Towards the end of 1730, the richest man in Timanfaya and the daughter of farmers who grew healing plants in the area, were celebrating their recent marriage that would keep them together forever.

They were there with friends and family full of joy and happiness, imagining a future of heat, love and passion and unaware of the tragedy that laid ahead.

The bowels of the Earth started to shake throwing rivers of burning lava out of the volcano. Everyone run looking for shelter surrounded by rocks and ashes.

The newlyweds also run looking for somewhere to hide when there was a huge explosion. Suddenly, a large rock fell off the sky burying the bride. The groom in despair, tried his best to move that rock that had taken his wife away from him but everyone tried to make him understand that his efforts were in vain.

That boy, full of anger and rage, and unwilling to listen to those shouting at him and saying that there was nothing else he could do, took a five-edge pitchfork to try to lift the rock. He somehow managed to lift it and access the lifeless body of his loved one.

In despair, and not knowing what to do, he kept on running and shouting as he held the dead body of his wife in his arms, looking for shelter and the comfort that he would no longer be able to get.

The story goes that lost among the ash, sulphate and smoke, the young man walked until he perished. Many people claimed to have seen his silhouette gazing at the full moon, holding the pitchfork in his arms, so they used to refer to them saying: “poor devil”.

That is how the legend of the “Diablo de Timanfaya” came about, a boy full of anger and pain that run around the lava flooded volcanoes.

Note: this legend is really a tale that is not backed by any evidence. It is very likely that it even started being told after the beginning of the “Montañas del Fuego” centre. We know that the devil designed by César Manrique bares no resemblance to this story. That design is based on an interpretation of what we imagine hell to be like, as the area seems “infernal”.