The Lair of the White Worm (novel)

The Lair of the White Worm is a Gothic horror novel by the Irish writer Bram Stoker. It was first published by Rider and Son of London in 1911 – the year before Stoker's death – with colour illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith. The story is based on the legend of the Lambton Worm. It has also been issued as The Garden of Evil. The novel is set in Derbyshire in 1860. An Australian man is invited to visit the estate of his elderly great-uncle and learns that he is the uncle's intended heir. The main character finds black snakes on his great uncle's property, and learns about recent incidents of death or near-death by snakebite. He witnesses a local woman murdering a servant, and learns that she may be the White Worm of local legend in human form. In this case, "worm" being a term for a Germanic dragon.