The Devil
The cloven hoof is also traditionally associated with the Devil. In works from Shakespeare and Sir Thomas Browne the association is very close and the devil takes pains to hide or disguise the hoof. In other works the Devil and the cloven hoof can be separated, some believe the cloven hoof more mischievous than the devil. But not every cloven hoof is the devil's minion. In Teutonic Mythology the devil has a non-cloven hoof that is solid like that of a horse, from which he can not be separated.
According to a folk legend, in 1165, the Devil rode like a great black horse before a storm in Yorkshire. The marks of his feet were visible in several places, particularly on the cliff at Scarborough, where he sprang into the sea. In the late 1800s, marks were discovered in various parts the South of England that could not be identified as any known beast or bird. People did not like to say it was the Devil, but no other explanation was offered. Perhaps this extraordinary presence may have been nothing more than cloven hoofs, which in the deep snows of winter are said to haunt the Dewerstone a rocky elevation on the borders of Dartmoor—but this latter phenomenon is reported to be accompanied by a naked human foot. A case occurred in Devonshire and are many cases are collected in "Lancashire Folk Lore" 1867.
Read more about this topic: Cloven Hoof, Cloven Hooves in Culture
Famous quotes containing the word devil:
“We till shadowed days are done,
We must weep and sing
Duty’s conscious wrong,
The Devil in the clock,”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)
“What a devil art thou, Poverty! How many desires—how many aspirations after goodness and truth—how many noble thoughts, loving wishes toward our fellows, beautiful imaginings thou hast crushed under thy heel, without remorse or pause!”
—Walt Whitman (1819–1892)