The Devil's Doorway

Polperro - image by © Copyright Alan Fleming and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

"In the slate (Killas) formations behind Polperro is a good example of a fault. The geologist, in the pride of his know­ledge, refers this to some movement of the solid mass--a rending of the rocks, produced either by the action of some subterranean force lifting the earth-crust, or by a depression of one division of the rocks. The gray-bearded wisdom of our grandfathers led them to a conclusion widely different from this.

The mighty ruler of the realms of darkness, who is known to have an especial fondness for rides at midnight, "to see how his little ones thrive," ascending from his subterranean country, chose this spot as his point of egress.

As he rose from below in his fiery car, drawn by a gigantic jet black steed, the rocks gave way before him, and the rent at Pol­perro remains to this day to convince all unbelievers. Not only this, as his Satanic majesty burst through the slate rocks, his horse, delighted with the airs of this upper world, reared in wild triumph, and, planting again his hoof upon the ground, made these islands shake as with an earthquake; and he left the deep impres­sion of his burning foot behind. There, any unbeliever may see the hoof-shaped pool, unmistakable evidence of the wisdom of the days gone by."

Hunt 1903

Map - Polperro

Reading the weather in Devon from the movements of animals - Ants

Formica exsecta, the Narrow headed ant.  Bovey in Devon houses the only known English colonies of these rare ants. By  April Nobile / © AntWeb.org / CC-BY-SA-3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

"Ants moving their eggs denotes rain, for by a secret instinct of nature finding the air changing into much moisture, they carry them to a place of drier security."

Hewett 1900

Reading the weather in Devon from the movements of animals - Heron/Bittern

"IF a heron or bittern flies low, the air is becoming charged with water vapour."

Hewett 1900

Devon charm to summon the spirits

Prince Arthur and the Fairy Queen. Johann Heinrich Füssli 1788

"Anoint your eyes for three days with the combined juices of the herbs, dill, vervain, and St. John's-wort, and the spirits in the air will become visible to you."

Hewett 1900

Devon charm for seeing ones husband via the moon.

The moon

"ON seeing the new moon, make the sign of the cross three times in the air, and once on your forehead. Clasp both hands tightly together and hold them in a supplicating attitude, uplifted towards the moon. Then repeat :

All hail, all hail, to thee,
All hail to thee, new moon,
I pray to thee, new moon,
Before thou growest old,
To reveal unto me,
Who my true love shall be!

Before the moon is at full the suppliant will see her true love."

Hewett 1900

Lightning protection of church bells

A contemporary woodcut of The Great Thunderstorm, Widecombe, Dartmoor, Devon, England which occurred in 1638.  Any lightning defense attempted here obviously didn't work very well!

"IN ancient times church bells were anointed with holy oil, exorcised, and blessed by the bishop, from a belief that when these ceremonies had been performed, they had the power to drive the devil out of the air, to calm tempests, protect from lightning, and keep away the plague.

The passing bell was anciently rung to bespeak the prayers of all Christian people for a soul just departing, and to drive away the evil spirit who stood at the bed's foot to hinder its passage to the other world.

Men's death I tell by doleful knell,
Lightning and thunder I break asunder,
The winds so fierce I do disperse,
Men's cruel rage I do assuage.

A very frequent inscription on church bells in the fifteenth century, was voce mea viva depells cunta nociva.

This is a proof of the belief that demons were frightened away by the sound of bells."

Hewett 1900

[Again - Caution should be taken with Sarah Hewetts work - while it is ostensibly to do with Devon, and has many uniquely Devon stories in it, it is sometimes hard to ascertain when she is referring to a Devon tradition, and when it is simply a general British or European thing. In this case I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, and including it because of the inscription.  I have no idea whether this was ever written on any Devon bell though!]

Annie Jefferies and the Fairies - part 3

'...This gentleman looked so sweetly on Anne that she was charmed beyond measure, and she put down her hand as if shake hands with her little friend, when he jumped into her palm and she lifted him into her lap. He then, without any more ad clambered upon her bosom and neck, and began kissing her. Anne never felt so charmed in her life as while this one little gentleman was playing with her; but presently he called his companion and they all clambered up by her dress as best they could, and kissed her neck, her lips, and her eyes. One of them ran his fingers over her eyes, and she felt as if they had been pricked with a pin. Suddenly Anne became blind, and she felt herself whirled through the air at a great rate. By and by, one of her little companions said something which sounded like "Tear away," and lo! Anne had her sight at once restored. She was in one of the most beautiful places -- temples and palaces of gold and silver. Trees laden with fruits and flowers. Lakes full of gold and silver fish and the air full of birds of the sweetest song, and the more brilliant colours. Hundreds of ladies and gentlemen were walking about. Hundreds more were idling in the most luxurious bowers, the fragrance of the flowers oppressing them with sense of delicious repose. Hundreds were also dancing, engaged in sports of various kinds. Anne was, however, surprised to find that these happy people were no longer the small people she had previously seen. There was now no more than the difference usually seen in a crowd, between their height and her own...' [cont.]

Hunt 1903

Annie Jefferies and the Fairies - part 1

'ANNE JEFFERIES was the daughter of a poor labouring man, who lived in the parish of St Teath. She was born in 1626, and is supposed to have died in 1698.

When she was nineteen years old, Anne, who was a remarkably sharp and clever girl, went to live as a servant in the family of Mr Moses Pitt. Anne was an unusually bold girl, and would do things which even boys feared to attempt. Of course, in those days every one believed in fairies, and everybody feared those little airy beings. They were constantly the talk of the people, and this set Anne longing anxiously to have an interview with some of them. So Anne was often abroad after sundown, turning up the fern leaves, and looking into the bells of the foxglove to find a fairy, singing all the time--

"Fairy fair and fairy bright;
Come and be my chosen sprite."

She never allowed a moonlight night to pass without going down into the valley, and walking against the stream, singing--

"Moon shines bright, waters run clear,
I am here, but where's my fairy dear?"

The fairies were a long time trying this poor girl; for, as they told her afterwards, they never lost sight of her; but there they would be, looking on when she was seeking them, and they would run from frond to frond of the ferns, when she was turning them up its her anxious search...' [cont.]

Hunt 1903

Fairy Revels on the Gump, St Just - Part 3

'...The brilliancy of the scene nearly overpowered the old man; but, when he was least prepared for it, the illumination became a thousand times more intense. Out of the hill were crowding thousands upon thousands of lovely ladies and gentlemen, arrayed in the most costly attire. He thought there would be no end to the coming crowd. By and by, however, the music suddenly changed, and the harmonious sounds which fell upon his ears appeared to give new life to every sense. His eyes were clearer, his ears quicker, and his sense of smell more exquisite.

The odours of flowers, more delicious than any he had eves smelt, filled the air. He saw, without any disturbing medium, the brilliant beauty of the thousands of ladies who were now upon the Gump; and their voices were united in one gush of song, which was clear as silver bells--a hymeneal symphony of the utmost delicacy. The words were in a language unknown to him, but he saw they were directed towards a new group now emerging from the hill....' [cont.]

Hunt 1903