The new Fortean Times has a strong emphasis on folklore and folk horror. In his article on local traditions, Ben Edge takes us to Shebbear in Devon and the annual turning of the Devil's Stone on 5 November:
It soon fell dark and the scary-looking Devil on the pub sign was illuminated spookily by lights. Children were playing wildly around the stone itself, leaping over each other and getting rougher in their play. The fact that no parents intervened suggested that this always happened, almost as if it too was part of the tradition.
Behind this tradition lies the story that the Devil is trapped beneath the stone. It takes him a year to burrow away from the stone and be on the point of escaping, so it has to be moved every 5 November.
You can watch the proceedings from 10 years ago in the video above. It starts promisingly - morris dancing in the dark! - but I could have done with a bit less from the vicar. Was there no reputable warlock available?
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