Lazy Laurence

Lazy Laurence is a pixie and nature spirit from English folklore, known particularly in the New Forest region of Hampshire and Dorset. He is traditionally regarded as a guardian of orchards and cider, and is said to have a mischievous habit of making people drowsy beneath fruit trees. He may induce laziness, cause dithering behavior, or even bring on sudden stomach cramps.

Laurence is most strongly linked to the New Forest, where tales describe him punishing apple thieves and disrespectful visitors by giving them indigestion or sending them into a dreamy, confused state. Writing in 1862, John Wise remarked, “Here in the Forest still dwell fairies. The mischievous sprite, Laurence, still holds men by his spell and makes them idle. If a peasant is lazy, it is proverbially said, ‘Laurence has got upon him,’ or, ‘He has got a touch of Laurence.’ He is still regarded with awe, and barrows are called after him.”

Beyond Hampshire and Dorset, Lazy Laurence was once known in neighboring counties such as Sussex and Somerset, where he served as a figure used to frighten children. In Devon and Cornwall dialects, stories emphasized his laziness even more strongly. One of the earliest literary mentions of Laurence appears in a pamphlet from the 1770s titled The Pleasant History of Lazy Laurence.

According to Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, some have speculated that Laurence’s character may relate to the heat around the time of the Feast of St. Lawrence on August 10. Another theory suggests a connection to the story of St. Lawrence’s martyrdom, where he jokingly told his torturers to turn him on the gridiron—perhaps seen as a sign of laziness rather than pain.

Laurence is traditionally believed to dwell at a site called Laurence’s Barrow, a small bell barrow on Beaulieu Heath. Nearby are two other ancient mounds with pixie associations in local lore: Watt’s Parlour and Cold Pixies’ Cave. These barrows are thought to mark a magical landscape where Laurence and other forest spirits once held sway.