Cu Chulainn
07-07-2009, 10:48 PM
When I was just a kid I found an old book in my elementary school library and took it home for my dad to read it to me. I didn't take much interest in it at the time, but it's always stuck with me. Now that I'm older, I'd love to read it again but can't find it. The synopsis is as follows:
Two brothers (?) find a very deep well and decide to go down into it. The well actually is so deep it goes into hell where one of them finds a treasure chest. They bring the chest to the surface and support it with a great oak pole through the chest's ring/handle. A great hand (the Devil's?) comes out from the well and grabs hold of the chest. The brothers hold onto the pole with all their might, the hand pulls with all of its, and the oak pole proves to be the strongest. Eventually the ring/handle breaks off and the hand sinks back into the well with the chest. All the brothers have left is the oak pole and the ring. Unsure what to do with a damned chest handle, they give it to a church which uses it as a door knocker. Some time thereafter the church burns down leaving only the knocker.
Has anyone ever heard of this story of something similar? I'm fairly certain it is not the Grimm Brothers' "The Devil and the Three Golden Hairs," although that frequently comes up when I google for the story. I remember keenly the fight with the hand and especially the oak pole.
If someone could post a name to this story, I would be very grateful.
Two brothers (?) find a very deep well and decide to go down into it. The well actually is so deep it goes into hell where one of them finds a treasure chest. They bring the chest to the surface and support it with a great oak pole through the chest's ring/handle. A great hand (the Devil's?) comes out from the well and grabs hold of the chest. The brothers hold onto the pole with all their might, the hand pulls with all of its, and the oak pole proves to be the strongest. Eventually the ring/handle breaks off and the hand sinks back into the well with the chest. All the brothers have left is the oak pole and the ring. Unsure what to do with a damned chest handle, they give it to a church which uses it as a door knocker. Some time thereafter the church burns down leaving only the knocker.
Has anyone ever heard of this story of something similar? I'm fairly certain it is not the Grimm Brothers' "The Devil and the Three Golden Hairs," although that frequently comes up when I google for the story. I remember keenly the fight with the hand and especially the oak pole.
If someone could post a name to this story, I would be very grateful.