The mystery of the Green Children of Woolpit is one of the most curious and enduring tales from medieval England. Set in the small village of Woolpit, Suffolk, during the 12th century, this strange story involves two children who were found near the village, speaking an unknown language, wearing unfamiliar clothes, and most remarkably, having green-coloured skin. The mystery of who these children were, where they came from, and why their skin was green has puzzled historians and folklorists for centuries, leading to numerous theories that range from the plausible to the fantastical.
The story of the Green Children was first recorded by two 12th-century chroniclers, Ralph of Coggeshall and William of Newburgh, both of whom were monks. Although the accounts differ in some details, the core of the story remains consistent. According to these chronicles, the children, a brother and sister, were discovered by local villagers in a wolf pit, an ancient trap dug to capture wolves, which gave the village of Woolpit its name. The children were immediately noticed for their unusual green skin and their inability to communicate in any known language.
The villagers, astonished by the sight of the children, took them to the home of Sir Richard de Calne, a local landowner. There, the children were cared for, but initially refused to eat anything offered to them. It was only when they were given raw broad beans that they began to eat, which they did with great enthusiasm. For some time, broad beans were the only food the children would consume, adding to the mystique surrounding them. Gradually, however, they started eating other types of food and, over time, their green skin faded to a normal hue.
As the children adjusted to their new environment, they began to learn English, and eventually, the girl was able to explain something of their origins. According to her account, she and her brother came from a land called St. Martin’s Land, where everyone had green skin. This mysterious place, she said, was always in twilight, and the sun never fully rose above the horizon. The girl described a landscape of perpetual dimness, unlike the world they had now encountered in Woolpit. She also mentioned that her people were Christian, and that they had churches.
The girl explained that she and her brother had been tending their father’s flock when they came across a cave. Entering the cave, they heard the sound of bells and, following the noise, wandered through the cave for what seemed like hours. When they finally emerged, they found themselves in a bright, sunlit field, confused and disoriented. It was then that the villagers found them.
Sadly, the boy, who had been sickly from the time of their discovery, died shortly after the children arrived in Woolpit. The girl, however, survived, grew up, and was baptised into the Christian faith. She eventually integrated into English society, reportedly working as a servant in Sir Richard de Calne’s household. Some sources claim that she later married, although little else is known about her life.
The tale of the Green Children has intrigued people for centuries, and numerous theories have been proposed to explain the mystery. One of the most straightforward interpretations is that the children were Flemish immigrants. During the 12th century, a significant number of Flemish people had settled in parts of eastern England, including Suffolk, but they were often viewed with suspicion and hostility by the local population. In 1173, during the reign of King Henry II, many Flemish immigrants were massacred in the region during a period of civil unrest. It is possible that the Green Children were orphans from a Flemish family, displaced by violence, and that their unusual language and appearance were simply the result of being foreign. Their “green” skin could have been caused by malnutrition, specifically a condition known as chlorosis, which gives the skin a greenish tint and can result from a poor diet lacking in essential nutrients.
This explanation would account for many aspects of the story: the children’s inability to speak English, their unusual clothing, and their initial reluctance to eat local food. It is also possible that the twilight world the girl described as “St. Martin’s Land” was a confused memory of her life in the dense, dark forests of Flanders, which would have seemed very different from the open fields of Suffolk. The sound of bells that led them through the cave could have been the distant ringing of church bells, which they followed in their disoriented state.
However, this rational explanation has not satisfied everyone, and more fantastical theories about the Green Children’s origins continue to circulate. Some have speculated that the children were from another dimension or a parallel world, where conditions such as twilight and green-skinned inhabitants were the norm. According to this view, the children somehow crossed into our world through a mysterious portal, which they may have mistaken for a cave. This theory, while far-fetched, appeals to those who prefer to see the story of the Green Children as an example of folklore blending with possible supernatural elements.
Another popular theory is that the Green Children were extraterrestrial visitors. Proponents of this idea suggest that the children’s green skin, strange language, and account of a twilight land are evidence that they were not of this Earth. While there is no concrete evidence to support this claim, it has captured the imagination of those interested in UFO sightings and alien contact, offering an otherworldly explanation for the mystery.
Despite the many theories, the mystery of the Green Children of Woolpit has never been definitively solved. The story remains a fascinating piece of medieval folklore, blending elements of the strange and supernatural with the historical realities of medieval England. Whether the children were displaced immigrants, the victims of a tragic accident, or something far more extraordinary, their tale has endured, continuing to intrigue and perplex. The story of the Green Children offers a glimpse into the mindset of medieval people, for whom the line between the natural and supernatural worlds was often blurred. In a time when knowledge of the wider world was limited, tales of mysterious visitors from unknown lands captured the imagination and helped to explain the unexplainable. Whether the Green Children of Woolpit were real or simply a product of medieval storytelling, their mystery remains unsolved, a curious reminder of the power of legend and the allure of the unknown.
