Creepiest Devil's Bridges Legends

Devil's bridges across Europe, like the one in Ceredigion, Wales, or the Ponte del Diavolo in Italy, carry stories about how they linked to evil powers. These bridges all seem separate.They developed completely apart.Theories about why bridges attract infernal traffic range from their building style to their status as in-between spaces.These spaces are in-between.They lead toancient human sacrifice rites.Dozens of stories exist about devil's bridges from Switzerland to Germany and beyond. These stories have different reasons.

D. L. Ashliman at the University of Pittsburgh built an online database of folklore. It tracks 14 stories of "Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 1191." AKA devil's bridge stories. Other stories appear in Europe. These stories share common traits. They involve making deals with the devil to build the bridges under hard or odd conditions. They also use an animal to trick the devil into giving up a promised soul. Still, these stories seem to have evolved without connection.

The stories of devil's bridges across Europe show that being the first person across a new bridge risked your health and possibly your soul. Crafty townspeople often bargain with the devil, offering him the first soul across for the bridge's finish, but they send a dog, rooster, or goat instead of a person.The Encyclopedia of Superstitions. Edwin and Mona Augusta Radford wrote this. They wrote, "It was formerly thought very unlucky to be the first person to go over a new bridge." This links to anage-old habit.People placed an animal or other sacrifice under important buildings' foundations. This secured the buildings' longevity. Some think the nursery rhyme "London Bridge is Falling Down" references bridge-building sacrifices, but no evidence shows sacrifices happened for the London Bridge.

Some views suggest these sacrifices kept the bridge or building standing. Others claim the sacrifice meant to "set a watchman."To keep an eye on the bridge for all eternity." Many devil's bridge stories across Europe show that being the first person across a new bridge risked your health and possibly your immortal soul. Crafty townspeople often make a deal with the devil, promising him the first soul across for completion, but they send a dog, rooster, or goat instead of a human.

The Ceredigion Bridge spans a deep ravine with the Mynach River in Wales. It is astrange sight by itself, even without the devil legends. Three bridges are stacked. The newest one dates to 1902. The oldest might date to 1075. You can go down stairs called "Jacob's Ladder" from the top bridge to the middle one, built in 1753, or the original bridge, which sits under the other two.Three bridges stack one atop the other. The newest bridge dates to 1902; the oldest might be from 1075. Descend stairs called "Jacob's Ladder" from the top bridge to reach the middle bridge, built in 1753, or the original bridge, which remains under the other two.

Odd architecture attracted legends. One story claims the ravine was too steep for humans. The devil offered help, demanding the first soul cross the bridge. A dog crossed first, cheating the devil of his prize.

Story versions state this.D. L. Ashliman collected these.At the University of Pittsburgh, the devil approached an old woman missing her cow. He offered a bridge but demanded the first living creature cross for payment. The woman threw bread; her black dog ran after it. The woman said, "The dog's yours, sir," and the devil was annoyed.

Built in the early 16th century over old Roman bridge ruins, the devil's bridge in Ardino, Bulgaria, is soThe image is striking., it appeared in the 1988 Bulgarian filmThis is the Time of Violence.Look at the bridge's inner arches, used for water levels. Or check the nearly 40-foot central arch to see why.

The bridge holds dark legends. One says the builder's wife died building it, and her shadow became part of the structure. That is not why it is called the devil's bridge. Another story tells of the devil crossing the arches at night, leaving his footprint in the stone, which some still see today.

While its Italian name means "Bridge of Mary Magdalene, the Ponte della Maddalena in Borgo a Mozzano, Italy, has a dark history. The legend says townspeople struggled to build the unique bridge. They hired an evil engineer who demanded the first living creature cross for payment. Like other devil's bridges, the townspeople sent a dog first, which angered the devil.

Regardless of who built it, the bridge is a unique structure. Five arches are staggered, making the bridge look like it lunges toward the other shore. Walking across it remains an unsettling experience because of its design.

The Pont Valentre in Cahors, France, took over 70 years to build as a fortress. The builder sought supernatural help after so much work. The devil agreed to help build the bridge but demanded the builder's soul upon completion. The builder tricked the Prince of Darkness by giving the devil a sieve for the last mortar batch, stopping the bridge from finishing.

The devil got petty revenge for being tricked. He took one stone from the bridge. Every night, after replacing the stone, he took it back. When architect Paul Gout restored the bridge, he heard the story of the devil stealing the stone. Gout replaced it with a stone showing the devil snatching it from the tower, which isThis bridge still exists today..

Legend says there was a bridge near Frankfurt, Germany, with two arches that did not close at the top. Wood spanned the two holes. Maybe this kept the bridge impassable during conflict, but there isAnother story exists.The builder made a deal with the devil to finish the bridge. The devil built it at night, so "In the darkness no human eye saw how he did it." The devil demanded the soul of the first living thing to cross. The builder drove a rooster across, cheating the devil.

Enraged, the devil tore the rooster apart and threw it through the bridge, punching the two holes that cannot be filled. Apparently, work done during the day falls apart overnight.

A carpenter in Austria needed to build a bridge in three days for his fortune. He saw no way to finish the job that fast. Then, a "A little man wearing a green hat." showed up and offered help. The little man was the devil. As payment for finishing the bridge on time, he demanded the soul of the first crosser. The builder did not want to lose his soul butHe did this.want the money, so he drove his goat across the bridge to pay.

Enraged, the devil swung the goat by its tail until the tail broke off. This is why goats have short tails now. At least, if you believe the story...

Crossing the.TeufelsbrückeThe Devil's Bridge in Switzerland is still marked as a reminder.

Villagers could not build a bridge across the dangerous river. They asked the devil for help. He demanded the soul of the first thing across as payment; the villagers sent a goat. The devil smashed a huge stone, intending to destroy the wooden bridge. An old woman drove him off with a cross, and he dropped the stone. It stayed until 1977, when a highway project required moving it.

The tunnel on the other side of the bridge bears a painted figure of a devil and a goat to commemorate the story.The story commemorates the Devil's Bridge in Switzerland..

Imagining why someone credits the unusual Pont del Diable with supernatural hands takes little effort.Pont del Diable has a strange architectural anomaly.Catalan speakers attribute the Pont del Diable to supernatural hands. The bridge looks impossible at first glance. Its thin, 145-foot-high central arch has a strange architectural feature resembling a small chapel. This chapel actually supports the bridge, its weight holding the stones below.

The bridge stood on old Roman ruins, some parts of which remain, including a triumphal arch. However, the Spanish Civil War destroyed large sections. They rebuilt it in 1965, using much of the original stone.

Folklore at the University of Pittsburgh lists at least four devil's bridges in England and three in Wales. Many of these stories sound familiar to anyone who has read about devil's bridges—someone makes a deal with his "Sable Majesty features numerous Devil's Bridges in England alone." to build an unlikely bridge, only to cheat the devil out of his price by sending an animal (usually a dog) across first. One example deviates greatly from this structure.

A story from Yorkshire shows a rosier-than-usualA picture of the devil exists among these bridges., who befriends a shoemaker and offers to make him a bridge at Gill Ford on the road to Patelely. After the shoemaker and the scoffing villagers return days later, they find a perfect bridge sprinkled with holy water and decorated with crosses, declaring it safe for all to cross. The devil in this story asked for nothing and seemed to want to do the shoemaker a good deed.