Prague - Devil´s Column (Vysehrad)

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Some see the shattered stone pillar as proof that a malevolent entity named Zardan visited Prague. The legend of the Devil's Column reveals that a marble column was shattered into three fragments in the field directly behind the Basilica Church of St Peter and St Paul. A mural within the church illustrates part of this tale, as well. In 1861, a church provost wrote that the story was factual and that it was "impossible to speak or believe otherwise." He even named the devil in question as Zardan. The story has been retold numerous times, resulting in various slight variations. One version claims that a priest, possibly named Boniface, had accumulated significant gambling debt. Zardan pledged to extricate him from trouble if he won a final all-or-nothing wager with his soul. The priest was required to complete celebrating mass before Zardan could return from Rome with a pillar. Zardan, being a devil, allegedly cheated. However, with a little assistance from the heavens, the column shattered and Zardan lost his bet.