Turning the Devil's Stone, 2014
When the rest of the country is setting off fireworks and bonfires on Guy Fawkes Night, the villagers at Shebbear attack a huge boulder on the green with crowbars. They have to turn over the Devil’s Stone, which weighs about a ton and is approximately 6 foot by 4, otherwise bad luck will follow. The origins of the custom are steeped in legend – the stone was dropped by St Michael upon the Devil himself- but why turning the stone averts misfortune, nobody knows. The church bells are rung discordantly, the Vicar tells the tale of the legend and the stone gets turned over by the bellringers for another year.
For more information on this and other British customs and traditions, visit http:// www.calendarcustoms.com/
