Today and tomorrow in 1855 townspeople in Devon, England, reported very peculiar cloven hoof tracks in the snow that went on in a straight line for 100 miles, even traversing housetops. The phenomenon has since been known as The Devil’s Footprints.

The footprints were so-named because many of the more superstitious townspeople believed that the footprints were the work of Satan, since they were allegedly made by a cloven hoof. There were many attendant rumors about sightings of a “devil-like figure” in the Devon area during the scare. Many townspeople armed themselves and attempted to track down the beast responsible, without success (Wikipedia).

Let’s get this straight: on February 8-9, 1855, English townspeople found peculiar tracks in the snow which continued for 100 miles. They popularly thought it to be the Devil. What they posited as the cause has something to say for intelligent design.

What Caused the Footprints?

You can probably see where this post is headed: they see prints, so they think there must be a printer. Yes, overall that’s my point. But you may object and point out that they posited a “superstitious” creature as an explanation. Ultimately, yes. But, initially can you not imagine the men of Devon arguing over whether the tracks could be that of a deer, or a field mouse, or a cow? Using what they know about tracks they would have narrowed down their options.

“Could it be a cow?”

“No, how would a cow get onto the roof?”

“What about a field mouse?

“I don’t think a little field mouse can walk for over 100 miles in one right.”

Secondly, even with positing the Devil as causing the footprints, they are still positing a being doing the tracks.

Theories Solving the Mystery

The Wikipedia article lists several proffered theories of explanation for the queer tracks:

1. Wood mice – proposed in March of that year
2. Kangaroo – proposed also in March of that year as having escaped from a private menagerie
3. Weather balloon
4. Bizarre meteorological phenomenon
5. Mass hysteria

If I say by way of argument for intelligent design, “See, the townspeople thought the tracks to be the work of a sentient being such as mice or a kangaroo,” I imagine you would object and rightly point out against intelligent design, “But the remaining explanations include non-sentient objects such as a balloon and a meteor.” Right, you are but these two latter explanations are just as superstitious has positing the Devil. A cloven-hoof balloon or meteor doesn’t square well with what we’ve observed about either of the objects.

So What that We Don’t Have an Explanation

Yeh, so what; but observe that the townspeople were immediately drawn to explanations of intelligent design: some sentient being made these tracks while going somewhere. Among the posited theories, unsurprisingly, time and random chance are not included. Picture the serious conversation wherein townspeople offered explanations and one man suggesting time and random chance.

“What about a kangaroo escaping from Mr. Smith’s private little zoo?”

“Possibly. We’ll have to ask him.”

“I think time and random chance could have produced these tracks.”

“Are you serious?”

When we observe “phenomena” such as tracks in the snow, our minds immediately begin thinking of beings that could have done such work; we don’t immediately despair and claim, “It happened randomly! There was the right mixture of natural elements and wha-bam, tracks appeared.” The townspeople are a case in point.