The Green Children of Woolpit

The Green Children of Woolpit were two children who appeared in the village of Woolpit in Suffolk, UK, in the 12th century. The children were brother and sister and they had green colored skin. Their appearance was normal in all other areas. They spoke an unrecognized language and refused to eat anything other than pitch from bean pods. Eventually their skin lost its green color. When they learned English they explained that they were from the ‘Land of St Martin’ which was a dark place because the sun never rose far above the horizon. They claimed that they were tending their father’s herd and followed a river of light when they heard the sounds of bells – finding themselves in Woolpit.

Some of the more unusual theories proposed for the origin of the children are that they were Hollow Earth children, parallel dimension children, or Extraterrestrial children.

http://www.mysteriouspeople.com/Green-Children.htm

Victims of civil strife

Like other feral children, the Green Children of Woolpit were probably children who had been lost or abandoned following a period of civil strife. Eastern England had experienced Flemish immigration during the 12th Century, but after Henry II acceded to the throne the immigrants suffered persecution, and many were slain at a battle in 1173. Being Flemish, the children's language and dress would have appeared foreign to villagers who'd never experienced any contact with Flemish people.

Following the slaughter of their parents, perhaps the Green Children were lost for some period of time in the forest, and strayed into the underground tunnels in that area, to emerge in the wolf pit at Woolpit (the village name comes from 'wolf pit').

Green sickness

The colour of the Green Children could be explained by "green sickness", the name once given to anaemia caused by dietary deficiency. The children were taken to the home of Sir Richard de Calne, where the girl eventually lost her green colour, as would be expected when a normal diet is resumed. The boy, however, grew ill and died within a year.