Devil's Footprints / Hoofprints

[ghostdog19]

1) a naturaly occuring creature.
2) the Devil Himself.
3) a hoaxer

What about 4) Unreported or undocumented incident such as the military balloon theory (relying on memory here, was it a military balloon... but the hook hanging from it catching as the balloon sailed theory anyway)? Sort of akin to the UFO debate where you have military testing as one possible explanation.

[EDITED TO ADD A QUESTION MARK AT THE END OF THE FIRST SENTENCE]

 

[ogopogo3]

Doing a Google Image Search for "rabbit tracks" brings up a lot of variations. This picture is interesting:

With a little helpful melting, a distinct single-file backwards horseshoe shape is definitely not out of the realm of possibility. Optimal snow conditions and dozens of rabbits branching outwards across the countryside makes a lot more sense than to me than any other explanation postulated thus far, especially with wembley's Joe Nickell cite:

On 8 February there had been a slight thaw; more snow fell that night and a freezing wind got up at dawn, enlarging and distorting, perhaps, the prints of hundreds of badgers, otters, rats and cats.

The prints were discovered over a wide area and they were observed by hundreds of people. No one observer tracked them all. Everyone needed to rely on the reports of others.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-17849133.html

And rabbits CAN crawl through drainpipes.

 

[QuaziWashboard]

1) a naturaly occuring creature.
2) the Devil Himself.
3) a hoaxer

What about 4) Unreported or undocumented incident such as the military balloon theory (relying on memory here, was it a military balloon... but the hook hanging from it catching as the balloon sailed theory anyway)? Sort of akin to the UFO debate where you have military testing as one possible explanation.

[EDITED TO ADD A QUESTION MARK AT THE END OF THE FIRST SENTENCE]

That would be the theory that Geoffrey Household (who edited a book that contained all of the newspaper correspondence collected concerning the incident) came up with. He said;

I think that Devenport Dockyard released, by accident, some sort of experimental balloon, and trailed 2 shackles on the end of ropes. The impressions left in the snow by these shackles went up the sides of houses, over haystacks, etc. A major Carter, a local man, tells me that his grandfather worked at Devenport at the time, and that the whole thing was hushed up because the balloon destroyed a number of conservatories, greenhouses, windows, etc. He says the balloon finally came down in Honiton.

The problem with this theory is it doesn't explain how it actualy went around almost everyone's garden in the town of Lympstone and left footprints that definately follow people's garden paths right up to their front doors then turn around and go back in the opposite direction, again, following the path. This all seems a little too directional, which would require intelligence, rather than some balloon randomly drifting on the wind. Plus, the shackles would spin if they were just suspended from a single rope and instead of creating a set of neatly formed footprints that all point in the direction that it's maker is travelling, would make random tracks that seem to point in all sorts of directions. Also, metal shackles being dragged by a balloon and banging into all sorts of stuff like houses ect. would probably be heard.

 

[QuaziWashboard]

Doing a Google Image Search for "rabbit tracks" brings up a lot of variations. This picture is interesting:

With a little helpful melting, a distinct single-file backwards horseshoe shape is definitely not out of the realm of possibility. Optimal snow conditions and dozens of rabbits branching outwards across the countryside makes a lot more sense than to me than any other explanation postulated thus far, especially with wembley's Joe Nickell cite:

On 8 February there had been a slight thaw; more snow fell that night and a freezing wind got up at dawn, enlarging and distorting, perhaps, the prints of hundreds of badgers, otters, rats and cats.

The prints were discovered over a wide area and they were observed by hundreds of people. No one observer tracked them all. Everyone needed to rely on the reports of others.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-17849133.html

And rabbits CAN crawl through drainpipes.

Unfortunately they can't walk through solid walls or jump over walls more than a few feet tall.

 

[OldTimeRadio]

What about 4) Unreported or undocumented incident such as the military balloon theory (relying on memory here, was it a military balloon... but the hook hanging from it catching as the balloon sailed theory anyway)?

I don't think that works, for at least three reasons:

1. A trailing line would have left smears and streaks, NOT neatly-spaced plop! plop! plop! hook-marks.

2. That trailing line would have indeed caught on every tree, shrub, bush, trellis, well, barn, home and steeple along the way. The balloonists would have cut that nuisance rope before they'd gone two minutes over the countryside. And there's a good change that the surface dwellers would have found the rope AND the "hook" itself.

3. More than one type of hook-mark/hoof-mark appeared in the snow.

 

[ghostdog19]

Or it's part of Springheeled Jack phenomena where the military were testing springheeled shoes. I read somewhere that Germany (during the first or second world war... more likely second) tested spring heeled boots (at the cost of many a broken ankle). Given that this incident in Devon occured in the mid 1800's, there was a war on.

 

[Sthenno]

Or it's part of Springheeled Jack phenomena where the military were testing springheeled shoes. I read somewhere that Germany (during the first or second world war... more likely second) tested spring heeled boots (at the cost of many a broken ankle). Given that this incident in Devon occured in the mid 1800's, there was a war on.

What war? The Burmese War? They were testing spring heeled boots, while hopping, to take to Burma?

Fair enough. Mystery solved.

 

[ghostdog19]

What war? The Burmese War? They were testing spring heeled boots, while hopping, to take to Burma? Fair enough. Mystery solved.

The second Burmese War ended in 1853, so they'd be a bit late for that.

No, I was referring to the Crimean War which at that point would have been in mid-flow. The Crimean War was the first to be regarded as modern conflict, and introduced technical changes which affected the future course of warfare. I refer to springheeled boots given historical context, and also considering it wasn't outside the realms of military invention.

[EDITED TO SHORTEN QUOTED POST, AND TO CHANGE THE LAST WORD FROM INNOVATION TO INVENTION]

 

[Sthenno]

Oh, ok. My military history ain’t that good, I’m just having a silly day. Still, why would they have been hopping? How high would these boots have allowed people to jump?! If they would get you on the roofs of barns, I want a pair!

 

[ghostdog19]

Oh, ok. My military history ain’t that good, I’m just having a silly day. Still, why would they have been hopping? How high would these boots have allowed people to jump?! If they would get you on the roofs of barns, I want a pair!

No idea, just a suggestion born of a few 'historical conveniences'... springboard if you like (excuse the pun ) for further discussion. Perhaps the British government at the time looked at Springheeled Jack in the penny dreadfuls and thought "those look bloody handy".

[EDIT FOR SPELLING AND CLUMSY SENTENCE STRUCTURE]

 

[gothgurl]

yeah but how the heck are you aspost to know the diffrence between the devils footprints and a humans footprints? shouldn't the devil leave like a bloody rim round the edge of the footprint of something?????

 

[Sthenno]

yeah but how the heck are you aspost to know the diffrence between the devils footprints and a humans footprints? shouldn't the devil leave like a bloody rim round the edge of the footprint of something?????

I think the superstition of the day was that the devil had hooves.

 

[OldTimeRadio]

The Crimean War was the first to be regarded as modern conflict....

I've heard exactly this same statement made concerning the American Civil War!

 

[OldTimeRadio]

By Henry, I think I've doped it out.

The hoaxers all utilized 30-foot tall stilts, which let them easily step over barns and homes.

And this also explains all those 35-foot "snow ostriches." <ggg>

 

[QuaziWashboard]

Or it's part of Springheeled Jack phenomena where the military were testing springheeled shoes. I read somewhere that Germany (during the first or second world war... more likely second) tested spring heeled boots (at the cost of many a broken ankle). Given that this incident in Devon occured in the mid 1800's, there was a war on.

Unfortunately, nobody's ever been able to make such a devise that could propell a man high enough in the air to be responsible for the footprints, but which also breaks his fall without breaking a few bones too when he comes back down. Putting springs on your feet and bouncing around like a flea is, I'm afraid, something that only goes on in comic books and cartoons. Besides, something like this would come back down with quite a lot of force and would leave quite deep prints, also the prints were said to be about 8 inches apart in a walking gait, I can't imagine anyone bouncing along at a hight of 14 or 15 feet, leaving shallow prints, that still look as if the wearer of the springs was walking.

 

[QuaziWashboard]

By Henry, I think I've doped it out.

The hoaxers all utilized 30-foot tall stilts, which let them easily step over barns and homes.

And this also explains all those 35-foot "snow ostriches." <ggg>

Actualy, I thought along those lines myself for a while when I was figuring out how a hoaxer could make the tracks without leaving any human tracks too, until I realised that it didn't really matter if they left human tracks or not.

 

[QuaziWashboard]

If only we had weather reports for the night before the footprints were discovered.

It was snowing.

Sorry, couldn’t resist!!

:lol:
Ahh, but it wasn't. As it has already been stated, it stopped snowing around 11pm that night.
Anyhow, I've just e-mailed the Met Office and asked if they have any records for the night and area in question. It'd be interesting to see what they come up with, if they have anything.

OK, here's the reply from those jolly nice people at the Met Office.

Hello,

Thank you for your email.

Here at the National Meteorological Archive most of our official weather records do not begin until the 1860s. However, we are lucky enough to hold quite a large collection of Private Weather Diaries, kept by private individuals with an interest in the weather, which pre-date our official records (some diaries date back as far as the 1730s!).

I was able to find just such a diary which was kept in Exmouth, just down the road from Lympstone, during 1855. The entry for 6th January 1855 was as follows:

It was a fair, but cloudy day with the birds singing as if it were spring. There was a north, north westerly moderate breeze and the temperatures were 48F (8-9C) at 9am; 50F (10C) at 3pm and 47F (8C) at 9pm. The mean average temperature for the day was 48F (8-9C).

You mentioned an interest in foggy weather. I am afraid that there was no fog recorded on 6th, but foggy mornings have been noted for 3rd, 4th and 10th.

Unfortunately, there is no mention of snow - I hope this doesn't ruin the mystery of the footprints!

I hope this information helps.

Best wishes with your research.

Kind Regards,

Kate Strachan
Assistant Archivist

So...no recordings of any snow. :shock: The mystery deepens.
It's interesting to note that foggy mornings were indeed recorded around that time so someone might well have been able to hoax this under cover of mist rolling in from the sea.

 

[wembley8]

Isn't that the wrong month? - I thought it was Feb 1855, not Jan.

 

[Sthenno]

Yep, 8th February.

 

[OldTimeRadio]

I think the superstition of the day was that the devil had hooves.

He doesn't?

In the Hispanic world the Devil tends to have rooster feet.

Thus all those Tex-Mex legends of the Devil showing up at dance halls and being very popular with all the females until they recognize his feet.

 

[QuaziWashboard]

Isn't that the wrong month? - I thought it was Feb 1855, not Jan.

Yep, 8th February.

Oh bum!
I've no idea how that happened, must not have woken up properly the day I sent the e-mail. Sorry guys. Ahh well, I'll try again, Kate Strachan seems a nice enough person so she might just have another look for us.
I thought it was the 7th of Feb. though, every artical apart from one that I've read says that the footprints were discovered on the 7th of Feb. so I'll ask her to look at both dates.

 

[stu neville]

IIRC it was the night of the 8th Feb, but most of the tracks were found on the morning of the 9th - I'd ask her for the records for all three to be on the safe side.

 

[QuaziWashboard]

I think the superstition of the day was that the devil had hooves.

He doesn't?

In the Hispanic world the Devil tends to have rooster feet.

Thus all those Tex-Mex legends of the Devil showing up at dance halls and being very popular with all the females until they recognize his feet.

A lot of the myth of the Devil is mixed up with the Greek nature god Pan, who had a goat's hindquarters, legs, and horns, making his feet cloven hooved.
Infact, not just his looks but other aspects seem to been mixed up between Pan and The Devil too.
Take for instance the classic legend of the fiddle competition with the Devil. Re-invented as the legend of Robert Leroy Johnson, the blues guitarist who alledgedly sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in order to become a great blues player. The story goes that after he died, he had to enter a guitar playing competition against the Devil in order to win his soul back.
These 'musical competition with the Devil' scenarios seem to have a cirtain similarity to one of the stories of Pan.

Once Pan had the audacity to compare his music with that of Apollo, and to challenge Apollo, the god of the lyre, to a trial of skill. Tmolus, the mountain-god, was chosen to umpire. Pan blew on his pipes, and with his rustic melody gave great satisfaction to himself and his faithful follower, Midas, who happened to be present. Then Apollo struck the strings of his lyre. Tmolus at once awarded the victory to Apollo, and all but Midas agreed with the judgment. He dissented, and questioned the justice of the award. Apollo would not suffer such a depraved pair of ears any longer, and turned Midas' ears into those of a donkey.

Source; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_(mythology)

The probable reason for this mix up between Pan and the Devil is probably because Pan was, and still is, widely worshiped by Pagans where he is considered a powerful deity and an archetype of male virility and sexuality, called the Horned God. Christians would have taken one look at him and assumed he was evil.

 

[QuaziWashboard]

IIRC it was the night of the 8th Feb, but most of the tracks were found on the morning of the 9th - I'd ask her for the records for all three to be on the safe side.

Cheers....will do!

 

[ogopogo3]

So...no recordings of any snow. The mystery deepens.
It's interesting to note that foggy mornings were indeed recorded around that time so someone might well have been able to hoax this under cover of mist rolling in from the sea.

Sigh:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-17849133.html

On 8 February there had been a slight thaw; more snow fell that night and a freezing wind got up at dawn.

It was rabbit tracks. Yep, I'm dismissing the "fact" that tracks were found on rooftops. This legend has already shown to be rife with other exaggerations and falsehoods, so I feel no guilt or hesitation about doing so.

Rabbit tracks. Let it go, people.

 

[ghostdog19]

IIRC it was the night of the 8th Feb, but most of the tracks were found on the morning of the 9th - I'd ask her for the records for all three to be on the safe side.

Cheers....will do!

I have a feeling that because records were scarce, as outlined in your previous correspondence, that said news story will likely be one of the sources telling us what weather was like on the night of said event.

 

[QuaziWashboard]

So...no recordings of any snow. The mystery deepens.
It's interesting to note that foggy mornings were indeed recorded around that time so someone might well have been able to hoax this under cover of mist rolling in from the sea.

Sigh:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-17849133.html

On 8 February there had been a slight thaw; more snow fell that night and a freezing wind got up at dawn.

It was rabbit tracks. Yep, I'm dismissing the "fact" that tracks were found on rooftops. This legend has already shown to be rife with other exaggerations and falsehoods, so I feel no guilt or hesitation about doing so.

Rabbit tracks. Let it go, people.

Rabbits don't leave a 'walking' track because they don't use a 'walking' gait, they leave a 'hopping' track, with the front and back feet together, like this :::: rather than a walking track, which is more like this '.'.'.'.'. (Yes I know this makes it look club footed but it's the nearest approximation my keyboard can do. )
Fair enough it's concievable that some sort of freak thaw could change the shape of the tracks, but not the position of the tracks. If it was rabbit tracks, someone would have noticed and mentioned it at the time, especialy in the rural areas, where people of that period used to regularly hunt and kill rabbits for the pot.
It might have been some other creature that has a walking gait and can jump or climb over seemingly impossibly high walls and houses but one creature that it couldn't possibly be from the tracks that were left is a rabbit.

 

[Sthenno]

So...no recordings of any snow. The mystery deepens.
It's interesting to note that foggy mornings were indeed recorded around that time so someone might well have been able to hoax this under cover of mist rolling in from the sea.

Sigh:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-17849133.html

On 8 February there had been a slight thaw; more snow fell that night and a freezing wind got up at dawn.

It was rabbit tracks. Yep, I'm dismissing the "fact" that tracks were found on rooftops. This legend has already shown to be rife with other exaggerations and falsehoods, so I feel no guilt or hesitation about doing so.

Rabbit tracks. Let it go, people.

To be honest I find it a little silly that someone living 150 years later on the other side of the world feels able to so certainly conclude what it was that caused the tracks, when it wasn’t concluded at the time. Do you have a special knowledge of the tracks left by rabbits in snow that the people of Devon didn’t have in the 1800s?

 

[ghostdog19]

Rabbits don't leave a 'walking' track because they don't use a 'walking' gait, they leave a 'hopping' track,

If in reasonable health, though I doubt that ill health would allow it to leap up onto a rooftop.

 

[Sthenno]

Rabbits don't leave a 'walking' track because they don't use a 'walking' gait, they leave a 'hopping' track,

If in reasonable health, though I doubt that ill health would allow it to leap up onto a rooftop.

Ah, but don’t forget we are discounting that testimony, because it doesn’t fit the explanation.