The cry of the Lapwing

Do you know the connection between the Lapwing and Fenland Folklore? More specifically the cry of the Lapwing, its distinctive “Peewit” cry is linked to an old Lincolnshire folk tale called “the Tiddy Munn”.

“Lapwing” papercut by Lizzie Ault, 2022.

The story goes that before the draining of the Fens the local people used to see a little man darting across the landscape. He lived in the watery places and was known as the Tiddy Munn. You knew he was there because you would hear the sound of rushing water and the cry of the peewit. When the waters rose up and were coming dangerously close to the house the people would go out and ask the Tiddy Munn to send the water back. If they heard the cry of the peewit they knew Tiddy Munn had heard them and the waters would recede.

After the draining of the land there was a great sickness. Livestock and children fell ill and died. The people remembered the Tiddy Munn and thought perhaps he had put a curse upon the land. At midnight they all went out to the dyke with water in pitchers and pots and poured in the water crying “Tiddy Munn without a name, here’s water for you now tak’ thy spell undone.” At first they heard nothing, then they began to hear terrible sounds, some said they heard the cries of their dead children, some covered their ears and wept. But finally, they heard the cry of the Peewit and they knew their call had been heard. After that the sickness went away but the Tiddy Munn has not been seen in these parts since that night.

“The Tiddy Munn” by Lizzie Ault, 2021

If you know the call of the Lapwing you will understand its haunting quality and will probably understand how it came to be associated with such a tale.