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The Knucker
The word knucker derives from the Old English word nicor
or nicker which meant a water monster. As such it is a generic
name for atype of water dragon found in England. However there is one
particularly famous knucker simply known as The Knucker.
The Knucker lived in Lyminster in West Sussex. Like others of its
kind it lived in a watery hole called a knucker hole. These holes
were reputed to be bottomless. The water in the knucker holes
never froze during winter nor evaporated during summer.
The Knucker of Lyminister was able to fly and would terrorise
the local countryside. It would emerge from its hole and swoop
down on livestock or villagers.
There are two main stories concerning the death of The Knucker:
The Brave Knight
The first tale follows the traditional lines of fairy tale. It is said
that the King of Sussex became so annoyed by the Knucker eating his subjects
that he offered his daughter's hand in marriage to anyone who could
kill the beast. Sure enough, along came a knight in shining armour
who slew the dragon and married the princess.
The Brave Pie Boy
The second version of the death of The Knucker is more interesting.
According to this story, a local lad by the name of Jim Pulk cooked
a huge Sussex pie which he laced with poison. He left the pie on a cart
near the Knucker Hole. When the Knucker saw the pie he scoffed it down -
and the poison killed him soon afterwards.
Unfortunately this story doesn't have a "happy ever after" ending.
Young Jim had been careless and managed to get some of the poison on himself.
He too died of poison shortly afterwards.
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