Do you think where such gloomy forms come from?.. Yes, yes
The construction of the famous Cologne Cathedral - the third largest Gothic temple in the world - took an incredible six-plus centuries. It took place in two stages: from 1248 to 1437 and … from 1842 to 1880. What is the reason for this "long-term construction"?.. The locals of Cologne know for sure, and written documents and oral legends confirm: it turns out that the whole thing is in the intrigues of the devil himself!
The cathedral was to be erected by the architect Gerhard von Riehle, who studied the art of building in France. The city authorities gave him exactly one year to develop the drawings. And here something went wrong with the venerable Gerhard … time passed, and ideas did not come and were not embodied on paper. Until that time, while walking in gloomy thought along the banks of the Rhine, he did not stop at a huge stone, which popular rumor dubbed the devil.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a stranger in the clothes of a builder appeared in front of him. The stranger began to draw something quickly with a cane in the dust at the very feet of Gerhard. When the master looked closely, he was seriously surprised: on the ground in front of him flaunted the completed plan of the new cathedral. The architect asked the stranger what he would like to get for his blueprint. To which the stranger (you know who he was) replied: “Your soul! And if you promise me also the souls of your wife and child, I myself will build the cathedral in three years. If nothing comes of it, then you will continue to enjoy life in the human world. But if the cathedral is ready with the first roosters announcing the beginning of the first day in the fourth year, you and your family are mine!"
Master Gerhard figured that it would be beyond the power of even a devil to build such a grandiose structure in such a short time, and therefore agreed to diabolical conditions. But he soon regretted it: the devils worked quickly and stubbornly, like the Stakhanovites, construction went on day and night, the cathedral grew by leaps and bounds … And Gerhard von Riele's mood fell lower and lower. This did not escape the attentive eyes of his wife, and one day she nevertheless asked him what prevents him from enjoying life. And when I found out about the terms of the deal, I was frightened at first, and then thought. "You never know?! Let's deceive the devil!"
And now, the day of reckoning has come. That morning, the woman got up early at dawn and went to the construction site. The demons-foremen were just installing the domes of the towers. It was then that Gerhard's wife and … croaked! Yes, so skillfully that from all over Cologne real cocks began to respond to her cries - it was not in vain that I trained all the time before this day! And the cathedral is still a little unfinished! The stupid devil did not suspect a trick, and with a wild cry, began to destroy the newly rebuilt church. But, as they say, the agreement is more expensive than money, and the ruler of darkness had to get out of his way.
Learning about the deception later, the devil cursed the cathedral. Since then, it has been being completed all the time, but it cannot be completed. Yes, and the devil did not lag behind the master Gerhard: he found him again and … Gerhard, forgetting about caution, decided to make a new bet. This time for the construction of an underground channel. But in vain!
The end of the “hunt for souls” is sad: Gerhard once again hoped for his wife, but this time she gave up, the devil, taught by bitter experience, completed his canal in time. Seeing that the case was a haply, Gerhard jumped from a height to crash, but to save his soul, but the devil caught up with him at the very foot and took him to the underworld, laughing maliciously.
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Since then, the ghost of Gerhard himself has been seen from time to time at the Cologne Cathedral … He suddenly appeared on the scaffolding and frightened the workers, or even pushed down the most daring ones. At least that's what the locals say …