Myths and Legends

A legend is a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.
A myth is a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation.

To help you understand the main differences between these two concepts you can use the following questionnaire:

• Is there evidence that the event occurred?
• Legend: There may be proof to support the story as it reportedly happened during a specific historical time period.
• Myth: There is no evidence or time frame to support that the people were real or the events in the myth actually occurred.

• When and where did it happen? 
• Legend: Past time or historical. Usually from a specific culture.
• Myth: Past time and historical. Within a specific time period, usually ancient.

• Is it fact or fiction? 
• Legend: Facts are distorted or exaggerated. Some fiction.
• Myth: There is no evidence to prove it was fact. Fictional stories explaining how "the world was created" or some type of natural situation that occurred on Earth.

• Who do they talk about?
• Legend: Actual heroes or people who do admirable or heroic deeds.
• Myth: Gods of ancient cultures.

• What are they about?
• Legend: Legends feature an actual cultural hero, but includes imaginative elements.
• Myth: Traditional narrative that explains natural phenomena through symbolism. Often involves the gods of ancient cultures.

• What element is used?
• Legend: Imaginative element is used to help explain or tell the story.
• Myth: Symbolism is used to explain or demonstrate the natural "situation or event" that the story is about.

Examples of myths are those related to Greek Gods (Zeus, Prometheus, Heracles...) whilst some examples of legends could be those of Robin Hood or King Arthur.

Sources:  http://www.diffen.com/difference/Legend_vs_Myth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology

British myths, legends and folklore

Robin Hood

We all know about the hero and expert archer who robs the rich to feed the poor.
The birthplace of this legend is Nottingham, where we can find the Major Oak, the great tree supposed to be his hideout.



King Arthur

King Arthur is presented like the perfect king, in peace but also in war. Manuscripts in the British Library suggest that the character is based on a real person thought to have been a great king of the Dark Ages.
One of the most well-known Arthurian legends is the "Sword in the Stone". It tells of a sword embedded in a stone that can only be removed by the true King of Britain.
The nearby hill fort at South Cadbury has long been suggested has long been suggested as the location for Camelot. Indeed, excavations of South Cadbury suggest that it was in use during the early 6th century, which is the likeliest era for the real Arthur to have lived.



The Loch Ness Monster

The most known legend of the Scottish Highlands. A mythical monster is supposed to be under the waters of loch Ness. Most people who claim to have seen Nessie have described a giant long-necked creature swimming in the water.
There have been sighting of the Loch Ness Monster as far back as the 6th century, but it is the modern day sightings together with photographic evidence that have really caught the world's attention.

Sources:  http://www.britainexpress.com

http://www.visitbritain.com

The Lambton Worm - Origins

The early Egyptians worshipped a holy crocodile (the Messeh). Over the years, this became a Dragon, which, in turn, became the sign of kingship. This eastern idea of a dragon influenced the Celtic tribes who invaded Briton and the Celtic kings in Britain were known as "Pendragons".

Heroes in Roman and Greek mythology fought with dragons. The Greek word drakon meant "one who sees" or "sharp-sighted one" and at first was a large serpent as well as "dragon".  The ancient Norsemen carved dragons on their ships and dragons were drawn on the shields of Anglo-Saxon tribes. The Chinese people
also had a dragon mythology. In China, the dragon was seen as a symbol of good fortune.

In the west, however, dragons are not usually seen as so friendly. English dragons were often known as worms; with long scaly bodies, short legs, or no legs at all, and often no wings. They were slimy and
killed with poisonous breath rather than fire. 'Worm' is dragon in Old English.

Sources:  http://myths.e2bn.org

The Legend of the Lambton Worm

Lambton Castle is on the banks of the River Wear near Durham. Long, long ago, John, Lord Lambton's spoilt young heir, was fishing for trout in the river. It was Sunday. 
"This is the Lord's day," said a passer-by. "You should be praying, not fishing!" 
The lad took no notice. He put a grub on the hook and cast his fishing line again. It hit the water with a plop.

For a while he had no luck and he lost his temper. He cursed the river. Then, suddenly, the rod jerked madly. Young Lambton thought he had hooked a huge fish and struggled with the catch.


"You'll not beat me," he said, nearly falling over in the river. At last, he pulled his prize onto the sandy bank, and looked at it.

It was ugliest thing you ever did see: a worm-like creature, black as pitch and oozing slime. Its head, like a salamander's, had needle sharp teeth and nine holes along each side. It was thin like an eel, but had two legs at the front and two at the back, like a lizard. Despite being small, it twisted and coiled with amazing power. 
"Whatever kind of fish is this?" he said aloud. Just then an old man appeared from behind and looked at the creature.

His face went ashen and he quickly made the sign of the cross. 
"You must not put it back in the river," he said. "It bodes ill but you must choose what to do with it." 
Then the old man disappeared. 


With some hesitation, John Lambton put the creature into his basket. As he walked towards home, he glanced again at the hideous creature and shuddered.

On the way, he passed a field with an ancient, very deep well. "There is no way the creature can escape from here," thought John. So he tipped the basket up over the well and the worm dropped into the darkness below. After a while, Lambton heard a distant plop. 


Satisfied, he went back to the castle and forgot all about the worm. But, in the black waters of the well, at the bottom of that deep, dark hole something stirred, for the ugly creature grew and each year got stronger and stronger.

As John grew up, he became sorry for his poor behaviour and decided to join the crusades. His loving father gave him his blessing and all the villagers turned out to wish him well. Then, just over a year later, strange things began to happen.

Shepherds found half eaten sheep. Just a few to begin with, but soon it became one every night. The cows started giving less and less milk. The smell near the well became terrible and strange vapours arose from its depths. People who drank its water complained of burning mouths and throats. The villagers thought the well had been cursed.

Then, one morning, they awoke to find a glistening trail of foul slime leading from the well to the Wear. There, in the middle of the river, wrapped around a rock, was a fully grown dragon. It was enormous and fearful, with huge coils that gleamed in the morning sun. It had no wings, but a thick muscled body. Its head was large and its mouth full of razor sharp teeth; poisonous vapours trailed from its nostrils and its mouth as it breathed.

The news spread around the countryside. Some people, brave enough, went as close as they dared to get a glimpse of the creature. Others locked themselves in their homes, or collected their belongings and fled. By day, the dragon rested on its rock, but by night it swam to the bank and coiled itself three times around a hill. Nobody felt safe.

And soon, the beast became hungry. It started to rampage around the countryside. Its appetite was enormous. It took lambs and sheep and ate them whole. It had a taste for milk and would tear a cow open with its sharp teeth. Soon, there were few sheep or cattle left.

Some brave villagers tried to kill the beast but were crushed or torn to pieces by its sharp fangs. If a piece was hacked from the dragon, it slithered over until the piece reattached. After each attack, the dragon would roam the countryside, uprooting trees, smashing fences and stealing children. Soon people gave up trying to kill it.

Eventually the dragon came to Lambton Hall. The local residents were ready. They filled a large stone trough with warm milk and tied two sheep nearby. As the dragon approached the gates, it was distracted by the smell of the milk. It plunged into the trough and drained it dry. It ate the sheep with relish and, well fed, it returned to the hill.

From that day on, the dragon stopped roaming the village. Every day, it slithered to the hall to find the offering of milk and sheep. The trail became marked by its path of dark slime.


Nearly seven years passed; the worm grew ever bigger and the people ever poorer. The land around the castle became quite barren.

Then one day, a handsome young knight, in shining armour and riding a charger entered the castle grounds. It was the young Sir John, back from his adventures. That night the great hall was filled with people. 

"What has happened to all the trees on the south side of the castle?" asked the young knight, "Has there been war here?" A hush came over the gathering.

Sadly, his father told how the dragon had brought them to ruin. Horrified, John realized that the dragon was the same hideous worm he had thrown into the well all those years ago. 
"It was my fault the dragon destroys our land," he declared. "So it is I who must rid Lambton of this evil menace." 
The crowd cheered. He began making a plan to defeat dragon. He listened closely to stories of the dragon's remarkable healing powers, and he learned its habits and its needs.

Then, he went to visit a local witch. She said that he alone could kill the worm. He must go to the blacksmith and have a suit of armour made, with razor sharp blades sticking out from its surface. Then he must go to the rock, and summon the dragon with his horn.

"But mark my words well," said the wise woman. "If you slay the beast, you must then put to death the first thing that crosses your path as you pass the threshold of Lambton Hall. Otherwise, for the next nine generations, no Lambton will die peacefully in his bed."


John swore on oath to follow the advice. The blacksmith forged him a suit of armour embedded with spikes. Then he went to the church to pray.

The next day, he waded into the river near the rock, blew his horn and awaited the dragon. It seemed to recognize him instantly. In its fury it lashed its tail, sending waves of water over him. Lambton swung his sword, slashing and cutting the dragon. But this time, when a piece was hacked off, it was swept away by the river before it could re-attach. And when the dragon coiled itself around Lambton, to crush him to death, the razor edged spikes cut it to pieces.

The more it tried to crush him, the worse it was sliced. Desperately, it tried to get back to the riverbank, but Lambton kept hacking away until it closed its fiery eyes. It was dispatched with one heavy sword blow to its head and was swept down the river, turned crimson with blood. 

Exhausted, Lambton crawled from the water and blew three blasts on his horn. This was the signal for his father to release his favourite hound, to complete his vow.

Unfortunately, his joyful father forgot and rushed out to greet John as he passed over the threshold. Dismayed John blew another blast on his horn and the hound was released, which John killed with one sweeping blow from his sword. 


But it was too late, for the vow was broken. What the witch foretold, came to pass. For nine generations following the death of the dragon, no Lord of Lambton died peacefully in his bed.

Sources:  http://myths.e2bn.org

Activities

In the following entries you will find some interesting activities to do with children which main guideline is The Lambton Worm.

• Activity 1. Reading.
• Activity 2. Listening.
• Activity 3. Writing.
• Activity 4. Speaking.

Reading

After reading the legend of The Lambton Worm answer the following questions:

Part A

1. Where is the Lambton Castle located?

2. What did Young Lambton fish?

3. How was its head like?

4. How many legs did the worm have?

5. Where did John Lambton put the creature?

6. Where did John Lambton decide to go when he grew up?

7. What happened which the cows?

8. How was the dragon?

Part B (True or false)

1. Each year the creature got stronger and stronger.    

2. By night the dragon rested on its rock.

3. Its appetite was enormous.

4. The local residents were not ready when the dragon went to Lambton Hall.

5. Sir John got back from his adventures.

6. That night the great hall was empty.

7. John did not realize that the dragon was the same creature.

8. What the witch said come to pass.

Listening

Listen to The Lambton Worm's song and put each paragraph in its right place.

The Lambton Worm song

One Sunday morning young Lambton went

to fishing in the Wear;

And caught a fish upon his hook

He thought looked very strange.

But what kind of fish it was

Young Lambton couldn’t tell

He couldn’t be bothered to carry it home,

So he threw it down a well

Chorus The news of this most awful worm And his queer gannins on Soon crossed the seas, got to the ears Ov brave and bowld Sir John. So home he came and caught the beast, And cut him in two halves, And that soon stopped his eating bairns And sheep and lambs and caalves.

Chorus

This fearful worm would often feed On caalves and lambs and sheep, And swally little bairns alive When they laid down the sleep. And when he'd eaten all he could And he had had he's fill, He craaled away and lapped he's tail Ten times roond Pensha Hill.

Chorus

But the worm got fat and grew and grew, And grew an awful size; He'd greet big teeth, a greet big gob, And greet big goggly eyes. And when at nights he crawled around Te pick up bits of news, If he felt dry upon the road, He'd milk a dozen coos.

Chorus

Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs, And I'll tell you all an awful story, Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs, And I'll tell you about the worm. Now Lambton felt inclined to go And fight a foreign war. He joined a troop of Knights that cared For neither wounds nor scars, And off he went to Palestine Where queer things him befel, An very soon forgot about The queer worm in the well.

Chorus

So now you know how all the folk

On both sides of the Wear

Lost lots of sheep and lots of sleep

And lived in mortal fear.

So let's hev one to brave Sir John

That kept the bairns from harm,

Saved coos and calves by making halves

Of the famous Lambton Worm. Chorus

Writing

Part A

Write a brief summary about the legend of The Lambton Worm.

Part B

Find a reference in the legend of The Lambton Worm according to each of the drawings.

Part C

Create a Haiku about the worm.

The structure of the haiku is divided into 3 lines and 17 syllables.

The first and the last lines have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables.

The haiku is a form of Japanese poetry, and it is usually use to describe one simple thing such as an animal, a season of the year, and so on.

Speaking

Part A

Divided into groups elaborate a dialogue following the story. Each student act as a character.

Part B

Discussion

In pairs talk about your own reaction if you were John Lambton. 

Art

Draw and colour the scene you liked most about the story.