During the 12th century, in a quiet English village, something truly bizarre happened. Two mysterious children, their skin an eerie shade of green, appeared seemingly out of nowhere. They spoke an unknown language, wore strange clothes, and refused to eat anything except raw beans. Who were they and where did they come from?
Find out as we travel back in time to uncover the ‘Bizarre But True!’ story of The Green Children of Woolpit…
The legend of the Green Children of Woolpit takes place in England, during the chaotic reign of King Stephen, at a time known as The Anarchy, a period of civil unrest and political instability.
The village of Woolpit, named after its old wolf-catching pits, lay in the county of Suffolk. One day, near the pits, villagers stumbled upon something truly astonishing—a young boy and girl, both with unmistakeably green skin, wandering around in confusion. The villagers were baffled. The children’s clothes were unfamiliar, and the language they spoke was unlike anything spoken in England at the time. No one could understand them and they refused all food, growing weaker by the day, until they finally came across something they recognized—raw broad beans, which they ate ravenously, straight from the pod.
The children were taken in by a local knight, Sir Richard de Calne, who cared for them in his home. Over time, their diet was adjusted, and as they began eating more normal foods, the green hue of their skin even began to fade. Sadly, the boy began to grow sicker and sicker until eventually he died. But the girl—later known as Agnes—survived. She was baptized and eventually learned to speak English. When she was able to communicate, she told an incredible tale about where they had come from.
According to Agnes, she and her brother came from a land called St. Martin’s Land, a place of perpetual twilight where the sun never shone. The land was separated from another bright, luminous country by a vast river. She recalled that they had been tending their father’s flocks when they heard a strange sound, like bells ringing in the distance. As they followed the sound, they became lost, disoriented, and suddenly found themselves in the strange village of Woolpit.
Over time, Agnes became integrated into English society. She worked for Sir Richard de Calne and later married a nobleman—Richard Barre, the Archdeacon of Ely, a known and respectable figure. But the mystery of her origins was never truly solved during her lifetime.
So, who were the Green Children of Woolpit? Historians and folklorists have debated possible explanations for centuries since the events took place. Could they have been supernatural beings—fairies or visitors from another world? Or was there a much more rational explanation?
One of the most accepted theories is that the children were Flemish immigrants. During this time, Flemish settlers in England were facing persecution, particularly under King Henry II. Some believe the children may have been orphans from a nearby Flemish community that had been attacked. Lost and starving, they wandered into Woolpit, speaking only their native language, which the villagers couldn’t understand.
Their green skin could have been caused by malnutrition, particularly a condition now known as hypochromic anemia – or ‘green sickness’. The disorder can give the skin a pale greenish tint and is often caused by a lack of proper nutrients, which would certainly fit the explanation of their past…
Others have speculated that the children’s description of St. Martin’s Land could be a memory of living underground. Some historians suggest they may have been refugees hiding in tunnels or caves to escape violence, which could explain their weak state and unusual appearance when they emerged.
It’s also possible that St. Martin’s Land was a real place misinterpreted by medieval villagers. Some have suggested that it could refer to the town of Fornham St. Martin, not far from Woolpit. If the children had fled from there, disoriented and traumatized, their descriptions of perpetual twilight and a great river might have been symbolic rather than literal.
Another, more outlandish theory ties the children’s story to the legend of the Hollow Earth—suggesting they came from a subterranean civilization. Some versions even connect their tale to alien encounters, theorising that they were beings from another planet who accidentally arrived on Earth. But these explanations are most likely the creations of overactive imaginations mixed with historical exaggeration…
Interestingly though, respected medieval writers such as Ralph of Coggeshall and William of Newburgh documented the event, giving some credibility to the tale actually occurring in some form or another. There’s even a possibility that Agnes herself left behind some descendants. If her marriage to Richard Barre produced children, it’s possible that someone alive today still carries the lineage of the Green Children. If so, could genetic testing one day provide some sort of answer to the mystery?
So, were the Green Children simply lost Flemish refugees, or did they truly come from a land of eternal twilight? Could their story be linked to something even stranger lurking in the medieval village of Woolpit?
