1.4- The Lambton Worm

Worms, wyverns and dragons! In Episode 4 we’re exploring one of the most infamous tales from the North of England; the Lambton Worm. Is it a story of folly, a warning against unchristian behaviour, or simply a popular legend reworked for a new audience?

A Worm Not a Dragon?

Worms (sometimes Wyrms), distinct from the classic dragons because they were often depicted as having no wings or no legs (sometimes neither), are a staple of Northern English folk stories but the Lambton Worm is undoubtedly the most famous. In fact the descriptions of Worms appear closely linked to rivers and you might note the descriptions - long sinuous bodies, horse-like heads and multiple nostrils or whiskers - are startling similar to the water dragons of Asia.

Why Lambton?

Lambton is intrinsically linked to worm legends. In Chester-le-Street you can visit pubs and shops named for the story or take a stroll up Worm Hill, which the creature was said to have encircled with its massive body. There’s even a song and more than one poem. That wasn’t always the case though, in our research this week we came across the likely original tale from the 16th Century called the Sockburn Worm. Both originate in Durham, but have very different heroes with the Sockburn Worm including an Ethiopian army while the Lambton Worm becomes the nemesis of John Lambton.

While the Sockburn Worm story has plenty to recommend it (you can check it out here) it’s the unusual and yet familiar structure of the Lambton story that is so fascinating. Rather than a tale of simple heroics and reward, the Lambton Worm is closer to a tragedy. It sends a strong message that if you do wrong, it is your responsibility to right it and you may not get the happy ending you desire. It’s filled with wonderful warnings about the folly of overconfidence and immorality.

Chivalry & Folk Legends

A key influence on the change in tale and its reworking for a new and simple hero is probably the interest in the idea of a golden age of chivalry, where knights and lords were protectors of their people. We see that strongly in the Lambton story. John is a returned crusader and his father, to defend the local villages, has beggared his estate to feed the worm. It is also John and his father that become solely responsible for defeating the monster and the Lambton line that bears the curse to never die in bed at peace when John refuses to become a kinslayer. This aligns much more closely with the wonderful tales of knights and Arthurian legend being produced during the 19th Century when the story became popularised than earlier recounting. It also makes it fairly obvious that more than a bit of the reworking was probably because of the real John Lambton, a revolutionary man who supported better working conditions, universal suffrage and education. Why wouldn’t a real lord who campaigned tirelessly for the rights of the common people have an ancestor so thoroughly self-sacrificing?

With so much context, it was a challenge to pick the best possible angle to write from this week. So check out the episode and let us know if you think we’ve captured the essence of the Lambton Worm.