Greater Poland

An erratic boulder called "Devil's Stone" with dimensions: length 3.3 m, width 3.1 m, height about 2 m. The boulder is surrounded by smaller stones forming a circle. The site was first described as early as the 19th century. In 2013, archaeological research was carried out here, discovering pits with fragments of clay vessels and flint splinters. The chronology of the artefacts was established for the period from the Paleolithic to the early Iron Age (the so-called Lusatian-Pomeranian cultural cycle). Monumental material from this period occurred mainly in the immediate vicinity of the boulder. In addition, traces of burning and a modern excavation were captured. Fragments of clay vessels from the 18th-19th centuries were also discovered. According to the researchers, the boulder was placed in the central place of the site intentionally, it was also worked and given an anthropomorphic form, similar to the face urns. The use of the site is most likely to be linked to the people of the Pomeranian culture, its function has not been definitively established, and it was probably related to an unspecified cult.

2022. The Association of Local History Enthusiasts "Historic Vetiver" set up an information board next to the boulder.

Sources of information: Blazejewski, Przybylski 2022, 39-48; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 51.665591, 17.918871

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An erratic boulder known as the "Devil's Stone" with a circumference of about 17 m and a height of 1.5 m, located in the Krotoszyn Dąbrowa forest area (Sokołówka Forestry section 74). According to legend, during the Swedish Deluge and the siege of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, the Swedish general Miller entered into a pact with the devil, who was to bring him a boulder to make a bullet for a huge cannon to crush the walls of the monastery. The devil went to Sweden and took the huge boulder from there. As he flew back there was a powerful rumbling sound and a swish of wind. Witnessing the devil's flight was a peasant from neighboring Rozdrażewek, who, terrified, began to recite the hours. The devil lost his power and dropped the stone. He tried to pick it up, but the boulder sank further and further into the ground. Desperate, the devil sat down on it, leaving the mark of his seat and hooves - trough-like depressions visible on the surface of the rock.

The trail to the stone is marked, starting from the Sokolówka forester's lodge, and an information board with the quoted legend has been set up at the boulder.

Information sources: https://krotoszyn.poznan.lasy.gov.pl/aktualnosci/-/asset_publisher/1M8a/content/tajemnica-diabelskiegokamienia (accessed February 20, 2023); information board; field search

Geographic coordinates: 51.774772, 17.606059

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An erratic boulder about 4.2 meters long, 3.1 meters wide and 1.7 meters high. According to legend, one of the three "Devil's Stones" abandoned by devils during the construction of a bridge across Lake Jezierzyckie (see description of Jurkowo-Huby). On the surface of the stone there are numerous holes, it is possible that these are traces of a fire auger.

Sources of information: Black Bridge and Boulder, Koscian Forest District. Tourist and educational map, 2020; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 51.975101, 16.701295

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An erratic boulder measuring 3.3 meters long, 3.1 meters wide, 0.7 meters high, located in the forest between the villages of Zgliniec and Jurkowo-Huby. The boulder, known as the "Devil's Stone", according to legend, was abandoned by devils when they were building the bridge.
The legend tells of a conflict between the owners of the surrounding estates of Wonieść and Jezierzyce over the lake. The owner of the former estate was said to have lost his entire fortune at cards one night. He was offered help by the devil, who promised money to repay the debt in exchange for his soul. After time, the devil reprimanded him for payment. The nobleman made another deal with him - the devil was to build a bridge across the lake overnight, and if he did so he would get a soul. The conversation was overheard by one of the nobleman's servants. When the devils were already finishing the construction she climbed the tower of the palace and crowed like a rooster. Terrified, the devils abandoned the construction and the stones. Another boulder related to this legend is located 3.3 kilometers away in the fields of the village of Jezierzyce. The third is said to lie near the village of Adamowo.

Sources of information: Black Bridge and Boulder, Koscian Forest District. Tourist and educational map, 2020; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 51.979615, 16.750054

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An erratic boulder located in the forest north of the village buildings of Lutom. Guide erratics, Smaland granite. Dimensions of the stone: perimeter 12 m, height 1.25 m, length 3.5 m, width 2.7 m. According to a local legend quoted by R. Skiba on a plaque placed next to the boulder: "A poor peasant once called on the devil and asked him to give him money, for which he would receive his soul after twenty years. The peasant and his family now lived happily. When the deadline passed, the devil appeared and demanded the promised soul. However, he left the peasant the right to one wish before his death. The peasant wished that the devil build a bridge across Lake Lutomsk at night. The devil worked diligently. He was almost finished, he just had to bring the last large stone lying far away to the lake. When he ran there, at the same moment the peasant woke the rooster, which immediately crowed. The devil had to flee before he could finish the construction. In this way, the peasant ensured his soul's freedom. The stone lies where the devil dropped it."

Sources of information: Zagórska-Zabielska 2010, 15-16; information board, field queries

Geographic coordinates: 52.636197, 16.149509

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An erratic boulder with a circumference of 16.5 meters and a height of 1.8 meters is customarily referred to as the "Giant's Shield," "Devil's Stone" or "St. Mark's Stone." Two legends are associated with the boulder. The first says that St. Mark was driving a sleigh that got stuck in the mud and could not move it. The boulder miraculously began to grow at the spot, which freed the sleigh. This boulder grows to this day.
According to the second legend, when a church was being built in Sokolniki, the devil decided to stop the work and demolish the temple. He picked up a huge boulder from the far north and was flying over Sokolniki when dawn found him and roosters began to crow in the village. Satan soon lost all strength and infernal power. The stone fell
and has remained in the field to this day. Tourist infrastructure in the form of a shelter, benches
and a place for a bonfire has been established at the boulder. The upper part of the boulder has visible bores, probably created during attempts to break it.

Sources of information: Widzinski 1928, 162; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 52.639845, 17.502847

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The erratic boulder in Borek Oleski, also known as "Devil's Stone," is 4.3 meters long and 3.4 meters wide. According to a local legend, there is a sunken inn under the boulder. Once one of the revelers was stabbed there, which, however, did not stop the party. As punishment, the devil (according to another version, a mysterious figure) cursed the inn, which sank into the ground, while a boulder appeared in its place. Another version of the legend says that the inn, along with its guests, was turned to stone because they were partying on Ash Wednesday.

A stone in the current of the Dobrocznia stream, now completely silted up and invisible. During the course of a field search, we were able to confirm its existence. The stone is to be reinterred. In the nearby St. Hedwig Church in Pêpowo there is a representation of this saint crossing the stream and leaving a mark on the stone.

The temple was erected in the 2nd half of the 15th century, and later rebuilt in 1610-1625. The Friend of the People of 1846 recalls the following legend about the stone, noted among the local population: "In those days, when neither the village nor the church yet existed, only wilderness grew in those places, Saint Jadwiga, who lived in Trzebnica at that time, went on a pilgrimage on foot to the tomb of Saint Adalbert in Gniezno; having gone into those wildernesses, weary, she rested on a hill by the river and looked for a place where she could cross the water. When she saw a stone lying in the stream, she stepped on it and happily made it to the other side. The shepherds in the woods, who were watching the pilgrimage crossing the stream, soon noticed her foot imprinted on the stone after she left, and when word spread, people gathered from all over to watch the miracle; In the course of time the village started to build by the stream, which is now called Dobrocznia and has been flowing near Pêpowo, and later a church was built on the hill, where the humble Duchess used to rest. It is said that the stone with her foot imprinted on it still lies on a streambed by the same river".

Sources of information: Friend of the People 1846, 22; Baruch 1907, 48; Maluskiewicz 2008; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 51.760248, 17.125097

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The stone, according to local tradition, with the footprint of St. Hedwig was supposed to lie by the shrine on the road between Krobia and Chwalkow. It disappeared years ago.

Sources of information: field search; interviews with residents of Krobia and Chwałkowo villages

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According to legend, a boulder with the imprint of a human footprint lay in front of the entrance to the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was thought to have been left by Marianna Grudzinska, the wife of Andrzej Grudzinski, the founder of the temple rebuilt after the destruction of the city during the Swedish Deluge. Grudzinska was an extremely religious person. When she stepped on the boulder and cried looking at the rubble of the city, her foot caved in, imprinting a mark. In 2002, the stone was set into the church wall. It is now covered with plaster, in which, however, a rendering of the foot was carved as a reminder.

Sources of information: Kowalski 1997, 62; Wozny 2014, 294; https://www.zlotow.pl/Szlak_zlotowskiego_jelenia.html (accessed March 20, 2023); plaque set up at the church; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 53.363678, 17.031776

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The erratic boulder measures about 1.2 × 1.8 meters. According to tradition, the stone was originally supposed to be a pagan altar on which blood sacrifices were made. It was to be found in the so-called "sacred forest" of the Pomeranians. Around 1100, during a ritual, the Virgin Mary appeared on the boulder with the infant Jesus in her arms, demanding the cessation of sacrifices and the conversion of Pomeranians to Christianity. She then disappeared in a cloud along with the Christians who were to be murdered. She left a deeply carved footprint on the stone. The pagans, in fear, fled and were later baptized. A few years later, in 1108, the first church was to be built on the site. Among other things, pagan sacrificial boulders were used in its construction. A fragment of the rock "with the imprint of the foot of the Blessed Virgin Mary" was inserted into the wall enclosing the cemetery, and then lay in the church square. In the 1950s, the stone was placed in a shrine to Our Lady of Saletina set up next to All Saints' Church. All Saints' Church. Forged in the shape of a foot, 22 cm long, 5-9 cm wide, schematically
marked toe line.

Sources of information: Miechowicz 2010, 46; information board placed near the chapel; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 53.042311, 16.540802

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The erratic boulder "Stone of St. Adalbert." According to local legend, on its surface there is a gouge left by the foot of St. Adalbert, who was said to have preached from the stone while wandering. According to one of the legends, the scratches and depressions on the surface of the boulder are supposed to be the imprints of the bishop's pastoral, mitre and the Gospel book. After St. Adalbert's death, according to legend, the boulder was attempted to be lifted and carried in front of Gniezno Cathedral. The stone then sank into the ground, while a spring with miraculous water possessing healing powers gushed out from under it. Anyone who washed his sick eyes with it, while praying to St. Adalbert, regained his sight. One day a pagan was said to have done the same, causing the water to lose its miraculous power.

Numerous pilgrimages flocked to the stone and the miraculous spring in Budziejewek. A brick church was erected next to the miracle site in 1848-1858. The boulder is the oldest natural monument in Poland, protected on the initiative of local residents since 1840. Pink, fine-grained granite (Smaland). Dimensions of the stone: circumference 20 m; length 7.5 m, width 4.7 m, height 1.3 m.

Sources of information: Baruch 1907, 47; Widzinski 1923, 160-163; Czernicka-Chodkowska 1980, 65; Zagórska-Zabielska 2010, 22-24; information board placed at the stone; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 52.725878, 17.323006

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A granite boulder, 75 cm long, 45 cm wide and 30 cm high, lying under the shrine, at the base of Chelmno Mountain. It was first described in 1883 as a boulder laid beneath God's Passion "on which there is: a human foot, a dog's paw and a mark from a stick." According to local legend, the footprint was left by the Lord Jesus, who leaned his foot against the stone while wandering, much like the staff with which he supported himself. At the same time, a paw was placed on the boulder by a dog accompanying Jesus. A second legend recorded in the region says that the stone was brought to Chelminska Mountain by the devil. The surface of the boulder shows natural depressions and erosion marks interpreted as the trace of a dog's foot, staff and paw.

Sources of information: Dydynski 1893, 10; Baruch 1907, 47-48; field queries

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Rectangular boulder of pink granite, measuring about 40 × 50 cm, built into the wall of the parish church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Assumption in Vlociejewki. Blessed Virgin Mary of the Assumption in Vladykoyevka. On the surface of the stone are present two carvings in the shape of feet (possibly the soles of a shoe or sandal). Visible traces of grinding and shining marks. The right "foot" is 26 cm long and 6.2-8.5 cm wide, while the left one is 28 cm long and 6.5-8 cm wide. According to local belief, the footprints are a reflection of the feet of the Virgin Mary, who centuries ago was said to have appeared on a stone lying on the hill. A church was built to commemorate this event. As late as the 19th century, worshippers would approach the stone and kiss the footprints before entering the church.

O. Kolberg cites a legend about the stone and the creation of the church. On a hill overgrown with dense forest, her image and a glow of light appeared over a stone with the feet of the Virgin Mary engraved on it. Local residents notified the priest from Ksiaz about the miracle. The image from above the stone was taken and placed in the church, after which it disappeared and reappeared above the stone. When the situation repeated itself, it was decided to erect a wooden chapel next to the stone and place the image in it. At the same time, the local heir's favorite Arabian stallion disappeared from the stable. The horse was found next to the shrine with the miraculous image, he was standing at the head of a large herd of Turkish horses. When the owner of the herd could not be found, it was decided that it was God's grace itself that sent the precious animals to finance the construction of the church. After the temple was built, a miraculous image was placed on its altar, and a stone with the feet of the Virgin Mary was set into the wall. The faithful attribute miraculous healing powers to it, kissing and scraping dust from it, considered effective for various diseases.

The current temple was built in the early 16th century in the late Gothic style, and today it is the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Previously there was a wooden church from the 14th century, mentioned in sources in 1417, erected according to tradition on the site of a pagan place of worship.

Sources of information: Kolberg 1962, 38; Lukaszewicz 1858, 237-238; Dydyński 1893, 10; Baruch 1907, 49; Maluśkiewicz 2008, 280; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 52.033568, 17.206155

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An erratic boulder (granite) 0.8 m long, 0.4 m wide and about 0.2 m high. On its upper surface there are natural depressions, according to local tradition one of them is the imprint of the foot of St. Hedwig of Silesia. The boulder is set next to a shrine built over a spring, the water from which has miraculous healing powers, especially helpful for eye diseases. The miracle site is located in a marshy area among the fields between the villages of Zgorzelec and Rychtal.

Legend has it that St. Hedwig stopped at this spot for a rest while wandering from Trzebnica to Krakow. She was thirsty, while there was no water nearby, then miraculously a spring with crystal clear water gushed out of the ground. Her footprint was imprinted on the stone where the saint stood.

Subsequent legends tell of miracles associated with this place. Centuries ago, a soldier who had very poor vision was supposed to stop here. After washing his face and eyes with the miraculous water from the spring, he regained his sight. Since then, the spring and the stone have become the site of numerous pilgrimages. Custom dictated that on October 14 young girls went to the spring to draw water. Returning to the village, they could not turn around, because then they would not get married. The place still attracts believers today, religious processions are held here.

Information sources: https://gloswielkopolski.pl/gmina-rychtal-cudownezrodelko-
od-jadwigi-slaska/ar/c15-14540559 (accessed February 15, 2023); field search

Geographic coordinates: 51.140161, 17.885172

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3D model of the stone

Photo documentation

An erratic boulder known as the "Stone of St. Hedwig" or St. Kinga. In terms of geological structure, it is pink, medium-grained granite (Smaland type), in the upper part of the boulder there are visible detachments caused by attempts to break it. The perimeter of the stone is 22 m, height 4 m, length 5 m and width 4 m. Protected by law since 1888.

The boulder is shrouded in numerous legends, including one about a huge treasure hidden under it. Another legend says that knights fallen in battle with the Tartars sleep under the stone. St. Hedwig asked sleep for them instead of death. When Christianity is threatened again, the knights are supposed to rise and fight. The stone is also known as the "Devil's Stone." It is associated with a legend about the devils who, during the Christianization of these lands, wanted to destroy the church in Kalisz with a boulder. They carried the rock found in the mountains all night, but it was so heavy that they were found in the air by dawn and the crowing of a rooster. The devils, having lost their power, dropped the boulder, which sank deep into the ground. There are two trails leading to the boulder, the place is marked for hiking.

Sources of information: Kor-Walczak 1976, 89-92; Czernicka-Chodkowska 1980, 76, Fig. 32; Zagórska-Zabielska 2010, 41-43; information board placed at the boulder; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 51.825462, 17.946937

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An erratic boulder of irregular triangular shape, located in the arable fields west of the buildings of the village of Wrząca, in a place called "Gać". A quartz sandstone, white, fine-grained, with a circumference of 8.5 m and a height of about 1 m.

On the surface of the stone is an elongated, trough-shaped depression about 80 cm long, max. 40 cm wide, max. 20 cm deep, usually filled with rainwater that collects here - according to local beliefs, the water in the depression never dries up. The stone is called "the bathtub of the Virgin Mary" in local tradition. On both sides of the elongated hollow are circular holes, most likely made by human hand, called "pot" (with a diameter of 20 cm) and "pot" (with a diameter of 5 cm). The northern part of the boulder is covered with numerous shallow "holes", most likely traces of a fire auger.

J. Kolski cites a local legend about the stone noted in the early 20th century: "On her escape from Egypt, the Mother of God stopped at this place. In a tub on the stone she bathed the Child, in a pot she heated water, and in a small pot stood a candle." According to local beliefs, the water collecting in the hollows had miraculous healing power, "very helpful for the eyes." As the story goes, one time a local sheepherder washed his dog's eyes and the water lost its miraculous power.

At night a light was to be seen over the stone. According to tradition, around 1840 the heir to an estate in nearby Komornice, being ill, was supposed to have a dream to take care of the "miraculous place" and the stone would then
recover. The boulder was dug up to make it more accessible to visitors, the place was planted with trees, and the road leading here was also improved. On the day of the indulgence in nearby Grzymiszewo, September 8, the stone was visited in large numbers by the faithful, who washed their eyes and face with the "miracle water."

The same field was once said to contain two other "people-like" stones, one of which was buried near a nearby stream, while the other was used to build the foundations of the manor house. Currently, the "Panorama Bike Trail" bike path runs through the area, and there is an information board at the stone. During a field search in 2022, I found more than a dozen fragments of Bronze Age clay vessels in an arable field a few meters from the boulder.

Sources of information: Kolski 1901, 33-41; Czernicka-Chodkowska 1980, 69; Gralak 2004, 41; field queries

Geographic coordinates: 52.018675, 18.419352

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Granite boulder set near the White Chapel, in the Grąblin Forest, at the site of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the 19th century.
A plaque set next to the boulder reads, "Pilgrim! In this place, on August 15, 1852, the Mother of God appeared to the shepherd Mikołaj Sikatka for the last time. She was dressed in an amaranth gown, a cloak with symbols of the Passion, had a crown on her head and a White Eagle on her chest. According to legend, she then left her footprints in the sand. In a small chapel built on the site, on August 23, 1852, an image of the Mother of God, which had been hanging on a pine tree until then, was placed. From there, on September 29, 1852, it was moved to the parish chapel in Licheń. The present chapel was built in 1993 by Father Eugeniusz Makulski, MIC, and he placed a stone boulder in it, on which he ordered footprints to be carved to commemorate the apparition of Our Lady."

Sources of information: plaque set up at the chapel; source queries

Geographic coordinates: 52.297546, 18.357463

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An erratic boulder about 0.5 m high, 1.9 m long and 1.5 m wide located between fields, near the cemetery in Dabie. The surface of the boulder shows natural depressions formed by erosion. According to local tradition, one of the depressions is the imprint of the foot of St. Bogumił, who, tired, rested on the stone during his wanderings and drank water from a nearby spring. Next to the stone is a well (formerly a spring), and the water drawn from it is believed to have miraculous healing powers. A local legend says that the well used to be overgrown and covered with branches. When there was a drought destroying crops, the well was uncovered and the rains came. The site was revitalized in 2020, and is now marked and developed for tourism. In 2008, a ceremony was held here to consecrate the stone and the well of St. Bogumil by the pastor of the Roman Catholic parish in Dabie.

Sources of information: Dedication of St. Bogumil stone and well http://www.gminadabie.pl/asp/pl_start.asptyp=13&sub=2&menu=1&dzialy=1&artykul=3&akcja=artykul&schemat=2 (accessed February 15, 2023); Dabie: St. Bogumil well renovation carried out
https://www.e-kolo.pl/wiadomosci,16266,dabie-przeprowadzono-remont-studni-sw-bogumila (accessed February 15, 2023); field queries

Geographic coordinates: 52.102775, 18.815725

Location on Google maps