The Legend Of The Lambton Worm
During the Middle Ages, a
young member of the Lambton family chose to fish
on a Sunday despite warnings that it was unlucky.
On this particular day he caught nothing but a worm
and in anger, threw it into the well.
Some years later, while Lambton
was away fighting the Crusades, the worm emerged
from the well, a huge and ferocious beast. It
devastated the land killing all in its path and
continued to grow, coiling its massive body around
the hillsides. On his return from the Holy Land, the
brave young Lambton sought help from a witch on
how best to slay the beast, but he was told that if
he killed the creature, he would have to slay the
very next living thing he met. The worm was killed
but sadly, it was Lambton's father who passed by,
and the young crusader, unable to murder
him,reneged on his promise to the witch and
condemned his family to a curse of untimely deaths
that continued for nine generations.
The song of the Lambton
Worm
One Sunday morn young Lambton
went a-fishin' in the Wear;
An' catched a fish upon his huek,
He thowt leuk't varry queer,
But whatt'n a kind a fish it was
Young Lambton couldn't tell.
He waddn't fash to carry it hyem,
So he hoyed it in a well.
Chorus
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
Aa'll tell ye aall and aaful story,
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
An' Aal tell ye 'bout the worm.
Noo Lambton felt inclined to gan
An' fight in foreign wars.
He joined a troop o' Knights that cared
For neither wounds nor scars,
An' off he went to Palestine
Where queer things him befel,
An' varry seun forgot aboot
The queer worm i' the well.
Chorus
But the worm got fat an' growed an' growed,
An' growed an aaful size;
He'd greet big teeth, a greet big gob,
An' greet big goggle eyes.
An' when at neets he craaled aboot
To pick up bits o'news,
If he felt dry upon the road,
He milked a dozen coos.
Chorus
This feorful worm wad often feed
On calves an' lambs an' sheep,
An' swally little bairns alive
When they laid doon to sleep.
An' when he'd eaten aal he cud
An' he had has he's fill,
He craaled away an' lapped his tail
Seven times roond Pensher Hill.
Chorus
The news of this most aaful worm
An' his queer gannins on
Seun crossed the seas, gat to the ears
Of brave an' bowld Sir John.
So hyem he cam an' catched the beast
An' cut 'im in three halves,
An' that seun stopped he's eatin' bairns,
An' sheep an' lambs and calves.
Chorus
So noo ye knaa hoo aall the folks
On byeth sides of the Wear
Lost lots o' sheep an' lots o' sleep
An' lived in mortal feor.
So let's hev one to brave Sir John
That kept the bairns frae harm
Saved coos an' calves by myekin' haalves
O' the famis Lambton Worm
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