The writer and playwright Dan Weatherer started his writing career when he wrote the script for the movie "The Legend of the Chained Oak." Here, we revisit an article he wrote a few years ago and explore the famous Staffordshire folktale...

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Few folklore can inspire a major theme park attraction.

But when the legend of the legendary chain oak tree in Okamore near Alton Village was narrated as a hexagonal ride by Alton Tower, a myth that was once little known locally was shared with international audiences .

Although many visitors to the park leave the impression that the story is fictitious, those who were born and raised there know that the root of the story is based on facts.

The story I heard since I was young is almost exactly the same as the version told by Hex.

One night, John Talbot, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, passed by the oak tree on his way home. An old woman stopped his carriage and asked him for some change.

The earl ignored her request and ordered her to leave. The woman was angry at his arrogance and screamed and cursed at him: "For every branch that falls on this oak tree, your family will die."

Later that evening, there was a violent storm, and a lightning bolt cut a branch from the oak tree. As the curse warned, a member of the earl's family died suddenly.

In order to avoid a repeat of the tragedy, the earl ordered every branch of the tree to be chained to prevent the branches from falling down again. Or the story goes like this...

In 2007, the main part of the tree was weakened by chains embedded in its core, detached from the trunk and fell to the ground.

The descendants of the Earl of Shrewsbury were contacted and notified.

There was no sudden death afterwards.

It is often said that myths and legends are often based on truth. Storytelling is often used as a means to educate (and warn) others about the dangers of the world and explain community customs.

As far as the chain oak is concerned, the obvious starting point for deciphering the origin of the legend is to visit the tree in person.

Chained Oak is the only one in the world. There is a tree in Kunnathidavaka, India, but with chains hanging from its branches, it is not "fettered" like the tree in Alton. There is no record explaining when, why, or who the link occurred.

We know that these chains are forged by hand, and their age is about the 1800s, which is roughly the same time as the legend.

This tree is about 1,300 years old, even if it is not the oldest specimen in the valley, it is also one of the oldest. It is well documented that before Christianity took root in the population, oak trees and other trees were often worshipped or consecrated.

Although it is very old, the oak tree may have been the focus of similar attention in the past few centuries.

Perhaps at that time, the importance of the location was passed down from generation to generation, leading to an unknown group chaining the oak tree sometime in the 1800s.

After visiting the site many times, I can only assume that the task of linking oak trees will not be simple. On the one hand, the chains are very heavy, and it takes a lot of effort to drag them into the furthest groove of the tree.

I sincerely suspect that this task was carried out separately. Who and why does this raise the question?

It is believed that oak trees have the ability to cry and moan in a weird human way, especially when they are cut down. Could it be the sound of the old oak tree that caused the residents of Alverton (Alverton was once called Alverton) to be wounded trying to calm its groans?

Maybe it's a distant theory. Of course, this tree may also be tied up to prevent it from aging and fragility, which is the importance of the site. But I would question why the use of chains instead of ropes—we associate chains with restrictions and imprisonment—is used.

Are they placed around oak trees to contain unpleasant things?

We can only speculate on the real reason for the link, but for every logical and secular theory, I can calculate at least one based on superstition.

I haven't mentioned the stone steps, which are often overlooked when examining chain oak. Likewise, there is no record of when, by whom, or why they were added to the site.

These steps were very worn out, indicating that they were either hundreds of years earlier than the chain, or they were taken from another place and added at approximately the same time as the chain. They were added first, allowing easier access to the bottom of the tree, which indicates that the site is of significant importance to someone.

There are more stories about oak trees than I have detailed here, and there are even more theories trying to explain why.

However, this mystery is still unanswered, and it is likely that it will never be answered.

This is why myths and legends will always exist-they often provide us with a way to explain our cultural history, while traditional understanding is at a loss.

In my research, many people told me that this tree has many magical powers.

Although I cannot prove this, I would say that its existence not only inspired a major theme park attraction and an award-winning short film, but also started my writing career. That must be a magical power... right?

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