THE GREEN CHILDREN OF WOOLPIT

INTRODUCTION

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The reign of King Stephen in 12th century England marked a time of civil unrest as the nation became embroiled in a war. Woolpit, located in the county of Suffolk, remained a peaceful and small village in England. Even today, the population of the village is merely a couple thousand. As King Stephen continued to fend off the war, the few villagers experienced an event that still continues to catch the eyes of theorists today. Whether the Green Children really existed or not may forever remain unknown, but the villagers today continue to seek out evidence to determine the answer.

OCCURRENCE

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During the Harvest Time of the village, two young children were discovered by several villagers. They were reportedly found inside a pit designed to trap wolves. The pit was at least twice the height of the children, but they emerged from the pit nevertheless. The children were described to have a very strange appearance and style to them. One child was a boy and the other a girl, but that is where the normality of the children cease. Each child had green tinted skin and spoke an unknown foreign language. The clothes the children wore were tattered and unfamiliar to the villagers and the region. Eventually, a man named Richard de Calne would house the children.

The children refused any food offered to them by the villagers. However, when they were presented with raw fava beans, they consumed the beans eagerly. Eventually, the children began to diversify their food likings to other foods such as bread. They lose the green tint to their skin and were even baptised in the village. Sadly, the boy fell very ill and died, but the girl remained in relatively great health. Despite only speaking a foreign language initially, the girl learns English and speaks about her origins. According to several accounts, she describes her and her deceased brother’s birthplace as a land called the “Land of Saint Martin,” where everything is shrouded in green colors. This land is described by her as a land where the sun never shines. She further describes that she spotted a “luminous” piece of land across a river from the Land of Saint Martin.

As for how they ended up inside a trench, it is a mystery. There are two accounts for how they appeared in Woolpit. The first account states that the children were herding their father’s cattle when they stumbled upon a cave. They walked into the cave and kept walking until they reached sunlight and entered Woolpit. Apparently, the children followed the sounds of bells in the cave that led them to the sunlight and eventually Woolpit. They then were discovered by the villagers. Another account stated that the children were also herding their father’s cattle, but they instead heard a really loud sound. Afterwards, they suddenly appeared in the trench in Woolpit where they would be found by the villagers. The girl later assimilates into English society; she is rumored to have then been married to a man with connections to King Henry II, but these details are unconfirmed. Writer Duncan Lunan theorized that the girl was given the name Agnes and married an important English figure named Richard Barre.

THEORIES

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Several theories exist that attempt to explain the appearance of the Green Children. For their green tinted skin, the majority of theorists have pointed to several medical explanations. Hypochromic Anemia is a disease caused primarily by an individual with an extremely poor diet. The disease has a distinct syndrome of causing a green tint to the victim’s skin. This is definitely plausible for the children as they seemed to have only eaten raw fava beans before arriving at Woolpit. Furthermore, both lost their green tint when they began eating a normal diet. Another theory for their skin color points to arsenic poisoning. Arsenic has no distinct taste, so the children may have consumed arsenic by accident.

The most popular theory is that the children are immigrants. Theorists believe the children’s parents were Flemish immigrants who have been killed during the war of King Stephen. The description of the Land of Saint Martin was described as a land which had another land nearby, separated by a river. A few miles away from Woolpit, another nearby village is separated by a river from Woolpit. It is possible that the children suffered poor diets as orphans and made their way to Woolpit. It is even noted that another nearby village often had loud bells ring out. However, this theory does not provide an explanation for the unknown foreign language the children spoke.

Many other theories, stories, and accounts float around, claiming to be an answer for the origins of the Green Children of Woolpit. However, none of these have been proven and usually include several flaws within them. The truth behind this historical event may never be uncovered, but the village acknowledges the importance of the event. The village sign includes a depiction of the two children, whose fates and origins may never be solved.

SOURCES

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The Green Children of Woolpit (https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Green-Children-of-Woolpit/)

The Mystery of the Green Children of Woolpit (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/62878/mystery-green-children-woolpit)

The Green Children of Woolpit: the 12th century legend of visitors from another world (https://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/green-children-woolpit-12th-century-legend-visitors-another-world-002347)

Green children of Woolpit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_children_of_Woolpit)

The Green Children of Woolpit (https://historydaily.org/the-green-children-of-woolpit)