Devils Bridge sketched by Lister
Item
Title
Devils Bridge sketched by Lister
Is Part Of
Geological Sciences
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Engineering & the Built Environment
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History
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Study of Religions
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Physics
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Fine Art
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Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research
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Description
'Devils Bridge' sketched by Lister on his travels through Europe showing a bridge crossing the Gotthard Pass, northern approach, Switzerland.
The term 'devil's bridge' is applied to many ancient bridges found primarily in Europe. These were stone or masonry arch bridges and, because they represented a significant technological achievement in ancient architecture, were objects of fascination and stories. The most popular of these featured the Devil, either as the builder of the bridge (relating to the precariousness or impossibility of such a bridge to last or exist in the first place) or as a pact-maker (sharing the necessary knowledge to build the bridge, usually in exchange for the communities souls). The legend attached to the bridge sketched by Lister is of the latter, and was related by Johann Jakob Scheuchzer in 1716.
According to Scheuchzer, the people of Uri recruited the Devil for the difficult task of building the bridge. In return for his expertise, the Devil requested the soul of the first thing to pass the bridge. To trick the Devil, the people of Uri sent across a dog by throwing a piece of bread, and the dog was promptly torn to pieces by the Devil.
Reference: Scheuchzer, J. , 1747 [1716]. Naturgeschichte des Schweitzerlandes. Vol. 2: 94.
The term 'devil's bridge' is applied to many ancient bridges found primarily in Europe. These were stone or masonry arch bridges and, because they represented a significant technological achievement in ancient architecture, were objects of fascination and stories. The most popular of these featured the Devil, either as the builder of the bridge (relating to the precariousness or impossibility of such a bridge to last or exist in the first place) or as a pact-maker (sharing the necessary knowledge to build the bridge, usually in exchange for the communities souls). The legend attached to the bridge sketched by Lister is of the latter, and was related by Johann Jakob Scheuchzer in 1716.
According to Scheuchzer, the people of Uri recruited the Devil for the difficult task of building the bridge. In return for his expertise, the Devil requested the soul of the first thing to pass the bridge. To trick the Devil, the people of Uri sent across a dog by throwing a piece of bread, and the dog was promptly torn to pieces by the Devil.
Reference: Scheuchzer, J. , 1747 [1716]. Naturgeschichte des Schweitzerlandes. Vol. 2: 94.
Access Rights
Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Creator
Joseph Lister
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Date Created
1827
endDate
1912
Source
Wellcome Library
Resonances
Wellcome Library
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Robert Johnson
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Switzerland
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science
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Tacoma Narrows Bridge
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precarious
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balance
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technology
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engineering
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crossing
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Joseph Lister
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antiseptic
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bacteria
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knowledge
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expertise
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medicine chest
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drawing
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graphite
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Type
Artwork
