Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: The Laidly Worm of Bamborough, Laidly Worm
Category: Dragon
The Myth
The Laidly Worm is a monstrous dragon into which Princess Margaret of Bamburgh is transformed. The creature is a fearsome worm, dwelling among the rocks and caves of Spindleston Heugh, where it becomes a terror to the surrounding land.
In the Kingdom of Northumbria, the kind king of Bamburgh loses his wife and later takes a beautiful but cruel witch as his queen. The new queen becomes jealous of the king’s daughter, Princess Margaret, whose beauty she resents. With the king’s son, Childe Wynd, away across the sea, the witch sees her opportunity to rid herself of the princess.
She casts a terrible enchantment upon Margaret, transforming her into the Laidly Worm. The curse declares that she shall remain a dragon until Childe Wynd, the king’s own son, comes to the Heugh and kisses her three times. Until then, she is doomed to remain in her monstrous form.
The dragon becomes a fearsome presence around Spindleston Heugh and must be appeased with food. In Joseph Jacobs’ telling, seven cows are set aside for the creature each day. News of the terrible worm eventually reaches Childe Wynd, who returns despite the efforts of his stepmother to prevent him from reaching his sister.
When Childe Wynd finally comes before the Laidly Worm, he does not attack the monster. Instead, he kisses the dragon three times. The enchantment is broken, and the monstrous worm is restored to Princess Margaret in her human form.
The wicked queen is punished for her sorcery, being transformed into a toad, while Childe Wynd becomes king. The tale thus ends with the princess restored, the enchantment broken, and the witch who caused it stripped of her human form.
Spindleston Heugh itself became bound to the legend. The great stone column known as the Spindlestone, or Bridle Rock, is said to be the place where Childe Wynd threw his horse’s bridle before confronting the worm. The surrounding landscape was traditionally associated with the dragon’s dwelling, including a cave and a stone trough where the Laidly Worm was said to have lived and fed.
Sources
“The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 2, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Laidly_Worm_of_Spindleston_Heugh