They say it’s dangerous to walk with the devil, but on February 8, 1855, the devil walked on earth…allegedly. 

The curious event took place in Devon, England, where strange hoof-like footprints were discovered in the snow. Religious figures at the time stated the hoof prints belonged to Satan, though not everyone bought into the theory. Some of the only documented evidence of this event came from Reverend H. T. Ellacombe, who had several letters from friends reporting they’d seen the prints. 

The footprints spanned for roughly 100 miles and continued to appear again for the next 1-2 days in over 30 locations in the surrounding area. The prints were said to be 4″ by 3″ in diameter and were placed in single-file following a winding and scattered path. 

After the news broke of these unusual prints, several theories began popping up. Some attributed the prints to animals like kangaroos or badgers. Others had theories involving balloons and hopping mice. While much of the country was fascinated by the possible story behind the devil’s footprints, it wasn’t long before skepticism stepped in. People claimed that no one person or thing could walk 100 miles in one day. Additionally, eye-witness accounts of the prints tended to vary from person to person. 

To this day, questions about the strange incident still go unanswered. In March of 2009, similar footprints were reportedly seen again in Devon, though there’s not much evidence to prove it was anything more than a historical prank. 

So did Lucifer himself walk the earth that day in 1855? 

We may never know for sure.