A legend from Devon in England about the devil and a foolish girl

The legend of a naive girl from Devon who made a deal with the Devil

Once upon a time, not far from the village of Marwood in North Devon, there lived a young and beautiful girl named Moly. She earned her living by working as a servant for one of the wealthier farmers in the area.

After finishing her daily chores, she would retreat to her room, located in a small space in the attic. Sitting by the tiny window in her chamber, she would gaze into the distance, daydreaming of a prince from a fairy tale—a handsome, dreamy youth who would sweep her off her feet. She longed so much to find her better half that eventually, this desire turned into an obsession. Other villagers mocked her dreams and teased her mercilessly.

“Look! Moly is still searching for her prince on a white horse. She’ll probably end up an old maid, with a flock of cats as her only comfort.“

However, Moly paid no heed to the ridicule and had no intention of remaining alone. She was so determined that one gloomy evening, she decided that if it didn’t work out otherwise, at least let the Devil himself fill the emptiness in her heart.

But how does one find a suitor straight from hell? The idea seemed good, but contacting the devil was not so easy. However, a desperate girl seeking love will resort to any solution and eventually succeed.

Not differently was the case with Moly. She had often heard tales that at the annual fair taking place in Barnstaple, the Prince of Darkness would appear in the guise of a young and handsome lad. The oldest folks from the surrounding villages spoke of it, and even in the church chronicles, it was written to beware of the devil at the fair, as he appeared there to stimulate greed and envy among simple people. As fate would have it, the opportunity presented itself to Moly.

When the day of the fair arrived, Moly dressed in her best gown from her trunk and headed to Barnstaple. She wandered through the stalls, paused to watch the jugglers, and listened to the chatter of drunks leaving the nearby pubs. Unfortunately, there was no handsome young man in sight.

As evening fell, the quest for the love of her life ended in disappointment. Moly set out on the journey back, which she could barely see through teary eyes. Her feet ached terribly from walking all day at the market, but this pain was nothing compared to the ache in her broken heart.

Suddenly, as she approached the farmhouse, she felt a light gust of icy wind on her back. She immediately turned around and noticed a tall, handsome man with eyes shining in the darkness walking behind her. The stranger approached the speechless maiden, bowed politely, and spoke with a resonant, deep voice.

– Greetings, my lady. I am called Will Easton, and I’ve been watching you at the Barnstaple fair all afternoon. Would you do me the honor and allow me to escort you home? – Impressed, Moly was rendered speechless, and all she could manage was a slight nod. When they reached the homestead, the young man took her hands and promised that as soon as he could, he would visit her in a few days.

As promised, he did so, and soon he stood at the doorstep. The astonished hostess, the wife of the landowner, invited the guest for dinner and took the opportunity to inquire about the purpose of his visit. Thanks to his impeccable appearance and beautiful stories, the young man gained the favour of the homeowners and was increasingly invited into their home.

Although a few times he astonished the household by mysteriously disappearing, only to reappear in the flickering candlelight, after a while, no one remembered these strange events, and the mysterious Will continued to entertain everyone with beautiful stories.

Day by day, Moly blossomed more and more, transforming from a shy girl into a confident young woman. The servants stopped mocking her, lowering their heads in shame when they saw her, remembering the hurtful words they had used against her heart earlier.

However, the idyllic scene couldn’t last forever, and time marched on relentlessly. Leaves fell from the trees, revealing broken branches, and the nights grew colder. It was a sign that winter was inexorably approaching. Yet, before the frost set in, a powerful storm erupted, breaking mighty trees like matchsticks. It was on this night that a loud, terrifying female scream pierced through the farmhouse.

Shelves shook, and loose items crashed to the ground with a resounding noise, leaving the frightened household members staring at each other in fear. The wood from which the house was built creaked and groaned as if it were about to shatter into a thousand pieces. The head of the household gathered the male servants and headed in the direction of the vibrations, which clearly emanated from the attic, or more precisely, from Moly’s room.

After forcing the door open, they stood frozen. The girl hung lifelessly over the bed in a position no normal person could maintain. As soon as Moly saw them, she screamed for help, but despite their efforts, they were repelled by some invisible force. A few moments later, several of them lay scattered with broken limbs.

Not willing to risk more lives, the farmer urgently sent a messenger with a message to the respected priest from Ashford. As soon as he heard about what had happened, the experienced priest set out to help. When he entered Moly’s room, he recognized the cause of the strange occurrences. He had dealt with a similar demon before, and being an exceptionally experienced priest, he straightforwardly addressed the demon.

“Do you want to fully possess this virgin and take her soul now, or will you wait until the candles illuminating this room burn out, weakening your strength, so you can show us your full power?” The demon, unaware of the trickery, agreed to the proposition and said he would wait.

“As soon as the last candle completely burns out, I will reveal all my power and take the soul of this woman, tearing you mortals to shreds!!!” Then, the cunning exorcist blew out one of the candles, not allowing it to burn out on its own. The deceived devil howled in rage, then left the girl’s body.

According to legend, the box with the candle was bricked up in the walls of Marwood Church and remains there to this day. But what happened to the girl who was only seeking love? Nobody knows that any more. Perhaps she finally found one of her dreams among the servants on the farm, or, as they predicted earlier, she remained an old maid with quite a herd of cats in the yard.

You will find more interesting myths and legends in our fairy tales section.