Folklore & legend

St Carantoc and the Carhampton dragon

Carhampton, near Dunster

Legend set in the Arthurian age

Carhampton, a village east of Minehead, has a legend that ties a Celtic saint to King Arthur. Saint Carantoc is said to have visited the area looking for his altar and to have met Arthur, who was worried about a dragon terrorising the county.

Arthur knew where the altar was and promised to say, if Carantoc could rid him of the dragon. The saint put his stole around the dragon's neck and led it, quite tame, to Dunster Castle. An angry mob wanted to attack the now placid beast, but Carantoc would not allow it. He released the dragon and told it never to harm anyone again.

This is a saint's life story in the usual medieval pattern, in which a holy man pacifies a monster instead of killing it. The account used here is a modern summary, with no date, and I did not find the original hagiographic source.

Evidence
Long-standing local tradition
Access
Open ground
Location
51.179, -3.464 (Sited to the village)

Sources: Ken Forsyth, "Dragons and 'Hunky Punks' in and around Somerset churches" (Bishop's Palace, Wells) [other]

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