I know a few celebrities I want to meet, a few of my favourite musicians - Ive got a
mental list but one person who is not on there - is the devil.
Wether or not you believe in the devil, there are many people throught history that not
only believe in the devil - they claim theyve met him - and have sometimes done dark deals
that have become the stuff of legend.
Here are 10 of the most famous.
My name is Danny Burke and this is the Top 10 Scary Real Life Devil Encounters.
Starting off at number 10 we have The Illusionist[a].
This is said to be a true story from Juarez in Mexico of when the devil appeared to a
man.
It happened in 1942 and was later told by his son before spreading around the world.
On a summers day the man went to see the circus in town with his father and brother.
The shows werent very interesting that year but they met two girls and went off to hear
some live music.
Suddenly, they were stopped by a shrot man in a dinner jacket.
He claimed he was the greatest illusionist in the world but that the circus turned him
down because his act was so frightening - the owner accused him of being the devil.
This got the man and his brothers attention, the stranger said they could see the trick
at his home.
They followed the stranger back and sat on the sofa in his trailer.
The stranger extended his arm and began running his left hand over his gloved right hand,
all while chanting in a strange tongue.
He asked if they were ready - they said yes - he pulled off the glove - everyone screamed.
To their horror, the hand was now a skeleton hand, still wiggling its fingers.
The mans brother got up to take a closer look, the stranger grabbed the top of his head with
his bony hand and said now he was really going to show them something.
They all ran and screamed.
The man stopped and looked back - the stranger was standing on the top of the steps and laughing
at them.
On the ground was a wooden plank with long nails pointing up, the stranger jumped off
the step and landed right on a nail - blood poured out - but he continued to laugh.
The man just stared at him, transfixed, until his brother grabbed him and they both ran.
They knew it was the devil, they felt it was the devil - and they said it was a day they
can never forget …
Next up at number 9 we have Robert Johnson[b].
He is one of the most legendary blues musician of all time whos music went on to influence
other musicians for generations.
Aside from his music - folks will tell you another story about Robert Johnson - that
he met the devil.
They say that one day Robert was walking down the highway on a cool October night when he
came to a crossroads.
A tall man was sitting there on a log by the side of the road.
He said he knew Robert and asked him if we wanted to play the guitar like nobody every
played it before, to be the king of the delta blues.
He said he wanted that - the devil warned him though that although his music will enchant
the crowds, his soul would now belong to him -This is not just any crossroads- the devil
said -I put this X here for a reason, and I been waiting on you- … then, the devil
possessed him - Roberts eyes rolled upwards in their sockets, the moon pierced his eyes,
then he looked at the man straight in the eyes and said -Step back, Devilman, Im going
to Rosedale, I am the Blues- … whether or not you believe the story, Robert Johnson
was an incredible blues musician - I was listening to him as I wrote this script - and he also
died under mysterious circumstances involving poison when he was 27 which historians are
still trying to fully understand …
Moving on to number 8 we have St Dunstan[c].
He was a 1-th century hermit who lived in Glastonbury in England.
One day, a mysterious stranger approached him and asked that St Dunstan used his skill
in smithing to make a chalice for him.
Dunstan agreed and set to work - as he worked though, he saw the stranger change form - from
man to woman, from woman to child, flowing from one to the next.
Dunstan realised this was the Devil but tried to act as if he hadnt noticed.
Then, when the chance presented itself, he grabbed a pair of red hot tongs from the fire
and pierced them into the strangers nostrils, causing the devil to cry out in pain and flee.
A while later, the Devil returned again - this time as a vagrant street performer playing
the harm.
Dunstan grabbed him by the leg and began shoo-ing him - then he nailed a horseshoe to his cloven
foot.
The devil screamed in agony and agreed to be released on the condition that he never
approached a house with a horseshoe hanging over the doorway, giving birth to the legend
that horseshoes are lucky and even keep the devil at bay …
Moving on to number 7 we have The Devils Violinist[d].
Thats the name given to Niccolo Paganini - some say he was the greatest violinist who ever
lived.
He was a child prodigy in Genoa, Italy who struggled to find a teacher that he couldn't
surpass.
By the age of 15 he was touring solo but within a year he had a breakdown and succumbed to
alcoholism.
He didnt reappear until the age of 22 but this time, he was somehow better than ever.
They say he was able to play 3 octaves across four strings in a hand span - you don't have
to know what that means - but its thought to be nearly impossible even by todays standards.
He was a striking sight in his performances - very tall and thin, with hollow cheeks,
very long fingers, pale skin and flaming eyes with thin lips that held a sardonic smile.
To top it off he often wore all black for performances.
Soon, rumours began to circulate that his violin was the devils instrument - that Paganini
had made a deal with him.
Some said they saw the devil help paganini play, others once said they saw lightning
bolt hit the end of his bow during a performance.
When he died, he turned down his last rites from a priest - the official account is that
he did this because he thought he wasnt going to die - but others say it was because he
feared the blessing of a priest …
Coming in at number 6 now we have The Richest[e].
This is the story of Jonathon Moulton.
He was an American general who helped the US win the revolutionary war - he's also known
for trying to trick the devil.
Despite being very rich, Moulton wanted more.
One night, sitting in front of his fireplace, Moulton said out loud that hed sell his sole
to the devil to be the richest man in the province.
Not one to miss out on the offer of a soul, the Devil appeared and said that he would
make the deal and fill Moultons boots with gold coins every month.
For a while Moulton enjoyed finding the gold in his boots every month - but soon he wanted
more and hatched a cunning plan.
He cut the bottom of his boots and put them on the chimney.
The devil filled up the boots but eventually noticed the shoes never filled.
The coins were tumbling down the chimney were Moulton was practically swimming in them.
As revenge, the devil took back all the gold hed ever given Moulton, burned down his house
and kept his soul in hell for eternity.
Legend says that years after his death, Moultons grave was opened and instead of a skeleton,
they found a coffin filled with gold …
Next up at number 5 we have Saint Pio[f].
We talked about Saint Duncan earlier but he wasnt the only saint who claimed to have a
run in with the devil.
Pio was known for his frequent and often violent battles with the devil.
On one occasion, a local Friar found him lying bloodied and bruised in his room.
When Pio came round, he said that he had been attacked by either Satan or one of his demons
which had left him with 3 broken ribs.
On one night in 1906, Pio heard footsteps coming from the next room which he thought
was his friend - Friar Anastasio.
He went to the window and tried to call out to invite him in for a chat - he found that
hsi voice had gone though, he couldn't speak.
Then, he noticed a large black hound sitting menacingly on a nearby window ledge.
In his account of what happened, Pio said -I saw the big dog enter through the window
and there was smoke coming from his mouth.
I fell on the bed and I heard a voice from the dog that said, ‘him it is, it is him.’
While I was still on the bed, the animal jumped to the ledge of the window, then to the roof
and disappeared.- … his colleagues believed that the devil was targetting him because
of all the exorcisms that Pio had performed.
They said that on many occasions, before leaving the body of a possessed man, they would hear
the devil shout -Padre Pio, you give us more trouble than Saint Michael - do not steal
the bodies from us and we will not bother you-
Next up at number 4 we have Johann Georg Faust[g].
A 1587 booked titled -Historia and Tale of Doctor Johannes Faustus- tells the story of
Johannes Faustus who allegedly met with the devil.
According to the book, he was a German scholar who, quote, loved what ought not to be loved.
It says that he craved nothing more than forbidden knowledge.
One day, Johannes traveled to a crossroads in a forest and summoned the devil.
He stood inside a protective circle and performed an ancient and unholy ritual.
Soon, lightning came crashing down and the entire forest was destroyed.
Demons emerged in 3 forms, first as a dragon, then as a man made of fire, then as an old
monk.
After hours of conversation, Faust agreed to trade his soul so that his every question
would be answered for 24 years.
He told himself that things would be fine because in his words the devil -might not
be so black as they use to paint him, nor hell so hot as the people say- … well, the
story ends by saying that he was wrong - and people were right.
It claims that when Johannes died, his soul went straight to hell where he spent an eternity
of torture, wishing for death, but finding that even death had forsaken him …
Moving on to number 3 we have The Signed Pact[h].
Father Urbain Grandier was a French Catholic priest who, in 1632, was accused by a local
group of nuns that he had bewitched them and sent demons to commit evil and impudent acts
with them.
Investigations into Urbain reached a new level with the discovery of what people claimed
to be a physical contract written on paper - between Urbain and the devil.
The contract was said to even be signed by Urbain, the devil and a number of demons.
It read -We, the influential Lucifer, the young Satan, Beelzebub, Leviathan, Elimi,
and Astaroth, together with others, have today accepted the covenant pact of Urbain Grandier,
who is ours.
And him do we promise the love of women, the flower of virgins, the respect of monarchs,
honors, lusts and powers.- … well, whatever you think about all that, the local court
found him guilty and sent him to burn at the stake …
Moving on to number 2 now we have St Gemma Galgani[i].
In her diaries, she wrote that she believed the Devil himself was waging a personal war
against her The demon came before me as a giant of great height and kept saying to me
“For thee there is no more hope of salvation.
Thou are in my hands!”.
I replied that God is merciful and therefore I fear nothing.
Then, giving me a hard blow on the head in a rage he said “accursed be you!” and
then he disappeared.
I then went to my room to rest, and there I found him.
He began again to strike me with a knotted rope, and wanted me to listen to him while
he suggested wickedness.
I said no, and he struck me even harder, knocking my head violently against the ground.
At a certain point, it came to my mind to invoke Jesus’ Father “Eternal Father,
through the most precious blood of Jesus, free me!”
I then don’t quite know what happened.
That contemptible beast dragged me from my bed and threw me, hitting my head against
the floor with such force that it pains me still.
I became senseless and remained lying there until I came to myself a long time afterwards.
Jesus be thanked!- from the look of her diary, it wasnt her first encounter and it certainly
wasnt her last …
And finally at number 1 we have Pope Sylvester the 2nd[j].
If you had to pick one person who isnt in league with the devil, you may pick the pope
- but back in the 10th century, people thought the first French pope was a master of the
dark arts and had soul his sole to the devil.
He was undoubtedly a genius, known for his work in mechanics, mathematics, astronomy,
clocks, organs, introducing Arabic numerals to western europe as well as natural science,
music, philosophy and theology.
That was a lot for one person - especially back then.
After he died, rumours began to circulate that Sylvester had made a deal with the devil
- that the devil had given him his intelligence and wisdom in return for his soul.
This was a terrifying prospect for Catholics at the time - the thought that their leader,
Gods representative on Earth - had been meeting and dealing with the devil in secret.
In recent years, experts agree that he likely got his skills and knowledge from regular
meetings with scholars from all over the known world - and not from some dark dealings - what
do you think?
And what do you think about all of that?
Im not sure if I want to even ask this question but does anyone have any similar stories?
I don't know if this is going to become a series - I hope were not doing a part 20 of
this in the future.
Let me know though, you guys are in charge.
Thanks for watching as always, my name is Danny Burke and Ill see you all in the next
video!