Some see the broken stone pillar as evidence that a demon named Zardan visited Prague
The legend of the Devil’s Column tells that a marble column broken into three pieces in the field just behind the Basilica Church of St Peter and St Paul. A mural in the church depicts part of the story as well. And in 1861, a church provost wrote that the story was true and that it was “not possible to speak or believe otherwise.” He even named the devil in question as Zardan.
The story has been told many times, so there are numerous slight variations. One is that a priest, possibly named Boniface, had gotten himself into some gambling debt. Zardan promised to get him out of trouble if he won a final all-or-nothing bet with his soul. The priest had to finish celebrating mass before Zardan could return from Rome with a pillar. Zardan, being a devil, is alleged to have cheated. But with a little help from the heavens the column broke and Zardan lost his bet.
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