BeastFamous
The Devil's Fingerprints
Scorch marks on an old door, left by a dog of fire.
See it clearly
- What's there
- Huge medieval church with scorched north door
- Legend from
- Tudor, 1577
- Tone
- Chilling
Blythburgh, August 1577: lightning, a falling spire, and a black dog that came down from the rafters. Look closely at the north door.
On Sunday 4 August 1577 a violent thunderstorm broke over Blythburgh during the service. Abraham Fleming's pamphlet of that year says a terrible black dog appeared inside the church, coming down from the rood beam, and killed a man and a boy as it passed, while others in the congregation were scorched. The same storm brought down the steeple, which crashed through the roof. Scorch marks on the inside of the north door are still pointed out as the claw marks of the beast, known locally as the Devil's fingerprints. The dog, remembered as Black Shuck, is said to have struck Bungay on the very same morning.