Devil's Chain
There is a tradition in Switzerland that St.
Bernard has the devil chained in some mountains in the neighbourhood of the Abbey of Clairvanx. From this comes the custom, observed by the farmers of the country, of striking three blows with the hammer on the anvil every Monday morning before setting to work. By this means the devil's chain is strengthened, so that he may not escape. Devil's Girdle, The Witches in mediaeval times were often accused of wearing the Devil's Girdle, probably as a mark of allegiance to the Evil One. Magical girdles were commonly worn, and a modern writer suggests that the magnetic belts advertised at the present day had their origin in this practice.