Hello one and all!
It's Folklore Thursday once again! Today I'll be discussing the lindworm, a serpent-like dragon which features prominently in European mythology, usually Germanic or Scandinavian. The name in fact has Germanic roots and can be translated to "ensnaring serpent." The dragon also regularly made appearances in Medieval heraldry. Below is the story The Lindworm Prince, which was originally from Scandinavia.
The Lindworm Prince
Once upon a time there was a benevolent king and queen who longed for a child. One day, out on a walk, the queen met an old sorceress. This old woman said that she should put a two-handled chalice in the corner of her garden. The next morning there would be two roses, a white and red one. If the queen eats the white one, then she would give birth to a princess. If she swallowed the red one then she would have a prince. The old woman parted with the words "Never eat both of them!"
The queen did as she had been instructed. Sure enough, the two roses appeared the next morning. She decided to eat the white rose but when she tasted it she was overcome with greed, and devoured the red one as well.
The queen gave birth, but the first child was a hideous serpent-like monster, and it slithered away but she convinced herself that it must have been a figment of her imagination. The second of the twins born was a normal human boy, who grew up to be handsome, brave and wise.
One day the queen's son set out to search for a bride but he found his path was blocked by a large lindworm and the creature hissed "A bride for me and a bride for you!" The prince rode on and ignored it but at each crossroad the dragon hissed the same words over and over. He ran back terrified to his mother to explain the situation. The queen confessed the secret, the lindworm was the elder brother, and as a result he was entitled to be married first. The king sent a messenger to fetch a bride for the dragon. The poor girl arrived, ignorant of who the groom would be, and was then sent to the monster. The next morning she was gone. She had been eaten.
The prince set out again, but his path was blocked. The lindworm said "A bride for me before a bride for you!" The king imported another bride for the dragon, but this girl also met her end on the wedding night.
As tales of these disappearances spread more women refused to come to be wed. One day the king came upon poor a shepherd, and ordered the the man to wed his daughter to the serpent prince. The beautiful, clever daughter was terrified when her father told her that she was to become the next bride. She wandered in the woods with a heavy heart and then encountered a sorceress, the very one that had helped the queen years before. The old woman instructed the girl to demand a marriage price of a tub of lye, another tub of milk, ten white dresses and a collection of whips.
On the wedding night the girl did as a the crone had instructed. She asked the groom to shed all of his skin. Then she whipped him with a lye-soaked lash, bathed him in milk and embraced him. After the last skin was shed the princess found before her a handsome prince. In the morning the court opened the door. They expected another scene of horror, instead they found the two fast asleep in each other's arms. The whole kingdom rejoiced and they married again and lived happily ever after.
Hope you enjoyed the tale!
It's Folklore Thursday once again! Today I'll be discussing the lindworm, a serpent-like dragon which features prominently in European mythology, usually Germanic or Scandinavian. The name in fact has Germanic roots and can be translated to "ensnaring serpent." The dragon also regularly made appearances in Medieval heraldry. Below is the story The Lindworm Prince, which was originally from Scandinavia.
The Lindworm Prince
Once upon a time there was a benevolent king and queen who longed for a child. One day, out on a walk, the queen met an old sorceress. This old woman said that she should put a two-handled chalice in the corner of her garden. The next morning there would be two roses, a white and red one. If the queen eats the white one, then she would give birth to a princess. If she swallowed the red one then she would have a prince. The old woman parted with the words "Never eat both of them!"
The queen did as she had been instructed. Sure enough, the two roses appeared the next morning. She decided to eat the white rose but when she tasted it she was overcome with greed, and devoured the red one as well.
The queen gave birth, but the first child was a hideous serpent-like monster, and it slithered away but she convinced herself that it must have been a figment of her imagination. The second of the twins born was a normal human boy, who grew up to be handsome, brave and wise.
One day the queen's son set out to search for a bride but he found his path was blocked by a large lindworm and the creature hissed "A bride for me and a bride for you!" The prince rode on and ignored it but at each crossroad the dragon hissed the same words over and over. He ran back terrified to his mother to explain the situation. The queen confessed the secret, the lindworm was the elder brother, and as a result he was entitled to be married first. The king sent a messenger to fetch a bride for the dragon. The poor girl arrived, ignorant of who the groom would be, and was then sent to the monster. The next morning she was gone. She had been eaten.
The prince set out again, but his path was blocked. The lindworm said "A bride for me before a bride for you!" The king imported another bride for the dragon, but this girl also met her end on the wedding night.
As tales of these disappearances spread more women refused to come to be wed. One day the king came upon poor a shepherd, and ordered the the man to wed his daughter to the serpent prince. The beautiful, clever daughter was terrified when her father told her that she was to become the next bride. She wandered in the woods with a heavy heart and then encountered a sorceress, the very one that had helped the queen years before. The old woman instructed the girl to demand a marriage price of a tub of lye, another tub of milk, ten white dresses and a collection of whips.
On the wedding night the girl did as a the crone had instructed. She asked the groom to shed all of his skin. Then she whipped him with a lye-soaked lash, bathed him in milk and embraced him. After the last skin was shed the princess found before her a handsome prince. In the morning the court opened the door. They expected another scene of horror, instead they found the two fast asleep in each other's arms. The whole kingdom rejoiced and they married again and lived happily ever after.
Hope you enjoyed the tale!
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