Turning the Devil's Stone

On November 5 (Guy Fawkes Day), the villagers of Shebbear in Devon, England, gather in the front of Berry House to 'turn the Devil's Stone' (or 'Devil's Boulder'), a great conglomerate rock that is turned every year to ensure good fortune for the village. The stone itself (which has an unnamed sibling about 750 metres to the north) is about two metres (about six feet) long and weighing about one ton.

It is not from a local rock formation and is, in fact, an 'erratic' – that is, a stone from elsewhere, such as those deposited in one of the Ice Ages. Perhaps its unusual character explains the mystery and traditions surrounding it ...

Categories: folklore, uk, calendar-customs