The Lambton Worm And Reality.
In regards of The Lambton Worm, one of the main things that tends to endure is the lack of an actual date.
The reason for this is connected to 'The Crusades' which is an ambiguous title because there was more
than one. But it's generally agreed that the legend appeared sometime during the 14th century, although
the incident is set in a far-more distant time.
Here's a basic outline:
A young boy from the noble family of Lambton in the North-East of England went fishing and caught a
small, strange eel-like creature in the nearby river. After ignoring a warning from an unknown old man
that appeared, the kid threw the animal in a well on his way home.
From a couple of accounts, the warning was that John Lambton should keep the black, oily 'thing'
and not ignore the responsibility.
John grows and goes off to fight in 'the Crusades' and on return, discovers the local village is being
terrorised by a huge beast that is inferred to be the same creature he had discarded in his youth.
Deciding to slay the monster, he consults a wise woman (Witch) who suggests that due to the animal's
ability to rejoin parts of it's body that is cut off, he should fashion a suit of armour covered in spikes to
stop the beast coiling itself around the valiant knight and when he chops at the monster, any pieces
should be thrown into the fast flowing river that it haunted.
However, a price is to be paid for such esoteric knowledge and the same Witch relates that if John
is successful, he is to kill the first living thing he sets his eyes on after the battle.
To ignore this is to bring a curse upon his family, a curse that states that no Lambton will die in their
bed.
The beast is slain and a plan was hatched earlier to release one of the family's dogs to run to it's owner
and be killed. But in the relief, John's father -or in some accounts, a woman that has John's heart, races
out to greet him and John's moral conduct prevailing, he doesn't fulfill the magical spell.
Of course, to back-up the claim that the curse has some merit and ensure that the underlying principles
are understood by any listener to the tale, no male Lambton has ever died peacefully in their beds.
Allegedly.
...........................
Of course the storyline is generic, with a chivalrous Knight, a terrible animal and a curse being valid
because of a lack of respect for 'the old ways' These facets are very important within a myth or legend
as it shows the many levels that a community evolves from.
For Britain at the time of this story, Christianity was still being heavily nudged into the hamlets and villages
around the countryside and as anyone from the advertising industry will agree, if possible, 'it's best to
go along to get along'
It's been difficult to research this legend in the hopes to place it in any real timeline. The Lambton family
of the time seems to have vague origins and are mainly reported as James Lambton 1st Earl of Durham
in the 19th century being the official beginning.
It's been suggested that the story was created to endorse the rights to the estate when King Henry II was
perusing his kingdom looking for land that had no written rights attached to them. A Lambton of the time
devised a ritual where the Bishop of Durham was obligated through tradition, would visit Lambton Hall
and accept the fabled sword that slayed the brute from the River Wear.
At the end of the preeminent visit, the dignitary would hand the weapon back and every impression was
given that this ritual stemmed from ages before. Ergo, implying the lands and properties were intrinsically
connected to the Lambton name.
With religion being an important bone in the spine of social control, the theory of using a revered Bishop's
compliance that the Lambtons were rightful overseers of the lands is certainly a weighty tactic to dissuade
a King from licking his lips for the property.
The rational conclusion became that if the ritual existed, a 'dragon-killing' sword with a narrative that held
names of local landmarks was also involved, then it only stands to reason the dragon was real too!
The cart was placed before the horse in the name of power!
Personally, I believe it's something to do with expelling the religion of paganism from the area by the church.
The many versions offer different aspects that are no doubt that the teller's perception of the yarn.
But one piece of detail is often mentioned and never wavers.
The marks on Penshaw Hill.
'...In some versions of the story, the hill is Penshaw Hill, that on which the Penshaw Monument
now stands, but locally the credit goes to the nearby Worm Hill, in Fatfield.
In most versions of the story, the worm is large enough to wrap itself around the hill seven times.
It is said that one can still see the marks of the worm on Worm Hill...'
SOURCE:
Just as the Tor hill at Glastonbury, chiselled labyrinths on rocks and the many turfed-mizmaze mazes around
England, there were rituals that pre-dated the arrival of Christianity. What these areas provided when a
person walked or traced the mazes, is still debated even today.
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
I think this was the true slaying that's celebrated in the story of the Lambton Worm and because of the need
to not step on the toes of potential believers in Christianity, the yarn was created to 'rationally' explain the
rutted path that rises around the hill in a manner that the supposed ignorant peasant can understand.
It would be easy for a wandering Priest or monk to allign the killing of the evil serpent by a virtuous nobleman
of the Crusades with the socially-moral aspect of 'good' conduct being better than 'bad'
The real reason of destroying one belief system to promote another follows without being uttered and has the
added value of nurturing self-social engineering.
Phew! What's next...? Oh yes, the Owlman.
In regards of The Lambton Worm, one of the main things that tends to endure is the lack of an actual date.
The reason for this is connected to 'The Crusades' which is an ambiguous title because there was more
than one. But it's generally agreed that the legend appeared sometime during the 14th century, although
the incident is set in a far-more distant time.
Here's a basic outline:
A young boy from the noble family of Lambton in the North-East of England went fishing and caught a
small, strange eel-like creature in the nearby river. After ignoring a warning from an unknown old man
that appeared, the kid threw the animal in a well on his way home.
From a couple of accounts, the warning was that John Lambton should keep the black, oily 'thing'
and not ignore the responsibility.
John grows and goes off to fight in 'the Crusades' and on return, discovers the local village is being
terrorised by a huge beast that is inferred to be the same creature he had discarded in his youth.
Deciding to slay the monster, he consults a wise woman (Witch) who suggests that due to the animal's
ability to rejoin parts of it's body that is cut off, he should fashion a suit of armour covered in spikes to
stop the beast coiling itself around the valiant knight and when he chops at the monster, any pieces
should be thrown into the fast flowing river that it haunted.
However, a price is to be paid for such esoteric knowledge and the same Witch relates that if John
is successful, he is to kill the first living thing he sets his eyes on after the battle.
To ignore this is to bring a curse upon his family, a curse that states that no Lambton will die in their
bed.
The beast is slain and a plan was hatched earlier to release one of the family's dogs to run to it's owner
and be killed. But in the relief, John's father -or in some accounts, a woman that has John's heart, races
out to greet him and John's moral conduct prevailing, he doesn't fulfill the magical spell.
Of course, to back-up the claim that the curse has some merit and ensure that the underlying principles
are understood by any listener to the tale, no male Lambton has ever died peacefully in their beds.
Allegedly.
...........................
Of course the storyline is generic, with a chivalrous Knight, a terrible animal and a curse being valid
because of a lack of respect for 'the old ways' These facets are very important within a myth or legend
as it shows the many levels that a community evolves from.
For Britain at the time of this story, Christianity was still being heavily nudged into the hamlets and villages
around the countryside and as anyone from the advertising industry will agree, if possible, 'it's best to
go along to get along'
It's been difficult to research this legend in the hopes to place it in any real timeline. The Lambton family
of the time seems to have vague origins and are mainly reported as James Lambton 1st Earl of Durham
in the 19th century being the official beginning.
It's been suggested that the story was created to endorse the rights to the estate when King Henry II was
perusing his kingdom looking for land that had no written rights attached to them. A Lambton of the time
devised a ritual where the Bishop of Durham was obligated through tradition, would visit Lambton Hall
and accept the fabled sword that slayed the brute from the River Wear.
At the end of the preeminent visit, the dignitary would hand the weapon back and every impression was
given that this ritual stemmed from ages before. Ergo, implying the lands and properties were intrinsically
connected to the Lambton name.
With religion being an important bone in the spine of social control, the theory of using a revered Bishop's
compliance that the Lambtons were rightful overseers of the lands is certainly a weighty tactic to dissuade
a King from licking his lips for the property.
The rational conclusion became that if the ritual existed, a 'dragon-killing' sword with a narrative that held
names of local landmarks was also involved, then it only stands to reason the dragon was real too!
The cart was placed before the horse in the name of power!
Personally, I believe it's something to do with expelling the religion of paganism from the area by the church.
The many versions offer different aspects that are no doubt that the teller's perception of the yarn.
But one piece of detail is often mentioned and never wavers.
The marks on Penshaw Hill.
'...In some versions of the story, the hill is Penshaw Hill, that on which the Penshaw Monument
now stands, but locally the credit goes to the nearby Worm Hill, in Fatfield.
In most versions of the story, the worm is large enough to wrap itself around the hill seven times.
It is said that one can still see the marks of the worm on Worm Hill...'
SOURCE:
Just as the Tor hill at Glastonbury, chiselled labyrinths on rocks and the many turfed-mizmaze mazes around
England, there were rituals that pre-dated the arrival of Christianity. What these areas provided when a
person walked or traced the mazes, is still debated even today.
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
I think this was the true slaying that's celebrated in the story of the Lambton Worm and because of the need
to not step on the toes of potential believers in Christianity, the yarn was created to 'rationally' explain the
rutted path that rises around the hill in a manner that the supposed ignorant peasant can understand.
It would be easy for a wandering Priest or monk to allign the killing of the evil serpent by a virtuous nobleman
of the Crusades with the socially-moral aspect of 'good' conduct being better than 'bad'
The real reason of destroying one belief system to promote another follows without being uttered and has the
added value of nurturing self-social engineering.
Phew! What's next...? Oh yes, the Owlman.
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe.