Film
The Lindworm | A Story Told by Martin Shaw
Emergence Magazine
  • 09:56

The Lindworm

A Story Told by Martin Shaw

In this short film, mythologist, author, and storyteller Martin Shaw tells the old Norwegian story of “The Lindworm,” a mythical creature that is part human and part snake. This ancient tale poses a timely question: what have we exiled that returns to us in fury? This telling of “The Lindworm” reminds us of the enduring wisdom of this timeless myth and of our often fraught and fearful relationship with the wild.

Storyteller

Martin Shaw is a writer, artist, teacher, and mythologist. His books include: Smoke Hole, Courting the Wild Twin, Wolf Milk: Chthonic Memory in the Deep Wild, The Night Wages, and A Branch from the Lightning Tree. Shaw’s translations of Celtic folklore and poetry (with Tony Hoagland) have been published in Poetry International, The Mississippi Review, Poetry Magazine, Orion, and Kenyon Review. He is the founder of the Westcountry School of Myth, a learning community located on Dartmoor in the far west of the United Kingdom.

Illustrator

Tareq Mirza is an illustrator, painter, and animator. His work in computer graphics and visual effects can be seen in the films Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Van Helsing. From his home in the San Francisco Bay Area, Tareq is currently exploring the convergence of 3D-printing technology with traditional sculpture and metalwork. He works as the Organic Modeling Lead at the Academy of Art University.

Director & Producer

Adam Loften is an Emmy- and Peabody Award–nominated filmmaker and producer of virtual reality experiences and podcasts. His films include: Sanctuaries of Silence, The Atomic Tree, Counter Mapping, and Welcome to Canada. His work has been featured on PBS, National Geographic, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.

Director & Producer

Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee is an author, Emmy- and Peabody Award–nominated filmmaker, and a Sufi teacher. He has directed more than twenty documentary films, including Taste of the Land, The Last Ice Age, Aloha Āina, The Nightingale’s Song, Earthrise, Sanctuaries of Silence, and Elemental, among others. His films have been screened at New York Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, and Hot Docs, exhibited at the Smithsonian Museum and London’s Barbican, and featured on PBS POV, National Geographic, The New Yorker, and The New York Times Op-Docs. His first book, Remembering Earth: A Spiritual Ecology, is forthcoming from Shambhala in summer 2026. He is the founder, podcast host, and executive editor of Emergence Magazine.

Credits

Directed & Produced by Adam Loften & Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
Editing & Cinematography by Adam Loften
Illustrations by Tareq Mirza
Original music by Matthew Atticus Berger
Animation by Samplistic Media
Sound recording by Chris Madera
Sound mix by Ben Suliteanu

Mud and Antler Bone
Related Conversation

Mud and Antler Bone

An Interview with Martin Shaw

Open story

In this interview, Martin Shaw offers an extended reflection on the intelligence that lies at the heart of myths. The best stories, he says, ought to be trailed not trapped, and approached with discernment, an open heart, and an attuned ear. He began our conversation by telling the story of “The Lindworm,” an old Norwegian tale about a mythical creature that is part human and part snake.

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