Warminsko-Mazurskie

An erratic boulder measuring about 2 × 1.5 m and 0.5 m high called "Devil's Stone". Until recently it was located at the western wall of the parish church of St. Mary of the Help of the Faithful. Our Lady Help of the Faithful in Klusy. According to tradition, the stone is supposed to have reflected the hoofprints of the devil, which was banished from a possessed woman who was exorcised by a local priest. In 2021, the local parish priest removed the boulder as a relic of paganism and an object of folk superstition.

According to Max Toeppen's account written down in the 19th century: "In the year 1640, Pastor Wisniewski, on the second Sunday after the Holy Trinity, after a sermon he preached, [...] drove the devil's fang out of a woman of the Roman Catholic faith who was possessed by the devil, who persuaded her to do all kinds of evil, so that she not only wanted to slit her own throat, but also to take the lives of other people and pin them to the wall with a hay and dung fork. And that after she left, the evil spirit appeared on the church threshold in its assumed hideous form, the local pastor came out towards it and called out: "Exi, male spiritus, et da locum spiritui sancto!" [Exi, male spiritus, and give place to the Holy Spirit!] [...].

The devil became incredibly agitated and began to roar like a lion: "[...]I have stopped tormenting this woman; as I am a fang, yes, right; you will have a souvenir! ".Then, having turned his back, he struck his crooked foot on a stone lying in front of the church door and imprinted his footprint on it so that the big toe and three other toes of the human leg and the heel of a sort of big cock leg were most clearly visible. Having done this, the devil disappeared."

"The news of the devil's expulsion and the reflection of his foot on the stone in front of the church door stopped Poles and Tartars during an attack in 1656 from burning down this church. When it was rebuilt in 1754, the stone was removed from its previous location, in front of the church door, so that pregnant women would not have to transgress."

Sources of information: Toeppen 2008, 141; Klimek 2010, 89; Lapo 2010, 137; Kurs T., Parson scared
of the devil. Mazurian village wants to reclaim czarci boulder, Gazeta Wyborcza, online edition: https://olsztyn.wyborcza.pl/olsztyn/7,48726,28656008,-czarci-glaz-wystraszyl-proboszcza-kazal-go-zakopac-pod-oslona.html (accessed April 20, 2023); field queries

Location on Google maps

"Devil's Stone" located on the slope of the Dylewka stream valley, near the village of Durąg. Probably in the fourteenth century it served as a boundary stone of the estate of Conrad von Duering (Konrad of Durag). Legends are associated with the stone about treasures buried under it, guarded by the devil in the form of a black dog or a tall man with a shovel. Nearby in the current of the river is another boulder called "Pilgrim's Foot," with a hollow supposed to be the imprint of the foot of a pilgrim who was fleeing from
the devil haunting the nearby road. The natural footprint was created by erosion.

Information sources: Skrobot 2015, 135

Geographic coordinates: 53.623137, 20.036217

Location on Google maps

An erratic boulder (rapacious granite) with a circumference of 11 m and a height of 1.25 m. Called "Devil's Stone" or "Sacrificial Stone of the Prussians". The surface shows furrows and depressions that are traces of attempts
to break the boulder. Local legend says that in the clearing where the boulder lies after sunset the ethereal figure of the White Lady appeared. One of the innkeepers, returning from the inn on St. John's Eve, took a shortcut near the boulder. A white figure appeared to him and entreated him to dance. They twirled to a well near the first buildings of the High Village. The white lady grabbed the man and flicked him around the well, then let him go and disappeared.

Sources of information: Czernicka-Chodkowska 1980, 44; Radziwiłowicz, Szczepkowski 1967, 67; Grążawski 2010; information board placed at the boulder; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 53.554997, 19.924125

Location on Google maps

The so-called "Devil's Stone" (pink granite) from the Łuczańska Forest in the Borecka Forest has a circumference of 13.2 meters and a height of 2.4 meters. According to local legend, a peasant made a pact with the devil. He agreed to give him his soul in exchange for wealth. In the middle of the wilderness, the devil began to erect a stone inn for the peasant. As he lifted the largest boulder, at the same moment the peasant's wife threw into the fire an enchanted slipper, which the host took from the devil as a pledge. The devil suddenly lost his power and dropped the stone, which stuck firmly into the ground.

Sources of information: Czernicka-Chodkowska 1980, 50; Łapo 1997, 67; Klimek 2010, 90; Łapo 2010, 137; information board set up at the boulder; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 54.115954, 22.065674

Location on Google maps

An erratic boulder (gray granite) with a circumference of 9.5 m, height of 1.6 m, length of 3 m, width of 2.7 m. In local tradition, the boulder is called "Devil's Stone", interpreted by some researchers as a sacrificial stone of the pagan Prussians. A large hollow is visible in its upper part, which was supposed to serve as a sacrificial bowl. According to legend, the stone is supposed to have a "trace of the devil's paw", which the devil hit the boulder with out of anger that he had lost in an inn at cards with a local peasant. The stone is not marked.

Sources of information: Radziwiłowicz, Szczepkowski 1967, 32; Czernicka-Chodkowska 1980, 49; Czernicka-Chodkowska 1977, 29; Lapo 2010, 136-137; Klimek 2010, 87

Geographic coordinates: 54.148610, 21.991442

Location on Google maps

An erratic boulder, gray granitogneiss, 28 meters in circumference, 9 meters long, 5.8 meters wide and 3.15 meters high, called "Devil's Stone" or "Bishop's Stone."

According to legend, centuries ago a poor shoemaker made a deal with a wealthy stranger who undertook to raise his eighth son. When the child reached his 24th birthday, the shoemaker was to repay the stranger duly. The young man became a priest and was ordained at the age of 24 in a newly built church in Bishkek. The stranger, who turned out to be the devil, demanded payment, to which the old shoemaker replied that he would keep his end of the bargain only if the devil brought from distant Africa the largest stone he could find there, and would do so before the young priest finished celebrating mass. The devil set off, brought out the boulder, was close and was about to hurl it at the church, but was prevented from doing so by St. Michael and the Virgin Mary. The boulder, precipitated from the clutches of the devil, fell near the church and lies there to this day.

The stone is displayed in a square in the city space. Next to it is an information board with the quoted legend.

Sources of information: Radziwiłowicz, Szczepkowski 1967, 23-24; Czernicka-Chodkowska 1980, 40; Czernicka-Chodkowska 1977, 32; Zientara-Malewska 1955, 68-71; Klimek 2010, 78-79

Geographic coordinates: 54.087640, 20.910554

Location on Google maps

An erratic boulder (crystalline rock) called "Devil's Stone" lies in the current of the Silver Stream in the forest park "Bazantarnia". The surface shows numerous cracks and traces of erosion. The width of the boulder reaches 4 m, length 3 m, height 1.5 m.

According to legend, centuries ago, when the church of St. Nicholas in Elblag was being built, the devil came to the priest asking what was he building? The priest replied that an inn. The devil was pleased that more human
sinful souls would come from drunkenness and began to help bear stones for construction. When he disappeared for an extended period, it turned out that he had been grumbling about a huge boulder for days. However, the construction of the church was completed, and when the devil was near, the church bells were killed. Having lost his power, the devil dropped the stone into the current of the Silver Creek, where it lies to this day. Natural depressions on the surface of the boulder are thought to be the imprints of the devil's claws. The boulder is located by a hiking trail.

Sources of information: Czernicka-Chodkowska 1980, 39; https://www.info.elblag.pl/?id=niezbednik_&pid=11&strona=1 (accessed May 20, 2023); field queries

Geographic coordinates: 54.172012, 19.460857

Location on Google maps

An erratic boulder (gray granite-gneiss) with a circumference of about 15 meters, length of 5 meters, width of 4 meters and height of 2.2 meters lying in the waters of the Vistula Lagoon, northeast of the town of Tolkmicko. There is a small depression in the upper part of the boulder, and cracks and weathering are visible on the surface.

The boulder is known as the "Holy Stone." According to a number of accounts dating back to the 16th century, it was supposed to be dedicated to the Prussian god Kurke. He enjoyed a special cult among fishermen. On the boulder "firstlings", i.e. the first fish caught, flowers, food, were placed and burned as offerings.

One legend written down in the 19th century says that the stone fell into the waters of the Vistula Lagoon as a result of a fight between giants. Another legend treats of two brothers, one very strong and violent, the other weaker. The stronger brother, in anger, threw a huge boulder at the other, which fell into the waters of the Vistula Lagoon. The boulder is visible from the shore, where a vantage point has been established. It is impossible to reach it directly.

Sources of information: Czernicka-Chodkowska 1980, 37; Czernicka-Chodkowska 1977, 29; Klimek 2000, 363-368; Klimek 2010, 101-102

Geographic coordinates: 54.340377, 19.577825

Location on Google maps