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lindworm
Sign in to saveAlso known as lindwyrm, lindwurm
The lindworm (worm meaning snake), also spelled lindwyrm or lindwurm, is a mythical creature in Northern, Western and Central European folklore that traditionally has the shape of a giant serpent monster which lives deep in the forest. It can be seen as a sort of dragon.
Key facts
- Mythical creature.name
- Lindworm
- Mythical creature.AKA
- Lindwurm, lindwyrm, lindorm
- Mythical creature.image
- John Bauer, 1911 (cropped, no signature).jpg
- Mythical creature.image_size
- 250px
- Mythical creature.caption
- Swedish lindworm drawn by Swedish illustrator John Bauer, 1911. The Swedish lindworm lacks wings and limbs.
- Mythical creature.Folklore
- Mythical creature, legendary creature
- Mythical creature.Grouping
- Monster
- Mythical creature.Sub_Grouping
- Dragon
- Mythical creature.Family
- Worm (dragon), , Basilisk, Guivre, Vouivre, Wyvern, Sea serpents, Jörmungandr
- Mythical creature.Region
- Northern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe
- Mythical creature.First_Attested
- Viking Age
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- John Bauer, 1911 (cropped, no signature).jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Lindworms
via Wikidata · CC0
~15 min read
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Swedish lindworm (lindorm)
- Brooding over treasure
- Late belief in lindworms in Sweden
- Central European lindworm (lindwurm)
- Lindworm offshoots (guivre, vouivre, wyvern)
- In heraldry
- In tales
- See also
- References
- External links
The lindworm (worm meaning snake), also spelled lindwyrm or lindwurm, is a mythical creature in Northern, Western and Central European folklore that traditionally has the shape of a giant serpent monster which lives deep in the forest. It can be seen as a sort of dragon.
In Central Europe and beyond, it is often depicted as a serpent with forelimbs, often also with wings and sometimes even hindlimbs, but in some traditions, especially Swedish folklore, it is foremost limbless; however, the various traits are generally just considered variation within the "species", and a lindworm is not defined by limbs or lack thereof. A broad definition is any western dragon with heavy serpentine features.