Show and Tell

Stories That Connect Us

Show and Tell

Stories That Connect Us

Hi, I’m John Conyers, beloved hero of the North East.

I love telling stories of beasts and treasure from around the North East. There are so many interesting stories to share!

Hi! I'm Mei! I play a warrior character in Peking Opera from China.

I love hearing new stories! I think they are a great way to learn about someone and where they are from.

Hi, I’m John Conyers, beloved hero of the North East.

I love telling stories of beasts and treasure from around the North East. There are so many interesting stories to share!

Hi! I'm Mei! I play a warrior character in Peking Opera from China.

I love hearing new stories! I think they are a great way to learn about someone and where they are from.

Mei, can I regale you with a tale of bravery, danger, and a beast so terrifying it'd make your hair stand on end?

Picture the quiet and the peaceful medieval village of Sockburn, nestled in the heart of Durham.

Sounds idyllic? Well, it was anything but!

Long ago this poor village was being terrorised by a creature so foul, so monstrous, that it sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest souls.

They called it the Sockburn Wyrm.

Mei, can I regale you with a tale of bravery, danger, and a beast so terrifying it'd make your hair stand on end?

Picture the quiet and the peaceful medieval village of Sockburn, nestled in the heart of Durham.

Sounds idyllic? Well, it was anything but!

Long ago this poor village was being terrorised by a creature so foul, so monstrous, that it sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest souls.

They called it the Sockburn Wyrm.

Don't let the name fool you.

This wasn't your everyday garden worm.

Oh no!

This was a fearsome dragon-like beast with wings that could blot out the sun and a tail that could crush a man in an instant.

Durham University Archives and Special Collections. PamL+ 398 4 SCR 007

Durham University Archives and Special Collections. PamL+ 398 4 SCR 007

This wretched creature was wreaking havoc on Sockburn.

It was snatching up farm animals like they were snacks, terrorising the villagers, and laying waste to the land.

Enter me, the ruggedly handsome Sir John Conyers, a noble knight from a wealthy local family.

I wasn't about to sit idly by while this monster destroyed my homeland. I took matters into my own hands.

Before facing the beast, I went to the local church, decked myself out in a full set of armour, covered in rows upon rows of spikes, and grabbed my trusty sword.

The battle that ensued was epic. I, dodging the beast's fiery breath and venomous attacks, fought with all my might.

Conyers Falchion. The sword said to have slayed the Sockburn Wyrm. Image reproduced with kind permission of the Chapter of Durham Cathedral

Conyers Falchion. The sword said to have slayed the Sockburn Wyrm. Image reproduced with kind permission of the Chapter of Durham Cathedral

And just when it seemed all hope was lost, I struck the final blow.

With a mighty roar, the Sockburn Wyrm fell. The village was saved!

The people rejoiced, and peace returned to Sockburn at last.

Wow, that's a great story, John! I spend so much time playing a warrior, it’s amazing to meet a real one!

Let me tell you one of my favourite stories from the theatre. I’ll have a look in my bag. Let me see…

Wow, that's a great story, John! I spend so much time playing a warrior, it’s amazing to meet a real one!

Let me tell you one of my favourite stories from the theatre. I’ll have a look in my bag. Let me see…

BOO!

This is a Hannya mask.

It represents a female serpent demon filled with jealousy, resentment, and hatred.

[DUROM.2011.4]

This mask was used in Noh theatre, and one of the most popular plays using a Hannya mask is the play Dōjōji.

Let me tell you that story.

You see, the Dōjō-ji temple in Hidakagawa, Japan, had not had a temple bell for many years, and the Abbot ordered a new one.

While the bell was being installed, the Abbot had banned women from the temple grounds.

However, a woman approached the temple, and began a hypnotic dance to stun the temple monks.

She then attacked the hanging temple bell, and it began to fall to the floor. As it fell, she stood under the bell and jumped.

The bell crashed onto the floor with the woman inside it!

The monks, shocked, went to tell the Abbot about what had just happened. After hearing from them, the Abbot began to tell a story about the temple:

You see, the Dōjō-ji temple in Hidakagawa, Japan, had not had a temple bell for many years, and the Abbot ordered a new one.

While the bell was being installed, the Abbot had banned women from the temple grounds.

However, a woman approached the temple, and began a hypnotic dance to stun the temple monks.

She then attacked the hanging temple bell, and it began to fall to the floor. As it fell, she stood under the bell and jumped.

The bell crashed onto the floor with the woman inside it!

The monks, shocked, went to tell the Abbot about what had just happened. After hearing from them, the Abbot began to tell a story about the temple:

"Once, a young woman was tricked into thinking that a monk would marry her. After finding out she was wrong, she was angry and heartbroken. She chased him to the temple, and he hid under the temple bell."

"The woman transformed into a monstrous snake, coiled around the bell and spat fire, which burned the man to death."

The monks now knew that the dancer hiding under the bell was the same woman from the story.

They rushed back to the bell and prayed over it. They then started to pull up the bell.

Like in the story told by the Abbot, the woman had turned into the same monstrous snake! The temple monks began to fight her.

It was a tough battle for the monks; luckily for them, the monstrous snake burned itself during the battle. This caused the snake demon to flee and vanish into the bed of the Hidakagawa River.

That is a scary mask! Nearly jumped out of my boots...

Now Mei, let me shock and terrify you with the story of...

Lady Lily from Lumley Castle

A chilling tale that's been whispered in County Durham for centuries.

'Lumley Castle' by Alexander Francis Lydon (1880)

'Lumley Castle' by Alexander Francis Lydon (1880)

It was 1389, and Sir Ralph Lumley had just finished building his grand castle.

This is Sir Ralph's seal from 1393. He would have used this to sign documents to prove his identity.

He was married to the beautiful Lady Lily , and they were as happy as could be.

But here's where it gets interesting, Lady Lily rejected the Catholic faith which at the time was a dangerous thing to do.

Despite this, two Catholic priests tried everything to convert her, but she wouldn't budge an inch in her decision.

But soon after, strange things start happening in the Castle. The staff started whispering about a woman in white, floating through the halls.

Guests woke up in the middle of the night, swearing they heard a woman crying.

They say it's Lady Lily, her spirit unable to rest. She roams the Castle, perhaps searching for justice, or maybe just trying to find her way home.

Be warned, Mei, to this day, people still see her.

What a scary story! I know a ghost story too. This one is an urban legend from Korea.

They say there was once an old granny in Korea who loved her cat very much. He meant the whole world to her.

One day, she had to make an urgent trip to Hong Kong, and couldn't bear to leave her cat behind, so she put him in her luggage and boarded the plane.

The journey to Hong Kong isn't too long, and the old woman had taken it many times before. However, this would not be any ordinary plane ride.

No-one had noticed before take-off but something was wrong with the engines.

[DUROM.2017.173.3 - This postcard is part of a series by Yeri Lee depicting Korean ghost stories.]

[*DUROM.2017.173.3* - This postcard is part of a series by Yeri Lee depicting Korean ghost stories.]

As they approached Hong Kong, the engines gave out, and the plane began to hurtle faster and faster towards the ground. The pilot could do nothing to stop it. The plane was going to crash.

Unfortunately, there was no escape. The old woman and her cat, severely injured from the crash, drew their final breaths together, and their souls merged into one.

The old woman became a half-human, half-cat ghost. Shattered by grief and pain, she lost her mind.

If you stay out too late at night, you may run into her. They say she wanders the streets at night, preying on children. Those she targets are never seen again.

If you do see her, don't try to run. You won't outpace her.

Like a cat, she can run a hundred meters in ten seconds, and jump great distances.

Even at home, you're never truly safe. She might appear at the window of your house, calling your name.

You mustn't open the window, for if you do, she will climb in, and you will never be heard from again.

Wow, isn’t it fascinating how stories from different times and places can share similar themes? It really shows how we're all connected.

Speaking of stories, I’ve got an exciting adventure ahead of me.

I’m heading to Ebchester to search for a legendary Roman treasure chest!

According to local lore, as the Roman legions withdrew from Britain in the early 5^th century, they buried a treasure chest full of Roman gold somewhere underground in Ebchester.

Roman coin dated to 392-394 CE, found in the River Tees. DURMA.2020.3.1967

Roman coin dated to 392-394 CE, found in the River Tees. DURMA.2020.3.1967

Now this is no ordinary chest. It was said to be intricately adorned with an ornate crow to guard over it, hidden away through a network of secret tunnels the Romans had supposedly built.

Roman ceramic sherds found in Ebchester. DURMA.2016.14

Roman ceramic sherds found in Ebchester. DURMA.2016.14

Over the centuries, many have tried to uncover this treasure, but all attempts ended in complete failure, and no evidence has been found to confirm its existence.

The most famous effort came in the 1700s when a determined man dug numerous pits around the area. He followed several promising leads but ultimately gave up after coming up empty-handed.

For generations, people have dreamed of finding it, but none had my track record for success!

As John Conyers, slayer of the Sockburn Wyrm, I will try to find this treasure! Where are you off to?

I am travelling to Tibet! They call it "the roof of the world", because the mountains soar up into the sky.

[DUROM.1966.17 - A lithograph of the Himalayas mountain landscape.]

I am planning on watching a traditional Snow Lion dance, it is performed during ritual festivals and in the New Year. The dance uses the emblem of Tibet…

the Snow Lion.

I am travelling to Tibet! They call it "the roof of the world", because the mountains soar up into the sky.

[DUROM.1966.17 - A lithograph of the Himalayas mountain landscape.]

I am planning on watching a traditional Snow Lion dance, it is performed during ritual festivals and in the New Year. The dance uses the emblem of Tibet…

the Snow Lion.

[DUROM.1974.29.8]

Don't confuse the Snow Lion with the endangered snow leopards who also live in the Himalayas.

Snow Lions are mythical animals with white bodies and blue or green manes and tails.

The origins of the mythic Snow Lion comes from ancient Tibet and stories of the Snow Lion have been told for generations.

[DUROM.1974.29.8]

The legends say that they live in the Eastern Himalayas and guard the landscape and all who live in it. It's also said that the snow lion's roar was powerful enough to bring down seven dragons from the sky.

The Snow Lion myth has a central place in Tibetan culture. It is seen as a defender and protector reflecting the strong spiritual bond that they have with the natural world.

In Tibetan legends the Snow Lion is connected to King Gesar, a Tibetan hero and protagonist of the Epic of Gesar, the longest heroic epic in the world.

Gesar is said to have been raised by a white Snow Lioness. Her milk is said to harbour nutrients and be extremely potent, drinking the milk is said to enhance the body’s balance and well-being.

Gesar was a divine character full of supernatural power. The story goes that Gesar was the son of two deities who was reborn in the human realm to defeat the demon kings who had taken over and free the people of suffering.

In Tibetan legends the Snow Lion is connected to King Gesar, a Tibetan hero and protagonist of the Epic of Gesar, the longest heroic epic in the world.

Gesar is said to have been raised by a white Snow Lioness. Her milk is said to harbour nutrients and be extremely potent, drinking the milk is said to enhance the body’s balance and well-being.

Gesar was a divine character full of supernatural power. The story goes that Gesar was the son of two deities who was reborn in the human realm to defeat the demon kings who had taken over and free the people of suffering.

The Snow Lion is such an important part of Tibetan culture that it was even used on their prayer flags.

[DUROM.1974.29.67 - woodblock print in the form of a prayer flag, contain depictions of a snow lion.]

The centre of the flag depicts a Lungta (wind horse) which represents speed and the transformation of bad to good.

It is usually accompanied by four other sacred animals in each corner of the prayer flag.

A Dragon, representing strength and protection. They are thought to ward off evil.

A Garuda. This is a mythical bird which represents wisdom and the ability to see things clearly.

A Tiger, representing confidence and courage.

A Snow Lion, representing fearlessness and joy. The snow lion is a symbol for being free from fears.

With all this history, I am really excited to see this dance. Good luck with your treasure hunt!

We've got some busy travels ahead of us!

Tap to explore our exhibitions at Palace Green Library and the Oriental Museum for more stories

Acknowledgements

This online exhibition was developed by a group of MA Museum and Artefact Studies students 2024-25 from Durham University's Department of Archaeology.

We would like to thank all Durham University Museums staff for their help and guidance, especially David Wright and Sierra Medellin. Additional thanks to Durham Cathedral's Collections staff.

Illustrations by: Chuqiao Ma, Ruoqi Li, Sijie Zhao, Xingying Yan, Zihan Guo, Ziyu Zhou

Text by: Georgia Vitty, Joshua Elliott, Katy Brown, Madeline Bryden, Sam O'Sullivan, Jude Whitelaw

A collaboration between Beasts and Legends: Adventures Through Northeast Folklore at Palace Green Library and Telling Tales: Making Stories Come to Life at the Oriental Museum