Devil
The Friar's Heel
That's more than thee can tell.
See it clearly
- What's there
- Large leaning unworked sarsen
- Legend from
- Wiltshire folk tale, retold by Frank Stevens (1916)
- Best time
- Midsummer sunrise
- Tone
- Humorous
The Devil bragged that no one would ever know. A friar answered back, and ran.
The Heel Stone is the great unworked sarsen standing where the Avenue meets the earthwork at Stonehenge. Folklore says the Devil brought the stones from an old woman's garden in Ireland, tricking her with awkward coins. Setting them up, he boasted no one would ever know how they came there. A friar overheard, said that was more than he could tell, and fled. The furious Devil hurled a stone that struck the friar's heel, leaving its mark. English Heritage notes the name may come from this tale.