Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Bisterne Dragon
Category: Dragon
The Myth
The Bisterne Dragon was a terrifying creature that made its lair at Burley Beacon, near Bisterne in the New Forest. From there it terrorized the surrounding countryside, preying upon both people and livestock. Each morning the dragon would fly from its den to Bisterne, where it was given milk.
A knight named Berkeley resolved to put an end to the beast. He built himself a small hiding place and waited with two dogs for the dragon to arrive. When the creature came for its milk, the dogs were unleashed and threw themselves upon it. The dragon fought back fiercely, killing both animals, but the attack gave the knight his opportunity. He sprang upon the distracted beast and engaged it in a desperate battle.
The struggle did not end quickly. The dragon and the knight fought their way through the forest until at last the creature was brought down near Lyndhurst. In the fight, however, the knight himself was left deeply shaken. The dragon was dead, but its slayer did not long survive his victory. After thirty days and thirty nights he returned to the place where the beast had fallen and died alone upon the hill.
His yew-wood bow fell beside his body. From it grew a yew tree, marking the place where the dragon’s killer met his own end.
The tale was also remembered with the name of Sir Maurice Berkeley, a man renowned for his strength and courage. The story tells that when the dragon had ravaged Hampshire and proved too dangerous for others to destroy, Maurice armed himself and went out to meet it. After a fierce encounter he succeeded in killing the beast, only to die himself soon afterward.
The dragon’s defeat also inspired stranger tales of how such a creature could be overcome. Its hide was said to be so formidable that ordinary weapons were useless, and in the telling that became popular around the New Forest, the knight covered his armour with glass so that the dragon could not harm him. Thus, through courage, cunning, and a long and bloody struggle, the creature that had terrorized the countryside was finally slain.
Sources
“Bisterne Dragon.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 20, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisterne_Dragon