Wyrm, wurm, or worm, meaning serpent, are archaic terms for Germanic dragons in the wider Germanic mythology and folklore, in which they are often portrayed as large venomous snakes and hoarders of gold. Especially in later tales, however, they share many common features with other dragons in European mythology, such as having wings.
Prominent worms attested in medieval Germanic works include the dragon that killed Beowulf, the central dragon in the Völsung Cycle – Fafnir, Nidhogg, and the great world serpent, Jormungandr, including subcategories such as lindwurms and sea serpents.
Wyrms in Britain include the Lambton Worm and the Laidly Worm of Bambrough, as well as many more wyrm legends that go by other names: in Sussex, deep pools in the ground are inhabited by wyrms called knuckers. In Wales, the wyrms are called anfanc, and in Scotland they may be called beithir.
