Devilish places

The mighty stone Devil's Table, the landmark of the Dahner Rocklands, is surrounded by a mysterious legend.

One night the devil went for a walk here. Very tired and hungry, he was looking for a rest stop. With glowing eyes he scoured the entire Palatinate Forest. Nowhere could he find a job that lived up to his claim. Full of rage and anger, he grabbed three huge boulders and set them to a table. After he had dined there, he left again. He left the table behind.

When the first rays of the sun drove the night, people saw the work. Many were sure, "Here must the devil have fed!" Only one was brave and incredulous. "That can not be, then I will eat with him the following night immediately!". As the sun slowly disappeared behind the rocks, the young man started.

At the twelfth hour, in the far distance, a bitter cry interrupted the silence of the night. The young man was never seen again and the mysterious work got the name "Teufelstisch".

The sandstone gorge is worth a visit at any time of the year. In summer it is covered with lush greenery, in winter it presents impressive icicles. Whether warm or cold, the paths here require concentration and surefootedness - otherwise there is a risk of slipping or a wet foot. Various legends tell how the gorge got its name. Perhaps a devil once went down here with a sinful knight to hell. Or maybe there was a witches dance place here once.

This devil table is a mushroom rock that stands on the Eberhardsberg in the community Igensdorf in the Bavarian district of Forchheim. It is a rock formation whose form reminds of a table and holds the status of a natural monument. Numerous hiking trails lead to the cliff, and in seasons without foliage you can look up towards Weissenohe and Eckental.

Legend has it that a monk from neighboring Weißenohe Monastery saw fire and sulfur on top of the mountain. When he reached the top, he saw the devil sitting up there on the table and had to play with him for his life.

This beautiful and richly decorated half-timbered mill was built in 1691 with the help of the devil, says the legend. This should have entered into a bet with the miller, who has completed the fastest one gable. And although the devil has won, he rips the miller in the air.

Ancient times, when God and the devil divided the earth among themselves, it was agreed between them that the devil should own all the land which he could rebuild in a night until the first cockcrow with a wall. That night, when the devil began building, an old woman was on her way to sell a cock in the market. In the dark, she stumbled, and the cock was startled and began to crow. The devil heard this, and thought that his time had already passed, and with rage he broke the devil's wall again. The remains have remained until today.

The devil once visited the valley of the Ahr and found so much favor on land and people, but above all on the excellent red wine, that he forgot his return home. One day, when he was resting on the mountain opposite the Are Are Castle, his grandmother approached him in the form of a beautiful maiden. In the arms of the devil in love, she quickly turned back to the all too well-known, disgusting old woman. He grabbed his grandmother angrily and flung her back down the cliff to hell. This is how the Devil's Hole came to be, which can still be seen above Altenahr.

The name "Teufelsburg", which the castle bears in the vernacular, can be traced back to a legend. According to this, a knight of the castle is said to have made a pact with the devil and sold his soul before a duel. Even today his shouting is said to be heard from time to time when he goes to hell.

According to some traditions, a devil's altar should have stood here, on which Celtic priests worshiped Belzebub. Moors and dark lakes are places where Celtic cult sites often lay. In their rituals, the Celts sank valuable objects in moors and lakes. The custom of tossing a coin into a well is a remnant of spring and lake worship. Maybe you can throw a ring or a silver coin in the lake?

Inge Kiessig tells of another legend about this gloomy lake in her Berlin collection of legends:

"In the dense reed belt on the edge of the Teufelssee there used to be a large stone. It was called the Princess Stone because it indicated the spot where a magnificent castle once stood, inhabited by a princess. She was cursed and has sunk with her palace in the moor. But sometimes it came to the fore.”