The story of the Lambton Worm is a legend from County Durham, in North East England. The tale revolves around John Lambton, an heir of the Lambton Estate, Sunderland, who skips church one Sunday to go fishing in the River Wear. On his fishing trip, he catches a small eel- or lamprey-like creature, which he discards into a well. Many years later, after fighting in the crusades, Lambton returns to find his father’s estates blighted by a gigantic worm dragon, or ‘wyrm’, which has been terrorising the local villagers and eating their livestock. The worm is so large it wraps itself around a local hill seven times. Every time it is attacked, it heals itself by rejoining any pieces that have been hacked off. John seeks the advice of a wise woman or witch near Durham, who tells him he must cover his armour in spearheads and fight the beast in the river, where it will not be able to use its self-healing powers. She warns him, however, that after killing the worm, he must kill the first living thing he sees, or his family will be cursed for nine generations and not die in their beds. John prepares for the fight, instructing his father to release his favourite hound once the beast is slain. He battles the beast in the River Wear, near where he first caught it, and eventually kills it. However, in his joy, John forgets his agreement with his father and runs to him before the hound is released. His father, overwhelmed with joy, forgot to release the hound and therefore John could not kill his own father, leading to the curse of his family for nine generations.