Ancient mystery returns as 'Satan's hoofprints' are spotted in Devon back garden

[Dark Goddess]

Ancient mystery returns as 'Satan's hoofprints' are spotted in Devon back garden

A 150-year-old mystery has reared its head after a woman woke to find 'Satan's hoofprints' dotted across freshly fallen snow in her back garden.

The single track of cloven-like prints - which appear to have been made by a two-legged creature - precisely resemble footprints recorded in the area in 1855.

The phenomenon, which has never been explained, became known as the 'Devil's foot prints' in a local legend.




Unexplained: The imprints appear to have been made by a two-legged creature but scientists are not yet sure of the culprit

The new tracks appeared in fresh snow in Jill Wade's back garden on March 5th.

Grandmother Jill, 76, of Woolsery, Devon, said: 'I looked in the garden and it really intrigued me.

'I couldn't believe it - the footprints were in the shape of a cloven hoof. There were no other marks at all in the snow.

'I was quite surprised by it and I hadn't got a clue what it was, but I thought I would love to know.'

[Dark Goddess]

Legend: The original 'Devil's Footprints' appeared after light snowfall in 1855 and travelled from Exmouth to Topsham in Devon, even scaling rooftops

Scientists from the Centre for Fortean Zoology inspected the prints which measure 5ins (13cm) long with a stride of between 11 and 17ins (28 and 43cm).

Jonathan Downes, who runs the centre, is investigating whether the footprints could have been left by a hare or rabbits hopping on their hind legs.

He said: 'Thousands of people across the world believe in the paranormal, but so far every single thing we have looked into has turned out to have a natural explanation. I'm sure these will as well.

'Do I believe that the Devil comes from the pits of Hell to wander around the gardens of North Devon? Of course not.

'But if you're asking if there are things that can't be explained by modern science, then yes. But human knowledge is expanding all the time.

'I believe that things that are currently put down to the paranormal will one day be explained by science.'

The original 'Devil's footprints' appeared after a light snowfall on February 8th, 1855, and travelled from Exmouth to Topsham in Devon - even crossing the estuary of the River Exe.

The tracks reportedly continued unbroken for 100 miles - appearing on both sides of 14-foot walls and locked gates.

Some villagers blamed the church, who had recently changed the standard prayer book, for letting the devil into their communities.

Others blamed animals, pranksters, and even a weather balloon - but the phenomenon, described as the 'great Devon mystery', was never explained.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...on-garden.html

[Demon Queen]

"The Devil's hoof-marks" were so called by the astounded villagers who saw them appear overnight in rural England in 1855. On the morning of February 8 countless numbers of unidentifiable prints were discovered in the snow around 18 communities in the county of Devon. They were shaped like small horseshoes and ran in absolutely straight lines-one directly behind another, as if whatever had made them had only one leg, or a peculiarly mincing gait.

In a single night the unknown beast had traveled about 100 miles, crossing a wide river, and had skulked around houses. In some places it had apparently walked right up walls and along rooftops, and here and there the tracks gave the impression that the thing had actually passed through walls and roofs.

For some time thereafter people feared to go out after dark, and the superstitious believed that the tracks were made by Satan himself. (Bernard Heuvelmans, On the Track of Unknown Animals , pp.324-25)

http://www.paranormalphenomena.com/u...nishdevil.html