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THE LEGEND OF THE LAMBTON WORM  

During the Middle Ages, a young member of the Lambton family chose to fish on a Sunday in the River Wear 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.                   Click on image to enlarge it


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

Chorus

Noo lads, Aa'll haad me gob,

That's aall Aa knaa aboot the story

Of Sir John's clivvor job

Wi' the aaful Lambton Worm

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