Lindworm

The lindworm is a legendary creature from Northern, Western, and Central European folklore, traditionally depicted as a massive serpentine monster dwelling in deep forests. The name derives from "worm" (meaning snake in Germanic languages) and variants include "lindwyrm" and "lindwurm." These creatures can be considered a specific type of dragon in European mythology.

According to folklore, anything beneath a lindworm will grow in value as the creature itself grows larger. This belief spawned tales of dragons brooding over treasure hoards to increase their wealth. Legends describe two distinct types of lindworms: benevolent ones associated with good fortune—often enchanted princes transformed into beasts (similar to tales like the Frog Prince or Beauty and the Beast)—and malevolent man-eaters that attack humans on sight. Some tales describe lindworms swallowing their own tails to form wheels, allowing them to roll in pursuit of fleeing humans (comparable to the ouroboros symbol and hoop snake legends).

An interesting historical connection exists at the Lindwurm Fountain (Lindwurmbrunnen) in Klagenfurt, Austria, where a 16th-century lindworm statue features a head modeled after a woolly rhinoceros skull discovered in a nearby quarry in 1335. This representation has been recognized as possibly the earliest reconstruction attempt of an extinct animal.