle it, and, bidding the lady a hasty adieu, speedily departed. Whilst on the road to London, his fond feelings waxed stronger and stronger the farther he proceeded from the object of them, and, at length, being unable any longer to curb his passion, he turned his horse’s head, and retraced his way. It was night when he reached the priory, but the light of many torches streamed through the windows of the adjoining church on the weary soldier, and the solemn dirge of death awoke the slumbering echoes. With fearful forebodings he entered the house of prayer, and there in the chancel, on a bier and covered with flowers, was stretched the lifeless body of the unfortunate Matilda The bracelet was on her wrist, it had eaten through to the bone, and the fiery poison had dried her life blood. The flesh was ghastly pale, but a heavenly smile irradiated her fine countenance : the priests were standing around, weeping, and the disarray died away on their quivering lips when the warrior entered. He flung himself upon the lady’s corpse, but it was too late.

The golden bracelet was encrusted with semi-precious stones and lined with purple velvet, a colour so rare and so expensive to make that Matilda was overcome by such an extravagant gift.

She placed the bracelet securely to her wrist…

Within an hour Fair Marian was dead.

  • Published: 25 October 2020
  • Location: Little Dunmow, Essex
  • Duration: 13:31
  • Photography – Stephen Robert Kuta / Yhana Kuta
  • Written by – Stephen Robert Kuta

Music –

Walk with Legends by Bonnie Grace

Music Licensed by Epidemic Sound

The Story of Maid Marian Beautifully Told

​Stephen and Yhana – History and Adventure Hunters Almanac

Stephen and Yhana - History and Adventure Hunters Almanac - OUT NOW
Stephen and Yhana – History and Adventure Hunters Almanac – OUT NOW

Support us on Patreon / Stephen and Yhana YouTube Channel

Become a Patron!

On the 30th of January, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). In the following weeks, the virus quickly spread worldwide, forcing the governments of affected countries to implement lockdown measures to decrease transmission rates and prevent the overload of hospital emergency rooms.

The United Kingdom implemented lockdown on the 16th of March, 2020 and from this date and up until the 3rd August, 2021 the UK had suffered three national lockdowns which all included Restrictive measures on border controls, closing of schools, markets, restaurants, nonessential shops, bars, entertainment and leisure facilities, as well as a ban on all public and private events and gatherings. In between these lockdowns we saw tier systems and heavy restrictions on how we all lived our lives.

We all decided on different approaches on how we spent that free time as many people were on Furlough as their businesses were shut, only key-workers carried out their working duties. Although I continued working as a key-worker, I still had a lot more free time as Yhana was not at school.

Both Yhana and I spent those first few months experimenting with tiktok and photography, we explored our home village of Great Leighs and took some incredible photographs as spring and eventually summer took hold.

Tiktok was a short-lived adventure for us, although we enjoyed it all the same — tiktok like so many Social Media platforms had exploded during the pandemic but none more so then YouTube.

In 2020 alone YouTube had more than 9 billion views globally

66% of people used YouTube to develop a new hobby in 2020, and a whopping 94% of people in India used YouTube to learn to do things themselves, Whilst Globally, 82% used YouTube to the same. What were they learning to do, exactly?

• Views of beauty tutorials increased nearly 50% in 2020.

• There was a 90% increase in bike maintenance and repair videos.

• Daily views of videos with “raising chickens” in the title increased 160%.

• Videos related to learning guitar saw 160 million views from mid-March to mid-April.

• Videos about container gardening saw 6 million views in the same period.

• There was a 215% increase in daily uploads of videos related to self-care.

• There was a 458% increase in daily views of videos about making sourdough bread and a 200% increase in daily views of recipe videos for bubble tea.

• Videos of how-to videos for home haircuts also spiked in April.

Even though these giant increases in YouTube views began as early as March 2020, it took Yhana and I up until August of that year to begin our own channel, and Yhana’s encouragement certainly helped on that matter.

So it began, 3 August 2020 – We went out and filmed our very first video. To be honest I wasn’t sure what our plan would be for our channel, I had a rough idea of what kind of content I would like Yhana and I to make and as a historian I looked at the channel as a way to record at least one year of our life, not just any year either, but our life during the Covid-19 Pandemic. So for me, it was a great way to record a piece of social history.

This book in front of you developed from that period of our lives also, and is a showcase / diary / almanac of all the videos we created, many of the photographs we took, the treasure hunts we went on and some of the incredible finds we discovered just a short walk from where we lived. In truth, those finds would never have been discovered if it wasn’t for lockdown.

So for prosperity, social history, a window into our lives during the Covid-19 pandemic and a transparent visual look at what its like to create a YouTube channel in that first year including channelytics, descriptions of videos, thumbnail artwork, viewer comments and more.

We have written this full guide, our first joint book –

Stephen and Yhana – History and Adventure Hunters Almanac.

Stephen and Yhana - History and Adventure Hunters Almanac - OUT NOW
Stephen and Yhana – History and Adventure Hunters Almanac – OUT NOW

The book is available to buy through Amazon and via all good bookshops.

LINK BELOW –

RECEIVE A FREE SIGNED COPY BY SIGNING UP AND SUPPORTING OUR JOURNEY ON PATREON.

Support us on Patreon / Stephen and Yhana YouTube Channel

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