Lincoln Imp
"The grotesque below the second corbel on the north side (counting from the east—it is in the retro-choir) represents an elf with large ears, and may perhaps be regarded as illustrating the mediaeval folk-lore.
Frost summarised the legend: “The coming of Bishop Remigius to Lincoln made the devil very angry, for up to that time he had had it all his own way in the town and district.
But the good prelate in his extremity called for aid upon the Blessed Virgin Mary — to whom the Church was to be dedicated — whereupon, the Blessed Virgin sent a mighty rushing wind, which, catching the devil, so hustled and buffeted him, that he slipped inside the Church for safety, where he has been ever since, nor dare he come out, knowing that the wind awaits his return in order to make an end of him.”[4]: 6 The legend made no mention of a stone carving.
And says, “you may wait till doomsday, O !” [4]: 14 Frost was aware of a problem of chronology: the imp carving was made two centuries after Remigius founded the cathedral.
[14] Lincoln Cathedral stands in an exposed position, vulnerable to high winds, and its tall wood and timber spire was “blown down during a tempest in January 1547-8”.
Frost was not aware of this history when he wrote his poem, but said he learned some of it while his pamphlet was in press, causing him to release a second edition, with a new introduction, five months later.
There he wrote of “the notorious attempt made by ‘Oxford men’ to appropriate one more good thing from the City of Lincoln, namely, the cult of the ‘Lincoln Imp’.”[4]: 4 He quoted Fuller as evidence against the “Oxford plagiarists” and provided “two other versions of the legend… from two widely different sources.” He did not specify what the sources were, but said “there is every reason to believe them genuine [though] neither version can boast a Lincolnshire origin.” One of them involved two imps rather than one, thus connecting the Angel Choir carving with the “devil on the witch’s back” sculpture at the south porch, and linking both with the theme of the wind: "The wind, one day, brought two imps to view the new Minster at Lincoln.
His temerity, however, cost him dear, for he was so petrified with astonishment at the wonderful things he both saw and heard, that his heart became as stone within him, and he remained rooted to the ground.
"[4]: 4 Frost produced a third edition of his pamphlet in June 1898, and in the same year his version of the imp legend was given far wider currency by being reproduced in ‘’The Magic of the Horseshoe’’ by the American writer Robert Means Lawrence.
Kendrick called the Lincoln Imp a “delightfully grotesque little specimen of ugliness” and “a characteristic record of the exuberant fancy of our mediaeval artists.”[15]: 125 Kendrick also mentioned the south porch carving, calling it “an imp on the back of a witch”,[15]: 66 plus another exterior sculpture that locals connected with the same tradition, above the south-east chapel next to St Hugh’s.
[19] The imp became famous in the early twentieth century as a good-luck charm after a wealthy local jeweller, James Ward Usher, secured sole rights to use its image on merchandise for a period of time.
[20] This was met by scepticism in some quarters, as shown by a letter to the magazine Notes and Queries, quoted in a 1908 book on Lincolnshire folklore: “A friend of mine informs me that, according to a ladies' fashion paper which she was reading not long ago, a trinket in the form of 'the Lincoln Imp' will prevent its wearer losing things.
Visit Lincoln (a not for profit community interest company that sponsors tourism and investment[22]) gives the story as follows: Legend has it that one day the Devil was in a frolicsome mood, and sent two naughty creatures to cause mischief on Earth.
After allegedly stopping at Chesterfield, twisting the spire of St Mary and All Saints Church, the two imps went to Lincoln to wreak havoc in the city's Cathedral.
Upon arriving, the naughty imps went inside the cathedral and started to cause mayhem, knocking over the Dean, smashing the stained glass windows and destroying the lights.
One of the imps hid underneath a table, whilst the other started throwing stones and rocks at the Angel in a final act of defiance - "Stop me if you can!"
He has remained in the same spot ever since, sitting cross-legged on top of the pillar overlooking the Angel Choir – a constant reminder of how good will always triumph over evil.
But soon, one imp plucked up courage, flew into the Cathedral where he tried to trip up the Lord Bishop, and to knock down the Dean, and teased the Vergers and Choir.
The Lincoln Imp is also the mascot of the college boat club, an image of which is used to decorate the oars and jerseys of the men's 1st VIII.
James Ward Usher, local businessman and philanthropist, obtained sole rights to use the image of the Lincoln Imp on jewellery, in the late 19th century, a venture which contributed greatly to his fame and wealth.
