The birth of the legend of the Chasm of Padirac
If you believe the Gouffre de Padirac is a work of nature, you are mistaken! Allow me, then, to tell you the true origins of this vast chasm, which, for centuries, has been shrouded in mystery and superstition.
The locals will tell you that it was Satan himself who opened the earth, in a desperate attempt to deceive Martin, Bishop of Tours, who later became one of the patron saints of France.
Bishop Martin tirelessly traveled Gaul (France) on a donkey, preaching the Gospel. Needless to say, the Devil and his minions were not pleased! Since time immemorial, they had haunted the ancient dolmens scattered across the Causses region and danced with wild joy in the moonlight.
So much, in fact, so that they no longer returned at dawn to the shadows of their stones, but lingered on the earth in broad daylight, terrifying the villagers. Masters of metamorphosis, they took on the appearance of vipers, newts, and other venomous beasts.
Saint Martin meets Satan on the heath
The locals lived in fear until Martin decided to act, with the help of his guardian angels. One night, while this band of evildoers was indulging in wild drinking at the top of the dolmens, he sprinkled them with holy water. Panic scattered the Devil’s henchmen, but as always, Satan escaped unharmed.
Undeterred, and his mission accomplished, Martin mounted his donkey and headed towards Tours. But on the great moor, four men in local dress approached him. Caution seized him, and rightly so, for as they drew nearer, he noticed their clumsy gait; their feet were cloven hooves, and one of them even had a large black tail under his peasant’s smock. Satan and his henchmen!
“Greetings, Satan, how fares the old beast?” Martin called.
“Greetings, old foolish bishop,” the Devil answered.
“What brings you to this peaceful land?” asked Martin.
“Why, my monthly rounds, of course,” came the mocking answer.
With these words, Satan opened his satchel, overflowing with the souls of the men who had sold themselves to him. His three companions carried equally full satchels, dragging these lost souls toward Hell. Martin’s heart swelled with pity. He resolved to save them and, knowing Satan’s fondness for games of chance, he challenged him:
“I’ll wager these souls on you,” said Martin.
Satan could not resist. They played dice. Satan, with his loaded dice, rolled a 12 on the first try. But when Martin’s turn came, he invoked his guardian angels, and his dice landed on a 13. Instantly, the four bags were his. Satan roared that it was a trick and demanded a rematch.
“Very well,” said Martin. “What stake will you set this time?”
“Your soul!” roared Satan, convinced it was worth a hundred times what he had lost.
Martin calmly agreed. “And the challenge?”
“This heath we stand upon, I will place here an obstacle that neither you nor your mule can cross!”
The mule’s leap
With a deafening crash and a burst of fire, the earth split open, revealing a vast and terrifying abyss: the Padirac Chasm.
Satan, triumphant, laughed a cruel laugh. “Now, proud bishop, do you see? Your vanity has ruined you. Will you finally give up your soul?”
Without flinching, Martin silently consulted Saint Eutropius, who had once carried him and his donkey through the air during a perilous encounter. He urged his mule forward, but the poor beast stopped at the very edge of the precipice, trembling in every limb, while the laughter and cries of Satan’s imps and henchmen rose from the depths, eager to seize Martin’s soul.
But the Devil rejoiced too soon. With a sudden leap, the mule launched itself into the air, soaring above the gaping chasm and landing safely on the other side.
Satan’s defeat
Satan roared with rage when Martin opened the bags and freed the lost souls. Defeated and furious, Satan plunged back into the depths of the earth, sealing the gates of Hell behind him. Silence returned, and Martin and his faithful donkey resumed their journey to Tours.
It is said that even today, at nightfall, one can hear the braying of a donkey near the Padirac chasm. It is Martin’s mule, crossing the chasm once again, aided by Saint Eutropius. And if you look closely at the edge of the chasm, you can still see the marks of its hooves.
And if you doubt it, go to the Padirac chasm. You’ll see I’m not lying!
N.B. The Padirac chasm is located in the Causses of Quercy, not far from Rocamadour, a pilgrimage town. It is the most visited underground tourist site in France, with an average of over 500,000 visitors per year.
Wikimedia commons: Header by Gustave Doré (1832–1883) is Public Domain – St. Martin and is donkey by Moreau.henri is CC BY 4.0 – Satan with hooves by sailko is CC BY-SA 3.0 – Source
