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Devil's Footprints
On February 9, 1855, residents of Devon, England awoke to find mysterious hoof-like prints in the snow stretching over 100 miles. The tracks went in straight lines over rooftops, through walls, and across the River Exe. Clergymen blamed the Devil. The prints were never explained.
1855
Devon, England
1000+ witnesses
Mysterious hoofprints appeared across Devon overnight.
The Discovery
February 9, 1855:
- Heavy snowfall night before
- Morning: strange prints
- Across multiple towns
- 100+ miles covered
- Single track pattern
The Prints
What they looked like:
- Cloven hoof shape
- About 4 inches long
- 8 inches apart
- Single file line
- Perfect spacing
The Path
Where they went:
- Over rooftops
- Through walls
- Across the River Exe
- Up haystacks
- Through drainpipes
The Reaction
Public response:
- Panic spread
- Churches filled
- Clergy blamed Devil
- Armed search parties
- Hysteria
The Theories
Explanations proposed:
- Escaped kangaroo
- Badger
- Wood mouse
- Weather balloon anchor
- Mass hysteria
The Mystery
Why unsolved:
- Too far for one animal
- Impossible path
- Uniform prints
- Never repeated
- Still unexplained