Built of dry stone on the very foundations of the schist rock, the Devil's Bridge serves no purpose and leads nowhere! Dating, according to tradition, from the construction of the railway, it could rather have been built around 1830 during the development of the network of walks. No true folklore legend is attached to it, except that of the peasants and the devil, linked to the destruction and reconstruction of the bridge.
In the past, farmers from the hamlet of Ninane and surrounding hamlets went to the town via the Vesdre valley, which they reached by going down towards Chaudfontaine. However, to reach this last locality, only one path was accessible and in the center of this path stood a rudimentary bridge which they had to take. However, one fine morning, to everyone's amazement, the peasants noticed that the bridge in question had collapsed during the night. Its reconstruction, at the time, would require several weeks of hard work and a large workforce. After lamenting all day, and after examining the situation, the desperate peasants decided, at nightfall, to return home. It was at this very moment that a great glow was produced and in a whirlwind of flames appeared the Devil himself. Barely recovered from their stupefaction, the peasants trembling with fear heard Satan offer them the following deal: – If you wish, he said, by tomorrow morning, this bridge will be rebuilt! However, in compensation, I ask you to give me the soul of the first creature who will cross the new bridge. Fundamentally Christians, the peasants refused such a deal.... The days passed... the nights passed... the finances declined... and poverty began to emerge. Cornered by hunger, the peasants returned to the ruins of the bridge and concluded the deal proposed some time before by Satan. And the next morning, when they discovered the bridge rebuilt and Satan waiting in triumph for his victim, they consulted. A large bag was then installed at the entrance to the bridge. From this bag, escaped a magnificent goat which rushed onto the bridge and threw itself into the arms of the Devil who, seeing himself deceived, had no other solution than to return screaming towards the eternal fire of his cursed kingdom .
Source: Euromyths
Translated by Google •
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