Legends and Folklore of Rhossili and Port Eynon
Legends and Folklore of Rhossili and Port Eynon The Dragon‑Shaped Headland of Worm’s Head Worm's Head Worm's Head like a "dragon" The western horizon of Rhossili is dominated by the unmistakable outline of Worm’s Head , a mile‑long promontory divided into the Inner Head , Middle Head and Outer Head . Its name comes from the Old Norse wyrm , meaning “dragon” or “sea serpent” , and for centuries local people believed the headland was not merely shaped like a creature but had once been alive . Folklore tells of a vast serpent haunting the waters off Rhossili, surfacing in storms and dragging ships beneath the waves. In some versions, the beast was turned to stone by a saint or sorcerer; in others, it simply lay down to sleep and never woke again. The segmented rise and fall of the headland encouraged the belief that the wyrm’s body still lay there, petrified in the act of crawling from the sea . The tides around Worm’s Head have long added to its mystique. The caus...
