The Devil's Column (Vysehrad)

Prague · Czechia · Stone formation

The devil Zardan wagered for a priest's soul, was knocked into the lagoon three times — and smashed the pillar here in fury.

Three rough pieces of stone lie in Karlach's park at Vysehrad, and Prague has always known who put them there. The legend says a priest made a wager with a devil named Zardan to save a possessed woman: the devil was to fetch a stone column from St Peter's in Rome before the mass was finished, or the soul was lost. Zardan lifted the pillar, but the apostle Peter knocked him into the lagoon outside Venice three times on the way. When he finally reached Vysehrad the mass had long since ended. In fury he hurled the column at the ground so that it broke into three pieces. In 1665 a possessed man in Rome is said to have given the name Zardan under exorcism and confessed that he was the one who brought the stone to Vysehrad.

FAQ

Where is The Devil's Column (Vysehrad) located?

The Devil's Column (Vysehrad) is in Prag, Czechia.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.