In the city of Fatfield, which is located in North East England, near Durham, there is a place called Worm Hill. This is a small hill next to the Weir River - it is with these places that the legend about the Lambton worm is connected, which brought the local lands to desolation. The appearance of the legend dates back to the 14-15th century, but the described actions coincide with the time of the Crusades, so they happened earlier.
Worm Hill, top view on Google Maps.
Although it is difficult to argue about the veracity of the legend, it still concerns specific places that you can come and see. At the same time, for the British, this story is one of the most famous legends, which then formed the basis of various literary works, songs and even films. We can say that the Lambton worm is a national English treasure.
Worm Hill is actually a small hill within the city, next to the river. According to legend, the same Lambton worm lay wrapped around the hill several times - it was so big. But - in order, since this legend is good, including its morality, as well as an example of "military cunning", thanks to which the main character was able to defeat this monster.
Worm Hill, screen from Google Maps.
Young John Lambton was a naughty and wayward child, and therefore one day he decided to skip the church service and go fishing. On the way to the river, he was met by a beggar old man who warned that if he did not go to church, then there would be great trouble. Already at the very beginning, as we can see, the legend contains moral - if he hadn't missed this service, then nothing would have happened.
However, there was no bite while the service was going on, and immediately after its end, John was able to catch - but not a fish, but a strange unusual living creature. It was kind of like a worm or a snake, but with a large head, numerous lateral gills, and rather long. Different editions indicate different sizes - from "with a finger" to "at least a meter."
Illustration for the legend - John Lambton catches a strange monster. I wonder what the worm bites on?
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He decided to show the catch to his relatives, but on the way he was again met by the same old man and told John that he "caught the Devil." The boy got scared and threw the worm into the nearest well. On this, it would seem, the story ended - but in fact, it just began. John grew up and went to the Crusade approach. When he returned after about 7 years, he saw his lands in desolation.
As it turned out, a certain huge Serpent settled here and began to steal cows from the peasants and even attacked people. John went to a local witch and she said that it was all the fault that he threw his catch into the well - that worm grew and turned into such a monster.
Here, many commentators express surprise, because the worm could have grown in the river itself. Perhaps there are some reasons to doubt this - say, in the river he would have been caught by other predators or simply would have swum into the sea. The Weir River, by the way, flows into the North Sea relatively close to the site of the events described.
Weir River.
One way or another, in the well, the worm grew to the size of a huge Serpent and climbed to the surface. He lived in the river, sometimes crawling out onto land to get food or just to rest, as is the case with Worm Hill. Of course, they tried to defeat him - but the Serpent was strong, and besides, his wounds healed very quickly, so after such skirmishes he quickly regained strength.
John himself had to correct his mistake. The legend says that the inhabitants sent him to a witch, who advised him to use spearheads that were supposed to stick out of his knightly costume. And also arrange a battle in the river, not on land. This was the trick that helped Lambton win the fight.
Illustration for the legend - John Lambton's battle with the worm.
During the fight, the worm tried to squeeze the knight into rings, as snakes usually do, but the spearheads did not allow it, the Snake's body was cut against them, and John worked with the sword as best he could. The severed parts were carried away by the water, so that the wounds could no longer quickly heal. As a result, the Serpent was defeated.
Here the legend throws us another detail that connects the fairy tale with reality. Allegedly, the witch told John, after defeating the worm, to kill the first creature that met on the way, otherwise a curse would fall on his kind. But John was the first to meet his father - and did not kill him. After he killed the dog, but it did not help - the curse pursued the descendants.
Lambton Bridge, screen from Google Maps.
Many descendants of John Lambton then did not actually die by their own death - someone drowned, someone died in battle. Moreover, this data can already be called documentary, and not part of the legend - the information is taken from the preserved archival records. Even the date of the last such incident is known, on which the curse, apparently, ceased to operate. It was on June 26, 1761, when Henry Lambton died in his carriage while driving across the Lambton Bridge.