These Earthly Items And Places Are Said To Come Straight From The Devil
- Photo: Sorjonen.fi / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Teufelsbrucke (The Devil's Bridge)
One of the multiple structures around the globe referred to as "the Devil's Bridge," Teufelsbrucke stands in Andermatt, Switzerland, spanning Schöllenen Gorge and the Reuss River that runs through it. First built in 1230, Teufelsbrucke was refurbished in the 1820s before a more sturdy bridge was erected beside it in the 1950s.
According to a story passed down through generations, the gorge's size and terrain made construction extremely difficult, so a shepherd called out for Satan to make a bridge via supernatural means. Satan responded to the call and struck a bargain with the shepherd, stipulating the first to cross the bridge would pay with their soul. After the shepherd agreed to the terms, Satan conjured the bridge.
To fulfill his end of the bargain, the savvy shepherd sent a goat across Teufelsbrucke, infuriating the Prince of Darkness, who began to smash the bridge with a rock until a woman wearing a cross necklace frightened him away.
- Photo: Jebulon / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Der Teufelstritt (The Devil's Footprint) In Munich
According to the cathedral's own timeline, Jörg von Halsbach sought to create a new cathedral in Munich, Germany, in 1468. The legend tells that von Halsbach had to enlist Satan as a backer when he was unable to finance the project. The Lord of Darkness then prompted him to build the cathedral without windows, lest he lose his soul to the Devil's whims.
When Satan stepped into the completed cathedral, he was pleased to see little light and no windows. In one version of the tale, he stamps his foot in glee, while another version claims he did so in rage after discovering an optical illusion: strategically placed pillars were simply blocking the large windows von Halsbach had constructed.
The footprint can be seen in a tile on the cathedral floor, still present after multiple renovations to the building. The cathedral's version of the story contends that, after Satan left his immortal print in the floor, he attempted to rend the building, but failed. Supposedly, Satan left a demonic follower in the towers who would continue to wreak havoc on the hallowed ground.
- Photo: Miljanatodorovic / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Djavolja Varoš (Devil's Town)
Located close to Kuršumlija, Serbia, the Devil's Town consists of over 200 pillars of rock that range from two to 15 meters in height. The location's mythology tells of the Devil's annoyance with the peaceful, happy citizens in the nearby village. He elected to force the villagers to attend the wedding of a brother and sister - a union that qualified as a sin for which the villagers were then culpable.
One end to the legend claims the villagers prayed for God's assistance and received a blustery rainstorm that turned all of the wedding guests into the stone formations seen today. Another version stipulates the villagers conceded to the marriage, and the heaven-sent storm turned them to stone as punishment. In yet another ending, demons were clinging to the villagers' backs to cause mischief, but the imps were turned to stone after a local church prayed for their demise.
- Photo: Sussexonian / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The Goldstone
Legend says Satan rose from Hell to create Devil's Ditch, a deep valley located north of Brighton, England, on South Downs. In an effort to flood the holy buildings of the surrounding towns, Satan dug the 328-foot-deep valley. While digging through the terrain, he stubbed his toe on the goldstone - so named for its composition of sandstone, flint, and tiny pieces of gold - and kicked the boulder in anger.
In the 1800s, many surmised the goldstone was used in Druid rituals. This supposition led tourists to flock to the location, ruining the land where the famed rock lay. The goldstone was moved and buried, though it was rediscovered in 1900 and moved to Hove Park in England.
- Photo: Herman the Recluse / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Codex Gigas (The Devil's Bible)
The Codex Gigas is a 620-page manuscript created by an anonymous monk during the 13th century. It includes the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, along with information about exorcisms and other non-religious topics. The strangest entry of the sizable book is page 577, on which a full-color illustration of a devilish being resides.
Legend claims the monk, called Herman the Recluse, somehow broke the vows of his order and, as a result, he was sentenced to live burial within a wall. In exchange for his life, Herman offered to create the Codex Gigas, a tome filled with all of the world's knowledge. In order to finish the manuscript in one night - his order's allotted timeframe - Herman sold his soul to Satan and included the mysterious illustration to pay homage to the Antichrist.
- Photo: Daniel Johnston / Kennebec County Paranormal Society / Fair Use
The Devil's Footprint In Maine
An unspecified number of years ago, a crew of workers building a road in Maine encountered a large boulder on their site that they could not budge. One of the workers allegedly climbed to the top of the boulder and promised his soul to the Devil if it could be moved. Mysteriously, the next day, the boulder had indeed moved and the worker was nowhere to be found.
Aside from the strange circumstances of the object's transport, the remaining crew was stumped by another curiosity: two reddish imprints left in the stone. Those who saw the marks named them "the Devil's Footprint."
The boulder bearing the infamous indentations sits as part of a cemetery's fence near Maine's North Manchester Meeting House. Locals claim ghostly apparitions stalk the cemetery where the Devil's marked stone now resides.
- Photo: MOSSOT / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Pont Valentré
During the 14th century, Pont Valentré was erected as a three-towered bridge, meant to defend against approaching enemies. Beginning in 1308, the construction took a staggering 70 years to complete, and the towers never fulfilled their purpose in active conflict.
At one point during those 70 years, one of the project's leads allegedly "hired" Satan to construct the bridge. In an effort to trick the Devil, the builder provided only a sieve with which the Devil could carry water to mix the mortar, preventing the structure's completion and indefinitely postponing the man's payment for the bargain. As revenge, Satan appeared to snap off stone edges from the central tower, forcing them to be fixed regularly.
As a nod to the bridge's origins, architect Paul Gout, when repairing the tower in the 19th century, included a carving portraying Satan stealing a stone.
- Photo: Mark Kent / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Devil's Bridge In Wales
Most devilish engineering feats include the offering of a soul in exchange for the landmark's construction; in the case of the Devil's Bridge located in Ceredigion, Wales, however, Satan allegedly created the bridge to assist an elderly woman whose cow was sitting on the opposite bank.
The old woman's lament summoned Satan's appearance, as over the span of the Mynach River, no bridges could be built by man. The Devil, disguised as a monk, offered to create a bridge from thin air in exchange for the "first creature" that walked across it.
After the old woman agreed, the bridge appeared, and she threw bread onto the walkway. Her dog followed after it and became the first creature to cross the structure, annoying Satan and prompting his leave.
- Photo: Keith Evans / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Devil's Punchbowl
Located in Norfolk, England, the Devil's Punchbowl is a circular pond with water levels that appear to lower and rise contrary to the area's rainfall. The "punchbowl" is also a nearly perfect circle, leading some to believe its origins are supernatural.
According to legend, Satan decided to annoy Thor, the god of thunder, by hurling chunks of dirt and rock at him. In his quest to pester Thor, Satan removed enough soil and rocks to create the divot in the area and allow it to fill with water.
- Photo: Marie Čcheidzeová / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
The Devil's Bridge In Bulgaria
Over the Arda River in Bulgaria sits Dyavolski Most, known as “Sheytan Kyupriya,” or the Devil's Bridge. Built between 1515 and 1518, the bridge is an impressive feat of architecture. The bridge measures 11.5 feet wide and a total length of 185 feet; it features three vaults.
According to local legends, the project's lead builder lost his wife during construction, and her spirit became trapped within the bridge. Another story contends Satan left his footprints somewhere on the bridge, giving pause to locals when confronted with crossing the bridge at night.
Martense Lane Rock
Outside of a church in Brooklyn, NY, is the Martense Lane Rock and a plaque explaining its lore. Supposedly, the boulder originally sat along its namesake, Martense Lane, in Brooklyn. Two men began arguing nearby, and one man stomped on the rock in frustration. Left behind was the print of a hoof, revealing the man to be the Devil.
In another version of the story, a fiddle competition took place, and the aforementioned hoofprint occurred when the Devil lost.
- Photo: Josh Graciano / Flickr / CC BY-SA 3.0
Purgatory Falls
Within the area of Purgatory Falls in Mont Vernon, NH, two natural features are said to be left by Satan himself. According to the legend, Satan invited holy men to join him at the falls for a feast of beans. While cooking the legumes over the fires of Hell, Satan unintentionally used too much heat and melted a rock around his foot.
Hikers can visit Purgatory Falls and see both the Devil's Footprint and the Devil's Bean Pot near the top of the water feature.
- Photo: DrStew82 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
The Devil's Tramping Ground
Chatham County, NC, is home to the Devil's Tramping Ground, a circular woodland clearing in which nothing but scraggly vegetation grows. Locals have supposedly attempted to plant foliage in the area or impale the dirt with sticks, but each morning, the plants and sticks are nowhere to be seen.
Stories of the expansive circle began around 1882, claiming the site was where the Devil went to dance. Other legends contest the clearing is where he paces in endless circles, plotting his evil deeds. Witnesses have claimed to see glowing red eyes in the circle, and a reporter camping there overnight allegedly heard footsteps circling his tent.
- Photo: ronnie leask / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Devil's Arrows
The Devil's Arrows were originally four or five tall stones standing in Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire, England, though only three remain. Legend tells of an encampment of Christian villagers ambushed by Satan and his arrows. Supposedly, the fired arrows missed and landed on the spots where the pillars now stand.
The mythology of the arrows began in the 18th century, but many believe the rock formation actually originated during the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age.
