The Rock the Devil Spat Out
Irish legend says the great rock at Cashel was a mouthful the Devil bit out of a mountain thirty kilometres away and spat out in fright.
What was reported
The Rock of Cashel is a limestone hill on the plain of Tipperary, crowned by a medieval cathedral, a round tower and a chapel. It was the seat of the kings of Munster, and Saint Patrick is said to have come here in the 5th century.
Legend says the Devil, flying over Tipperary, bit a chunk out of a mountain to the north, leaving the gap still called the Devil's Bit. Seeing Saint Patrick building a church below, he dropped it in fright, and it landed at Cashel.
Explanations offered
Geologists see the Rock as an outcrop of hard limestone left standing as softer rock around it wore away, and the 'bite' as an ordinary gap in the ridge. It's a good example of a legend made to explain the shape of the land.
- When
- Told since the Middle Ages
- Where
- Cashel, Tipperary, Ireland
- Witnesses
- Irish folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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