Lincoln Imp
The Lincoln Imp is a small grotesque carving on the wall high up in the north side of the Angel Choir of Lincoln Cathedral, England. It is about 12 inches tall, cross‑legged, and was made in the 13th century, when the Angel Choir was built between 1250 and 1280. For many years it was just one of several medieval sculptures, not especially noticed by visitors.
The figure became famous in the late 1800s through legends and stories that grew around it. Before that, writers noted other sculptures around the cathedral and at Lincoln College, Oxford, but they did not mention the imp itself. The nickname “Lincoln Imp” appeared at least by 1897 in a pamphlet by Arnold Frost (writing under the name G. T. Hemsley) who published a ballad called “The Ballad of the Wind, the Devil and Lincoln Minster.” Frost claimed the legend was an old Lincolnshire tale not yet in print and he summarized it in his poem.
In Frost’s version, the story is more about a medieval legend than the stone figure itself. He said that when Bishop Remigius came to Lincoln to build the cathedral, the devil was angry and tried to stop the work. The devil chased the bishop to the south‑west corner and tried to kill him, but the bishop prayed to the Virgin Mary. A mighty wind swept in, and the devil was blown into the church and trapped there, never to come out again. Frost added the image of the Lincoln Imp sitting on top of a column as part of the poem, turning the tale into a lively scene in which the imp mocks the wind and the people who look at him.
Frost knew the dating didn’t line up perfectly—Remigius’s cathedral was built long before the carved imp—but he suggested the devil might move around the building to different spots as time passed. He also told two other legends that had appeared in earlier sources: one about the devil and the wind touring Lincoln, and another about the saying “looking as the devil over Lincoln,” a proverb that shows up in old literary works and pictures.
The idea of the Lincoln Imp spread widely. In 1899, a copy of the imp was installed at Oxford to replace an earlier claim there. The story of the Lincoln Imp was picked up in guides and magazines, and the figure soon became a symbol of Lincoln. A local businessman, James Ward Usher, later obtained exclusive rights to use the image on jewelry and other goods, helping to popularize the imp even more. People began to treat the Lincoln Imp as a good‑luck charm, though not everyone accepted the legends as true folklore.
Over the years, other related tales popped up. A “Grimsby Imp” story appeared, suggesting another imp at Grimsby Minster, but this is a modern addition that isn’t as well supported as the Lincoln legend. Today, the Lincoln Imp is the city’s best‑known grotesque and a familiar emblem on souvenirs, the football team’s nickname (The Imps), and even in local clubs’ logos.
In recent times, Lincoln has celebrated the imp with tourism projects and stories that explain the legend in simple terms for visitors. The real carving remains a modest, centuries‑old sculpture high on the Angel Choir, a quiet reminder of a medieval belief in mischief, wind, and a triumph of good over evil.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:52 (CET).