The bridges that fall into the Devil's Bridge category are so numerous that the legends about them form a special category in the
Aarne-Thompson (AT) classification system for
folktales (Number 1191). Some legends have elements of related folktale-categories, for example Deceiving the
Devil (AT #1196), The Devil's Contract (AT #756B), and The Master Builder legends. One version of the tale presents the bridge builder and the Devil as adversaries. This reflects the fact that frequently, such as in the case of the at the
St Gotthard Pass, these bridges were built under such challenging conditions that successful completion of the bridge required a
heroic effort on the part of the builders and the community, ensuring its legendary status. Other versions of the legend feature an old lady or a simple
herder who makes a
pact with the Devil. In this version the devil agrees to build the bridge, in return receiving the first
soul to cross it. After building the bridge (often overnight) the devil is outwitted by his adversary (for example, by throwing bread to lure a dog over the bridge first) and is last seen descending into the water, bringing peace to the community. In the case of the in
Regensburg, the legend speaks of the devil helping in a race between the builders of the bridge and of the cathedral (in fact a significantly later construction), and a slight bump in the middle of the bridge is said to result from the devil's leaping with rage upon being tricked out of his prize. In the legend of in
Hamburg, which leads only over a small stream, the carpenter, in a pact with the devil, promised him the first soul to cross the bridge. On the day of inauguration, while the priest and county councillor debated who should step on the bridge first, a rabbit crossed it and the disappointed devil disappeared. A statue refers to the legend there. The legend of in
Borgo a Mozzano, Province of
Lucca, tells of a local saint (often
Saint Julian, the Hospitaller) who makes the pact with the devil. On the day of delivery, the saint sets fire to a dog or a pig, which crosses the bridge and deceives the devil. At
Sens, a thirteenth-century legend tells of an architect who sold his soul to the devil and then subsequently repented. M. le Curé of Sens drove the devil away with holy water and with an exorcism formula beginning with the words
Vade retro satana, which he made the penitent repeat. The formula was, at some time, incorporated into the design of the popular
Saint Benedict Medal. Most of the bridges that have received the "Devil's Bridge" appellation are remarkable in some regard, most often for the technological hurdles surpassed in building the bridge, but on occasion for its
aesthetic grace as well, or for its
economic or strategic importance to the community it serves. ==List of bridges==