The True Legend Of St. Dunstan And The Devil: Showing How The Horseshoe Came To Be A Charm Against Witchcraft

by Edward G. Flight

The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil is a book written by Edward G. Flight in 1871. The book tells the story of St. Dunstan, a 10th-century English monk who was said to have outwitted the devil. According to the legend, the devil visited St. Dunstan in his workshop and asked him to shoe his horse. St. Dunstan recognized the devil and instead of nailing the horseshoe onto the horse's hoof, he nailed it onto the devil's foot. The devil begged for mercy and promised never to enter a house with a horseshoe above the door.The book explores the origins of the horseshoe as a charm against witchcraft and evil spirits. It delves into the history and folklore surrounding St. Dunstan and how his legend became associated with the horseshoe. The author provides a detailed account of the legend, including its variations and interpretations over time.The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil is a fascinating read for anyone interested in folklore, mythology, and the history of superstitions. It offers a unique perspective on the origins of a common superstition and sheds light on the cultural significance of the horseshoe as a symbol of protection against evil.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

62 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2006

Reviews

[Stephanie]

Notes: St. Dunstan was mentioned in Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." This version of a St. Dunstan legend is illustrated by George Cruickshank, who illustrated some of Dickens work (but not A Christmas Carol).

(I read the 3rd edition available at Project Gutenberg with illustrations.)

[Hal Brodsky]

This is an easy to read Victorian poem written in AABCCB.
As this is a copy of the 2nd edition, it must have done better than it seems to deserve. I suspect the reason it sold well was because it was illustrated by famed illustrator George Cruikshank (as in Charles Dickens' illustrator), and from the somewhat bizarre action in the poem, I am sure Cruikshank had a filed day with this.
Herein lies the problem...Cruikshank's illustrations are missing from this E-Book edition, making it, too me, almost valueless.
Perhaps someone can comment on why the illustrations are missing.......

[Emily Johnson]

totally not what I was expecting