MOH Forum: The Devil Strolls Out

The Devil Strolls Out

Posted By:
Lord Lucan
in somewhere strange
Jan 30, 2005

One hundred and fifty years ago on the night 7/8 February 1855 it was said that mysterious footprints appeared in freshly fallen snow in Devon. The tracks appeared to pass through walls, went over roofs and across rivers without deviation. They were the tracks of no known animal and appeared, not only to be those of a biped, but also a cloven-hoofed one. Not surprisingly, they became known as the Devil's Footprints.

Whether they really were as described (see this <a href="http://www.spartechsoftware.com/dimensions/creatures/DevilsFootprints.htm " title="link">link</a> which includes what is said to be a newspaper report) or people imagined that some tracks they had seen fitted the strange description is now impossible to decide. Tracks in snow are ephemeral to say the least - the snow melts, other tracks can obliterate or confuse and new snowfalls can cover them. What people actually saw and what they wished to see are two different things entirely.

While I haven't done much research into this subject (admittedly) I have yet to see a first-hand or eyewitness account - the whole thing resembles nothing more than an early urban myth.

My feeling is that rumour, superstition and imagination fuelled by uncritical journalism all played a part in translating what were almost certainly ordinary human footprints made by people going about their everyday tasks into something inexplicable.

{Captain Ross - the southern explorer - was said to have <a href="http://www.meta-religion.com/Paranormale/Cryptozoology/Humanoid/devils_footprints.htm" title="link">described</a> similar tracks seen near the south pole and thought they were those of a "pong or ass"! I know what an ass is . . . but a pong? at first I thought it might be a strange alternative word for a penguin - but I think it's just a typo for pony.}

http://www.spookysdaddy.com/DevilsFootprints.html

http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/fortean/devils_foot.html

Category: Cryptozoology, Supernatural; Replies: 12

Comments

Myst Member	Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 \| 03:49 PM From a cursory reading of the incident and the description of the foot prints I am thinking it was nothing more exotic than a goat. Goats love climbing onto things and they can travel quickly. A goat would probably be light enough to travel across frozen water and small enough to go through a drain pipe, depending on the circumference of the pipe, or if the drain pipe wasn't overly long the goat could have jumped from one side to the other, they are agile jumpers. I think the footprints going up the sides of walls is an exaggeration. Just my humble opinion.
Charybdis in Hell Member	Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 \| 08:30 AM For some reason this is one of those stories that has always stuck with me for some reason. At one time during my misguided youth I read all of Daniel Cohen's books and I'm sure this was in one of them. I seem to remember that the goat possibility was mentioned even at the time, but of course, the Devil makes a much more interesting hypothesis.
Maegan in Tampa, FL - USA Member	Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 \| 09:13 AM A guy told me a story about when he was a youth...(it would have been the late 40s/early 50s) He went to a party and everyone was having fun. This this fellow showed up. All the girls were flirting and trying to dance with him. Well, fellow did end up dancing with a few girls, and one of them happened to be a girlfriend of this guy's best friend. So the guy see's his best dude's girl with this fellow...he goes & gets the best friend...he says, "Best Friend, that vato is dancing with your muchacha!" (They were Mexicans in Texas.) So best friend gets mad, goes & punches vato...too bad vato is built like a mountain...vato slams his fist into best friend's face. Best friend has a broken nose & he is unconscious. Vato walks out the door in a crowd of cheering people...Guy sees vato stepping out...and he has a GOAT HOOF instead of a left foot! He tried to catch up to this cheering crowd with vato in the middle...and was only able to see that vato now appeared normal. Anyway. That's my goat-foot story.
Charybdis in Hell Member	Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 \| 09:32 AM Apparently there's a goatman who lives near Lake Grapevine in NE Texas. I'm not sure what he's supposed to do except kill kids who "park" near the lake. Probably just an ultra-conservative loony in need of a shave and change of underwear.
Charybdis in Hell Member	Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 \| 09:38 AM So, the most detailed accounts came from people writing in to the newspaper apparently after the article appeared. Sounds like a severe case of the Me too's. Darn. I really liked that story too, and now it seems to have been mostly made up.
Maegan in Tampa, FL - USA Member	Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 \| 11:55 AM "Apparently there's a goatman who lives near Lake Grapevine in NE Texas." -Maybe he was mad, b/c he got into fights instead of dancing with girls.
Hairy Houdini	Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 \| 11:59 AM Is Lake Grapevine any where near Crawford? That would explain a lot.
Charybdis in Hell Member	Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 \| 01:55 PM Naw, Grapevine is in the north DFW area while Crawford is a couple of hours south. In fact, Crawford is fairly close to Waco, of the Branch Davidians fame. I'm not trying to make any comparisons here but I think that fact speaks for itself.
Tsiamon Coldfire	Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 \| 02:32 PM I did not read the article, but from the comments, it seems that the article you posted neglected to mention that the footprints were in single-file. Meaning......the thing in question had one foot. I've read extensive books on this, and seen pictures and depictions- in very few places is the line of footprints not single-file.
Lord Lucan	Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 \| 02:59 AM Do you mean it was a one-footed goat? Diabolical, indeed!
Tsiamon Coldfire	Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 \| 06:35 PM Diabolical indeed! You imagine a one-foot goat hopping around. >_>
Hairy Houdini	Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 \| 07:20 PM I think it's a safe bet to wager that noone has ever seen George W. Bush's feet. Okay, he's been seen riding a bikey and all that, and trying to dance, but, has any of the common folk ever actually seen his feet? They could be hoofed and cloven. What? C'mon, I doubt seriously that GWB was the one who traipsed all over Britain 150 years ago. That would be ridiculous. He obviously has both hooves, so it couldn't have been him. Conspiracy nuts.

Note: This thread is located in the Old Forum of the Museum of Hoaxes.