Chapter

Lindworm

We had to travel down the river again, but alas we brushed against an islet. The boat broke. My companion lost his boat, his axe, and a pike – I lost a couple of stuffed birds, including a heron. After wringing the water out of our clothes and walking a mile along the shore, we came upon a settler who gave us food. His name was Oscar. His face was pockmarked with disease, although he ascribed it to the acid spit of a rolling whiteworm. I assumed the illness had ravaged his mind. When we left, I saw something huge slither through the woodds. I asked my companion what the monstrous creature could be, but he saw nothing but trees and shrubbery.

— Carl Linnaeus, June 4th, 1732

A lindworm is an ancient monster with a reptilian body and razor-sharp claws, capable of spitting caustic acid. A white mane grows on its neck. It tends to stay under old oak trees, whose leaves will then remain green throughout the year, or dwell beneath churches or in ruins. The lindworm hoards treasures in its burrow. By biting its own tail, it is able to roll along at high speed. A lindworm feeds on cattle, human flesh, and corpses. They routinely trick people and put them under their spell. Some say there are God-fearing lindworms that can grant people the gift of magic, others claim that a person can gain magical powers from eating the flesh of such a creature.

Ritual

Lindworms are not harmed by fire, but can be killed by tricking them into slithering through three different fires. The third fire turns the lindworm into ash.

Hide ritual

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