 It is unclear when the story first emerged, but similar stories, possibly inspired by medieval Arthurian legends, exist at the nearby locations of Hexham and the Eildon Hills.Matthew Lewis wrote a poem, "Sir Guy the Seeker", popularising the story in 1808, with subsequent versions produced by W. G. Thompson in 1821 and James Service in 1822.The tale continues to be told as part of the local oral tradition.